When/how social movements win

Birmingham is many things at once. It is a superdiverse and majority-minority city, but also one marked by exclusion, discrimination, and segregation. It is a booming city, yet also one experiencing a manufactured bankruptcy, threats of dispossession, and cuts to essential services. Birmingham is also a hub of activism and community organising, while simultaneously grappling with a significant democratic deficit.

In this workshop, we will explore how and when social movements win in a city where communities are not allowed to participate actively and meaningfully in decision-making. Decisions about places, communities, services, and the environment are made without a clear democratic mandate. Power is opaque, and scrutinising how decisions are made remains difficult. Consultation is largely tokenistic, and decision-making operates as a black box.

Organisations working across anti-racism, the environment, housing and place, community organising, and public services will reflect on tactics and strategies, share lessons learned, and explore what connects their struggles. Across the workshop, we will reflect on how movements defend what is under threat, move through time and space as conditions shift, win small and large victories, and repeat these cycles to build lasting power

When/How Social Movements Win is funded by the New Economics Foundation and hosted by the Connecting Struggles initiative, coordinated by academics in anthropology, history, law, politics and applied health at the University of Birmingham, together with participating organisations. Discussions and activities will be facilitated by Dr Abi O’Connor.

Programme

• 11 - 11:15 Welcome
  
  
• 11:15 - 12:30 Defending
  • Joe Holyoak - Save Smallbrook
  • George Smith - Ladywood Unite
  • Eva Bennett - Edgbaston Reservoir for all
    
    
• 12:30 - 13:00 Lunch
  
  
• 13:00 - 14:15 Moving
  • Scarlett Westbrook, Birmingham Climate Justice Coalition
  • Issy Stephens, Better Streets for Birmingham
  • Sarah Ali, Civic Square
  • Faisel Farooq, Big Ride for Palestine
  • Empress Gibbs, Skate Buddies
    
    
• 14:15 - 14:30 Coffee
  
  
• 14:30 - 15:45 Winning
  • Emma Lochery, Birmingham Loves Libraries
  • Pip McKnight, maternal health inequalities activist
  • Rita Patel - Druids Heath Neighbourhood Forum
  • Leanne Gregory - SEND Seen
    
    
• 16:00 - 17:15 Repeating
• • Jagwant Johal, BRIG
  • Shirin Housee, Birmingham Black Sisters / Women Against the Far Right
  • Mikaela Raphael, Federation of Worker Cooperatives, Cooperation Birmingham, & Radical Routes
  • Ben Russell, Worcester Welcomes Refugees
  • David Stark, former immigration law practitioner and Research fellow
    
    
• 17:15 - 17:30 Closing remarks