Ideas bank

Why an ideas bank?
Two solid, tangible things have so far come from the SSF. One is the Creative Action Network, now a hugely successful organisation in its own right. The other is the launch event, coming up.

But what happens after the launch?

This section is for people to put down all of their ideas. There's absolutely no commitment in doing so - but making the first step of voicing an idea could lead anywhere... (and of course it could also lead nowhere, but its worth seeing!)

Put an idea in heading format if you've given it some thought - even make it into its own WIKI page if enough people are going to contribute. (Go to the WIKI guide and scroll down to 'the weather in London' to find out how. Take some time to look at other WIKI methods on this page.)

There's also a Brainstorm section, if you've just thought up something, but haven't put any flesh on the idea yet.

Ecobuttons

 * ecobuttons : Ideas for a project that allows members of the community to work together to build their own model ecosystem. Teaching at once both science and citizenship.

SSF ICT projects
A series of connecting ideas:

1. Working on specific web projects that will

a. Benefit the wider Sheffield community b. Say something about Sheffield in a new way... b. Help us to gain skills in a co-operative environment (maybe in Access Space - they've said yes to this.)

Some ideas:

1: Simple(ish) - one city / many cities: connecting Sheffield
A web page with two components:


 * A map of the city, with hotspots (arrows)
 * Clicking on a hotspot brings up:
 * a view of the city, in the direction of the arrow you've just clicked on
 * Some details of the spot it's taken from: maybe a personal story, some details of house price, crime rates - and hopefully some other links to Mozaz-copyright animated-gif walkthroughs of various places.

The view of the city will also have hotspots on buildings in the distance, so you can click on 'em to bring up a comparison, and have the option to jump to that place.

Initially, this could be done simply with Jpegs, hotspots and animated GIFs, manually building in contributions. But it could be better...

[Dan]

2. Local-map: interactive Greenmap
Easy 'nuff to visualise.

Community Library
Rather than a centralised library why not a distributed library, People can publish resources they are willing to share, and borrowers can look up the availability of those resources. See CommunityLibrary for more info

You could still run a central resource like a Collective Indymedia and SSF library, where books, CDs, etc. might be borrowed by members in exchange for other books deposited at the library, but with the advent of the internet lets make it work for us building community.

Look at
 * This is already being implemented*

http://sheffield.communitybooks.org/

You are WELCOME to:

Join and share your books and book reviews with us Join our readers &writers workshop, which is newly born.
 * Search for topic WritingWorkshop as it will be moved from time to time*.

DREAM ON!

 * Social forum online calendar.
 * Democracy café.
 * Women’s safe space/café.
 * Smokers safe space/café.
 * A service for ‘angry’ men who are perhaps physically violent to help support them to change.
 * A service for 'angry' children and wommen who are perhaps physically or socially violent to help support them to change.
 * Channel violence into art, including illegal art forms such as graffiti.
 * Radical bookshop.
 * LGBT centre.
 * 100% recycling = zero waste.
 * Breakfasts for schoolkids from poor backgrounds.
 * More involvement in deciding where council money goes.
 * More involvement without stress or excessive encouragement.
 * .... More respect for DREAMS Versus facts, for FEELINGS versus data, for THOUGHT versus speed, for TIME versus profit, for Poetry versus Bureaucracy.
 * At least One Big celebration similar to the Lantern Parade, in midsommer, with lots of fire-jumping, etc, (which might already be a regularly established event, then to make it bigger). One big happening to the benefit of Waste (Yes, since there could be no recycling without Waste, necessary for a sense of Festivity, abundance and challenge to nature).

Building an independent political voice for Sheffield - a regular Sheffield newspaper/grassroots community rag
Its independence would need to be fiercely defended, so that people who might usually worry about their funding would feel able to tell their stories to those willing write those stories. Protected page

من ويكيبيديا، الموسوعة الحرة

لقد تبعت وصلة لصفحة لم يتم إنشائها بعد. لإنشاء هذه الصفحة إبدأ بالكتابة في الصندوق بالأسفل. (أنظر في صفحة المساعدة للمزيد من المعلومات) إذا كانت زيارتك لهذه الصفحة بالخطأ، إضغم على زر رجوع في متصفح الإنترنت لديك.

As well as 'news', could include:


 * 1) Profiles of community groups and individual activists (Also stories of how people got to Sheffield from far and wide parts of the globe)
 * 2) Features on Sheffield's history (it has a radical history, and its not known about enough!)
 * 3) A calendar of community and political events.

It could also be integrated with the SSF website, have input from many sources, and be connected to feature and story-writing workshops for those not used to writing for publication.

The writer above supports the writer below, story-writing workshops has 100 VOTES. :))

The writer below the above also supports both, story-writing plus fiction-poetry and lyrical prose writing has my 50 votes. Practising the skills, applying them to different formats. Video script writing seconded with another 50 votes.


 * You are welcome to*

Check regularly for changes to our ongoing topic and discussion on WritingWorkshop

An Indymedia Paper?
Perhaps this could be done as a Indymedia paper? See the global IMC print site and UK offline page and for inspiration The Indypendant - NYC's fortnightly paper.

SocieTy for Alternative News Distribution - STAND
There are around 210 000 homes in Sheffield. In a day one person can leaflet around 500 homes. If 500 people signed up to distribute literature an alternative newsletter (e.g. the Mole) could be regularly delivered to every home in Sheffield.

o.k. it's unrealistic but it's not *impossible*:)

Housing
Now a real issue in sheffield where even in the most depressed areas house prices have risen above the level where local people are able to afford them. At the same time many council houses are being pulled down and replaced by yuppie flats that are all too often gated, over priced and handed to a private land lord. The issues around housing are far reaching and complex, much is being blamed on immigrints and assylum seekers but we all know that is not the full story. In the future it would be very constructive if the social forum highlighted these issues and took action on them.

Anti-facism/anti-racism
The current anti-facist and anti-racist campaigns are defunct, at the same time the BNP took almost 15% of the vote in some wards last local elections. There is alot of blame going onto assylum seekers, even from people living in areas where there are none. The sheffield social forum needs to coherent strategy to combat both the causes of facism/racism and prevent the BNP gaining in the short/medium term.

SHARE - Sheffield Active Research Centre
SHARESHEFFIELD

WHO RUNS YOUR LIFE?
'''A proposed day of discussion and activities ending with music and film hosted by MATILDA.

9am-10am: Signing in with info on day, milling about, Matilda tours, bit of fun stuff for those who want

10am-11am: First discussion session 11am-11:30am: Comfort break 11:30am-12:30pm: Second discussion session

''The day will begin with two discussion sessions. There will be a variety of discussions shoehorned into three themes. The discussions will have facilitators and may have short presentations but the main focus will be on sharing knowledge and ideas in an open discussion.''

Who runs your life - who are you working for and why are you working - what choices do you have in your life - what makes you happy, material or social - what do your really want to do and what stops you from getting there

Who runs your community - what sort of community do you want - building links in neighbourhoods - where to get money or space - who runs regeneration - the power map - lobbying councellors and media

Who runs the world - how to change the world - global or local or both - the distribution of power and money on a national and international basis - who runs the media - whose story does the media trust - working with, against and outside the media

12:30pm-1:30pm Lunch with various stuff happening around and about

1:30pm-3pm Planning session

''This part of the day will have all three strands focus on planning what to do for the action session. People could talk over having a protest, make stuff for it and so on. A group may be looking at a particular method e.g. subvertising and people may feed in what they would like to do as well as planning how. Or people may wish to set up a protest there and then. The stiff time constraints will limit some of what can be done but focus on the problem of available time. Other groups may wish to focus on media and MP lobbying, looking at how to research a problem, how to write a letter and so on.''

3pm-3:30pm Comfort break

3:30pm-5pm Action session

Here the groups will implement what they have planned, for example a protest in town, sending letters to MP's, setting up a website ecetera

5pm-6pm Report back and sharing

6pm-8pm Dinner

8pm on Film/Music/etc

A major focus of the day will be on organisation. In discussions people will be encouraged not just to think about the issues they are discussing, but also about the process of discussion, of talking and thinking. When planning there should be a continual raising of the organisation process - what is the aim, are you contributing to the aim and so on. With the time constraints it will be sink or swim so good facilitation would be needed - a major challenge for the day.

Some form of a creche would be good. A review of accessibility would be needed.

Squat a Petrol Station


There's a disused petrol station opposite St Mary's community church. We could redecorate with anti-oil/car posters/sculpture/whatever. Even if just a one off protest we could use the space for street theatre, ironic films/phtos, have cars pull in and get filled up with revolutionary ingredients, leaflet and so on. The main aim would be to take the piss out of the global petrochemical megacorps and the "this car will make your life great" culture. Having a continued presence would probably be impossible but hey you never know:!) This is an incredible, wonderfully wild idea which Salvador Dali and many surrealists ancestors would have heartily embraced. If you could make it into an artistic (radical art) event, might sound even better.

See also: Protestations

Sheffield social forum allotment
Gardening is theratputic, healthy and in many places (in sheffield) it is used to help mentally ill people, whats more when you put your time and energy into gardening you get far more out of it than politics for example. It can be a place where there is no formal meetings but people bump into other people who you would otherwise not associate with, no need to get upset about politics and when you do you can simply go down to the allotment and chill out with mother earth. At the end of the year when all the fruits and veg are harvested we can use them to have a 'soup kitchen social' where we can invite local dignitries and the homeless/dispossesed.

www.dn22black.co.uk


local community based project based in the dn22 postal area to the south - east of sheffield

contributions welcome.

help in setting up your own site given if needed.