Sometimes
I like to
imagine myself
as a
macho princess...
a collaborative essay bi Darren with fantastic criticism* from Ruth, Tom, Lesley, & Lisa

So I'd be hesitant to say that I have a problem with machismo in general...**
But I am generally troubled by the 'macho culture' I feel sometimes prevails in the 'grassroots movement' in Ireland (& in other countries)...

A recent event where this really bugged me (& others I discussed this with) was at the Grassroots Gathering in Cork in March 2004. Throughout the weekend & particularly during plenary sessions I found that a large number of people (generally but not always men) exchanged glances & smirks & sometimes openly pooh-poohed other speakers' (generally but not always women's) contribution.

Quite often it seemed that someone's contribution was easily dismissed or disrespected because that person was perceived to be coming from a 'hippy' or 'fluffy' perspective.  

Consider this example: 

Comrade Tom said: 
While we continue to replicate the structures of patriarchy & capitalism within our own movement we not only have no viable alternative to present but lack any means of criticising or challenging these systems of oppression, as they currently exist.  

Bunny Hugger Darren said: 
I'm not sure but sometimes I feel like we're not really actually doing things that differently; ourselves from mainstream society, if we can't change ourselves how can we change the world.

Essentially Tom & Darren are making the same point, but in a Macho culture many of 'the boys' have switched off as soon as Darren said 'I'm' or 'I feel' or maybe just because he was wearing a pink jumper & sandals. 

This switching off in itself, is not our biggest problem rather some people feel enabled through  (often but not exclusively male) peer support to make dismissive gestures (rolling eyes, collusive glances, crossed arms etc.) thereby creating an oppressive atmosphere where people feel disempowered to contribute to discussion.  

I'm a loud white male***. I talk a lot. I love myself & I think I'm sexy...

But there were times at the Grassroots Gathering in Cork when I felt really uncomfortable to make a point. It really made me think how others in the room endowed with less social privileges felt about speaking.

One session in the GG in Cork was set aside as an open space technology...
This was an opportunity to explore a different methodology to communication at the GG that many others & we welcomed. 

However a lot of people (mostly but not all men) didn't like it at all. This was MANifested by some in folding of arms & huffing,  & by others with vocal objections. To me this seemed the reaction of people who are too used to always getting their own way. 

I'm concerned that the Cork open space session could become part of 'GG mythology' & cast of into the dark 'well - we tried that & it didn't work' cupboard never to appear again (except as the butt of jokes...) 

This can reflect a 'crisis of imagination' where we can sometimes assume that we already know the right way to have a meeting (even if a lot of people are excluded or bored) & therefore assume that other approaches are 'hippy bollox'. 

The people who object most to change are often the people who 'gain' most by things staying the same...These people maybe gaining power from status either as a privileged group or just because they are old hands whose familiarity with the way things usually run gives them security and power. This apparent gain is in fact a loss - for all of us. Doing things differently means we all need to learn new ways of interacting and from this initial chaos can come many opportunities.

I believe the GG should & could be a space for exploring new ideas, new ways of organising, communicating & thinking. There's no reason why it can't be fun & creative 

So, this is not an attempt to knock the GG because we love it but it is a call for us all to recognise that criticism can be creative. There are lots of ways of doing things, if we limit ourselves to one, we limit ourselves fullstop. This applies in both a general way to the format of our meetings but also in a specific way to how we behave in meetings i.e. the important task is open communication not who wins the discussion.

If we're serious about diversity we need to learn to actively listen & struggle to understand what others are trying to communicate. Diversity isn't just about inviting 'other people' to 'our party' but realising it's everybody's party. 

*Criticism (i.e. to critique) should not be seen as a competition but rather a way to strengthen our movement by being prepared to be open and to see things & learn from different angles and perspectives.

**Actually I do have a problem with machismo in general but I really wanted to open this article with the 'Macho Princess' thing...

***I fulfil most of the social criteria: but I reserve the right to define myself otherwise when the mood strikes me.