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Glasgow Cre8 Summit - Reclaiming Community

features | 20.06.2005 11:06 | G8 2005 | Ecology | Globalisation | Social Struggles

Over the weekend of the 11th and 12th of June the Cre8 Summit community initiative started taking back an area of land in Glasgow left derelict by the planners, transforming it into a community garden space. Set up in opposition to the M74 motorway extension (the site lies on the proposed route) and the G8, a week of community gardening and workshops culminated on Saturday 18th June with a celebration event. A follow up Family Festival day is also planned. During the first weekend as permaculture activists were planning the graden with local residents, it was announced that the M74 would be delayed by at least a year. One of the people working on Cre8 Summit said - We are doing this because we believe that many of the problems of the world are caused by a lack of solidarity amongst communities - coming together to create and maintain a space that is of benefit to all strengthens us all - we're also actively demonstrating what we are for, creating another possible world now, instead of just talking about it.

Cre8 Garden Pictures | Audio Interview (mp3) | Film: Cre8 Summit Day 1 (.mov 3mins): Direct Download | Press Coverage
Also see: Jam74.org | Corporate Watch on M74 | Road Block | Road Alert



After a series of public meetings the Cre8 Summit is transforming the area through guerrilla gardening. Last sunday people spent the day deciding how to design the community garden, work on which has now begun in ernest despite some rain, but hey, that's good for the garden!

The area of land is near Govanhill and Gorbles, and lies on the propsed route of the M74 motorway.

Over the last few days there has also been several workshops held at the community space and more continue through til saturday when an event celebrating the work done transforming the land will be held - for info and listing see:
http://www.dissent.org.uk/content/blogsection/20/

Ahead of the project the Cre8 Summit project said:
"So much of Glasgow is cut up by wasted land which could blossom with flowers, food, colour, youth engaging, old folk relaxing, but most importantly, our neighbourhoods building and owning their own landscape. We wish to Cre8 a garden, a park, a community space, and a place all folk can enjoy. We do not work like the planners bogged down with bureaucracy and red tape; we plan to do this for ourselves and to do it not next year, but now."

Many of the permaculture activists and garden volunteers are set to help create the Horizone Eco-Village Campsite, after 50 people completed a week long G8 Earth Activist training course.

Cre8 Summit Information:

Cre8 Summit is a group of people from Glasgow and beyond who see that the problems caused by the G8 are global but the solutions are local. It is a loose collective of builders, gardeners, artists; DJs, soil engineers, musicians, skaters and landscapers who offer to share their skills and learn from the Southside.

Just as dams are shoved on the people of India or roads are shoved on the people of Glasgow, the G8 has been shoved on the people of Scotland from Westminster, Brussels & Washington.

We are doing this because we believe that many of the problems of the world are caused by a lack of solidarity amongst communities and that by coming together to create and maintain a space that is of benefit to all strengthens us all. Cre8 Summit believes in globally supporting local struggle.

Email - cre8summit (at) riseup.net
Phone - 07981 954132

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