THE POP-UP SOCIAL CENTRE.

Pop-Up Social Centre Friday 10the February Kinning Park Complex

Urban Activism and the Commons (free entry)

6.30pm: Doors Open (Tea and Coffee and biscuits)

        7pm: Urban Activism and the Commons: This introduction to the evening attempts to dspel some of the myths surrounding common property in terms of what distinguishes it from private and public property and what rights we have in relation to it. By paying particular attention to ‘City Property (Glasgow) LLP’ (an Arm’s Length External Organization) the talk will also introduce the harsh reality for the future of both common and public property in our city if privatization is allowed to continue unchallenged.

       7.20pm: Kinning Park Complex: Given by a long-term and active participant in the Kinning Park Complex, this talk tells the remarkable story of the building thus far. This is a story of struggle, community solidarity and commitment in the face of powerful actors in local government and big business. Recent developments in the management of Glasgow’s property portfolio, would suggest that Kinning Park’s story is by no means over.

       7.40: Sustaining Activism over the Long Term: Towards the end of last year fellow activists from Glasgow and Edinburgh, along with likeminded folk from around Europe, took part in a week-long series of workshops in Northern Spain. These workshops were geared towards sustaining a commitment to social and environmental justice over the long-term. Some of those who attended the event invite you to participate in a workshop built around reflections of their experience.

       8.30pm: Film: The Garden – The 14 acre community garden in South Central Los Angeles was the largest of its kind in the United States. It was started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992. Since that time, members of south central’s community have created a green oasis in one of the country's most blighted urban neighborhoods. Growing their own food; feeding their families; creating a community. But now bulldozers threaten their oasis. The Garden is an unflinching look at the struggle between these urban farmers and the City of Los Angeles and a powerful developer who wants to evict them. Beer, softdrinks and pop-corn available throughout the duration of the film.

        9.45pm: Finished in time for last tube. Kinning Park tube station is directly across from Complex.

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GLASGOW2DETROIT -AWAY YE GROW.

        Glasgow and Detroit are cities with similar backgrounds. Both were large industrial cities, Glasgow known for its shipbuilding and steam locomotive manufacturing, Detroit for its cars and steel works. Both saw their industries collapse and move elsewhere, in both cases the citizens had to adapt and dramatically change their way of life. With the collapse came poverty and high unemployment. However, in both cities the citizens are resilient and creative and have gone about surviving with imagination. Recently a group of Glasgow's urban gardeners went to Detroit to see how their counterparts had survived and developed their city farms.

        Those interviewed were, Paul Weertz, Malik Yakini, Gloria Lowe, Grace Lee Boggs, Ian Sharp, Gordon Barnes, Moira McCaig.

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