Taking direct action

The items below were first published as two separate posts on our sister blog – At the grassroots. We’ve decided to combine them into one piece to repost here on Stirrings from below. This has been done simply to illustrate the points we often make about people in a community taking action themselves to deal with problems they can deal with, rather than appealing to the authorities.

What we mean by direct action

Direct action involves taking action for ourselves, tackling a problem directly without appealing to any authority to act on our behalf. It involves finding solutions and bringing about desired changes through our own self-organised activity.

We’re posting the graphic above because we hope it explains our ethos as clearly as possible. Namely that there’s no point in appealing to the ‘authorities’ to solve our problems – we have to do it ourselves, collectively. Which is why At the grassroots puts its money where its mouth is by backing and supporting grassroots projects that get things done, and make a practical difference, in the here and now:

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At the Grassroots – The Directory

It’s easy to know what you’re against in a dysfunctional, unsustainable and increasingly dystopian world. Railing against the world we have to endure may make you feel better but…does it lead to positive change? We know that the political, economic and social system we inhabit is rapidly heading towards its use by date and that we have to bring about radical change if we’re going to survive. There are many ways of bringing about the change that’s needed. What this project is about is what can be done in the here and now to boost sustainability, community cohesion and neighbourhood resilience in an increasingly volatile world. It’s about building the new world we need and want in the decaying shell of the old one we currently endure.

This site lists grassroots projects in Bristol, Bath and the surrounding region who, each in their own way, are setting out to make a difference in the communities where they’re based. As ever with an initiative like this, it’s a work in progress as new projects are added to the list.

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Direct action gets satisfaction:)

Here’s a case in point. We often walk along the road that runs down from Keynsham railway station and passes The Lock Keeper pub on its way to Willsbridge. On the west side of the road, there has been an issue with low overhanging tree branches and brambles making access along the pedestrian path difficult. It was getting to the point that people were having to step out into a busy main road to let others pass.

The problem with the overhanging and access along the pavement was on both sides of the Avon. The Avon forms the boundary between the local authorities of Bath & North East Somerset and, South Gloucestershire. To pursue the issue via official channels would have meant having to deal with two local authorities. As you can imagine, that’s a fair bit of hassle!

Yesterday (Sunday 22.6), we’d been working on the community vegetable plot in Keynsham Memorial Park. We decided we had done enough to merit a drink in the garden of The Lock Keeper pub. To get there, we had to negotiate the overhanging branches and rampant brambles impeding access along the pavement. As we sat in the pub garden enjoying a drink, we decided that this was something we could address ourselves.

We’d been gardening so, we had two pairs of secateurs in the bag. What is the point of having secateurs in the bag and then moaning about vegetation impeding access along the pavement we asked ourselves… So, we resolved to get out the work gloves (helpful in dealing with brambles) and the aforementioned secateurs and, on our way home, cut back as much of the overhanging tree branches and brambles as we could. Simple, direct, and a lot easier than having to deal with two local authorities.

It might not be much in the grand scheme of things but, the act of doing something about a situation ourselves rather than relying on officialdom is empowering.