#hamishcampbell — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #hamishcampbell, aggregated by home.social.
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Eastern Europe on a Zloty – Kraków to the Balkans
This adventure started out with a peace march. The Global Walk for a Liveable World had already crossed America once - LA to New York in ’89 - while I was drifting through Santa Cruz, not quite sure where the thing would begin or end. I drove across the States instead of walking it, then flew back across the Atlantic. Found out about the second stage in the usual sideways way, a line at the bottom of one of my mum’s Ribbon leaflets. In March ’91 I rang the organisers in the States to […]https://hamishcampbell.com/eastern-europe-on-a-zloty-krakow-to-the-balkans/
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A Year-Long Summer (short version)
I spent the summer of 1989 travelling in Ireland. I can’t now remember why Ireland, exactly. The first step was a lift to Barnsley with my parents, helping set up the exhibition 100 Years of Women’s Banners at the City Art Gallery. From there I hitchhiked north through the Lake District, stopping for the night in Keswick. In the morning I headed on to Stranraer, the cheapest route to Ireland, to catch the ferry to Larne, thirty miles north of Belfast. I arrived in Larne late in the day […]https://hamishcampbell.com/a-year-long-summer-short-version/
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The path I walk, and advocate for, is rooted in a few simple but powerful #KISS principles: a return to grassroots governance, a focus on community-driven technology, and the composting of failed ideas to nurture new growth. To enable this shift, we must develop tools and frameworks that uphold transparency, empower collective action, and center sustainable, open alternatives. This means pushing back against the dominant #mainstreaming narrative and embracing practical, grounded methods of building from the bottom up. You can see some of this in action at unite.openworlds.info.
I remain deeply critical of the role of #NGOs and the broader mainstreaming strategies that dilute radical potential. Too often, projects that begin with genuine grassroots energy are co-opted through institutional funding and pressure to conform. This turns them into vehicles for maintaining the status quo rather than challenging it. To reclaim our agency and resist this corruption, we need to re-center on the #4opens, prioritize collective and direct action, and build resilient alternatives to the #deathcult of neoliberalism. My critique comes from long experience with radical media and open tech — from #Indymedia and #OMN to the #Fediverse and ActivityPub. Learn more at hamishcampbell.com.
My #boatingeurope life reflects a more sustainable, #DIY lifestyle — an attempt to live "native" to the rhythms of nature rather than the chaos of the #deathcult. A decade ago, after 20 years campaigning on climate and ecological collapse, I sailed away in a literal lifeboat, escaping burnout and disillusionment. But the world is round — and I’ve since returned to re-engage with tech activism and grassroots media, because retreat alone won’t solve systemic issues. Bridging the divide between alternative cultures and the mainstream remains vital. Yet this is often blocked by both sides — the mainstream demands conformity, while alt-paths refuse to compromise. Without building bridges, we risk further stagnation. It's time to find common ground without losing our roots.
#hamishcampbell
Support on Open Collective
Boating Europe on YouTube -
The Herald does a deepish dive into the Two by Twos internationally and in New Zealand, perhaps skimming over the sexual abuse bits a little too lightly.
A common theme seems to be, "If you're not one of us, you're going to hell."
The National MP for Ilam seems to be up to his neck in it.
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The path I am advocating is rooted in a few core principles: a return to grassroots governance, prioritizing community-driven technology, and composting failed ideas for new growth. To enable this, we need to develop tools and frameworks that uphold transparency, empower collective action, and keep the focus on sustainable, open alternatives.
I believe to try and balance much of the current mess, people should focus on grassroots activism and building alternative systems to combat the current social, ecological, and technological mess. With a strong emphasis on open processes (#4opens), fostering collective action, to challenge the #neoliberal status quo (#deathcult) through direct engagement, rebooting independent media, and creating sustainable, community-driven alternatives to #mainstreaming structures. The path is to reclaim agency and work toward positive, systemic change from the grassroots up.
You can explore more at https://hamishcampbell.com
I am thus critical of #NGOs and #mainstreaming paths, as they often compromise their radical potential by seeking funding and approval from larger institutions and establishment hierarchies. This to oftern leads to co-optation and dilution of grassroots values of “native” paths, turning them into tools for maintaining the status quo rather than challenging it. We need to actively resist this corruption and ensuring that alternative, community-driven projects can thrive without becoming fatally entangled in mainstreaming mess.
Read more at https://hamishcampbell.com
I have extensive experience navigating radical activism and grassroots media projects. Having been involved in open technology movements, such as #Indymedia and #OMN (Open Media Network) and more recently the Fediverse and ActivityPub movement, emphasizing trust-based, DIY approaches. Thus, the critique of the #NGO sector for undermining radical efforts through the influence of funding and institutionalization, having witnessed how NGO paths often lead to stagnation or failure. In reaction to this, the creating and championing of decentralized solutions that remain faithful to their grassroots origins while resisting co-optation by the #mainstreaming.
For more details, visit hamishcampbell.com.
My #boatingeurope life reflects a life outside the #mainstreaming, a simpler”native” more sustainable #DIY lifestyle, away from the chaos of every day #deathcult worship. Living on the water is a metaphor for self-reliance, resilience, and independence, while offering life connected with nature. The lifeboat is a metaphor for #climatechaos, I sailed away ten years ago, after campaigning agenst #climatchange and ecological destruction for 20 years, continuing the path to live outside conventional structures, a little away from the stress of activism. However, the world is round, so have since returned, re-engaging with tech activism, a remainder that retreat won’t solve the broader systemic issues facing the world and the people that live in it
For more details, visit https://www.youtube.com/@BoatingEurope
I see a core tension between alternative cultures and the mainstream: the mainstream demands that alternative cultures conform in order to be effective, while the alt paths intentionally resist this push, aiming to remain distinct and radical. This clash creates a deeper issue—#mainstreaming voices tend to block and reject the need for a bridge between these two spaces. The failure to recognize the importance of building such bridges leads to division and stagnation, perpetuating the current social and political mess. The root problem lies in “common sense” blocking and an intolerance toward the very idea of bridging these divergent paths, hindering progress from both sides.
https://opencollective.com/open-media-network/projects/hcampbell
https://hamishcampbell.com/what-do-i-think/
#boatingeurope #climatchange #climatechaos #deathcult #diy #hamishcampbell #indymedia #mainstreaming #neoliberal #NGO #NGOs #OMN
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In the early 1980s, the Cold War tensions reached new heights, reviving fears of nuclear annihilation among the public. It was during this time, in a small village in southwest Wales, that a group of women decided to elevate their local protest to an international level. This story is about the creation of the Greenham Common Peace Camp, a testament to the power of grassroots activism and the spirit of ordinary women.
The inspiration for this movement was deeply personal for many of the women involved. They were mothers and grandmothers, worried about the future of their children in a world where nuclear war seemed increasingly inevitable. Thalia Campbell, an artist and banner maker, was one of the original marchers and co-founder of the peace camp, she played a pivotal role in coordinating the sculpture project, the subject of this video, that became a symbol of their struggle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKoWKF3ktXI
The video is about the sculpture, which commemorates the march that started the camp. The sculpture itself was a significant endeavour, starting with small donations and gaining momentum after receiving the Transport and General Workers Union Peace Prize. Thalia Campbell spent ten years consulting with women around the world, and eventually, a life-size clay original was created. This original was made into a plaster cast and shipped to a foundry in Wales to be cast in bronze, creating a durable public monument.
The march to Greenham Common began on August 27, 1981. Thirty-six women, accompanied by their children in pushchairs, and six men, gathered outside City Hall in Cardiff to walk the 110 miles to Newbury in Berkshire. This group of women, who started as strangers, became a tribe as they walked together, slept in village halls, and shared their fears and hopes for a nuclear-free future.
The marchers carried with them a pamphlet showing a deformed child born after the Hiroshima bombing, highlighting the horrific consequences of nuclear radiation. They planned to deliver their petition against nuclear weapons upon reaching Greenham Common. However, upon arrival, they were ignored, prompting them to stay.
In a spontaneous decision inspired by the suffragettes, the women decided to chain themselves to the fence of Greenham Common. This act of defiance, initially met with confusion and humor by the local police, quickly gained attention. The women’s determination to make their voices heard led them to stay at the site, setting up an encampment despite having no initial plans to do so.
The camp grew as local supporters provided food and supplies. Over time, it became clear that this was not a temporary protest but a long-term commitment. The camp evolved into a women-only space, not out of sexism, but as a practical decision to avoid manipulative tactics by the police that could provoke violence. This decision also created a safe space for women to express their views and experiences without fear.
The Greenham Common Peace Camp faced internal and external challenges. Leading to the formation of different groups and camps around the site. The presence of women with various personal problems, as well as significant numbers of lesbians, brought both strength and complexity to the movement.
Growing from these challenges, the Greenham Common Peace Camp became a powerful symbol of non-violent protest and women’s activism. The sculpture, created over a year, stands as a testament to the untold stories of the women who gave birth to this remarkable movement.
The Greenham Common Peace Camp left an indelible mark on history, demonstrating the impact of collective action and the courage of women to dared to challenge the status quo. Their story is one of resilience, solidarity, and the unwavering belief in a peaceful future.
The film is by #hamishcampbell
#greenhamcommon #peace #women #scupture #makeinghistory
https://hamishcampbell.com/a-story-of-ordinary-women-doing-extraordinary-things/
#greenhamcommon #hamishcampbell #makeinghistory #peace #scupture #women
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The hashtag #deathcult is a highly charged but uncontroversial characterization of #neoliberalism.
The #hashtag was coined by #hamishcampbell on his blog (http://hamishcampbell.com) from long expirence of protest, this came to a head at the launch of Extinction Rebellion (XR) a global environmental activist movement that seeks to raise awareness about the urgent threat of climate change and biodiversity loss.
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A Year Long Summer
(DRAFT) 1989-1992 A Year Long Summer I spent the summer of 1989 travelling in Ireland. I can't now remember why Ireland? The first step was a lift to Barnsley with my parents to help put up the Exhibition 100 Years of Woman's Banners in the City Art Gallery. Then I hitchhiked through the Lake District stopping for the night in Keswick. In the morning on to Stranraer in Scotland which provided the cheapest route to Ireland with the ferry to Laughrne 30 miles north of Belfast. Arriving in […]