26 Jul 2006

Rewriting history-Green Party

No, this isn't an expose of what Jonathon Porritt really said, I have just started on the job of updating my history of the Green Party written back in 1993 for it's 20th anniversary.

Spent a lot of time in archives and looking at things like back issues of peace news, PN, far from just covering anti-war material and events provides a history of ecological and alternative politics that goes back to the 1930s.

Any suggestions for updates welcome.

Knowledge sadly is often enclosed in universities and access to the public has declined, university focus on the commercial has correspondingly increased.

The LSE library which can be tough to get into without an academic connection has all the back issues of Peace News.

The Commonwheal Collection at Bradford University is a great archive of peace and ecology newsletters magazines, I get the impression that anyone can join and browse, a great resource if you are in Yorkshire, UK.
This is what they say
About the Commonweal Collection http://www.brad.ac.uk/library/services/commonweal/index.php

The Commonweal Collection is an independent specialist library concerned with issues relating to non-violent social change. It contains over 11,000 books and pamphlets, 150 current journals and a variety of videos and educational materials on peace and disarmament, environmentalism and the green movement, non-violent philosophy and practice, human rights, development and regional issues, anti-racism, identity issues, social and economic alternatives, creative education, spiritual experience and analysis of world problems. In addition, Commonweal seeks to work with schools, campaign and community groups and individuals on projects linked to non-violent social change and to network with those sharing some or all of our core beliefs.

Enquiries regarding archival material collected by Commonweal, from the peace and other movements, should go to Special Collections at Bradford University.
Membership of the Commonweal Collection

The Commonweal Collection is free and open to the public. For information on how to join Commonweal please see the Membership of the Commonweal Collection Web page. Non-members are welcome to visit the Collection, but will be required to sign in at J B Priestley Library reception in accordance with University policy.

1 comment:

Jim Jepps said...

sounds interesting derek - tell me - is this an official history?

how do you deal with the different currents and possible errors the green party has made - after all whilst I'm a member of the Green Party we don't need to pretend it's a 100% anti-war, pro-renationalisation, semi-=socialist party either...

it's difficult - i'd be interesteed in hearing about your approach

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