A Loss.

       Sad News from Edinburgh. We must always remember and honour our own, we owe them, there contribution was not for themselves, but for us all. 

We remember Ross
October 3, 2021admin5

         Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty and the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh would like to pay tribute to Ross who died suddenly and unexpectedly on 2nd September 2021 following a hospital operation. We are very shocked and saddened by Ross’ passing.
          Over many years Ross worked tirelessly and selflessly in ACE and ECAP to further the struggle for social justice. His contributions were many. He did a huge amount of work in cataloguing, digitising and physically organising the Scottish Radical Library and the Autonomous Archive, both based at the ACE premises. He was the soul of both, and his spirit and legacy will live on in future SRL activities.
       Some of us first met Ross at solidarity demonstrations in Dundee and elsewhere organised through the Scotland-wide Action Against Austerity network, Ross showing his commitment by travelling himself from Fife to attend the demos. We then got to know him and he became deeply involved in ACE and ECAP.
        In recent years Ross was the principal person looking after the ECAP and ACE websites. This included liasing with providers, posting articles, developing the sites and much more. Ross was also one of the main activists involved in ECAP and ACE social media, posting many articles and conscientiously replying to messages and queries.
        Ross set up the current ACE email, and monitored the messages, making sure that emails were responded to and that the ACE working group was informed of new communications. He equally did much invaluable work on the ECAP email.
        Before the pandemic Ross would often journey through from his home in Fife to Edinburgh to staff and work in the ACE premises, including spending hours in the ACE “tunnel” organising the archive.
        Ross was a dear comrade for us, but probably you met him too in reading our social media posts or in receiving a reply from us about ECAP, ACE or the SRL. Please keep him in your thoughts as a wonderful comrade, activist and person who never sought the limelight or to promote himself but rather made an enormous contribution, without claiming any credit for it. He was completely committed to the cause. He was always very calm, great to work with and a good friend. We will always remember him.

Visit ann arky's home at https:/spiritofrevolt.info    

Your Diary Dates.

      As usual, our friends at ACE in Edinburgh have come up with another very interesting array of events. So mark your diary and if you are in or around Edinburgh on these dates do drop in.

From ACE:

WOMENS HEALTH PROJECTS AND AUTONOMOUS HEALTH CARE IN CHIAPAS, MEXICO

6pm Monday 12th December

At Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh

     Join us for a talk and discussion on Womens Health Projects and Zapatista autonomous health care in Chiapas, Mexico. Lisa Sanderson-Fox, who worked in the Zapatista Autonomous Zones of Chiapas from 2000-2004 and has made numerous trips since, will be speaking about community health worker projects with an emphasis on Women's health. Community Health Workers are an essential part of insuring dignified health care in remote indigenous communities. Come hear stories and participate in a discussion about the role of international solidarity in developing sustainable health care access in revolutionary Mayan commmunities of Chiapas.Lisa has worked with Community Health Workers in Chiapas since 2000, providing trainings for hundreds of people and accompanying multiple clinics in the process of developing autonomous health services appropriate for their communities and culture.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1866286753657961/

Organised, in conjunction with ACE, by Edinburgh Chiapas Solidarity

Group

- edinchiapas@yahoo.co.uk https://www.facebook.com/Edinchiapas/

Followed by talk and discussion on Detroit:

DETROIT: FUTURE CITY?

8pm Monday 12th December

At Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh.

Join us for a talk and discussion on Detroit: Future City?

       The US city of Detroit had a population in the region of 1.8 million in the 1950s but automation and the flight of big business, particularly in the automotive industry, led to massive redundancies, foreclosures and the displacement of millions. The population now stands at less than 700,000, the lowest it has been for a century. In the midst of this neo-liberal catastrophe and the associated withdrawal of public services, residents have banded together to create their own solutions including food networks, community safety patrols, free schools and neighbourhood housing projects. However, these pioneering Detroiters are faced with an onslaught of further privatisation, dissolution of democratic control of local government, the removal collective bargaining and raids on pension funds. These competing models of the 'future city' will have ramifications not just in the US but worldwide. Sarah Coffey, a longtime Detroit resident, community organiser and a co-founder of the Midnight Special Law Collective has been closely involved with autonomous communities in the city.

Event page https://www.facebook.com/events/1384551531585461/

Organised by ACE

ACE MONTHLY MEETING

Tuesday 13 December 6pm

All welcome

     We hope all groups involved with ACE will send at least one delegate The monthly meetings are now the second Tuesday each month at 6pm

EDINBURGH COALITION AGAINST POVERTY WORKING SESSION

Thursday 15 December 6pm - 8pm

Updating our website, writing new articles, leaflets etc

All interested very welcome

ECAP www.edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk

EDINBURGH COALITION AGAINST POVERTY TRAINING

Friday 16 December 11am - 1pm/1.30pm

Informal training for supporting people over benefits problems

At ACE No experience necessary - all interested very welcome

THE BLACK PANTHERS IN LONDON

Talk and discussion at ACE with Carlus Hudson

Saturday 17 December 7pm

        The Black Panthers are one of the most pivotal organisations in the histories of radicalism and anti-racism in the United States, and their ideas have had an enormous impact on activists who have come after them. Far less famous, but by no means less significant, was the Black Panther Movement in Britain. Active in the late 60s and early 70s, its history touches on the fight within the anti-racist movement in Britain between its liberal and radical wings, and the internationalisation of struggles against colonialism, neo-colonialism and the Vietnam War. Focusing on the Black Panthers based in London, this talk will tell their story before delving deeper into the development of the movement’s culture and organisational models. The talk will examine the Black Panthers from the perspective of intersectional anarchism, and show its shortcomings in terms of gender, class, and political hierarchy. Carlus Hudson is a PhD student at the University of Portsmouth researching student anti-racism in the UK in the 1970s'

Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh, 17 West Montgomery Place EH7 5HA

ACE is open Sats 12-4pm, Tues 12-3pm, Thursday 6 - 8pm

     Advice and solidarity on benefits, debt, housing etc on Tuesdays. The Info Shop, Scottish Radical Library and free broadband available all 3 days. Open monthly meetings second Tuesday of the month, 6pm at ACE 0131 557 6242 ace@autonomous.org.uk

www.autonomous.org.uk On Facebook To receive more frequent notifications of ACE events and other news of interest email mike92@riseup.net with header SUBSCRIBE ACE TALK LIST

Ace mailing list

ace@lists.noflag.org.uk

http://lists.noflag.org.uk/listinfo/ace

http://www.autonomous.org.uk

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Solidarity Is Our Winning Weapon.

       A call for solidarity from Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty, (ECAP). This case epitomises the callous, brutal and heartless attack on the poor and vulnerable in our society by a system with no compassion. Remember, the Cameron/Osborne financial Mafia henchmen, have promised £30 billion more cuts over the next few years. Believe me, yi ain't seen nothin' yet.

This from ECAP:

      Please contact ecap@lists.riseup.net if you would like to help at any Edinburgh or Lothians jobcentre.
      As we face unprecedented sanctions and benefits cuts, its more important than ever that we support each other and stand up to the DWP bullies.  The Scottish Unemployed Workers Network, Dundee Against Welfare Sanctions and other groups have established a strong presence at the Jobcentres in Dundee and in nearby towns and cities like Arbroath, Perth and Blairgowrie, supporting claimants in opposing sanctions and harassment.
WHAT HAPPENED AT ARBROATH JOB CENTRE
    On 29 January Tony was accompanying a vulnerable woman claimant, who suffers from severe dyslexia and literacy problems. The claimant, D, had been signed up to the Universal Job Match (UJM), the computerised job search system, and was being forced to complete five job searches per day, the pressure of which had led to her having several panic attacks.  Tony proposed that D's UJM account be closed, and that her number of job searches be significantly reduced.  The adviser refused to consider this, and so Tony and D met with the Jobcentre manager.
    The manager likewise refused to even look at the issue, falsely claiming that all jobseekers had to be registered with UJM.  She even suggested to D that she should arrange another meeting without Tony or any other witness or rep present. Despite the pressure D was being put under by the manager, she replied that she would not attend another meeting without Tony. At this point the manager demanded that Tony leave the building or the police would be called. Tony refused to leave, but the meeting ended when it was agreed that a further meeting be arranged to discuss the issue further.  Tony was arrested after he left the Jobcentre.

Read the full article HERE:

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

  

When In Edinburgh ----.

BENEFIT GIG FOR ACE AND ECAP THIS FRIDAY

    Whatever you're planning on doing this Friday (23rd) you should cancel and come to this fundraising event for Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty and The Autonomous Centre Of Edinburgh...

Featuring some of the best bands Edinburgh has to offer...

-The z28

-Northern Upland Sheep Strategy (Rodney Relax)

-White Lightnin'

-Babylon Dub Punks

-Dapitz Punks.

-Little Love and The Friendly Vibes

-Shock And Awe

£3 entry. Cheap drinks all night - £2.55 for pint of lager or 80 shilling!

Friday 23rd August.

Doors open at 7PM.

Strictly no entry after 10:30PM due to licensing regulations.

Leith Dockers Club

17-17a Academy Street

Edinburgh

EH6 7EE

     All money raised goes to Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty and The

Autonomous Centre Of Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty (ECAP) consists of volunteers from the local community who give advice and solidarity for benefit hassles,

debt woes, and similar poverty problems.

     The Autonomous Centre Of Edinburgh (ACE) is a self-managed social resource centre which is open for groups or individuals to use who are trying to make a better society and improve their lives.

http://edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/

http://autonomous.org.uk/

ECAP gig August 2013 SMALL

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk