Comments on: Celebration or criticism: What’s more vital to the climate justice movement?

By: stand up comedies

stand up comedies — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:43:54 +0000

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By: “Celebration or criticism: What’s more vital to the climate justice movement?” « Climate Justice Links

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:40:57 +0000

[...] Published December 28, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment Bryan Farrell on the Waging Nonviolence blog Rising Tide North America has created a new website that assembles “images, reports, videos, and [...]

By: Toban Black

Toban Black — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:50:23 +0000

By the way -

I don’t think that climate campers claimed that the bike bloc was a success; so that example comes down to room for improvement in communications.
(Although I don’t think they use that blog much, I don’t think there was much in the way of public coverage of the problems with that bloc organizing.)

Also -
The whatiscop15.net announcement text aside -
I personally don’t see a problem with the actual web site project; and I even encouraged people to send in material.

By: Toban Black

Toban Black — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:30:08 +0000

Yes, I agree that there has been too much hype about ‘successes’ at the protests in Copenhagen.

This media release is another example -
http://www.climate-justice-action.org/news/2009/12/20/climate-activists-%E2%80%9Chope-fades-on-copenhagen-but-climate-justice-movement-grows-in-strength%E2%80%9D/

On the other hand, it can be tough to separate a critical take on activism and organizing from a sense of defeat (i.e. bitterness, frustration, and such). Of course, there are problems when people get too negative. It’s important to have some hope and energy — with other momentum. But then there can be struggles with keeping the naivete and poor strategy out (as opposed to the defeatism).

Obviously there will be more success if people are drawn to continuously join in; and I think the sense of momentum tends to draw people in more than it deters people (as when people are stay away because they think they can sit back and leave the action to others). The thing is, if what people are drawn into isn’t so effective, then… what’s the point? Drawing people in is just part of the picture. Critical assessments and strategizing are important too.

So… I suppose my basic point is that celebrating serves purposes, but organizers should be careful about what they celebrate, given other considerations.