Sun, Nov. 19, 2017 ⁄ 2:00–3:30pm

Municipalism and its Meanings: A Reading

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Everyday the thought becomes clearer and more urgent: we need a new way of doing politics, not just new politicians. That’s why you should join us at Assembly, the new space for local gatherings that strive to create realizable political alternatives.
We have lots of ideas for activities for this assembly. We will be distributing, reading and discussing Lumpen Magazine issue 130  (Chicago): The Municipalism Issue, a primer on international activities and activism around municipalism, especially focused on activities here in the US. In attendance will be a few locals who were involved in writing and organizing the issue. In addition, we’ll have updates about the Catalonian independence movement and the municipalists’ role in it, and news about upcoming lectures, gatherings and other activities around municipalist capacity building here in the Twin Cities.
We need a new way of doing politics, not just new politicians:
A politics that is really by and for the people.
A politics that works to combat economic inequality.
A politics that works for the common good.
A feminized politics, driven by collective intelligence and concrete action.
A politics with racial justice at its heart.
A participatory politics, where people have power more than once every four years.
An open source, flexible politics, that can be adapted to the contexts of our big cities and our rural communities.
An ethical politics, with zero tolerance for corruption and cronyism.

· Resident Weirdo· ∞

Municipalism Research Group: Assembly Reading Group

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What are you doing tonight at 7pm? Come down to the shop and join the Municipalism Research Group for the start of our reading group centered around Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt’s new book, Assembly. Better still… the Twins are actually in the playoff’s and once finished we can stumble over to Eastlake to have a beer and watch the game!

Here’s a great interview with Hardt around the issue of organizing published in Roar Magazine back in 2015.

· Resident Weirdo· ∞

Another thoughtful and inspiring gathering around municipalist strategies yesterday as we read over the draft of the Barcelona en Comu International Committees statement for starting municipalist platforms in America. Much to unpack; from ideas around pluralism, difference, power, and notions of commonness, there’s obviously a lot of cultural and political translation to be done between a European and American municipalist model. And yet, so much to grab on to, desire, feel energized and inspired by. An aspect that stuck out for me which bridged this cultural divide was the necessity to begin and aggressively maintain a desire to build critical connections around ideas between people and existing publics, maintaining a close but healthy distance from the electorate. This isn’t to say that an “authentic” municipalist platform will avoid electoral politics, more so that it will access the electorate as a means and not an end. Much more to unpack, many more connections to form and sustain, and more barbecues to have after our get-togethers as well, because you know, those are where those critical connections take root.

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· Resident Weirdo· ∞

Sun, Jun. 18, 2017 ⁄ 2:00–4:30pm

Municipal Research Group: Second Assembly

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We need a new way of doing politics, not just new politicians:

A politics that is really by and for the people.

A politics that works to combat economic inequality.

A politics that works for the common good.

A feminized politics, driven by collective intelligence and concrete action.

A politics with racial justice at its heart.

A participatory politics, where people have power more than once every four years.
An open source, flexible politics, that can be adapted to the contexts of our big cities and our rural communities.

An ethical politics, with zero tolerance for corruption and cronyism.

Join us on Sunday, June 18 @ 2pm for our second meeting on Municipalism. We will be meeting at, of course, The Future (2223 E 35th St).

During this meeting, we’ll get to know each other and discuss a draft statement of principles (quoted above) being written by US activists working with Barcelona en Comú international to define municipalism in a way that’s relevant and responsive to the US context.

We’ll use this meeting to talk with each other and to read, discuss, reflect and critique the document. We’ll send this feedback back to the working group as an illustration of the participatory politics we are striving to create.

A full first draft is still being prepared. We will distribute it before the meeting.

Time / Location

When:

Sunday, June 18
2pm

Where:

The Future
2223 E 35th St
Minneapolis, MN 55407

See you at the Future!

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Didn’t get the memo? What is Municipalism?

As we slip deeper into a presidential crisis, we direly need new social and political ideas. Municipalism is a social movement inspired by the idea of creating a new relationship between people and power: Municipalism isn’t about electing better politicians. Municipalism is about changing the relationship between institutions, social movements and citizens. Elected representatives are just the institutional branch of a movement that is based in the streets and neighborhoods, where the real power resides. Municipal movements work both inside and outside of institutions, building dual power and creating concrete solutions. Municipalism depends on active, organized and independent social movements that support representatives to enact their demands – and push them when they don’t… Find out more by coming to the meeting.

· Resident Weirdo· ∞