Minutes of Latest Meeting: link to Programme
Plenary session at the end of the London Social Forum

Saturday 29th October 2005
Facilitated by Richard Lee and Teresa Hoskyns, Notes initial draft by Michael Edwards

Darren Johnson (Green Party elected member of the London Assembly) said he was delighted that the Green Group had been able to host this Forum. They seek debate on alternatives in / to the London Plan. They are also campaiging for more devolution of power from national state to GLA, but also how about power is distributed within the GLA - all the decisions are the Mayor's descisions at the moment. Assembly can only critique and comment. It is also important how GLA engages with localities, communities... Good things have happened today. Hope it's start to putting together a strong grass roots alternative for London. [someone intejected that this was becoming a policitical speech for the Greens, and Darren rapidly concluded. There was then strong applause for him.]

Brief report-backs followed from some of the morning workshops and afternoon 'open spaces'.
[More detail will follow when the flip-charts can be published here.]

10am Space 1 - Thames Gateway/ Olympics - Facilitator Phil Cohen -

10am Space 2
Local developments - Facilitator Richard Lee
The workshop had led to a proposal for an association/campaign of street markets.
Need for more opportunities like today to link community / action groups but many of the existing London-wide organisations and networks are not considered independent enough (idea needs expansion - sec) "Gentrification" a dangerous term because (not understood - sec) and we should say "cleansing" instead...

10am Space 3
Trade, tax havens and poverty group -
ATTAC failed to show but it was a useful meeting, tax justice.org was good. City of London's role in laundering money and avoiding tax had been a strong discussion.

10am Space 4
Assets and Finance - Chris Cook, Mary Fee
There are four ways of tackling monetary reform: (i) mitigating the current system, eg targetting loan sharks and bank overcharging etc, (ii) challenging the current system eg asking the government to issue more money directly, (iii) developing new paradigms within the current system, for example "Asset-based Finance" and (iv) setting up complementary systems, such as LETS and Timebanks. Chris Cook presented 'Asset-based Finance' as an alternative to debt-based financing, using a co-ownership approach permitting people to "get a piece of the action". Mary Fee presented an integrated model for complementary currencies, combining elements of different approaches and using both digital and paper-based systems to empower groups to create their own local currencies. Links http://www.opencapital.net, • http://www.letslinklondon.org.uk

11.45am Space 1
The London Plan workshop - Facilitator Michael Edwards
The discussion had attracted 30 people, growing to 40 which prevented much proper discussion, but a lot of issues were raised. A number of people and groups are committed to work on London Plan issues - some people keen to work within the London Plan consultation framework, while other perhaps keener on challenging and posing alternatives from outside. Issues of housing, economy, transport, democratising of the planning process, population growth, regional imbalances, water deficit in the Thames basin, environmental hazards, were among those which came up.
Note: on the housing issue, the next few months offer the opportunity for individuals and groups to comment / intervene on proposed changes to the housing targets in the London Plan. Details linked from the programme.

11.45am Space 2 - Facilitator: Teresa Hoskyns
Democracy Vertical / horizontal representative and partcipatory democracy in the ESF.
Seemed to be a sense a combination of representative and direct democarcy might be the way forward and we should take up Darren's challenge and try and work on ways of getting a stronger democracy associated with the GLA.

11.45am Space 3
Labour and community struggles workshop - Facilitator Frank Jacobs
In the present very adverse situation, it is quite a struggle to be optimistic.
Women much more prominent in the labour foce now, compared with the hey-day of traditional trade unionism..... There is also increasing ethnic diversity of labour force. Can unions adapt? How can they adapt , especially in conditions where there is so much sub-contracting? Strategy of T&G which, instead of having workplace-specific struggles, is taking on the whole range of employers (eg TELCO and the Canary Wharf cleaners' struggle) and trying to pressure these employers to comply. 6 out of 7 of the CW targeted firms have started negotiating and there is a demo next wed at Detutche Bank (see LSF "home" for details). Need to strengthen liks with academics too in the development of strategies and alternatives.

11.45am - Space 4 - Facilitator Gail Chester
Apartheid and Security workshop - discussed state processes...stressed devisive effects of many state and media actions .

AFTERNOON OPEN SPACES

Openspace 1
Communities
The meeting thought the word "community" was very problematic or dangerous. What people value is the solidarity and achievement possible in some conditions. Some discussion of potential role of LSF in facilitating fact-finding and networking across boroughs and localities so people have effective contact and can learn from each other. Hackney was described as a particularly bad borough in the way politics has narrowed the power to an elected mayor, cabinet etc.

There had been an emphasis on how to secure effective participation/democracy. It was proposed to met again - probably in January '06. Proposal put forward to have another meeting here in City Hall but demanding it in our own right (rather than via Green group), and demanding it as a free right..Important symbolic fight. This demand for the right to hold a weekend forum in our city hall without huge expense was proposaed as a political action.

Another speaker adds that it is hard to summarise the cumulative discussion in this open space. The use of "we" is problematic because who is the "we"? local / "community" groups have been battling for decades to be consulted, or to get the right to be consulted; but it is hard to maintain people's willingness to do this. Where can we get the resources from to envisage and develop alternative futures?

Openspace 2
Living in the City
This workshop showed a very great diversity of approaches. some said we need to make the best of the structures we have, exploiting the cracks; others said it is all rotten .... land values and the structure of the money system, planning system etc. How do we make democracy work locally? How radical can we be? Why not create our own structures to take control of decisions.... Some scope for responding to and developing positive things which are mentioned in the London Plan. Proposal for a working group on the London Plan, to do some detailed work.

Openspace 3
Environment and Transport
Only 6 people despite dozens of post-its being written. Transport main theme. Proposed that LSF hold a specific meeting on transport, and aim at a manifesto/proposal. Cycling needs strong support with proper routes (not just lanes); also needs stronger regulation and prevention of guerrila bikers abusing pedestrians. Use of river, waterways. Airports. Potentiality of mixed-use development to reduce the need to travel. Derelict and vacant properties. Prescott's plans all about new building while hundreds of thousands of unused buildings are around.

Conclusion
Time was running out at this point and the facilitators asked what concrete proposals for next steps had emerged. They were as follows:
• Support for a working group on London Plan. Many people put their hands up and agreed to convene.
• Proposal also for next monthly meeting to develop an action in which we seek City Hall for a subsequent meeting (?January) and should demand to get it free, as our space.
• Need to have a logistics and finance working group. This is duly appointed and will consider matters of venues, budgets etc... Some people put their hands up. Anne Gray convening.

Finally it was agreed that all those who took part today should be sent an email explaining how to join in / communicate in the LSF - meetings, web, list, wiki etc. (This has been done - sec. If you did not get it, that's because we do not have an email for you. Please email m.edwards@ucl.ac.uk in that case). The following are the people who seem to have been in the meeting but whose email we do not have:
jane willis, lina jamoul, Ed Soja, Maureen Soja, kelly bonseleger, mike mineo, magdalena guiatzynska, michael charder, bartolommeo mazera, jonathan stevenson, Joyce lindsay, catherine readings, doug holton, terry hum,e catherine allen

NOTES by Michael Edwards