We’re very pleased to post the contribution Kalbir Shukra made to the Social Work Action Network conference on behalf of our Campaign back in April.  As she indicates Kalbir’s challenging and measured offering was followed by Dami Benbow of the Young mayor’s Network in full flow and fine form. The next time we must catch Dami on video!

Praising young people’s creativity Kalbir comments:

But young people are smart! They drew on their familiarity with digital technology to outwit the police. Twitter and Facebook allowed people to get networked into what has been called ‘open-source activism’. This is when social networking is used to mobilise loose networks of activists. Some university occupiers set up a software (SUKE) that helps you avoid getting kettled or arrested by transmitting information about police deployment. Young people threw out the stale methods of the old left, introduced new tactics to avoid being kettled, revamped old methods like occupations and built new people’s coalitions in the face of the coalition government.

Some of the most exciting activities have been the spontaneous acts of solidarity. At one London anti-education cuts demo in January, the demonstration that was due to finish at Millbank continued seamlessly on to join the protestors at the Egyptian Embassy.

And she concludes in directing herself to the largely social work audience:

Certainly lines are being drawn. Conditions are very bad and are about to become severe indeed. Its the young people’s activism and the solidarities between students and lecturers at the university where I work that keeps me positive. So I urge you all to find out what is happening in your locality, youth club, student union, trade union and support the young visionaries of today.

Kalbir Shukra’s speech to the Birmingham SWAN conference 2011 [Word]

Kalbir Shukra’s speech to the Birmingham SWAN conference 2011 [PDF]