One of the problems I find campaigning with Greenpeace is I get really focussed on organising the next event. I rarely get a chance to reflect on what's been achieved in the past. My new years resolution was to stop doing this, and remember our achievements; and I'd start by listing all the major things our group achieved in 2009. Though I say so myself, I think the results are impressive.
In 2009 we:
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Held stalls in in Putney, Brixton, Oval Farmers Market and Brockwell Park campaigning against new coal fired power stations
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Been present at the Lambeth Country Show and Urban Green Fair campaigning against the Heathrow Third Runway
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Sent activists to the Put People First demonstration, the Wave and the international climate protests in Copenhagen
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Persuaded 3 local MPs and 4 local candidates to support out campaign against the Heathrow Third Runway
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Achieved press coverage in the South London Press and Lambeth Life
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Supported the Climate Camp and Save Vestas campaigns
Two points that are worth making. The first is what picture you use to illustrate this all. I like the one at the top of this blog (taken on an anti Trident protest in 2008) as it shows one of our activists who is smiling and wearing Greenpeace branding. Others don't like this picture as they think it implies our activists are weird people who wear branded clothes at the weekend rather than following conventional fashion. What do other people think?
The other is a point my guru made when I ran this list past him. "Yes", he said, "those were the highlights, but what were the low lights?" (in fairness he did ask all groups this question, it's not just a Hackney dweller getting at South Londoners).
"I think the biggest low light was that we didn't manage to hold any big public event" I replied. "After all, Southwark Greenpeace got 140 people at a film showing of the Age of Stupid, and I'm sure South West London is at least as cool a group as Southwark. We ought to try something like this in 2010".
So, if you want to help build South West London Greenpeace from a good group, into one that is capable of taking on the might of BAA, Shell, the defence industry and Southwark Greenpeace do please join us. Then the review of 2010 can be even more impressive than the review of 2009.
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