December 7, 2009
First a big hug of sympathy and empathy. You must be feeling Tim’s loss so intensely. All my sympathies too to his family at this sad, sad time. It can only be a partial comfort that there is so much to celebrate about his life and his character and very being.
I still find it difficult to believe I won’t meet the amazing, wise, funny, imaginative and yet so grounded Tim again, with all his kindness and embracing capacity for friendship, plus his youthful enthusiasm for adventure and new experiments. He was so obviously a 68 er and yet equally obviously a 2009er in the most radical and progressive sense! I remember him at the Networked Politics seminar in Berkely, so easily able to reflect on the implications of the latest developments in web communities and the Open Software movement for global labour movement organising, to move from traditional sites of struggle and politics to the new and emerging possibilities. And all the time he was also so warm, supportive and good fun.
Since getting to know him and you (you somehow go together in my mind and always will) and becoming both hugely fond of you all and hugely impressed by your political creativity and energy, I was feeling that you were new (in the case of you Brendan and Tim – Jeremy I’ve known for years!!) and wonderful friends with whom i would be working with on and off for life – a long time. It’s such a shock that in the case of Tim, this cannot be. Everyone is special but Tim was extraordinary. I’m keen to help celebrate his life, through Tni, Networked Politics, Red Pepper and any other outlet we can think of. Looking forward to your plans on this. Let me know what I can do to help
heartfelt hugs,
Hilary
Hilary Wainwright
Transational Institute. New Politics. www.tni.org
Networked-Politics. www.networked-politics.info
Red Pepper. www.redpepper.org.uk