Where I’ll be on May Day
(When not out voting that is…)
The Union Island project (to build a home for international unionists in Second Life - or Second LifeTM to its friends) launches formally on 1 May, with a big Virtual May Day shebang. Events on the day are going to range from plain-and-simple parties to focused help sessions for reps and organisers.
I’m getting quite excited about it. The project has been in beta since late Feb, and finding its feet ready to come out to the world. It’s all about putting people in touch to spark ideas and make international links, and we’ve seen little glimpses of what’s possible so far, when we can put people in front of other people. Like the US and UK organisers who discovered they were both facing the same unionbusting firm and could swap tips, like the college politics class from the States, who dropped by for a virtual lecture venue, or like the works council activists at a multi-national, who were able to meet up across countries to discuss joint issues. It’s going to be small scale and personal, but I think as more and more people join the network, we’ll see more and more of these little moments where things just click, and we realise how much we all have in common.
I’m finding it quite addictive, nerd that I am, and spent last night type-talking with an Aussie media union organiser and UK and Italian activists - am learning a lot. Though I think that’s probably going to get me ostracised by polite Second Life society, for preferring virtual union meetings to shopping for bling or yiffing with furries 
Tags: May Day, Second Life, Union Island, Virtual May Day, yiffing with furries
