Netil Radio Newsfilter
013
Editorial
words by Miro, from Slovak English translated by Amris
A volcano lies dormant until the right conditions trigger an eruption. Similarly, social movements gather strength quietly, accumulating the collective will and resources until they can no longer be contained.
Hello and welcome back,
The magic of a good community is that if one is struggling, there is someone to help. So when I couldn’t decide which topic to choose for today’s Newsfilter – while trying to avoid politics with bitter feelings about victory, fascism, its current comeback and war – something nice landed in the Newsfilter’s email. We are all lucky for Netil Radio’s community contribution efforts, this time in the form of a philosophical metaphor of community strength and potential.
Babi’s text related to his next show is a perfect editorial for the first glimpse of hot summer thoughts. You know where the soundtrack is.
Thank you for reading and stay connected
Fostering Community Through the Volcano of Change
words by Babi of Hootenannies
In the landscape of societal and political transformation, the volcano metaphor aptly captures the collective energies and forces required to evoke change. Just as a volcano's immense power is derived from the unity of elements beneath the Earth's surface, social change is also powered by a strong sense of community and togetherness.
A volcano lies dormant until the right conditions trigger an eruption. Similarly, social movements gather strength quietly, accumulating the collective will and resources until they can no longer be contained. McMillan and Chavis (1986) define a sense of community as a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members' needs will be met through their commitment to being together. This shared commitment is the magma chamber of profound, hot, and foundational societal change. In his work on grassroots associations, David Horton Smith emphasises that "volunteerism is the magma of democracy" (Smith, 2000), illustrating how voluntary action is central to the eruption of political and social movements. It is the heat generated by community togetherness that can lead to the seismic shifts needed to address and rectify societal issues.
Once erupted, lava flows redefine landscapes, and so does societal change. The lava, while destructive, is also creative, giving rise to new landforms and possibilities. In the context of social movements, this represents the new norms, policies, and attitudes that emerge from collective action. Saul Alinsky's notion of community organising underscores "Change means movement. Movement means friction. Only in the frictionless vacuum of a non-existent abstract world can movement or change occur without that abrasive friction of conflict" (Alinsky, 1971). The flow of lava is not just a path of destruction but a trailblazing force that carves paths for new growth and regeneration.
Post-eruption, the landscape is forever altered, marking the new challenges and adaptations required for the community. This stage in the metaphor corresponds to the consolidation of gains achieved through social movements. The hardening lava resembles the new societal structures and systems that solidify post-change. According to social theorist Alberto Melucci, the permanence of social change depends significantly on a movement's ability to maintain solidarity and continue engaging at the grassroots level after initial successes (Melucci, 1996).
Just like a volcano, community and political activities powered by a strong sense of togetherness can lead to profound changes in society. The deep-seated unity and shared purpose, the magma, fuel such transformations, eventually spewing forth new structures in the form of reformed policies and improved social norms. The process is inherently turbulent and marked by conflict, but like the land shaped by lava, society, too, can emerge stronger and more fertile for future growth.
Bibliography
McMillan, D. W., & Chavis, D. M. (1986). Sense of community: A definition and theory. Journal of Community Psychology, 14(1), 6-23.
Smith, D. H. (2000). Grassroots Associations are Important: Some Theory and a Review of the Impact Literature. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 29(3), 496-505.
Alinsky, S. (1971). Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals. Random House.
Melucci, A. (1996). Challenging Codes: Collective Action in the Information Age. Cambridge University Press.
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Music Tips
Our residents’ current favourite songs in the form of Bandcamp links. Full circle.
○ Angel Maze ○ Spectrum ○ 1st Tuesday 7-9pm ○
● Aliyah’s Interlude - IT GIRL - SHIRLEY TEMPER’s Jungle Flip ● Miastix - Writer In The Darkroom ● Alex Kassian - Oolong Trance - Love On The Rocks ●
○ Mihnea ○ fragile enclosures ○ 1st Sunday 2-4pm ○
● SHAKEY - Steel Dub - Sameheads ● DJ ZNOBIA - Esfregado - Nyege Nyege Tapes ● Phillip Otterbach ft Gatto Fritto - Gottischlag - Music From Memory ●
○ Oren G ○ Disintegration ○ 1st Monday 7-9pm ○
● Throbbing Gristle - Still Walking - Carl Craig Re-Version ● Termination_800 - Crushing Meat - Max Durante Remix - X-IMG ● Elisa Batti - Lunga Apnea - Semantica Records ●
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Listen Back
● Mission London takeover ● Headless w/ Matthew Muli ● Great Curve ● streamFM w/ life is beautiful records ● Azim Fathi w/ Ramtin Niazi ● IN SEASON w/ Hannah Grace & Gianine Strang ● Clap City Records ● Diasporic Daze w/ RONISA & Works Of Intent ● Nick Stephens w/ Zillas on Acid ● George b2b Guy ● Josh Corbett ● Beta K w/ Point Claire ● Dig Yourself ● All Zipped Up ● fargile enclosures w/ mihnea, dome zero, elijah minnelli & elisa ● Hello Motto ● Unknown Species w/ Dan Nicholls & Owl ● jamón jamón w/ Hanadi ● FIBS w/ Jaye Ward ● Body Swap w/ Karlie Marx & Harietta ● Spectrum w/ Angel Maze ●
That’s all for this week, stay tuned
NR team
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London’s community voice, broadcast live from a converted shipping container atop Netil Market - a project facilitated and supported by Eat Work Art