Issue-oriented activism? Comparative notes on social care activism

Issue-oriented activism?Comparative notes on social care activism Israel Rodríguez-Giralt

• How can these episodes help us to redefine social movements?• What do they say about the relevance of social care activism?• How can social movements enrich issue/object-oriented approaches to politics?

"a permanent state of a person, as a result ofageing-related processes, illness or disability andlinked to the absence or loss of physical,intellectual or sensorial autonomy that requiresthe assistance of a third person or support of anykind to perform basic daily life activities".

“We don‟t exist. They are the experts”(FVI member)

"Internet is successful in connecting minds. In connecting people that are traditionally alone in their villages. The net organises transversal meetings; meetings of scattered people that without that connection of information and knowledge would never cooperate together”(FVI member)

"We didnt start to read books. Everything hasemerged from the people who has been involvedin and from the debates we had. Its been aknowledge directly coming out from experience,with all the pros and cons this process entails”. (FVI member)

“In some way, we are all „DIVERSELYFUNCTIONAL‟. Each of us is characterised by aseries of qualities, peculiarities, abnormalities andunique features as a consequence of theintelligence or physical ability that one wasgenetically equipped with, of the education onereceived and of the specific circumstances inwhich one‟s personality developed” (FVI)

“We must be included as experts: because we livethis reality, we have reflected a lot about this and,moreover, we have solutions. Unless we areincluded in the group of experts, it will be difficultfor us to advance”.(FVI member)

"This production of knowledge from experience Ithink its very important, as it makes you to rethinkyourself, and consider what you think and feel...and give value to this experience. And how youmove from that particular experience to somethingthat has a collective value. At that moment, youcommit yourself to things and actions thatotherwise you wouldnt commit to.” (Núria)

“… will get people into fulfilling jobs, notabandon them to poverty anddependency, save billions of pounds oftaxpayers money and make sure thosewho really need help to get it” (David Cameron, Prime Minister).

“If I lose the money, the consequencesof what will happen to me do not bearthinking about. Itʼspure fear” (DPAC member)

"We have a right wing government that wants todismantle the state and at the heart of that there isthe desire to dismantle the welfare (...) and I thinkdisabled people have been deliberately chosen assymbolizing whats wrong for the right wing kind ofideology about the state”. (Tracey)

"Its anyone who doesnt financially contribute to capitalism. Its single parents, its pensioners, it‟s unemployed."(DPAC member)

"Up to now, the voices of disabled people haventbeen heard in this debate. Thats why we feel wehave to create a space for our voices. We want toexplain what is happening”.(DPAC member)

”Direct action is important because its a tangible example of how by joining together disabled people have power. And I dont need to explain it to people, and I dont need to theorize and I dont need to do anymore than facilitate people to create a space where they can see how when they come together they can bring a city to standstill. They bring the countrys media to focus. They can get key messages delivered to lots and lots of people instantly. And its a very real example of when you mobilise and join with other people, you have power. You have skills and you have a voice. This is it.(DPAC member)

“At their front door, down the road, their faces cant be denied, their stories cant be denied, their outrage cant be denied"(DPAC member)

• How can these episodes help us to redefine social movements?• What do they say about the relevance of social care activism?• How can social movements enrich issue/object-oriented approaches to politics?

Issue-oriented activism? Comparative notes on social care activism

by Israel Giralt on Oct 14, 2012

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Issue-oriented activism? Comparative notes on social care activism Presentation Transcript