Blatant Incitement Project

Hopefully, since we spent more time wording that than you might imagine was possible, it gives the general idea. But here’s a bit more information that will help you get involved and make use of the Blatant Incitement/Project (BLINC) (BIC? BLIP? does it matter?)

The idea was inspired by the EF! Roadshow which travelled the country back in ‘92 as part of the launch of EF! in Britain. Earlier this year there was a get-together at the EF! Winter Gathering to discuss current possibilities, and two main points became clear. One was that everyone felt some EF! style outreach was important, as it can prove difficult to get involved, especially nowadays as there are less protest camps. The other was that many activists couldn’t really see how to fit the traditional-epic-van-journey roadshow into their lives or campaign schedule/ (despite one person’s arguably tantalising vision of blatting round the country on Vespas dressed as nuns). So in the two meetings that have happened since (we’re not having any more), people have invented a concept that aims to by both effective, and flexible. This is the way it works:

BLINC has a contact point, which is care of Manchester EF!, or <doinit@nematode.freeserve.co.uk>. You can get in touch and either offer something, or request something. Things on the offers list so far include NVDA (Non Violent Direct Action) workshops, ecological puppet shows and events for kids, a slideshow on agribusiness incorporating genetiX issues and sustainable alternatives, a portable cinema (in the planning stage currently), not to mention some political musicians. And in about a month, some people will be kicking off a "politics in schools" angle by taking up the invitation of teaching sixty sixth-formers about ’ecological alternatives to capitalism!'

The general idea is that whatever’s being talked about, we keep the radical message clear; for example, someone asked to visit a local veggie-box group might put local growing in the context of challenging corporate control. It was also felt that no-one wants to waste time being ”info-tainment” - our priority is information for action.

The BLINC structure enables most people to get involved at some level. You can register as offering a workshop or skill, and only do it once a year if that’s all the time you have. You can take on BLINC as part of your own campaigning, using it to visit places or projects and build links with communities or groups. Or you can do something in the middle of the two. Some people have taken on admin tasks, but perpetuating the project is now up to everyone. If you want to be quite involved, then you can request to join the administrative email list that will field enquiries (people offering skills etc will not have their details circulated publicly, but will instead themselves be given the contact details for people who have asked for what they offer.) In the discussion had so far, it's been felt that this project could not only be positive for people wanting to find out more about radical politics and direct action, giving them a way into a network, but that it will be a good thing for Earth First! too. Many of us became involved through sitting round a site campfire, hearing new ideas in a relaxed atmosphere. If creating a similar atmosphere, without the trees and diggers, is possible, then next year there really might be new people organising actions, putting on the gathering, and giving others a chance to recover from burn out!