From the easily pleased:

• Last year was very good – similar approach updated

To more practical digital skills:

• Practical website building sessions
• Free accessible web/social media tools for campaigns with no money
• Loads of in depth practical sessions on things i don’t know about already and some debate about how we can push forward campaigning online within the trade union movement.

…with a special focus on local groups and campaigns:

• To find out about getting our local party actively campaigning on the web.
• Much more on how local organisations political parties and campaigns use social media rather than just a focus on individuals and national bodies
• Advice and guidance on starting and maintaining effective local advocacy/ activist groups.

Campaigning skills and experience sharing:

• Good cases of campaigns won – small or big
• Campaigning on an international scale
• I’d like to hear how people have translated online campaigns into real action offline by motivated and engaged people.
• A focus on campaigning for transformational change

Using digital to build a larger and more inclusive progressive movement:

• Interested in how trade unions can use technology to reach out to hard-to-organise workers.
• Better connections between this sort of issue activism and the existing democratic structures we already have.
• A pro-feminist outlook throughout the day.
• Do we have an idea how to engage young people successfully? The vicious critique of the KONY2012 campaign showed how little we understand this new generation.
• Want to see how the online progressive community can work together in solidarity. And if it’s possible.
• Broad digital collaborative working and agile innovation!

A discussion of the changing environment for UK progressives:

• I’d love to see some discussion of where progressive media stands in the UK.
• How progressive activism is shifting to adapt to social developments

…and ways take the fight to the government more broadly:

• Ideas about how analyses and actions on the Coalition’s cuts and privatisation strategy can be more widely and deeply shared
• I’d like to develop and discuss ideas of how to organise and conduct activism against austerity.
• How web tools can be used for non-party aligned blocks of people to help unseat the most unprogressive MPs and win seats for more progressive candidates.

And of course:

• Ideas conversations and inspiration
• Inspiration!
• A chance to network and get inspired

We think we can tick a bunch of those already, and will get working on the others! But we want to hear from even more of you. What would make a more useful day for you and your own take on progressive activism?

Add a comment here, or tell us your thoughts when you register online (which you can do here!). And if you’ve an idea for a specific feature or session we could run on the day, send it to us through our submissions form.

Our aim? To help network and inspire activists across the country using the internet through a mixture of debates, strategy sessions and training workshops. It took place in January last year and is coming back for the second year this June.

• Hear from innovative and effective campaigns in other fields.
• Make useful contacts with key people and organisations.
• Get practical training in digital techniques and technologies.
• Take part in the debate on the future of UK activism.

This year we’ll have a special focus on continuing NHS campaigning, activism against the cuts, and mapping the impact of the NHS bill.

Who’s going to be there?

• Sue Marsh (blogger and disability rights activist)
• Owen Jones (journalist and writer)
• Clifford Singer (False Economy website)
• Sunny Hundal (Liberal Conspiracy)
• Rowenna Davis (journalist and Labour councillor)
• Sarah Hartley (Talk About Local)
• Chris Coltrane (comedian and activist)
• Mary Rickles (Netroots Nation, USA)
• and many more to be announced!

Want to be involved?

Come to the event. Tickets are available now at £5 (free for unwaged participants).

• Register online for Netroots UK 2012

Got an idea for a great session? Let us know or volunteer to help run it.

• Submit an idea for a session at Netroots UK 2012

Volunteer to help out at the event. There’s more than enough to do!

• Get in touch now

Sponsor the event. Is there any practical help you can contribute to make it a better day?

• Netroots 2012 sponsors

Publicise the event.

• Please share this information with anyone who you think should be there

Netroots is supported by 38 Degrees, False Economy, Left Foot Forward, Liberal Conspiracy, Netroots Nation, Robin Hood Tax Campaign, the TUC and UNISON, and we’re welcoming more groups on board to help plan it – please get in touch.

With: Tim Gee (Author of Counterpower: Making Change Happen), Casper Ter Kuile (Common Cause project), Becky Wright (Director, TUC Organising Academy)

Lawrence Shaw at Netroots North West: Engaging with local media by NetrootsUK
Read Lawrence’s session write up on his blog

Mike Rawlins at Netroots North West: Hyper local news by NetrootsUK
View Mike’s presentation slides online at his blog

With: Matt Finnegan (Former MEN journalist running a communications social enterprise), Mike Rawlins (Commercial and Technical Manager, Talk About Local, and Partner at pitsnpots.co.uk), Lawrence Shaw (National Officer, National Union of Journalists).

Gregor Poynton at Netroots North West: More effective e-mail by NetrootsUK
(Download Gregor’s slides from this talk – pdf file)

Laurence Durnan at Netroots North West: Better blogging by NetrootsUK

Ellie Mae O'Hagan at Netroots North West - Promoting your work online by NetrootsUK

Katharine Segal at Netroots North West: Campaign actions that work by NetrootsUK

Getting Your Voice Heard Online. Q&A session at Netroots North West by NetrootsUK

With: Laurence Durnan (Editor, Political Scrapbook), Ellie Mae O’Hagan (Journalist and activist), Gregor Poynton (Political Director, Blue State Digital), Katharine Segal (Senior Campaigner, Change.org).

Chair: Nishma Doshi (Grassroots activist). Speakers: Jim Killock (Open Rights Group), Loz Kaye (Pirate Party UK).

• Zelo Street: Netroots reflections
• 21st Century Fix: Some jottings on today’s Netroots North West
• I was becoming quite dead alive; nothing but a wordbag: On Netroots NW & Feeling Like an Activism Tourist
• UNISON Active: #NetrootsNW: Yes to online activism, but beware of clicktivism!
• Michael Rawlins: Netroots
• Collective Invective: Why should we care about local papers?

Got any photos from Netroots North West that you’d like to share? We’ve set up a group on Flickr and would love to see more of what you saw on the day if you’re able to upload and share some with us.

Notes from the Netroots North West session When the Big Society says No!

Strategy session on the potential for organising the community and voluntary sector against cuts and austerity. What works? What obstacles are there, and can they be overcome? What role can digital activists play? Chaired by Nishma Doshi (grassroots campaigner). Speakers: Nick Beddow (Community development professional), Ally Fogg (Journalist and community campaigner), Maxine Moar (National Coalition for Independent Action, NatCAN, Grant Moar Communities).

Ally Fogg:

• Open letter – led to council having a meeting with community.
• Set up Blog, Twitter account, You Tube to co-ordinate HOOT library campaign.
• Voluntary & Community sector as untapped resource.
• Need to work together rather than fighting our own battles.
• Grassroots development not only when fighting, but also when celebrating.

Maxine Moar:

• Social Media has created culture of anonymity rather than developing a society of genuinely connected people.
• It’s not just about fighting, also about talking with each other better.
• Need to socially educate.

Notes in general:

• Young & Old people are disconnected – how can we reconnect them?
• Unions no longer represent the majority of working people.
• ‘Localism’ is a façade for political elite to gain power and undermine community development (divide and conquer?)
• What gets people involved in community action?
• Growth of political apathy – no suitable alternatives.
• People are scared of taking political action, even if already a member of a union.
• Growth of Nationalism & Tradition/Religion to glue people together & keep elites in power (hegemony).
• No proper political education.
• We’re seeing angry protests by some people, but there’s no connection between political types and the wider community.
• Distrust/dislike of politicians.
• Communities can be isolated if we only focus on the online parts of activism.
• Activism led by mothers, starting with one campaign and then beginning activism on a much broader campaign.
• WHAT ARE WE CAMPAIGNING FOR? Lots of protest, but what’s the positive alternative vision?
• Consider example of Greek community of Samos (local economic activity).