We now finally have a programme for the social movements / activist research workshop “Learning from each other’s struggles”, in Maynooth next weekend. There are some real highlights - Ziggy from Kolinko talking about organising call-centre workers as militant research, Dave Landy from the IPSC talking about the inside story of their year, a joint […]
Fringe Thoughts
You are currently viewing the author archives of Laurence Cox
Author Archives
Interface 2/1: Crises, social movements and revolutionary transformations
Finally got Interface vol. 2 issue 1 online - feels like the gentle art of zine publishing never died, even though now it’s doing peer-reviewed journals with people around the world and broadband connections rather than a bunch of friends in a room with a Gestetner (I hasten to add that it is the comradely […]
Life after partnership
As it becomes clear not only that “partnership” is being abolished from above across what the Irish state sees as different “sectors” - unions, community organising, women’s groups, LGBTQ activism, disability rights, environmentalism, development / solidarity work etc. etc. but also that we are heading into an assault on social movements […]
Learning from each other’s struggles: activist research workshop
I’ve talked before about the way in which much of the intellectual left has been sidetracked into critical commentary on the workings of capitalism, and how often this winds up reinforcing a sense of rage and despair without focussing on the question of what can we do?
I’m always cheered up (both politically and intellectually) when […]
Learning from each other’s struggles: workshop
I’m helping organise a workshop for activist / movement / community researchers in Dublin and Maynooth on the summer solstice weekend. More details, and an invitation to contribute here.
Masked Activists Ball
… launching the new MA in Community Education, Equality and Social Activism. More details here. Various fringethoughts writers, friends and family may appear in greater or lesser degrees of cognito. Or not …
Blog readers very welcome, in any case!
Writing from below
I’ve just been spending a depressing hour searching the Irish left blogosphere for serious comments on the public sector pay “deal” (the inverted commas because it’s by no means clear that it will pass ballots and work as a deal). Let’s summarise the most important points:
- Massive pay cuts are to remain unless and until […]
Recession, made visible
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1212013/Revealed-The-ghost-fleet-recession-anchored-just-east-Singapore.html
Interesting to see the material reality of recession made so visible. It may be the immaterial flows and whatever that drive the ships or keep them silent - but it is the ships that keep us alive. Very literally, if you live in Ireland; about half of all our imports and exports go through one […]
Sustainable activism
This month I’m starting off a sabbatical research project (which is looking increasingly likely to stretch beyond the year) on sustainable activism: what makes it possible for people to keep going in social movements (despite all the pressures and difficulties associated with them), or to get involved in the first place? Obviously it’s a big question […]
Nottingham terror arrests
I had the dubious pleasure recently of following the events at Nottingham University at fairly close hand, through a colleague who’s been involved in organising support for the two people who were arrested, had their homes raided, spent 6 days in detention and (in the case of one) is now facing deportation to Algeria for […]
