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Kate Swift RIP

RAG were sorry to hear of the recent death of Kate Swift, American feminist and activist. We were fortunate to interview this impressive woman in The Rag #3. We hope to post up the content of that interview very soon. Until then here is a link to two related articles:

Kate Swift - Tribute from The Womens Media Center

Kate Swift - New York Times article

Rossport anarcha feminist skillshare weekend

Six RAG members attended the anarcha feminist skillshare weekend in Rossport, Co. Mayo, at the Shell to Sea camp this weekend. It was a great weekend full of a fun mix of practical and useful workshops including: rocket stove making, welding, consent, a trans workshop and abusive relationships workshop, to name but a few. One of our members gave a really relaxing workshop on massage- which included massages! The workshops generated insightful and interesting conversations. We even got to get our distro out!

RAG also held a workshop: "Why anarcho feminism?"

Here are some notes taken from the workshop:

We started with a time line of the last couple of hundred years, as a group we tried to fill in, chronologically, the gains women have made historically, including stuff like women's freedom to cycle right up to the morning after pill being made available over the counter in Ireland (for a hefty price!). The most interesting outcome was learning how little we all, including the RAG, knew about our history!! Dates are clearly not our strong point :)

We talked briefly about how there is no one type of feminism or feminist and also how you don't have to identify as a woman to be a feminist.

We divided into four smaller groups, with each group taking one of these four topics for discussion: The body, family, work and society.

Each group discussed what we need to achieve in each of these areas and fed back to the wider group.
Some of the topics discussed were: The failings of the medical system from a woman's perspective and an ungendered perspective, pregnancy treated as a health issue, the classification of 'work', the gendering of work roles in anarchist communities, nuclear families, consent, home birth as a legal issue, bodily ownership, equality not sameness... and the list goes on!

The workshop was wrapped up by highlighting that these are all feminist issues but also intrinsically linked to anarchist politics. As RAG, we believe that true equality can never be achieved through the capitalist system which can only survive through oppression and exploitation. The workshop proved as a reminder of all the failings of this system from a feminist's point of view and increased the feeling of urgency to remove it-
smash the state! :)

While you can't turn back the hands of time, you can now take a step back in history and read the very first issue of The Rag! Yes, you can see how it all began with our premier issue, Rag #1.

Free!

Click here to download The Rag, Issue One

RAG has been meaning to put this issue up on our blog for many months, so we are very pleased to be able to share this out-of-print magazine. And let us know what you think!

Hey RAG fans and peops,

In established RAG tradition, things are slow in the aftermath of producing and launching RAG issue 5. Although we are super excited about our new magazine and all it contains, I think the RAG Mammies needed a long rest.

But don't despair! We have been receiving anxious emails from those of you seeking to acquire your own copy of Rag 5 and we are doing our very best to be efficient on the distribution end of things.

So hold tight! We have high hopes that this issue will travel far and wide and quick, to lots of interesting and cool bookshops and distros so that you can have your fill of Dublin based anarcho-feminist voices, writings, art and general brilliant carry-on.

In the meantime, you can definitely order a copy from the RAG etsy account:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/RAGDublin

You can also pick it up from the following bookshops:

Dublin, Ireland:

Bookworms on Abbey Street

The Winding Stair at the Ha'penny Bridge

Connolly Books on East Essex Street

Books Upstairs on College Green

Greater Rep. Ireland:

Cork: Solidarity Books, 43 Douglas Street, (opposite Fionbarras pub)

UK:

Cowley Club, Brighton

http://www.cowleyclub.org.uk/

STIMULANTS independent bookshop, Norfolk

http://www.radicalbooks.co.uk/product/rag-no-5

If you work in a bookshop, run a distro or want to make contact to order a RAG or just say hello, write to us ragdublin@riseup.net

RAG present the Queer Anarchafeminist Cabaret!

Rag celebrates the launch of our 5th annual magazine with a Queer Anarchafeminist Cabaret. Food, feminists reading magazines, dancing, music fun fun fun fun.

20th NOVEMBER
Seomra Sproai
6pm for food
9pm for performances with popcorn and cake
Kids welcome
Fancy dress encouraged!
Dancing til late
8euro donation including a copy of the magazine
B.Y.O.B

Confirmed appearances from:

Mistress of ceremonies: JELL O'FISH! (Rag member)
Deirdre and Jonah (performance/ song singing)
Oscillate Wildely (queer boylesque)
Apollonia Tribal Bellydance
Coin Operated Girls (the wonderful D4 Von Teese and Lisa Connell, queer burlesquer)
The Lovecats' Azaria Starfire (Burlesque/ Comedy)
Leanne Harte (Gonna play us a few songs)
Blackbird (Rag's own burlesquer)
The Beast Woman (Emma) and the Crash Test Cabaret troupe (comedy and burlesque)
Julian Mandrews (The Gay (And rather dapper!) Drag King)
Jennifer Evans (Amazing, lady guitarist and singer!)
Maggie Hildrick (Another awesome guitar totting singer)

GONNA BE THE BEST RAG LAUNCH YET!
Food, drink, performances, laughing, dancing, music, magazines and anarchy!

Illustration taken from the latest Rag, number 5, Image by Emma Wilson, poster put together with Emily's new found inDesign skills...

September 2010 - Feminist Open Forum discussion

As usual, September is a very busy month for us, we are finishing off articles and thinking about getting The Rag no.5 to the printers!

We've been invited to this event and hope to attend.

FEMINIST OPEN FORUM:

Feminist Futures Thurs 23rd Sep 6pm

FEMINIST FUTURES

Roundtable Conversation on Alternative Futures

In these tough times, how and what are feminists thinking about the future?

What do feminists think the future could and should look like?

Do we have challenging alternative views of the future?

What needs to change and how can we do it?

How can we strengthen our creative, political and practical skills?

How can we build unity and work in solidarity?

These are just some of the questions we’ll be talking about on the evening!

Please come along and join in the:

FEMINIST FUTURES CONVERSATION

Thursday 23rd September at 6pm

Central Hotel, Exchequer St, Dublin

We're thinking ahead to the big CLAIMING OUR FUTURE assembly happening in the RDS, Dublin on Saturday 30th October, and are very keen to ensure strong feminist participation in it. So we thought one of the ways we could prepare for it would be to have a stimulating, provocative, exciting and altogether timely public conversation about how feminists are diversely thinking about (and working for) the future. More info about the assembly on Facebook and on www.claimingourfuture.ie