Starhawk's G8 Plans

The G8 Summit, the meeting of the heads of state of the eight most powerful countries in the world, will take place in Gleneagles, Scotland July 6-8. Major protests are planned, and organizing has been underway in Scotland and Britain for over a year, and much of that work has been quite visionary. Urban convergence centers and a rural encampment will be designed to show a vision of the world we want, and demonstrate balanced, ecofriendly ways to meet human needs. A Cre8 Summit in June will work with local, inner city communities to create a garden and social center in the path of a planned road development. Spiritual healing spaces and celebrations are being planned by a network of Brits involved in earth based spirituality. And, of course, there will be forums, a march expected to be the largest demonstration ever in Scotland, and nonviolent direct action.

I'm very excited. I believe this mobilization has the potential to truly demonstrate what we¹re for as well as what we're against, and to send people home with some of the skills and experience they need to create the other world we keep saying is possible. I will be helping to support the organizing in a number of ways. In late May Erik Ohlsen and I are leading a permaculture course, in coordination with local Scottish teachers, to help prepare people to be resources for the design and building of the eco-camp and convergence spaces. I'm also linked with the training collective that has been offering nonviolent direct action trainings in many communities in Britain for the past year. I'll stay in Scotland for most of June to help with projects and ongoing trainings‹with one detour south for a workshop in London at Alternatives (see below for info.) Others from the RANT collective of trainers will also be coming to Scotland in late June, to help support the great work local trainers are already doing.

Below is information on the actions. We need lots of support, magical, practical, and as always, material. We're still trying to pay for Erik's flight over, for the costs of the permaculture training which we are offering virtually for free, for the convergence space rentals and the tools and materials we need to make this vision a reality. If you can help, tax deductible checks can be made to:

Alliance for Community Trainers
1405 Hillmont St.
Austin, TX 78704
Earmarked‹Scotland

Cre8 Summit June 12-17

Cre8 Summit has been organised by individuals wanting to protest 'for' something rather than 'against' the G8. We are planning to work with the ongoing community protests against the building of the M74 in Glasgow, in particular the council estates of Govanhill and Gorbles. The plan for the work is to reclaim a vacant piece of land that is on site for the construction of the motorway, and than to turn it into a community social space with gardens, sculptures, benches, artwork, etc.

The work on this project is underway. During May we will be running weekly workshops with the communities. During the second week of June, we will reclaim the land (community open day 12th of June) and begin a week of work (from the 13-17th of June) to turn this bit of waste land into something the community can enjoy.

There is an email list that announces news on this project: cre8summit@lists.riseup.net you can subscribe here: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/cre8summit

G8 Protest highlights

Saturday 2nd July - Make Poverty History Demonstration, Edinburgh expected to be the biggest demonstration ever held in Scotland.

Sunday 3rd July The Alternative Summit, Edinburgh workshops including George Monbiot, Susan George, Ken Wiwa and Starhawk.

Monday 4th July - Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base blockade. Six of the G8 have nuclear weapons on their soil. The replacement or otherwise of Britain's Trident system must be decided by Parliament shortly.

Tuesday 5th July Climate Justice Day & demonstration at Dungavel detention centre called by Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees.

Wednesday 6th July Mass demonstration over the hills to Gleneagles Hotel on first day of G8 summit.

Further information at:

http://www.dissent.org.uk Dissent is the main group organizing actions.
http://www.g8alternatives.org.uk Website for alternative forums, etc.
http://scotland.indymedia.org Indymedia Scotland page

Starhawk is an activist, organizer, and author of The Earth Path, Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising, The Fifth SacredThing and other books on feminism, politics and earth-based spirituality. She teaches Earth Activist Trainings that combine permaculture design and activist skills, www.earthactivisttraining.org , and works with the RANT trainer's collective, www.rantcollective.net , that offers training and support for mobilizations around global justice and peace issues.