Towards autonomous spaces:
let’s create a Social Centre!
Social centres are spaces for uniting social movements, strengthening activism and thinking strategically. As clearly defined spaces for grassroots organising and horizontal politics, autonomous spaces tend to naturally act as hubs for an array of local campaigns and activists to hold meetings, plan actions, create new networks, publicise their campaigns, produce banners, write pamphlets and raise vital funds to keep going. Social centres contribute to strengthening local grassroots movements by bringing together people from different autonomous groups and walks of life in order to create interaction, break down boundaries and community across activist/non-activist divides.
Social centres can include:
- an info-shop
- a radical bookshop
- a organic, vegan cafe / bar
- space for gigs
- independent cinema
- resource centre
- open-source media centre and hacklab
- …
The Galway Grassroots Network intends to set up a Social Centre! A working group has formed to find a suitable building and get it started. We are looking for more groups and people to get involved, so please get in touch with us ggn-centre@riseup.net
[Text adapted from Chapter 13/14 in Do it Yourself – A handbook for changing our world (Trapese Collective)]