There seems to be 3 or 4 of us wanting to try committing ourselves to
carrying out a big or tiny brainstormed project in our own localities
within 3 months, with each of us sharing ideas for possible schemes but
actually doing the one we each individually fancy - so we may end up with
all doing different things.
Here's my suggestion to get the ball rolling, not original either, but a
good one:
There is nothing more important in life than rebuilding a sense of
community, recapturing the human scale in our crazy mass socieities. How
about using the excuse of VE day celebrations on May 8th to have a street
party and to get to know one's geographical neighbours? Creating a sense of
neighbourhood through parties is the best way. Once that sense of
neighbourhood is in place, then one can build on it to develop
neighbourhood care groups, neighbours who help look after the infirm and
the dying, local job creation etc etc. But it all grows best out of a
spirit of celebration.
So, one could simply photocopy a leaflet for delivery to one's 150 closest
neighbours, inviting them to one's house on May 8th for a couple of hours
in the vening, and each to bring a song, or poem, or story, or memory of
the area or the war, or just to bring themselves.
It is maybe a risk that they will rip off your favourite possessions and
put cigarette holes in the carpet, but it's worth a try!
-- With best wishes, Nicholas Albery <rhino@bbcnc.org.uk> The Institute for Social Inventions | Tel +44 [0]181 208 2853 *also* The Natural Death Centre | Fax +44 [0]181 452 6434 20 Heber Road, London NW2 6AA, UK ISI: WWW page http://www.protree.com/worldtrans/ISI.html NDC: WWW page http://www.protree.com/worldtrans/naturaldeath.html
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