# article summarising IWCA activities



## 888 (Jun 29, 2011)

Hi everyone,

Can someone point me to an article that covers most of what the IWCA got up to in the 90s-2000s? I am writing an article that looks at different types of workplace and community organising tactics and would like to mention some of what the IWCA did in it. Since I know lots of IWCA posters posted here in the past, I thought it would be a good place to ask... hope they still do, I've only looked at these boards very infrequently in the last few years.


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## yield (Jun 29, 2011)

I don't know for sure. You could have a search for old threads here. type: *site:urban75.net/vbulletin iwca* into google.

Origins of the IWCA? 2004

Links to http://www.redaction.org/communities/declaration.html & http://www.redaction.org/communities/line_of.html

Butchersapron would be good person to ask.


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## frogwoman (Jun 29, 2011)

past caring and love detective are also involved in it , im sure they'd be happy to give you some info


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## Sue (Jul 2, 2011)

Plans to refresh the sites but these might give you an idea of some of what we were up to in Oxford:

http://www.iwca-oxford.org.uk/blackbirdleys/index.htm

http://www.iwca-oxford.org.uk/


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## love detective (Jul 4, 2011)

888 - i've wrote quite a bit on various things over at libcom over the last few years (as oisleep) - not actual articles though, just forum postings but with various links to proper articles

(Sue, you doing the marathon in September?)


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## revol68 (Jul 4, 2011)

a tiny substandard Militant for the post political landscape.


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## love detective (Jul 4, 2011)

i quite like your brand of self-depreciating humour oddpant


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## revol68 (Jul 4, 2011)

love detective said:


> i quite like your brand of self-depreciating humour oddpant


 
that was very good actually. 

I do find it odd that soo many anarchists have a semi for the IWCA whilst having nothing but hate for the Socialist Party, probably the sad tendency for anarchists to fall for any old shit if it claims to be grass roots and beyond politics etc


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## love detective (Jul 4, 2011)

put it in your tagline now


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## revol68 (Jul 4, 2011)

i was thinking of it but it won't fit.


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## LLETSA (Jul 4, 2011)

love detective said:


> put it in your tagline now




Don't bother arguing with the silly, ranty little gonk.

One day somebody will stuff him and sit him on their dashboard. He'll have found his niche.


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## revol68 (Jul 4, 2011)

haven't you got a latin american strong man to be defending?


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## revlon (Jul 4, 2011)

LLETSA said:


> Don't bother arguing with the silly, ranty little gonk.
> 
> One day somebody will stuff him and sit him on their dashboard. He'll have found his niche.


 
ah, an optimist


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## past caring (Jul 4, 2011)




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## LLETSA (Jul 4, 2011)

revol68 said:


> haven't you got a latin american strong man to be defending?




My defending him has about as much effect as your denouncing him.

And still Godot fails to arrive.


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## revol68 (Jul 4, 2011)

LLETSA said:


> My defending him has about as much effect as your denouncing him.
> 
> And still Godot fails to arrive.


 
I'm under no illusions about what either of us says effecting the situation in Venezuela, on here it's more a matter of intellectual rigour and honesty.

And if it matter nowt why do you say it like it does?


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## LLETSA (Jul 4, 2011)

revol68 said:


> I'm under no illusions about what either of us says effecting the situation in Venezuela, on here it's more a matter of intellectual rigour and honesty.
> 
> And if it matter nowt why do you say it like it does?





Your intellectual rigour has been duly noted, Dangermouse.


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## The39thStep (Jul 4, 2011)

revol68 said:


> I'm under no illusions about what either of us says effecting the situation in Venezuela, *on here it's more a matter of intellectual rigour and honesty.*
> 
> And if it matter nowt why do you say it like it does?



Best post ever


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## manny-p (Jul 4, 2011)

..


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## Sue (Jul 4, 2011)

love detective said:


> (Sue, you doing the marathon in September?)



God no...  (Though I might come along for a few drinks after.)


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## Nigel (Jul 4, 2011)

Sue said:


> Plans to refresh the sites but these might give you an idea of some of what we were up to in Oxford:
> 
> http://www.iwca-oxford.org.uk/blackbirdleys/index.htm
> 
> http://www.iwca-oxford.org.uk/


 
What we *were* up to in Oxford.
Being bored of electoral politics means that you are going to give up on any good work being done in Blackbird Leys?


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## love detective (Jul 5, 2011)

I think things like the IWCA Athletics club, the youth athletics pilot scheme and the work done in Oxford to open up sports facilities of oxford university to working class kids in Oxford show that this is not the case


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## Sue (Jul 5, 2011)

Nigel said:


> What we *were* up to in Oxford.
> Being bored of electoral politics means that you are going to give up on any good work being done in Blackbird Leys?


 
As I said, the sites haven't been updated for a while hence the 'were'. Stuff about what we've been up to since then will be added soon.


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## 888 (Jul 5, 2011)

thanks oisleep, Sue and yield. I will take a look, and force myself to write the article in the next couple of weeks. It will start by looking at solidarity networks and then examine other types of workplace and community organising that differ interestingly from the usual union/party model.


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## love detective (Oct 23, 2011)

888 - not sure if it's the type of thing you were looking for but there's a bit of information about what's been going on in Oxford on a new site here

www.iwca-athletics.org

Also gives us brief summary of the IWCA in Oxford, past present & future



> The Independent Working Class Association is a social and political organisation that has been active on Blackbird Leys since 1999.
> 
> Our successful campaigns of direct action against Class A drug dealing and other extreme forms of anti-social behaviour made national news headlines in the early 2000's and by successfully working alongside residents to tackle these and other issues, we achieved four Oxford City councillors in as many years - with one seat still being held after three elections.
> 
> ...


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## TopCat (Oct 24, 2011)

love detective said:


> I think things like the IWCA Athletics club, the youth athletics pilot scheme and the work done in Oxford to open up sports facilities of oxford university to working class kids in Oxford show that this is not the case


Where do you live remind us?


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## love detective (Oct 24, 2011)

Catford

Are you suggesting I shouldn't comment on things that happen outside the immediate area I live in?

If you read the post I was responding to you will see it was a reply to someone who suggested things had stopped in Oxford/BBL - therefore the reply focussed on what was happening in Oxford/BBL


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## TopCat (Oct 24, 2011)

Well you (the IWCA) don't have a policy on Palestine do you? Ah fuck this, we can rant over a pint some time.


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## love detective (Oct 24, 2011)

don't follow your logic at all i'm afraid mate


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## manny-p (Oct 25, 2011)

TopCat said:


> Well you (the IWCA) don't have a policy on Palestine do you? Ah fuck this, we can rant over a pint some time.


Why would they?


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## cantsin (Oct 26, 2011)

love detective said:


> 888 - not sure if it's the type of thing you were looking for but there's a bit of information about what's been going on in Oxford on a new site here
> 
> www.iwca-athletics.org
> 
> Also gives us brief summary of the IWCA in Oxford, past present & future



the athletics club looks like a great idea - where we are, we're 3-4 miles away from 2 of the top 5 beaches in britain, but we might as well be 100 miles away as far as most of the kids at my sprogs school are concerned , it's just not part of their lives /culture , or their mums / dads  due to access / cost / travel / culture - almost feels like the kids are living urban lives in a ( very poor ) town of 10 000, with none of the benefits a proper city brings .


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## malatesta32 (Nov 29, 2011)

over on the EDL thread i wrote:
'i am not a strategist. i am genuinely interested in what people DO think is an alternative. there is a tendency to negate others ideas without advancing an alternative. can anyone from IWCA comment.'
http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/edl-watch.262722/page-199
so can anyone comment on strategy and the possibility of replicating it in areas where they are a threat?


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## BlackArab (Dec 3, 2011)

I am interested in the IWCA's activities but find it surprising of how little discussion of them there is on here considering they appear to be a real alternative for a section of the country who feel disenfranchised from the mainstream parties. Are radical/Left/militant/progressive organisations or groups more interested in combatting the threats than building the alternatives within the wc?


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## malatesta32 (Dec 4, 2011)

well ive tried to get some responses on here with no luck whatsoever. (see above).


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## MellySingsDoom (Dec 4, 2011)

malatesta32 said:


> well ive tried to get some responses on here with no luck whatsoever. (see above).



Have you tried sending a PM to our very own Joe Reilly on this, M?


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## malatesta32 (Dec 4, 2011)

thanks melly! wasnt sure if he was involved in iwca. did you see the waterloo pix on BtF thread. rare stuff.


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## The39thStep (Dec 4, 2011)

BlackArab said:


> I am interested in the IWCA's activities but find it surprising of how little discussion of them there is on here considering they appear to be a real alternative for a section of the country who feel disenfranchised from the mainstream parties. Are radical/Left/militant/progressive organisations or groups more interested in combatting the threats than building the alternatives within the wc?


 
There has been stacks on here over the years


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## BlackArab (Dec 7, 2011)

The39thStep said:


> There has been stacks on here over the years



Really? Can't say I've ever noticed. I can't seem to get much response on the matter.


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## Nigel (Dec 27, 2011)

love detective said:


> 888 - not sure if it's the type of thing you were looking for but there's a bit of information about what's been going on in Oxford on a new site here
> 
> www.iwca-athletics.org
> 
> Also gives us brief summary of the IWCA in Oxford, past present & future


Is that Dessie Bracket in the picture of the running team?


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## Nigel (Dec 27, 2011)

Don't know if this has been on U75 before.
Interesting footage of Cllr. Craft debating or in on case shownhere not debating issues in Oxford City Council.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWeKnvzmHHM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qGP8Z40DV4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qGP8Z40DV4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED9aN5hIZwc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NWyb_9tzPw&feature=related


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## Spanky Longhorn (Dec 29, 2011)

BlackArab said:


> Really? Can't say I've ever noticed. I can't seem to get much response on the matter.



I suspect it's because most people here felt they debated it over and over again. Do a search for IWCA threads.


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## Nigel (Feb 26, 2012)

Is the official position of the IWCA that they are not standing candidates in Oxford in coming elections?


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## Hocus Eye. (Feb 26, 2012)

There is a page in Wikipedia about the IWCA. From the detail it contains it is reasonable to suppose that the article was written by someone or several members of the IWCA. There is also a useful bibliography at the end of the article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IWCA


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## love detective (Feb 26, 2012)

Nigel said:


> Is the official position of the IWCA that they are not standing candidates in Oxford in coming elections?


 
yep, and Stuart is standing down after 10 years on the council to refocus on things like the athletics club and other projects/campaigns


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## Nigel (Feb 29, 2012)

Seems a bit of a shame


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## audiotech (Mar 5, 2012)

Nigel said:


> Don't know if this has been on U75 before.
> Interesting footage of Cllr. Craft debating or in on case shownhere not debating issues in Oxford City Council.




Deeply frustrating for anyone having to put up with these antics, but had a chuckle at IWCA councillor, Stuart Craft's comment: "You can come back in now children."


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## Riklet (Mar 5, 2012)

Hopefully a new ball-buster will emerge, having watched a few of the videos just now they really need it that council! The "children" comment made me chuckle too, when they all crocodile'd out in a little hissy fit..


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## Joe Reilly (Mar 5, 2012)

Hocus Eye. said:


> There is a page in Wikipedia about the IWCA. From the detail it contains it is reasonable to suppose that the article was written by someone or several members of the IWCA. There is also a useful bibliography at the end of the article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IWCA


 
While it might be reasonable to suppose that the article was written by members of the iWCA I very much doubt it. The 'minor' in the first sentence rather gives the game away.


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## Hocus Eye. (Mar 5, 2012)

Joe Reilly said:


> While it might be reasonable to suppose that the article was written by members of the iWCA I very much doubt it. The 'minor' in the first sentence rather gives the game away.


Could the IWCA be considered even by its most loyal supporters as anything but a 'minor' political party?


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## JHE (Mar 5, 2012)

According to the Wikipedia article, the RCG was involved in founding the IWCA.  That's a very surprising claim.


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## Red Storm (Mar 5, 2012)

JHE said:


> According to the Wikipedia article, the RCG was involved in founding the IWCA. That's a very surprising claim.


 
From what I've read the RCG along with a few other groups were consulted in the creation of the IWCA.


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