People's Network
People's Network
People/organizations
By the mid ’90s, Sue Bradford was firmly committed to a new project. This was “People’s Network”, the culmination of her earlier “Building Our Own Futures” project.
Established in late 1994, the People's Network linked a wide range of individuals and groups from all over the country and published a regular magazine “Common Ground”.
Organisations or campaigns linked to the People's Network included, the Aotearoa Network of Unemployed and Beneficiaries, the Aotearoa Youth Network, Wellington People's Resource Centre, Christchurch Beneficiaries Advisory Service, Waimakiriri Women's Collective, Whangarei’s 155 Community Centre, the Activism in Aotearoa training camps, NZUSA, Radical Society Aotearoa, the Organisation for Marxist Unity, Street Art Aotearoa, Manawatu Popular Theatre Group, Pakeha Treaty Action, Next Step Democracy Movement, the Waihopai Spy Base protests, Wellington Consumer Health Forum, Child Poverty Action Group, the catholic peace group, Pax Christi, Universal Basic Income campaign, East Timor Independence Committee, Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa, elements of the Green Party, Trade Union Federation, Aotearoa Non Governmental Organisations Association, COMMACT, the priests and nuns from the National Network of Sisters and Brothers for Justice, the Motua Gardens campaign, Network Waitangi, Gattwatch, the anti ACT group, CounterACT, Auckland Eco Village Group, Engineers for Social Responsibility, the Maori students group, Te Kawau Maro, Coalition for Public Health, Dunedin Community Coalition, Dunedin Jobs With Justice Campaign, Asia Pacific Workers Solidarity Links, Kotare Education Trust, CHOGM Action Coalition and Auckland People's Centre.
Individuals contributing to “Common Ground” included Azziz Choudry , Don Borrie , Don Ross (leader of the Organisation for Marxist Unity), Paul Maunder, Jim Delahunty, Ben Nathan , Moana Cole, Murray Horton leader of CAFCA), Madeleine Burdon (formerly in the Maoist controlled, Working Womens Alliance) Oliver Hoffman (Green Party), Alistair Shaw, David Fleming, Cybele Locke, Lisa Beech, Steve Collett, Joss Debreceny and Kyle Matthews -all Aotearoa Youth Network, David Small (ex Canterbury University Progressives Club), Tauni Sinclair (planned to visit Cuba in January 1997), Noeleen Landrigan, Kevin McBride, Jim Consedine, Jeff Drane, Josie Lander, Peter Healey (all Catholic activists, priests or nuns), Sue Bradford, Bill Bradford, Robert Reid and Maxine Gay (all former members of the Workers Communist League.)
The People's Network endured until at least 1998. At this time, Sue Bradford rejoined the Green Party after its split from the Alliance. Many of her comrades from the People's Network and Auckland People's Centre went with her.