Even those who started the fire may have loved the pier

-is that possible?

Black Tide; poem by CVG, St Leonards-on-Sea, 9/10/2010


Black Tide

A black tide has rolled in,
A black tide of starlings,
A black tide of rats’ bones, charred,
A black tide of timber, plastic, glass and twisted metal:
The sea-claimed refuse of the night of flame.
‘You can save me’ read the banners.
‘Everyone loves the Pier’ said the poster
You trampled as you scaled the railings
To tear the heart out of the town
And release the black tide

(Photo is of blog author, Paul Crosland)

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A circle of people (including Pier Trustees) are due to watch this video together on 15th January

& as the Trustees already have the Burning Bridges DVD & are arranging the venue, screen and sound, all I have to do is turn up and join in the discussion at the end:


To arrange another screening of this film email here)


More on Restorative Justice as I see it, here:



and yet more on restorative justice as I see it, on my YouTube Channel

 

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My glib phrase: "Creating a more caring/sharing society in Hastings requires no external money and will see us through to 80% of the Improvement"

When I write that I want to be part of the (re?)building of a more caring/sharing Hastings, what does this glib phrase mean?
Caring:
I guess it means a place where people care eg when a crime has been committed about what they can do to create the conditions whereby it is less likely to happen again.
In Hastings, have I done enough to show I care?
Not yet; I've started though. Thus:

• I spend two months wages on creating (within a month of the fire) the People's Justice service: http://peoplesjustice.org.uk

In Hastings has Tescos done enough to show they care?

• Well, I wonder how the community feels(?) about the fact that a tenth of the money raised so far (ie £1K of £10K) has Tescos name on it as the benefactor of http://hpwrt.co.uk

Sharing:
In Hastings, what do we share? 
I speak for myself below:

• I'm planning to share two garage-loads of (mostly) useful stuff, or what might grandiosely be called 'community transformation stuff' -we all it; we all have possessions and skills; all this is the seed-corn for growing a trusting, resilient community.

• Earlier, I set up (with friend and fellow-transitioner Edmund) the Freelending Community Interest Company and associated freelender.org website which got the attention and some much appreciated pages of write up in The Moneyless Man (published 2010 and now being re-published in Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, German, Turkish, Portuguese (for Brazil), & Japanese too)

• Then, following the lead of Mark Boyle as The Moneyless Man, I experimented with re-labelling myself The Lend It All Man ; so that Hastings will have at least one resident willing to share everything he owns.

I wrote to a Hastings correspondent the following this morning, and welcome back your comments:

‎"Much as a value criticism as a fuel and way of modifying my plans, I'm particularly intrigued (from a series of emails from you) by the tone / sense of some annoyance with my plans and or my assumptions/ways of working.

I'm also intrigued by the extent that you believe the issues in Hastings are around lack of money, rather than that 80% of the improvement is possible without government money; just by creating a caring/sharing society there (which is my hypothesis)."

Please add a comment below:

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Spirits of Hastings Pier; the most disturbing viewing to date; showing how many thousands of miles what we do in Hastings reaches!

"Spirits of Hastings Pier" is, without doubt, the most disturbing YouTube film I've seen. Part 1 is 14-odd minutes long; Part 2, 12-odd. The film shows how one Kentucky guy whose mental health is a concern to family (after two months in an asylum) saw a "Hastings Pier Fire" YouTube video by Maybrick44 (a Facebook friend of mine) and then after a series of transportation difficulties at the US airport and at Victoria/Ashford, made it to Hastings and either did or didn't genuinely believe he met a Victorian Spirit. Spooky.

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Only £10,000 pounds raised when £250K needed for emergency repairs!

(20th November 2010)
Am I the only one who is deeply disappointed to learn today that for all the work of the Pier Trust and others only about £10,000 has been raised since the 5th October Hastings Pier Fire?
On October 18th the Pier Trust update said:
"If we can raise about £250,000 before the winter sets in we can do emergency works ,one of the vital works is to fuse the pier like they did in the war. Taking out a section of metalwork. It was replaced after the war with mild steel so we need to take this part down, once we achieve this when the bridge section collapses it will not effect to front two sections of the pier"
I'm noting in the wording above "when the bridge section collapses"; not "if the bridge section collapses". My vested interest is in the pier surviving the winter, then the lottery grant and compulsory purchase going through as wished for next March. My wish here is to support (or even lead) a door-to-door fundraising campaign in East Sussex; aiming for people to make a regular financial commitment by standing order. For the fundraising booklet, I found a graphic designer yesterday of the calibre /international reputation that suits, and some weeks back found a photographer with a canvas of the the substructure of Hastings Pier on his wall -and other suitable photos in his portfolio. Please may the sea be kind to the pier this winter. Or is better to let it go?
(For more clarity on how I'm adjusting my plans to put energy and resources into Hastings see http://additionalinfo.blogspot.com)
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Tour of how your private messages for Hastings "arsonists" & other "criminals" are handled; not just for people from Sussex!

Here's a YouTube video of the website which has the start of a private video-diary to the 'arsonists' on it. The first user was a 45 year-old Hastings resident who, at the right time, would like also to express what losing the pier means to him; expressing this face-to-face with those who burned it down if the Probation Service obliges.
The 18 & 19 year old fire starters, who I expect to be supervised by the probation service, will be due back in court in the first week of December for their bail to be renewed or a trial date set.
This time schedule doesn't however determine when the right time is to have the dialogues that gets the truth out so that the community response can be properly informed.

If you've got something to say to someone who committed a crime that affected you, say it privately to them on http://peoplesjustice.org.uk
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First People's Justice video message sent to the 'arsonists'; watch it on YouTube, then join the private conversation on http://peoplesjustice.org.uk

(Sunday 7th November)
A video-message has been made for those who started the 5th October 2010 Hastings Pier Fire (being called Was19 and Was18) from Was45. Though permission has exceptionally been sought for this video to appear in public cyberspace (YouTube etc), you can reply to this message privately via http://peoplesjustice.org.uk.
You don't have to be a fire-starter to reply.

Ask for a Sussex Peoples Justice Account and you can also record (on a web-cam etc) or upload your videos or text messages which will privately go to those who started the fire and/or to their representatives.
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Bonfire Night 2010; a month after the Hastings Pier Fire; Open an account at People's Justice and have your say

The People's Justice website is launched today; how does it work?

If, for example, you simply want to open up a dialogue with eg the Hastings Pier and White Rock Trust you can use the site and type some words, record some comments with a web-cam or upload a video. You can stay anonymous if you prefer; your email address will be kept confidential to the moderator of the messages at Mediation Support Ltd.

If you choose to address your message(s) to individuals or groups who are in the midst of a criminal justice process, Mediation Support Ltd will liase with criminal justice staff before passing on your messages and you will be contacted again about the progress of this. At this stage -as at any other stage- you may choose to remove certain messages from the video-diary or messages that you have put privately onto the People's Justice website.

If you don't have access to a camera to record a film to upload and don't have a web cam either, web-cams can then be borrowed for free via freelender.org

The Mediation Support staff and trained-volunteers will invite a response to your concerns. This may come from:

1. the person or people you are addressing
2. someone who represents them in some way
3. someone who has done something similar.

Typed words or video will be used to record their responses to your concerns and Mediation Support Ltd will let you know when this is ready for you to view on the People's Justice site.

Maybe you want more than just being heard and getting answers. If you want to suggest what people could do to improve things in the Sussex Community, ask people or offer to start something that improves the situation.

Through People's Justice, you can work towards whatever it takes to get that justice that respects everybody and that is more than what the criminal justice system provides to bring about justice.

Open an account at the People's Justice website and be part of the dialogues that make a difference.
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A Telling Time in Sussex

Today (2nd November 2010) is the day when the 18 and 19 year olds from St Leonards who were arrested after the fire are due to have their bail renewed today in court, or not. Do add comments below this post, and please do not put their identities in your comments. 'Was 18' and 'Was 19' is what I'm calling them on this website and on the People's Justice website being launched this week for you to communicate with the "arsonists".

My focus is on providing a way for privately recorded videos and text-messaging for those who have something directly to say to 'Was 18' and 'Was 19', their representatives, or others.

I am amazed and greatly heartened by what one local resident in particular wishes to record and communicate to them on an appropriate timescale.

For clarity, I am in no hurry to establish the direct contact with the arsonists, even though I know someone who knows them. Rather, I will prudently be involving individuals employed in the criminal justice system to moderate/mediate communications which do go to 'Was 18', ''Was 19'.
Communication on "The People's Justice" website will also be for anyone else who is charged in Hastings with offences involving criminal damage, especially by fire. (eg Hastings Observer, 29th October, p3 -"A teenager has been arrested after a spate of car fires.)

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