Activism

United Diversity Guide, Ocotober 30th, 2007

Josef Davies-Coates

Oct 30, 2007 • 15 min read

So, hear we are again, another week, another United Diversity Guide packed full of, news, videos and loads of fantastic events to go to in London.

Welcome to the 4th edition. 🙂

Send feedback and submissions to josef @ uniteddiversity.com

Enjoy!

CONTENTS

NEWS
United Diversity News
More good news
Other recent news
VIDEOS
There’s A Better Way
The Matrix by Paradox
The Meatrix: The Truth about where our food comes from
T. Boone Pickens: we peaked last year, globally
The Rub. George Bush is an islamic fundamentalist
Cybermoor: Rural Community Wireless Project
SOCPA – THE MOVIE trailer
Talk by Naomi Wolf – The End of America
A No-Nonsense Look at Climate Change and Petrocollapse
The War on Democracy
star-nose mole
EVENTS THIS WEEK
Tues | Weds | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon | Upcoming

NEWS

United Diversity news

We’ve booked some amazing acts for our United Diversity Gathering @ Passing Clouds on Saturday Dec 15th. The Impossible, the incredible 17-piece International Love Collective, and Paula Daunt are all already confirmed, and the unstoppable Bad Science should be by tomorrow 🙂 Buy your tickets now!
Barbora Patkova from The Magnificent Revolutionary Cycling Cinema and The Otesha Project got in touch again and they might get involved with the Gathering too, helping out with the movies and possibly powering it with their bike generator! 🙂 We’re hoping they’ll join us on our cycle tour to Spain next year too…
In addition to our Facebook group and event, we now have a United Diversity MySpace too. If you’re on either network add us, join the group and invite your friends to the Gathering!
We’ve also set-up a group on https://we.riseup.net to help full United Diversity members to organise and make decisions together.

More good news

The Post Carbon Institute‘s have published the first edition of their long awaited guidebook for Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty. While it is aimed and city authorities in US and Canada, it is well worth a look and a free abridged version can be downloaded from their website
Rob Hopkins reports RTE Radio Explores the Transition Concept and Visits Kinsale
Eco neighbourhood fights climate change” in Birmingham
The UK’s leading Staw Bale Building company Amazon Nails is up for an award
Plans are moving forward for the South East’s first ‘zero-carbon’ affordable housing scheme
Apparently London Councils want eco-centres 🙂
And Dover is set to become the site of one of the first new eco towns although this should be read in conjunction with Green Party principle speakers reason why Gordon Brown’s eco-towns could actually be a bad idea
London’s National Theatre has switched to low energy lighting
The former Graylingwell hospital site in Chichester is set to become one of the country’s most environmentally friendly communities

Other recent news

My goodness. Each week things are accelerating and the need for radical mass collaborative action becomes ever more starkly clear. The prices of food and energy is up again and the US dollar (linchpin of the global economy) continues to decline. Surely it can only be a matter of time before more and more people begin to rise up (as the landless in India have recently been doing).

VIDEOS

There’s A Better Way
A nice little feel good tune about how There’s A Better Way, described as a “sustainability music video”.
https://www.metacafe.com/watch/795663/theres_a_better_way/
The Matrix by Paradox
A great poem from our friend Paradox. “According to the World Bank just 227 families own 47% of the world’s wealth. Here is a poem about that”.
https://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=10874821
The Meatrix: The Truth about where our food comes from
The classic award winning first edition of The Meatrix triology. If you haven’t seen this yet you’re going to love it!
https://www.themeatrix1.com/
T. Boone Pickens: we peaked last year, globally
Legendary Texas oilman and chair of BP Capital, T. Boone Pickens, holds an impromptu video question and answer session at ASPO Houston with Global Public Media’s Julian Darley and other journalists. Pickens talks about the peaking of world oil production, which he says occurred in 2006. View the entire video interview at GlobalPublicMedia.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lweCK8spBX8&sdig=1
The Rub. George Bush is an islamic fundamentalist
An interesting theory on the foriegn policies of George W Bush. And a classic sing-a-long tune from The Rub
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AX9_aNnhKc
Cybermoor: Rural Community Wireless Project
This video is about a little community located in the north-west of the UK and what has happened after broadband, computers and training has been given to its citizens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNziJDdVDzE
SOCPA – THE MOVIE trailer
SOCPA (Serious Organised Crime and Police Act) was a law introduced to stop protest near Parliament in England. Designed to get rid of 6-year peace protestor Brian Haw, so far it has failed. This film tells the story of the battle against this law, and the surreal comedy at times when police try to enforce it. The whole film runs to an hour, and features an original music soundtrack. Screenings and other news at https://socpa-movie.blogspot.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol9hcQlVX9M
Talk by Naomi Wolf – The End of America
Talk by Naomi Wolf author of “The End of America: Letter of Warning To A Young Patriot” given October 11, 2007 at Kane Hall on the University of Washington campus. Basically, the US is quickly becoming a fascist state. This video reminded me of this that draws comparisons between 14 recognised characteristics of fascist regimes and George W Bush’s administration.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=RjALf12PAWc
A No-Nonsense Look at Climate Change and Petrocollapse
Peak Moment 81: Former energy analyst Jan Lundgren opens by singing “Have A Global Warming Day” and closes with “The Depaver’s Song.” In between is an unabashed look at climate distortion, peak oil, and declining ecosystems, all bringing a necessary collapse of our “pigging out” economy. He envisions a future with radically curtailed energy use, and people coming together to find local solutions, see www.culturechange.org
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1KD_rBb2xk
The War on Democracy
A brilliant and must-see new feature length documentary from John Pilger about the reality of USA’s role in Latin America and the world. “It is about the struggle of people to free themselves from a modern form of slavery.”
https://uniteddiversity.com/the-war-on-democracy/
star-nose mole
star-nose mole, digging expert with a star-nose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zZcrHyqKFA

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Tuesday October 30th, 2007

Photography Exhibition CLIMATE CAMP 07 @ The Foundry
86 Great Eastern Street London EC2A 3JL
https://www.minimouse.me.uk/show
It was August 12th – just before midnight – when climate change activists took over a piece of land at Sipson and started to build Climate Camp 2007. With access roads blockaded by police, hundreds of people carried everything they needed to build a self sustaining village in the shadow of Heathrow. Then for ten days concentrated the attention of the world’s press on the stupidity of planning air expansion on a threatened planet. The Climate Camp exhibition documents in sound, words, installations and images the life, workshops and direct action of those ten days. It examines the issues and thinking of people who seek to stop the world sleep-walking into a disaster that is manifestly preventable, but hugely profitable for a powerful few. Opening on Tuesday 30th October at 7pm the exhibition runs until 4th November before touring UK cities threatened by regional airport expansion. Workshops, talks and film screenings will appear at https://www.minimouse.me.uk/show as they are confirmed. Photographs from the show are a selection from those to be seen at https://www.minimouse.me.uk For further details mail mini_mouse[at]riseup.net or call Mike on 07878 892486
Music: Synergy Tuesday @ The Synergy Centre
220 Farmers Road, London SE5 0TW
https://www.thesynergycentre.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=75
Acoustic music and poetry
7pm – late
£5/3
Music: One Taste Upstairs @ The Distillers
64 Fulham Palace Road, London W6 9PH
https://onetaste.co.uk
https://www.myspace.com/onetaste
https://www.myspace.com/thedistillerspub
Loads of great lives acts in a intimate surrounding.
8.30 pm to 11 pm
£5
Music: LIVE BANDS X3 + DJs @ The Good Ship
289 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR
https://PowPowPow.com
https://www.thegoodship.co.uk/whatson.shtml
PowPowPow.com presents a night of grindpunk, zombified garage and experimental musical genius. Live music from Rolo Tomassi +Team Brick + The Sticks plus Special guest DJs!
7.30pm – 11pm
£5

Wednesday Oct 31st, 2007

Music: Heads High @ Jrink
62 Frith Street, Soho,, London, W1D 3JN
https://www.myspace.com/headshighmusic
Every Wednesday, Heads High residents Cal Jada and Duke Etienne will be serving up a quality mix of jazz, afro beat, disco, boogie, (the deeper side of) house, hip hop, reggae and some yet to be classified material – for your pleasure only. Joined by guest DJs and a full live band complied of various musicians, producers, emcees and vocalists once a month, these Wednesday sessions are set to be so much more than just your regular drinking hang out.
7pm – 1am
FREE
SAVE TARA!: Tara Celtic New Year Samhain @ Tara Hill
https://www.savetara.com
Halloween: Blackout Halloween
https://www.blackoutbritain.org.uk/
Halloween: March of the Dead in Dalston (meet at Hoxton Square, march, then Party @ Passing Clouds)
https://myspace.com/halloweenmarch
https://www.myspace.com/strangeworkscollective
https://www.myspace.com/passingclouds
Welcome all Strange Spirits and gather at Hoxton Square at 7.30 for an almightly celebration March of the Dead. Dress in Black and white and bring an instrument or something to bang!
7.30pm @ Hoxton Square, march, then – late @ Passing Clouds
FREE (party after probably £5 or something, not sure)
Halloween: Halloween Party @ The Spike, Peckham
39b Consort Road, Peckham. Between 2 railway bridges.
The legendary Spike Halloween party returns.
9pm – til dawn
FREE

Thursday November 1st, 2007

Music and Bday Bash Speakerscorner @ Jamm
261 Brixton Road, London, SW9 6LH
https://www.myspace.com/speakerscorner
FREE ENTRY FREE SPEECH LYRICIST OPEN MIC EVENT “The second last Speakerscorner there will ever be…Two more an we gone, so come help us make em live! In many ways the event has been historical, we looking to end on a high note…Celebrating this month we have the long overdue “Rogue State” release party from Speakers own Chain of Command, thats Manage, Conflix, CLG & Syande, made extra special by both the fact that they will be performing all their tracks with full live band backing & that this is to be the final performance ever from the mighty CLG, who will also be celebrating his 30th BirthDay… Live support comes from the creme of the UK underground spitters…Rhyme Asylum drop an exclusive live preview of their anticipated “State of Lunacy” LP… The TextOffenders make there way all the way down from Newcastle to make their Speakerscorner debut along-side original crew member Stig of the Dump… Stig ofcourse reppin the live set with the doctor known as Syntax, thats 2 of EOW UKs top champs of 07, Stig now being the offical World EOW MC Challenge Champion also… Catch Verb T coming through to hit us of with some tracks from his new solo LP “Verbs with a vengence”… Minority Report drop in with some quick knowledge to celebrate the release of their debut 12” “The Violence Of War” & Genius Squad (new crew outa Brighton featuring Conflix) come through to kick off the open mic… DJ Jazz T will be coming with a fresh routine & the Speakerscorner Quartet will be firing out the riddems for the open mic alongside myself DJ Snuff & DJ Steaz….. Big Fukkkkkkin night.. not to mention Keith Lawrence & Dark killing it in the Reggae room….book your time of work, bring some pennies to cop records (you know your saving money on the door tax so dont be a stingy c*nt, support)”
8pm – 3am
FREE
Music and Film Movimientos presents Dia De Los Muertos Celebration (and Launch of the 17th Latin American Film Festival 2007) @ Salmon and Compass
58 Penton Street, Angel, N1 9PZ
https://www.movimientos.org.uk/sitio/content/dia-de-los-muertos-celebration
An event and special Day of the Dead Shrine dedicated to the victims of repression in Oaxaca, Mexico, with those that continue the struggle against state brutality and human rights violations, and in solidarity with the social movements there. With films documenting the resistance towards neo-liberalism, state terrorism in Oaxaca and beyond. Plus launch party for the Latin American Film Festival now in it’s 17th year, special guest Mexican DJ and the usual Latin dance-floor fire from Movimientos DJs and guest musicians.
7pm – 2am
FREE before 9pm, £3 after
Dinner, Free software, Networking: Free Software as Social Innovation @ The Hub
5 Torrens Street, London EC1V 1NQ
Check link and below for more details
Thurs 8pm: get together dinnner
(Friday 9am – 6pm: event at The Hub – see below)
FREE
Music: Fingathing @ 229
229 Great Portland Street, W1W 5PN
https://www.myspace.com/fingathing
Groovy act playing a London gig. “With turntables, an upright bass and bold live animations of crazy mutants in tow, Fingathing are a mass fusion of technical effects and live instruments creating an explosion of far-flung funk and crunching avant hip-hop. The grooves grip tighter than a black hole, the drums smack the cheeks like an asteroid rain-storm, and the bass rumbles and hums like an imploding star.”
7pm – 12am
£12

Friday November 2nd, 2007

Dinner, Free software, Networking: Free Software as Social Innovation @ The Hub
5 Torrens Street, London EC1V 1NQ
https://fsfeurope.org/projects/stacs/london.en.html
Free Software is a unique social innovation which promotes an empowered, sustainable and inclusive information society through its freedoms of use, studying, modification and redistribution. Popular Free Software applications include the Firefox web browser, the WordPress blog engine and the Juice podcast receiver. The philosophy behind Free Software has also inspired new social projects like Wikipedia, Creative Commons and Open Access. Free Software Foundation Europe and M6-IT would like to invite you to a one day event. The event will help people learn more about Free Software and provide opportunities for hands-on experience with the technology. It’s organised as part of the work in the STACS project.
(Thurs 8pm: get together dinnner)
Friday 9am – 6pm: event at The Hub.
FREE

Saturday November 3rd, 2007

Climate Change: National Climate Camp Gathering @ East Oxford Community Centre
44b Princes Street, Oxford, OX4 1DD.
https://www.climatecamp.org.uk/nextmeeting.php
The Climate Camp on its own didn’t stop climate change – but it’s part of a growing social movement that can! Come and take the next steps forward at the upcoming UK-wide meeting on Nov 3-4 in Oxford. Everyone is welcome, whether you came to the camp, or were simply inspired by it. The Climate Camp had 4 key aims: education, direct action, sustainable living, and building a social movement to collectively tackle climate change and build a better world. Regional meetings have been happening up and down the country, and in Oxford we will meet to collectively share all our ideas for taking our aims further. The agenda for this meeting has not yet been set – if you have any ideas about topics you think it is important for us to discuss, or if you are up for helping with planning and facilitating this meeting, please email meetings[at]climatecamp.org.uk.
Local groups: please send any write-ups of discussions from your debrief meetings to website[at]climatecamp.org.uk, so they can be put on the website, and meetings[at]climatecamp.org.uk, so they can be fed into the national meeting agenda.
Practical info: The meeting will run 11-6 on Saturday Nov 3 and 10-5 on Sunday Nov 4. The venue is the East Oxford Community Centre, Princes Street, Oxford (follow link for directions and a map). Vegan food will be provided at a cost of approximately 5 pounds a day. Floor accomodation is available (bring a sleeping bag!) and do please email oxford[at]climatecamp.org.uk in advance so we know how many people are coming! If you have any dietary, access, creche, or other needs, please get in touch by emailing oxford[at]climatecamp.org.uk.
11-6 on Saturday Nov 3 and 10-5 on Sunday Nov 4
FREE
Music and Poetry LIVE BOX 2 …with Sparhla & Zena Edwards @ Bernie Grant Arts Centre
Town Hall Approach Rd, London, N154RX
https://www.myspace.com/berniegrantartscentre
https://www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk/pl53.html
Live Box 2 makes its next stop on the journey through black music in the space where jazz meets soul with two internationally respected female artists Sparlha Swa and Zena Edwards. New York based singer-songwriter Sparlha Swa has been likened to Sade, Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, and Miriam Makeba. Born in Jamaica she has performed on an extensive international circuit with artists such as Hip-Hop artist and producer Carlos Mena and master of both bass and percussion Shree Shyam Das. Tottenham’s favourite daughter, spoken word poet and singer Zena Edwards, has taken the world by storm. From Def Jam Poetry in the US to the North Sea Jazz Festival, Edwards is one of the definers of the UK spoken word scene. A wordsmith, kora-player and jazz vocalist, Edwards is the original renaissance performer. As is Live Box style, musicians and vocalists are welcome to join the party. “Internationally acclaimed – creates her own intricate, mesmerising and unforgettable performance”- Apples And Snakes.
8pm
£7.50 / £5.50 conc.
Music: The Ancients Did Jazz @ Trinity Centre, Bristol
Trinity Road St Phillips Bristol BS2 0NW
https://www.ancientsdidjazz.co.uk/event.php
An Epic Party of Ancient Proportions to celebrate the greatest and most important discovery in made up History: Ancient Civilizations Did Jazz!!! Dub Funkery from ‘PlanetMan and the Internationalz’. Lyrics of Wisdom from Hip Hop Bard ‘Knowledge Is Power’. Future Jazzmatazz from ‘Ashowka’. DJs spinning da funk and beats till dawn cometh. Theres more… Belly Dancers. A Philosophers Corner. UV body art. Nostalgia. U.V. Zones. Massage area. Historica. Fully licensed Bar. Chai stall. Ancient Trading post. Healing zone. A multitude of Ancient and Exotic Attractions.
10pm – 6am
£8 in advance from usual Bristol ticket outlets order online at www.bristolticketshop.co.uk or £10 on the door.
Film: No Volveran: The Venezuelan Revolution Now @ The Phoenix Cinema
52 High Road, East Finchley, London, N2 9PJ
The oldest purpose built cinema in the UK, the Phoenix is a community cinema showing independent, art-house & world cinema in a unique art-deco auditorium. Tonight will be the amazing new documentary that takes you into the heart of the Venezuelan revolution. Plus Q & A from the film makers William Roche & Melanie MacDonald. For more info about the film see here
1.30 – 4pm
£5

Sunday November 4th, 2007

Music: Antehc Productions & The Shrine present… Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba LIVE @ Cargo
83 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY
https://www.myspace.com/bassekoukouyate
https://www.cargo-london.com
“…one of the year’s sensational new arrivals.” *****The Independent (UK)
“…dynamic stage presence that exploded with glorious combinations of the ngoni.” El Mundo (Spain)
“Both ancient and utterly contemporary… like some African answer to Hendrix.” The Guardian
“Malian lute master Bassekou Kouyate and his group, Ngoni Ba, were belting out their densely percussive music to a clearly enchanted [WOMAD] audience.” The Daily Telegraph
“…a genius, a living proof that the blues comes from the region of Segu.” Taj Mahal
“A new star to replace the king of the blues from Timbuktu” MOJO
7pm – 1am
£10 + booking fee

Monday November 5th, 2007

Know of something I should’ve included here – let me know! 🙂

Upcoming

Nov 8th Networking: w00t! 7 @ The Dog Star
Nov 15th Music and Film: Kalabash South Africa @ The Salmon and Compass
https://www.myspace.com/kalabashworld
Nov 10th Film and Music: Bicycle-powered Bonanza
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=5842999537
Nov 10th Art and Performance: Take Your Tongue Out of My Mouth (’cause I’m Kissing You Goodbye) @ Area 10
https://www.area10.info/
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=28148035360
Nov 10th Music Future Music Vol.1 @ Jamm
https://www.archangelbreaks.co.uk
Nov 13th Networking Global Tribal Meetup – Inspiring Entrepreneurs @ The Hub
https://globaltribalmeetup.eventbrite.com/
https://ogunte.com
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=8245870119
Nov 15th – 17th Conference and Networking: The Sky’s The Limit – 3 days towards a blueprint for a sustainable future. Be The Change @ Central Hall, Westminster
https://www.bethechange.org.uk/
Nov 15th – 29th Art: Artists for 2012 @ 491 Gallery
https://af2012.org/
Nov 16th Tech: 48 Hour Web App Framework Shootout @ London/Berlin/
https://challenge48.espnow.com/
Nov 16th – 18th Conference: Shared Planet @ University of Sheffield
https://peopleandplanet.org/events/sharedplanet
Nov 23rd Club and Music: The Synergy Project @ SeOne
https://thesynergyproject.org
Nov 23rd DO NOT SHOP Buy Nothing Day
https://www.adbusters.org/home/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Nothing_Day
Nov 24th Music: The Little Green Planet Full Moon Adventure
https://www.thelittlegreenplanet.co.uk
Dec 8th Demonstration: London Climate Change Demonstration @ Grosvenor Square
https://campaigncc.org/

END

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