Saturday 30 January 2010

Callout for content for freebieshop-area

The last freebieshop we had was taken down and content returned after the group/person who had donated the land, changed the place or left SL. We were already thinking for a while to get a new freebieshop for SLLU and now we have created several buildings next to our Flagg-parcel in the Lori-sim for this purpose (see picture).


As you see, the basis has been created, now it is time to fill up these places with content.
If you have freebie/opensource/full perms objects/textures/scripts/skins/etc (from other creators or created by yourself) please consider donating these to SLLU. A donation-box for these will be found on the parcel where you can leave your donations in or you can just send them to me (Smoke Wijaya).
Another idea for the function of one of the buildings is the idea of a library; a library for SLLU resources, SL resources, but also literary left revolutionary resources, links to (opensource) books etc. (we could use marxists.org, Libcom.org's library and Gutenberg Project for example). I myself think building 3 on the picture will be nicest for this function.

Any suggestions on all this are welcomed, and if you have some, please comment in the commentssection.

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SLLU Meeting of 27 Januari: general SLLU membership meetings resumed.

Last wednesday, Januari the 27th, we had a new meeting for SLLU proper. This meeting was a first again after some time not having met (although SLLUFN has continued meeting and organising in the meantime).
During this 'first' meeting, we did not decide on many things yet, but one decision was taken, namely to resume regular meetings again; we decided to have general SLLU membership meetings every 2 weeks on Wednesday, 2 pm SLT.
So, the next meeting will be on the 10th of februari.

We also discussed some points like our support for the anti-berlusconi (music)event Italian comrades will be having in SL at 31st of Januari and the plans for content on our parcels in Flagg/Lori like freebies for freebieshop and creation of a 'library' (for SLLU resources, SL resources and general (revolutionary anti-capitalist) literature).
Another point we touched on is regarding groupowned land and the payment of this; currently, all the groupowned land is backed by (private) tierallowance donations, but this is only spread amongst four comrades, of which two take most of the load. It would be good for SLLU to have the payment of land spread amongst more members. A call out to SLLU members who are premium member (with SL) for considering donating some of their (leftover) tierallowance will go out soon.
The relevant chatlog of this meeting on the 27th of Januari will be posted in the comments.

With the next meeting we will have a report on the SLLU birthday party which we will have at the 21st of februari, as well as discuss/decide on points like use of Unity Station in Oculea and SLLU Antifa.

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Friday 29 January 2010

SL Left Unity Feminist Network Conduct Guidelines for Field Activism

On 27 November, 2009, the SL Left Unity Feminist Network mounted, in cooperation with other groups, its first really large scale protest with Second Life, at the "rape sim" Hard Alley. The event, which was organized as part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, featured an impressive number of participants and garnered a very gratifying amount of attention in Second Life-related news sources and blogs. The success of this public protest has led to an affirmation of the group's commitment to further activist events of this nature.

As the SLLUFN and associated groups become more engaged with protests and other forms of activism in-world in Second Life, it has become desirable to codify in something like a formal way the standards of conduct expected of our activist members while "in the field." The Guidelines that appear below are really little more than a written articulation of the actual conduct of the group that participated in the Hard Alley protest. They were developed in consultation with members of the SLLUFN during two separate meetings of that group in January of this year.

These are not written in stone, and will undoubtedly be revised as further experience and thought seem to require. Your comments on these Guidelines are welcome!

========================================================

SL Left Unity Feminist Network Conduct Guidelines for Field Activism

From time to time, members of the SLLU Feminist Network and associated groups will be involved in active protests with Second Life, as for example setting up an information picket.

Those engaged in picketing or other protest actions will, of course, have their own views and perspectives on the activities being protested. It is not the intention of these conduct guidelines to restrict or censor the varied beliefs that may bring protestors together: we value a diversity of perspective.

At the same time, as peaceable residents of Second Life, we have all undertaken to abide by the rules set out in Linden Lab's Terms of Service and Community Standards. As feminists, we wish to highlight our nonviolent principles and respect for others. And, as members of a collective activist group, it is important that our individual actions reflect well upon those with whom we are protesting. If you intend to participate in the action, and regardless of whether or not you are a member of the SLLUFN, we would ask that your conduct conform to the guidelines below.

You should bear in mind that there is a high likelihood that your participation in a protest action may result in a banning from the targeted sim, and possibly also from associated sims.

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  • Please do not interrupt or engage with people on the sim unless they first approach you. This includes passing unsolicited notecards to those within the sim.

  • Please do not interfere in any way with the activities of those on the sim, even if you find them objectionable.

  • For your own safety, do not exchange IMs with anyone on the sim. Should anyone attempt to engage you in a conversation in IM, insist upon it being in open chat.

  • Please do not employ abusive or vulgar language.

  • Please do not wear clothing (e.g., tee shirts with slogans) that might be construed as abusive, vulgar, or constituting a personal attack upon anyone in the sim.

  • Please do not file an Abuse Report against any objects or behaviours on the sim, unless they constitute a direct attack upon yourself.

  • Please do not record the names of anyone present on the sim, as this can be interpreted as threatening behaviour. We are not there to compile a registry of people engaged in objectionable activities.

  • Please do not employ push weapons, HUDS, or any other objects that impact or disturb others against their will.

  • Please to not employ chat or notecard spam, self-replicating objects, or anything else that might deliberately and severely the performance of the sim.
Although it is not obligatory, we recommend that if you are a member of the SLLUFN or associated group you wear the group tag for the purposes of identification. There two main reasons for this. First, it will link you to group IMs, better facilitating communication within the protest group. Second, it will make it easier to find and identify you should you require assistance of any sort.

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For your convenience, a few relevant excerpts from Linden Lab's Community Standards document are reproduced below. Please note that these can be quite vague, and are open to the interpretation of any Linden Lab official who may respond to a reported violation.


1. Intolerance

[...] Actions that marginalize, belittle, or defame individuals or groups inhibit the satisfying exchange of ideas and diminish the Second Life community as a whole. The use of derogatory or demeaning language or images in reference to another Resident's race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation is never allowed in Second Life.

2. Harassment

Given the myriad capabilities of Second Life, harassment can take many forms. Communicating or behaving in a manner which is offensively coarse, intimidating or threatening, constitutes unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors, or is otherwise likely to cause annoyance or alarm is Harassment.

3. Assault

[...] Assault in Second Life means: shooting, pushing, or shoving another Resident in a Safe Area (see Global Standards below); creating or using scripted objects which singularly or persistently target another Resident in a manner which prevents their enjoyment of Second Life.

6. Disturbing the Peace

[...] Disrupting scheduled events, repeated transmission of undesired advertising content, the use of repetitive sounds, following or self-spawning items, or other objects that intentionally slow server performance or inhibit another Resident's ability to enjoy Second Life are examples of Disturbing the Peace.

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Wednesday 20 January 2010

SLLU Birthday Party!

Right, everyone pull out there calendars and pencil in a new date! Set aside 21 February, because that is the day that we celebrate the SLLU's Birthday, and the third productive and exciting year of its existence in Second Life.

The party will be held at Flagg, and will commence at Noon SLT. There will, of course, be live entertainment, dancing, skating, and all manner of good things to do and see.

This year, the party will be hosted by the SLLU Feminist Network, which will be celebrating its first birthday in February. We are delighted to have this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the SLLU for its committed support throughout what has been, for us, a wonderfully exciting and successful first year.

This year's celebration will also see a birth of a kind too, as we highlight the newest addition to the Left Unity fold, the SLLU LGBT Network. So there's another excellent reason to join with us in recognizing the achievements of the past year, and looking ahead to what promises to be a eventful and dynamic future.

We'll be posting more details about the upcoming party here as we near the event, so keep an eye on this space!

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Monday 18 January 2010

Haiti Appeal

www.msf.org.uk

www.dec.org.uk

Could SLLU members please let any of the editors know of charities that are not George W Bush or Bill Clinton and we will publish the links here?

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Wednesday 13 January 2010

Radical Poetry winners!

by Zoe Parness



The Radical Poetry night in early December was great. It was lovely to see so many people at the refurbished Flagg and there was some wonderfuly personal and very moving poetry. So much of what we do in SL is text based so it is a treat to hear some of the voices behind the avatars reading their poetry.

There was a competition for the best original poem with a little prize attached. It was so difficult to judge because there were some very good poems submitted. In the end it was decided to split the prize between two entries. (Hope you don’t think that it’s a cop out)

One winner is the truely wonderful Stosh Quartz. She has delighted so many of us with her original poetry which is often very personal but also often has a political dimension.

Her poem ‘november rant’ takes as it’s theme the way that the media are failing to bring us the truth and how they distort our view of was is really happeneing in he world with trivial news and celebrity gossip.

The second winner is DonJuan Writer who is another of SL’s favourite poets. Try to get to one of his events and if you are lucky you will not only hear him read his very original work but you may hear him sing too :) His winning poem ‘Frank’s Machine’ at first seems to show only anger about the wrongs in the world but ends with a personal plea to all of us to combine our feelings with our intellect in the cause of peace and the ending of injustice.

In discussing the entries with a friend it was pointed out to me that the term ‘Radical’ had been almost universaly been interpreted as an opportunity to express anger and frustration with the way things are. There were few poems which expressed a positive image of a possible future. Perhaps this will be a theme for a future event in the New Year.

In the meantime here are the winning entries. I hope that you will enjoy reading them as much as I did and that may inspire all of you to express your thoughts and feelings in this way. Happy writing !!!

november rant by Stosh Quartz



once upon a time
the news cameras scanned
had the panoramic view
could see
would focus on
the edges
the fringes
the outskirts
the Big Picture
voices were raised
when they showed us injustice
we acted to make
things better
but someone
seems to have put
vaseline on the lens
it seems
it seems only yesterday
zooming in
the strobe flash
would shine a light
in a dark corner
intending to
roust the evil
rescue the damaged
feed the hungry
heal the wounded
counsel the disenfranchised
wrestle the demons
comfort the weak
soothe the abused
reform the abusers
share the wealth
raise the debate
raze the walls
the walls that shield
the walls that shelter
the walls of a maze
the walls that obscure
our view
keeping justice for all
just beyond reach
somehow the
emphasis changed
now reporters tell us
funny stories about
celebrities caught
being human
the broadcasts will not
drop the subject
even as
children are enslaved
women are enslaved
men are enslaved
people are dying of starvation
being killed in wars
genocide
torture
sinister shadows
cannot be penetrated
sinister shadows
perpetrated
by big business
big crime
big money
our focus is steered
away from things
that might make us mad
might make us fight
They--the ones to whom we
have given reins--
they
lull us with
shiny baubles
sleep sleep sleep
and when you wake
we can talk about
tiger woods
because in
Grand Scheme of Things
what could be more
important than
learning what happened
in his home
last week?

Frank's Machine By DonJuan Writer



Curse the day,
When they found a way,
To make war pay.

Curse those who fill their pockets,
With money made from selling rockets.

Curse all those politicians,
Who rate human life beneath their career ambitions.

A financial dictatorships sets the par for the course,
Our way of life kept in arrested development by fiscal force.
They keep our outrage at bay by editing what hits our screen,
People as a renewable resource to fuel the cogs of Frank's Machine.

They hail our heroes who died in their wars,
For their idealism that keeps us on all fours.
Tax on wages,
And everything we buy,
Monthly installments,
Until we die,
And it doesn't stop there,
There's more despair.

People starve in war-torn lands,
Children work their Happy Meal hands,
Men of God crush men of peace,
The money grab means for a fight that won't cease.

Environment disasters,
And economic crime,
We slave for faceless masters,
Who clip our claws so we can't climb.

They limit our drugs,
And lay guilt trips on our lusts,
Pat the heads of their thugs,
And benefit to our disgusts.

Now it's gotten to the stage where apathy reigns supreme,
And manufactured music plays behind some fucking football team.
We are conquered by a solitude divide,
And fight our individual wars inside.
Peace is the only way for tension to unwind,
Stop the fighting, align your heart and mind.

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