[SMRT.risingtide] Fwd: RT workshop on Unions and Radical Politics

[Fiona Balazsi]

message from bob ages based on the questions we had and ideas from last
meeting!
have fun tonight y'all, i won't be making it.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Robert Ages <robertages at telus.net>
Date: Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 5:38 PM
Subject: RE: RT workshop on Unions and Radical Politics
To: Fiona Balazsi <balazsi.f at gmail.com>


Your description is pretty much in line with what I’ve been thinking
although I’m not sure what would be more useful: a bit of a historical
review or more of a focus of a scan of the BC union movement today.



My main focus in tutoring or mentoring up and coming generations of
activists has generally been on encouraging the practice of applying
dialectical thinking to analysis of complex social phenomenon like the
union movement. I’ve found once this methodology has been internalized it
stands one in good stead through all the changes in individuals and
organizational dynamics as they evolve over time. This can be done using
examples from either a historical or cross-sectional approach, or a bit of
both.



I don’t know if this is a term or concept familiar to people in Rising
Tide, or maybe it is old hat. Is it something people would welcome? I’m an
old Marxist (of the radical libertarian variety) and not that familiar with
the theoretical thinking of the younger movement activists. All our work
together the last few years – from the Olympics on – has focused around
very concrete actions. Not any deep political discussions like we used to
get into in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s especially. Or maybe I just haven’t been
around when they happen.



I’m looking forward to learning what the thinking is among the new
generation of activists on these sorts of issues, as much as seeing if I
can pass on a few ideas from mine.



*Solidarity*

*Bob Ages*





*From:* Fiona Balazsi [mailto:balazsi.f at gmail.com]
*Sent:* Monday, January 27, 2014 2:39 PM
*To:* Robert Ages
*Subject:* RT workshop on Unions and Radical Politics



Hi Bob,



At our last meeting of the RT education group we chatted about your offer
to lead a workshop with us. We're keen, and have some ideas, and wanted to
get a better idea from you about what you're up for.



>From what you said, we imagined it would be something of a presentation on
the connections between radical organizing and union movements
historically. How they have come together or not come together, what has
lead to the current ways of things.

Can you elaborate? Do we have the right vision of what you'd be doing?



We also had the idea that it would be cool to include the Vancouver
EcoSocialists group in this workshop and discussion, and ask them to
perhaps speak after you about the current union scene in Vancouver, so that
we have a better idea of who our allies could be here and now and how best
to collaborate. Would you be okay with this? If we split it into two parts
as a big 'Union Issues' workshop for RT we could get a lot out of one event
and having the background (from you) and a discussion with the Eco
Socialists (and you if you want to stick around!) about strategies moving
forward would be so amazing for us.



We are totally okay with it if you feel like you have a full workshop's
worth of content/discussion in mind and we don't have to combine these two
ideas. It's just what came from our brainstorming on the topic.



We also are imagining this will happen later in the spring (probably April
at the earliest) because of other things the group is working on right now.



Any feedback appreciated!



Thanks lots,

Fiona
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