Sunday

The Friendly Bout - Hastings Citizens Manifestoes collide

THE FRIENDLY BOUT

As Eddie said in the Oak Bakery, London Rd, St Leonards:
“What I'd like to do is [end the seesawing of politics from Labour getting in and ...., then the Conservatives and...;
 that's how it's gone all my life. What alternative is there? Elect the Independent. Support the Independent candidate in some other way or stand yourself. I stand for Generosity. For what do you stand?
I wonder if the 12thDecember election will amounts to a #HiccupOrSeaChange?
Regardless, as your Independent Candidate seeking to build the "Sharing and Care4Caring Team" who will field candidates in the subsequent 2 elections at least, well that's the plan for the timebeing, I will be working assiduously to draw out people's aspirations, help them connect with people of a sort to whom they may not previously have given the time of day.

Whilst in my favourite Hastings & St Leonards bakery, I overheard a request for a shorter working week. I then joined in that conversation and teased out three other policy changes that Eddie wants – enough care support for his elderly friends living at home, youth clubs and a reduced working week. If you seearch YouTube for #HastingsCitizenManifesto you'll see that I went on to explain the process by which I move forward with Eddie's manifesto. The process is that when you've got between 4 and 10 points emailed to me (paul.crosland@gmail.com) I announce your HastingsCitizenManifesto to the constituency and then by posting an edited version on my Twitter account (@paulcrosland) begin the process of seeing if we can draw out someone with views that are very different as to what they think needs to be done. This isn't just done on line; by traveling myself to the fullest range of environments I can find within the incredibly diverse Hastings Borough Council and Rother District Council areas, I meet a whole host of opinions, and draw voters from across the whole political, economic and social spectrum.

I look in particular at the divides in society in terms of the have's and have not's but this is as much about money as time. There are the most stressed -who are money-short and time short -and then, of course, the other three situations, Whether time rich or time poor, if you are money-rich enough to make a donation to the ongoing community cohesion and voice-giving #HastingsCitizenManifesto process then please do so via [   ]. Once there is a pot of funding to bring in a mediator with full International credentials from the Centre for NonViolent Communication I arrange a follow on event to the event I organised in September 2011 (paid for entirely with timebank credits) with Maria Arpa, now the executive director at cnvc.org

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