MAKING NONVIOLENT REVOLUTION is this year’s theme, with a whole-day workshop co-facilitated by renowned US activist George Lakey (see here). Other workshops include: Eyewitness Afghanistan; Diversity of tactics; Chomsky’s politics; Occupy and the limits of consensus; Smash EDO; Inside prison; Cake-making … and much more.

We are camping in a family-friendly and renewably-powered way from 26 to 30 July 2012 in the beautiful grounds of Crabapple Community, near Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

Activities include: workshops and discussions, practical skills sessions, delicious vegan food cooked by Veggies of Nottingham, music, film, fun and participatory entertainment, a bar, campfires, and activities and facilities for kids and families.

Co-founder of the Movement for a New Society – which for almost 20 years pioneered the forms of consensus decision-making , direct action and communal living that are now central to much of today’s activism – George has led over 1500 workshops on five continents, training coalminers, homeless people, prisoners, Burmese guerillas, steel workers and others.

In addition to his sessions at Peace News Summer Camp, George will also be touring the UK from 16 – 30 July. See here for details.

Read part 1 of PN’s interview with George here.

Of course, the core of the camp was the workshops. There was a joint workshop by Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and Chris Cole of Fig Tree on the East London arms fair in September (DSEi) and the use of military drones. There was a mixed-gender discussion on feminism alongside a men’s meeting on masculinity and militarism. We had sessions on “Using Indymedia”, “Resistance in Harry Potter”, “Peace Activities in Wales”, “Frontline Nonviolence: Action in Palestine” and “Home Education”.

Alongside workshops on cake-making, nonviolent direct action, green economics and car culture, we had “Solidarity Forever: Unionising Migrant and Casualised Workers”, “Revolutions in Egypt and Beyond” (by Alex Nunns, co-editor of Tweets from Tahrir, available from PN), and a presentation by Greg Muttitt, author of the recently-published Fuel on the Fire: Lessons from Iraq on Oil and Occupation.

Community Organising

In amongst all of this, the camp organisers had decided to lay stress on a theme: community organising for radical social change, with whole camp workshops on this theme at the beginning and end of the camp. We thought that as the anti-cuts movement gathers momentum, and peace activists join forces with others struggling for jobs and services, there needs to be greater understanding of what is involved in community organising, how it differs from much of what we call “activism”, and its importance in making lasting political change.

So, as well as the “unionising casual workers” talk (from Ewa Jasiewicz, union organiser and Gaza flotilla activist), and the whole camp workshop, we had workshops by long-time community activist and anarchist Dave Morris (of McLibel fame); by John Stewart, key organiser in the successful campaign to stop the third runway at Heathrow; and by Adrian Arbib, involved in the roads protests in the 1990s and more recently. (We also had sessions by anti-cuts network UKUncut and a group called Stop Kettling Our Kids.)

Peace News staff also ran sessions. Promotions worker Gabriel Carlyle ran “Afghanistan: The Activists’ Pub Quiz”, available for use on the PN website. Co-editor Emily Johns talked about her political-magical art (in a session called “Poo to Postmodernism!”). I ran workshops on “Chomsky’s Politics”, “al-Qa’eda”, and “Uprooting War”. “Uprooting War” was based on the paper I wrote for the Movement for the Abolition of War Strategy Day in February, a paper still available in the Views section on the MAW website.

We have a lot of feedback from campgoers. Here’s a sample: “This was a wonderful holiday for me and a chance to really be myself and to work out what things are valuable in my own life”; “Peace News walks the talk. Thoroughly enjoyed it”; “valuable information, possibly changed my life on so many levels, can’t wait till next year”; “a chance to take risks in a ‘safe’ environment”; “very open and participatory”; “quiet, calm, respectful, trusting”; “People were very friendly and helpful to a new person”; “Camp well organised without too many rules – just essentials”.

• a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat and any other equipment you may need
• warm clothes as it can get chilly at night
• waterproof clothes and boots
• money for paying your contribution to the camp and for paying for food (unless you have paid online)
• a torch would also be useful.

You do not need to bring plates/cutlery etc. The camp will be renewably powered and will have running water and basic washing facilities.

See you there!