"We don't forget, we don't forgive" - day of international action against state murders, 20.12.2008

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Today (Friday), the assembly of the occupied Athens Polytechnic decided to make a callout for European and global-wide actions of resistance in the memory of all assassinated youth, migrants and all those who were struggling against the lackeys of the state. Carlo Juliani; the French suburb youths; Alexandros Grigoropoulos and the countless others, all around the world. Our lives do not belong to the states and their assassins! The memory of the assassinated brothers and sisters, friends and comrades stays alive through our struggles!

We do not forget our brothers and sisters, we do not forgive their murderers. Please translate and spread around this message for a common day of coordinated actions of resistance in as many places around the world as possible.

http://balkans.puscii.nl/?q=content/we-dont-forget-we-dont-forgive-day-international-action-against-state-murders-20122008

help with translations need it

They are several important debates and documents of the PGA process. Unfortunately the 80% of them are not translated into german. If some activists are interest to help with translations please contact at sunexpess at riseup.net

Global PGA: South-South exchange: India, Bolivia and Ecuador

good news:

A small start has been made to revive and deepen the global process of exchange in PGA.
A member of the Karnataka farmers Association (KRRS) is now here in Geneva, on his way to spend three months in Bolivia and Ecuador, learning spanish and visiting social movements.

This is a first concretisation of a decision made at the last international meeting of PGA in Haridwar, where there was a consensus that it would be important to develop longer more in depth exchanges. These can go beyond short conferences and high speed "caravans" or tours, gathering more concrete and detailed information and visions that could stimulate discussion in all the network.

Joined demonstration between Bulgarian, Greek and Turkish anarchists in Alexandropolis, 24.08.3008

On 24.08.2008, in the greek city of Alexandropolis, there has been a demonstration against the planned oil pipe-line Burgas-Alexandropolis and the gold-mine construction project. The main organizers were the autonomous groups “AnarchistResistance” (Sofia), Utopia A.D. (Komotini), as well as some activists from Turkish collectives.

The demonstration was organized here, despite the fact that none of the collectives is from the city, for the following reasons.
Firstly, the oil pipe-line will end precisely in this city, therefore it will be the one that would be affected mostly, from the negative effects of the project. Secondly, the anarchist movement in Alexandropolis is very weak in the city, and with one demonstration we can support it. Lastly, the the meeting of the global activist network – PGA(Peoples' Global Action) had just ended in the same city, so we decided that some of the remaining foreign activists will be able to attend the demo.

Now we would have to pinpoint what links the already mentioned collectives, and why they are the organizers of the demo. It is true that some of us are directly affected from the pipe-line and gold-mine projects, such as Utopia A.D. (Komotini is in the vicinity of Alexandropolis), but more importantly it is the closesness of the political and practical understandings among the collectives. We think, that all social struggles are interlinked, in one way or another, and it is of immense importance that we help with each other, even if we are not directly affected. Let's stop repeating words like “solidarity” and “internationalism”, as if they were some kind of a mantra/spell, and to put them into practice instead. We have to acknowledge the fact that we have good mutual relation and that with we trust each other. We met the people from Komotini in person this week, but our communication with them pre-dates this meeting, thanks to the PGA mailing lists. We have known some of our turkish comrades in person for quite some time now, much before this meeting now. Nearly an year ago, they helped us make a turkish-language section in our web-site.

The preparation for the demo started several days in advance. We collectively put down some money for printing of the propaganda. We started with the details. One day before the demo a group of six people was formed – two from Bulgaria, two from turkey, a boy from France, and a woman from Greece. They stuck posters informing about the coming event, all over the main street, and handed our small leaflets. Under the poster text, the names of the collectives organizing the event were put down. We had put several hundreds posters and we handed out more leaflets.

The demo started 7 p.m. We never asked anyone for a permission. We were around 50 people. Apart from the already mentioned 3 countries, there were people from Germany, France, Lithuania and so on. We carried flags, as well as a banner saying - “Oil, State, Death” in Bulgarian, Turkish, and Greek. Apart from that we handed a newly made leaflet, explaining the problems in detail. We stayed near the light-house for about an hour. During this time lots of TV camera-men came to film. The Greek comrades told them directly that they can film only the banner and that if they see that their faces had been filmed on tv, the next day they will be infront of the TV station and the people that were filming will be in some trouble. Soon we realized that a police van had parked down a block nearby, 6 policemen in uniforms were outside, possibly inside there were more. They never intervened during the evening, only some civil cops that were hanging around were recognized. After this around 100 military passed by us, training for an army parade. We met them with raised flags and laughter. Around 8pm we decided to start the actual demo on the main pedestrian street. It went on for an hour. We chanted many slogans, mainly in greek and english: “Build more hospitals, because cancer comes from the mines”, “Our passion for freedom is stronger than your prisons”, “No Oil, No Gold – our lives cannot be sold”. The most important english language slogan was - “No pipeline, no gold-mine, its a crime, don't be blind”. The people from Greece said there were many turkish and bulgarian speaking people in town, as well as a lot of russion tourists, who understand the bulgarian words. This was confirmed when an aged couple (woman and a man) stoped us and started speaking Bulgarian. We explained them shortly, what the problem is.

For us from “Anarchist Resistance, this demo is effective in every respect – accumulated international experience is always useful. Officially we never took responsibility for the international event – the No Border between Greece and Bulgaria in 2005. On the Greek side it was possible to see some disappointment. The demo was small for the greek standards, but historically it is the largest anarchist event in in Alexandropolis. But this is not improtant and it is not this that disappointed the people from Greece. 50 or 500 does not matter, as much as a few Greek anarchists were from Alexandropolis itself. Apparently until the people from the city do not solve their internal problems, for which we found out in the final days, it will not be easy to strengthen the movement. Nevertheless there is optimism – the town people around were really interested in the problems arising from the development projects. For example when were were at the light-house many cars pulled over to ask us for a leaflet. Many young people and kids saw living anarchists for first time, and who knows, they might get interested in our ways of direct action.

We are certain that this will not be our final joined action with our friends from Turkey and Greece, and we are already considering new ideas. Our struggle is common and we are firmly decided to stick with it.
Solidarity!

new translation wiki of the PGA Europe

A new wiki created the last days , following the decisions of the PGA gathering in Alexandroupolis. The wiki would be a useful tool to coordinate the various translations of the PGA documents . If you want to have a look please visit http://maxi.tx.hu/pga

PGA inspired newsletter 5th issue out now

the 5th issue of a newsletter inspired by Peoples Global Action network is out now .. This issue covered by activists from collective ego .. a special thanks for the great job. You can download the newsletter here http://aresistance.net/data/pgaNewsletterForPrint.pdf

PGA meeting Hamburg 18th of August 2008

call for workshops and discussion on precarity PGA conference Greece 2008

Prewhat?
========

"Precarious literally means unsure, uncertain, difficult,
delicate. As a political term it refers to living and working
conditions without any guarantees: for example the precarious
residential status of migrants and refugees, or the precariousness
of everyday life for single mothers. [...] Precariat, an allusion to
proletariat, meanwhile is used as a combative self-description in
order to emphasise the subjective and utopian moments of
precarisation." -- Frassanito Network. "Precarious, Precarisation,
Precariat?" In: Seymour, Benedict (ed.). Mute Volume II. #0:
Precarious Reader. London: Mute Publishing Ltd, 2005.

Topics
======

Our intention is to drop in questions, and generate a debate, rather
than a clear opinion about what is precarity and why are we using this
expression. We are not affiliated with the Euromayday network either.

- Why is Precarity?

Developing and discussing precarity as an analysis of contemporary
capitalism and the role of work through a cross-cutting issue.
Historically, precarity has been the rule rather than the
exception. It doesn't grasp all factors involved, but perhaps it
can be used as a strategic focus term for political work in the
present situation. However, for that we have to be aware of what
it means for different people in different places in geopolitical
space and on the social hierarchy. How can the multiplicity of
realities and the unity of political thrust converge?

- State of the Euromayday

What is the Euromayday network and where is it going? Focusing on
outreach to peripherial groups and strenghtening activity between
Euromayday parades. Possibilities for action, collaboration and
cooperation.

- Talking about Flexicurity

How to move beyond reformism? Precarity movement is simply
reformist if it just has 'demands' for the European Union or the
national governments! What is the vision and practice of
flexicurity? Precarity movement is simply conservative and
backward looking if it seeks a return to the wellfare state!
But what is the alternative vision and the best practices that
guide us towards a good life?

Background
==========

- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precarity
- Euromayday.org
- Mute Magazine Precarious Reader issue
- Republicart Precariat issue
- Chainworders.org
- Franco "Bifo" Berardi: Art and Immaterial Labour at the Radical
Philosophy Conference London
- Hochschild, Arlie Russell. The Managed Heart: Commercialization of
Human Feeling. London: University of California Press, 1983.
- Precarious Bourdieu, Pierre. Job insecurity is everywhere now. In: Firing
back: against the tyranny of the market 2. London & New York:
Verso, 2003.
- Boltanski, Luc & Chiapello, Eve. The new spirit of
capitalism. London & New York: Verso Books, 2005.
- Gorz, André. Les Métamorphoses du travail. Paris:
Gallimard-Jeunesse, 1999.

maxigas@anargeek.net, Militant Research Group Budapest

new book that addresses PGA

One of the chapters deals with structure and process in the European PGA network based on my work with the Movement for Global Resistance (MRG) in Barcelona in 2001-2002. I hope this might be relevant to current debates.

Here's a description:

Networking Futures provides an ethnographic account of the cultural practice and politics of transnational networking among anti-corporate globalization activists based in Barcelona with a particular focus on the links between digital technologies, new forms of organization, and emerging political imaginaries. It also explores network organizing, performative protest, and violence during mass direct actions.

For more information or to order the book, see below and/or go to:

www.networkingfutures.com

The book can also be ordered from www.dukeupress.edu or www.amazon.com.

Blurb from the Publisher:

Since the first worldwide protests inspired by Peoples’ Global Action (PGA)— including the mobilization against the November 1999 World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle—anti–corporate globalization activists have staged direct action protests against multilateral institutions in cities such as Prague, Barcelona, Genoa, and Cancun. Barcelona is a critical node, as Catalan activists have played key roles in the more radical PGA network and the broader World Social Forum process.

In 2001 and 2002, the anthropologist Jeffrey S. Juris participated in the
Barcelona-based Movement for Global Resistance, one of the most influential anti–corporate globalization networks in Europe. Juris took part in hundreds of meetings, gatherings, protests, and online discussions. Those experiences form the basis of Networking Futures, an innovative ethnography of transnational activist networking within the movements against corporate globalization. In an account full of activist voices and on-the-ground detail, he explains how activists are not only responding to growing poverty, inequality, and environmental devastation but also building social laboratories for the production of alternative values, discourses, and practices.

Praise for the Book:

“Networking Futures is one of the very first books to map in detail the multiple networks that are challenging corporate globalization. Taking as a point of departure an exemplary case—the Catalan anti–globalization movements of the past decade—Jeffrey S. Juris moves on to chronicle the collective struggles to construct not only an alternative vision of possible worlds but the means to bring them about.

Networking Futures is a compelling portrait of the spirit of innovation that lies behind an array of progressive mobilizations, from anarchist movements and street protests to the World Social Forum. Based on a well-developed notion of collaborative ethnography, it is also a wonderful example of engaged scholarship: a much-needed alternative to academic work as usual.”

-Arturo Escobar, author of Territories of Difference: Place, Movements, Life, Redes

“Jeffrey S. Juris gives us an illuminating model for how to study networks from below using the tools of ethnography. And in the process he reveals the extraordinary power (as well as the challenges) of network organizing for social movements today.”

-Michael Hardt, co-author of Empire and Multitude

“Networking Futures is a terrific, deeply informed ethnographic account of the origins and activities of the anti–corporate globalization movement. Jeffrey S. Juris’s identity is as much that of an activist who happens to be doing first-rate anthropology as vice versa, and there is much for anthropologists to reflect on in the way that this work is set up and narrated through these dual identities.”

-George E. Marcus, co-author of Designs for an Anthropology of the Contemporary

About the Author:

Jeffrey S. Juris is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Arizona State University. He is a co-author of Global Democracy and the World Social Forums and has published numerous articles in both scholarly journals and activist research forums. He also serves on the Editorial Board of Resistance Studies Magazine and has taken part in numerous direct action-oriented groups and networks, including the Movement for Global Resistance in
Barcelona. His new fieldwork explores the relationship between grassroots media activism and autonomy in Mexico City.

This is a call out against the oil pipelines and nuclear reactor projects in the Balkans

Our moto as a group is "less talk, more action" so we'll keep it short.

Because of the whole energy crisis ,the Balkans have been assigned the role of toxic and nuclear wastedump in order to provide cheap fuel and energy to europe and the U.S. .Two massive oil pipelines are already in progress, the russian-greek interest Burgas Alexandroupolis pipeline passing oil to the Aegean sea through Bulgaria and Greece and the US interest AMBO pipeline passing oil to the Adriatic sea through Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania.
Plus, several plans for nuclear reactors have surfaced in Turkey, Bulgaria ,Greece (in our hometown, Komotini) and many others. If you add several plans for cyanide using goldmines
and coal using powerplants in the same territory, the whole situation reeks the pungent stench of a much dreaded (by us) and much celebrated (by capitalist scum) Balkan Free Trade Zone, Tijuana style.

Why we are against it is pretty obvious. Any way you look at it ,the whole picture is an abomination. Say hello to a new era of repression, feudalism and most importantly ecological destruction of a massive scale in the Balkans, the Aegean and the Adriatic.

Join us in the PGA conference in Alexandroupolis in August for a workshop that hopefully will lead to less talking and more acting if we stand a chance to defend ourselves, our homes and mother Earth.

No class, just war

Utopia A.D.

A call-out for anti-repression workshops at the PGA conference in Greece

hi here is a call out for antirepresion workshops at the PGA conference
.. Please is anybody in kommotini can translate it into greek would be
great i think is a topic related to issues that Greek activists involve
for years now

A call-out for anti-repression workshops at the PGA and international
reports of attacks to political spaces, erosion of political freedoms,
and repression over the past decades

We suppose there is no need to explain why and how important
anti-repression activities and mutual support are, especially now. In
the last two decades the situation in the world has changed
drastically. Neoliberal reforms, privatization, precarisation,
gentrification. New labour, housing and other codes. To shut up the
discontents and dissidents new anti-terrorist and anti-extremist laws
were enacted. At the same time systems of control and surveillance
were developed.

For the 5th European PGA conference, we propose a series of workshops
on anti-repression to elaborate strategies to fight mounting state
terror and to strengthen our solidarity. To gain practical benefits
from these workshops we would like to prepare a good basis, then we can
concentrate directly on more practical issues. We ask people to write
an overview of the attacks to political spaces, erosion of political
freedoms, and repression, that have happened in their countries over
the past decades and send them in before the PGA conference or to
bring them
with you. Please, send your overviews, ideas, analyses to
antirep@riseup.net. To give you a starting point we prepared a list of
questions. You can base your overview on this list, you can give
answers to the questions, or you can just ignore it :) Whichever you
prefer.

Even if you do not plan to go to the 5th European PGA conference and
you have something to say, please feel free to contribute to the
project. It might also be a good idea to inform us that you are going
to write something on your country since there might be other people
writing
something as well, with whom you can coordinate and cooperate. For
coordination and preparation of the workshops you can also subscribe
to the mailing list legalguides@squat.net. We also have an idea of
publishing the collected information (maybe as wiki-page, maybe
somehow else).

Some of us have experience from anti-repression workshops at the
Leiden PGA conference 2002 and the Belgrade PGA conference 2004, some
from the Dijon PGA conference 2006, where the International Legal
Guide project http://legal.squat.net/ was started, where we made the
first
attempt to develop some kind of international overview of the attacks
and erosion of our political space over the past decade.

We would like to make such workshops more effective. Thus, we would
like to avoid repeatable and endless presentations from different
countries and cities, instead we would like to print such
presentations as a readout so that people could familiarize themselves
with the information prior to the workshop. We would also try to
summarize different experiences and make a short overall presentation
in the beginning – however the main focus would be in evaluation of
the already existing projects and discussion about new ones. This does
not mean that people not involved in such a work are not welcome –
quite the contrary, however we do not have the luxury of spending a
rare occasion of international workshops for talking about issues
which everyone may read about from internet anytime.

We are therefore looking for analyses of legal changes and strategies
of repression of grassroots activism in your city or country over the
past five or ten years. Generally speaking, we would like to know how
has repression and social control increased in your country over the
past five to ten years? In which ways does your government try to
suppress the discontents (e.g. harsher accusations, easier
convictions, higher sentences, more state violence at demonstrations
and public spaces to intimidate, high claims for damage, use of
surveillance)?

List of questions:
What new laws have been introduced? e.g. Anti-terrorist legislation,
Civil Laws (housing, labour etc.), Public Order legislation/freedom of
assembly (such as the Criminal Justice Act in the UK, or the Codigo
Penal in Spain, Identification Duty in the Netherlands), etc.

How could these laws be passed and accepted? How has society reacted?

How have those laws been applied? Has the boundaries of these laws
been extended or functions changed (‘function creep’)? Differences
between theory and practice (legislation and repression practices)

Changes in the judicial system (e.g. Precedent Law in France,
restrictions for appealing in the Netherlands).

Suppression of different political rights and freedoms (in legislation
and in practice): restrictions of freedom of speech and assembly, to
express your opinion and demonstrate (easier to be
arrested and convicted nowadays; denormalization of government critics).

How has the practice of social control changed?
Use of preventive measures ~ ‘possibility of offence is
punishable’ (e.g. preventive arrests, ASBO in the UK, etc.)

How are they using surveillance? (e.g. Patriot Act in US, CCTV,
Phone tapping, ID cards and controls, travel cards, etc.)

Who are the main targets of this repression? (e.g. migrants,
activists, minors, subcultures participants)

Use of anti-terrorist / anti-extremist legislation to repress protest
(e.g. 129a in Germany), and other legislations (e.g. lock up anonymous
activists in deportation prisons in the Netherlands)

Changes in jail/prison/detention centres system (privatization
processes, etc.)

What impact has this had on grassroots political activity and on
society in general?

Descriptions (links at internet and other publications) of the most
outrageous cases of repressions

Strategies of counteracting repressions

Groups, collectives, and so on dealing with repressions in your country/city

Is there anything else you think is important to know about the
situation in your city/country?

Anarchist Infocafe Berlin

The Anarchist Infocafe will deal this time with the idea and history of PGA, there will be also information about this year's PGA Conference in Alexandroupoli/Greece New Yorck / Bethanien Mariannenplatz 2a Berlin / Germany 14.7.2008 8 p.m. with vegan kitchen

the leaflet of the Balkan Decentralized Network has been updated

Hi again!

The Balkan Decentralized Network is growing in the region. The last month two more collectives joined the network. That was the reason to update the Balkan leaflet one more time. The new update you can find it on the website of AnarchoResisnace collective by following the links below

file for reading: http://aresistance.net/data/bdn_the_leaflet_2_1_read.pdf

file for printing http://aresistance.net/data/bdn_the_leaflet_2_1_print.pdf

PGA GATHERING 08

5th Peoples' Global Action Gathering in Europe – North Greece / Thrace 18th / 25th of August

5th Peoples' Global Action Gathering in Europe – North Greece / Thrace 18th / 25th of August

PGA - People's Global Action - started in 1998, it has been a tool and a diffuse structure coordinating groups and people sharing common struggles and practices, in accordance with various anticapitalist and anti-authoritarian principles (see the hallmarks). PGA initiated the Intercontinental caravan in 1999, as well as international action days of actions against the G8, the WTO, the World Bank, the IMF... In Seattle, Genoa, Prague, and in a number of less popular events, PGA was a driving force behind numerous actions and reflections. At the convergence of
international initiatives and local struggles, groups close to the PGA are now looking for new drives to challenge stagnation.

In Europe, groups who identify with the PGA principles meet about once every two years, through the initiative of a "convenor" collective. Since 1998, these conferences have been the opportunity for several days of exchanging practices and knowledge, and of establishing bonds, which allow us to be better organized in common actions.

The 5th gathering of Peoples Global Action in Europe this time will take place in Greece.

A responsibility of organizing and coordinating the discussion that opened in the last meetings of PGA europe has taken by a decentralized network of activists and collectives in Balkans. Thats exactly and the essential advantage of this initiative. The convenor is not a local collective like other conferences in the past but a vital balkan decentralized network.
On the preparation all of these months several questions , problems as well as ideas for taking action are allready mentioned by all of us who involve with a conference here!!! Again in the Balkan region!

We would like to open a long discussion about local activism in combination with a global perspective. In other words we want to discuss about the future of the PGA network and its process as well as the various projects , topics and ideas for action.

As a reference example : the following topics that we are allready working or we want to invite people to open meeting spaces during the PGA conference.

Autonomous spaces and squating , patriarchy , gender , radical feminism , anti repression , anti militarism , biotechnology , environmental struggles , indigenous spaces , antiglobalization , G8 , DIY activities and sharing skills , fanzines , infoshops , PGA infopoints , land and autonomy , eco communities , digital struggles and autonomous servers , indymedia tools , precarity and flexibility , radical theory , productive networking , local alternatives , activism , other , be continued

if you wanna take part on the meeting we need the following information from you !! please send us as soon as possible at con2008@no-log.org .. have it in mind that our dynamic is not the best one and we need a lot of international support and definitely to know how many people are planning to join the meeting .. you need also sleeping bags and probably a tent ..

info that we need from you

name of your collective (if you belong in a collective)

number of people

workshop or topic who you want to organise (name of your workshop , what do you need for it , for ex do you need a projector?)

if you wanna participate In the kitchen (we definitely need it as well)

THE LOCATION OF THE GATHERING

after long discussions we felt that the best place in Thrace for the PGA gathering to take place is the Pedagogical Department of the Alexandroupoli University in the suburb of Hili.

The reasons are the following:

1. Alexandroupolis is near the border and accessible by road and railroad and has a harbor and an airport that connects to athens, so it's the easiest to reach for most people.

2. The University buildings there are relatively new , have easily accessible bathrooms, and are relatively cool (at least for Greek standards).

3. The suburb of Hili is 5-10 minutes by bus to the center of Alexandroupoli ,but far enough to ensure privacy.

4. Alexandroupoli is the destination of at least two pipelines (one for oil, one for gas) and therefore we felt important to have the PGA right at ground zero of one of the major issues we want to discuss. It is also near Venna refugee concentration camp which opens the possibility of No Border actions.

YOU MUST TAKE CARE ABOUT THE FOLLOWING

Of course not everything is peachy: The university dean is a right wing asshole with a grudge against anything remotely libertarian or anarchist. As long as we don't commit a felony in campus grounds he can't kick us out legally but he might show up with bouncers to try to provoke a fight and generaly mess things up. Please keep your heads cool, as much as i'd like it, any violent response to the asshole is gonna give him the excuse to involve police and mess the whole thing. And since we mantioned police, police in alexandroupoli are a bunch of fucking bullies and might stop and harass people they don't like the look of, so please keep your ID's or Passports with you when leaving campus and please, please ,please DONT CARRY ANY ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES. Because of the harbor and the alternative/hippy/raver tourist wave to Samothraki the police are always on the prowl for anything they can get their hands on, drug sniffing dogs Are plenty etc etc.

This is the situation folks , please ask anything because WE don't know what else to mention. Oh, there are no showers but we can easily rig a couple of outdoors showers so no problem.

PGA Hallmarks

1. A very clear rejection of capitalism, imperialism and feudalism; all trade agreements, institutions and governments that promote destructive globalisation.

2. We reject all forms and systems of domination and discrimination including, but not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious fundamentalism of all creeds. We embrace the full dignity of all human beings.

3. A confrontational attitude, since we do not think that lobbying can have a major impact in such biased and undemocratic organisations, in which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker.

4. A call to direct action and civil disobedience, support for social movements' struggles, advocating forms of resistance which maximize respect for life and oppressed peoples' rights, as well as the construction of local alternatives to global capitalism.

5. An organisational philosophy based on decentralisation and autonomy. PGA is a tool for coordination, not an organization. PGA has no members and does not have and will not have a juridical personnality. Nor organisation or person represents PGA

in solidarity

international working group of the 5th PGA conference

Leaflet of the Balkans Decentralized Network 2.0

The second version of the Balkans Decentralized Network leaflet is available for reading here http://aresistance.net/data/bdn_the_leaflet_2_read.pdf and for printing here http://aresistance.net/data/bdn_the_leaflet_2_print.pdf

if you make some copies please let us know at balkan-infoshop@lists.riseup.net

1st Main meeting of Balkan Decentralized Network 21st to 23rd of August during the 5th PGA conference in Greece

This network is a result of a long process and discussion about digital tools and physical meetings which we, grassroots, autonomous, anti-authoritarian collectives from Balkans and beyond need in order to make our struggles more visible and powerful.
We are activists from Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Greece, Serbia, Slovenia who are involved in local struggles but always with a global aspect.
The idea of this network came out from the last PGA inspired infotour, September 2007, when two activists traveled together in seven countries in Balkans and eastern-Europe.
We desire more collectives and people to join this project and make it a useful coordination tool - also with the critics of it - for future common actions, information exchange, call-outs for several issues.

The political goals of this initiative are based on the 5 hallmarks of Peoples Global Action network and it is a clearly inspired project by this network.

We don't accept any kind of formal hierarchy and we struggle against the informal one. We support the clear dignity of human beings as well as the animal liberation.

We call every grassroots movement, anti-authoritarian collective, autonomous space who feel related to this process to join this network as well as to join the further discussion for common activities in balkans and the support and solidarity of the anti-capitalist struggle everywhere!

We call everyone to get involved with a decentralized autonomous network without any representatives or relations with institutional organizations!

--------------- CALL FOR A Balkans Decentralized Network Meeting -------



This is a call to every anarchist, antiauthoritarian, autonomous collective, to every grassroot movement from Balkans and eastern Europe in order to participate in the meetings for further development of the communication of the Balkans Decentralized Network (BDN), creating working groups, digital tools, infopoints, discuss about issues like antifasism, antimilitarism, infoshops and socials centers, no border camps and also join the https://balkans.puscii.nl.

The Balkans Decentralized Network is a vital regional network politically based on the 5 principles of Peoples’ Global Action and definitely is a part of its process in Europe and beyond. We think that the critical mass of Peoples’ Global Action in Europe at the moment is located in Balkans and Eastern Europe. This is happening because of a neccesity for solidarity networks as well as further work and cooparation between different collectives and individuals, which is mentioned by a large dynamic of activists.

Also this is happening because after the collapse of the totalitarian systems in the early begining on 90s new wars and poverty started on the Balkans and eastern Europe, as well as the new colonization from the western countries.

BND and collectives who involve with it have organized 2 infotours and two international meetings in Thessaloniki october 2007 and Maribor March 2008.

As a proposal at the moment we call for 3 days of discussion: 21st, 22nd and 23rd of August during the PGA conference for all of the various topics

21st of August:

small introduction of BND and intro of the collectives and the program for the next fays (open to everybody to add issues) and workshops

22nd of August:

A)part Political situation in Balkans and Eastern Europe a discussion about Militarism and No border movement.

B) discuss a possibility for a no-border antimilitarist camp in Balkans in 2009 as well as a 2nd big meeting of BND as well as the possibility for antimilitarist decentralized Days of action IN balkan area during the NATO conference in Germany next year .

23rd of August:

A) working groups of the BND (newsletter group , digital tools, translations , political narrative

B) evaluation and final decission for the next steps

We are everywhere

Peoples Global Action Maribor meeting

5th Peoples' Global Action Gathering in Europe – Athens 20th / 27th of August

PGA inspired newsletter #4

Hello everybody! This is the 4th issue of the PGA inspired newsletter!



You can download the file for reading from here:



http://aresistance.net/data/pga4_read.pdf and the file for printing from here: http://aresistance.net/data/pga4_print.pdf

At the PGA-conference in Dijon a need for a non-digital communication-tool was mentioned. There was an idea to refresh a printed newsletter. We would like to continue the project with this call. Our aim is to continue using this newsletter as forum of debates, different project, actions and struggles of collectives, related to PGA. The newsletter does not speak in the name of the network, but is inspired by PGA.

Therefore it will continue to be an autonomous project with subjective views, but can only work through the participation of various collectives and single persons in the network. This project should be an open process and switching workgroups take the responsibility for each issue.

The group, working on the next issue, announces their idea for next issue and sets a deadline for articles (both on the pga-process list). After layouting and publishing it’s also helpful, if the workgroup cares for skill-sharing with the next group (which means to introduce in the tools, used for the newsletter). The final printing and distribution is like the creation of article in the responsibility of all the collectives and single persons in the network. To make the next newsletter a better instrument of information and perhaps more open to global struggles, please send articles

5th Peoples' Global Action Gathering in Europe – Athens 20th / 27th of August

http://pgaconference.org

https://balkans.puscii.nl

PGA - People's Global Action - started in 1998, it has been a tool and a
diffuse structure coordinating groups and people sharing common struggles
and practices, in accordance with various anticapitalist and
anti-authoritarian principles (see the hallmarks). PGA initiated the
Intercontinental caravan in 1999, as well as international action days of
actions against the G8, the WTO, the World Bank, the IMF... In Seattle,
Genoa, Prague, and in a number of less popular events, PGA was a driving
force behind numerous actions and reflections. At the convergence of
international initiatives and local struggles, groups close to the PGA are
now looking for new drives to challenge stagnation.

In Europe, groups who identify with the PGA principles meet about once
every two years, through the initiative of a "convenor" collective. Since
1998, these conferences have been the opportunity for several days of
exchanging practices and knowledge, and of establishing bonds, which allow
us to be better organized in common actions.

The 5th gathering of Peoples Global Action in Europe this time will take
place in Greece.
A responsibility of organizing and coordinating the discussion that opened
in the last meetings of PGA europe has taken by a decentralized network of
activists and collectives in Balkans. Thats exactly and the essential
advantage of this initiative. The convenor is not a local collective like
other conferences in the past but a vital balkan decentralized network.
On the preparation all of these months several questions , problems as
well as ideas for taking action are allready mentioned by all of us who
involve with a conference here!!! Again in the Balkan region!
We would like to open a long discussion about local activism in
combination with a global perspective. In other words we want to discuss
about the future of the PGA network and its process as well as the various
projects , topics and ideas for action.
As a reference example : the following topics that we are allready working
or we want to invite people to open meeting spaces during the PGA
conference.

Autonomous spaces and squating , patriarchy , gender , radical feminism ,
anti repression , anti militarism , biotechnology , environmental
struggles , indigenous spaces , antiglobalization , G8 , DIY activities
and sharing skills , fanzines , infoshops , PGA infopoints , land and
autonomy , eco communities , digital struggles and autonomous servers ,
indymedia tools , precarity and flexibility , radical theory , productive
networking , local alternatives , activism , other , be continued

if you wanna take part on the meeting we need the following information
from you !! please send us as soon as possible at con2008@no-log.org ..
have it in mind that our dynamic is not the best one and we need a lot of
international support and definitely to know how many people are planning
to join the meeting .. you need also sleeping bags and probably a tent ..

PGA Hallmarks

1. A very clear rejection of capitalism, imperialism and feudalism; all
trade agreements, institutions and governments that promote destructive
globalisation.

2. We reject all forms and systems of domination and discrimination
including, but not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious
fundamentalism of all creeds. We embrace the full dignity of all human
beings.

3. A confrontational attitude, since we do not think that lobbying can
have a major impact in such biased and undemocratic organisations, in
which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker.

4. A call to direct action and civil disobedience, support for social
movements' struggles, advocating forms of resistance which maximize
respect for life and oppressed peoples' rights, as well as the
construction of local alternatives to global capitalism.

5. An organisational philosophy based on decentralisation and autonomy.
PGA is a tool for coordination, not an organization. PGA has no members
and does not have and will not have a juridical personnality. Nor
organisation or person represents PGA

info that we need from you

name of your collective (if you belong in a collective)

number of people

workshop or topic who you want to organise (name of your workshop , what
do you need for it , for ex do you need a projector?)

if you wanna participate on the kitchen (we definitely need it as well)

in solidarity

international working group of the 5th PGA conference

info bar of the PGA infopoint Berlin

carambolage berlin info meeting

info soli bar of Peoples Global Action PGA by activists from Carambolage collective (PGA inspired infopoint Berlin)


at 28th of March we call for a public event and a solidarity bar for the next PGA conference that will take place in Greece in August 20th - 27th as well as an for an info night about our activities in Berlin and elsewhere

One info night with discussion about networking , beer , materials related to the global struggles , and one small workshop for a new project named radical X change

you re all welcome to bring your materials and ideas

the info event will take place at kindergarten address waldeyer strasse bei sbhf frankfurter allee at 18.00 28/03

info online at berlin-infopoint.blogspot.com

http://pgaconference.org

ideas suggestions conclusions from the meeting in Maribor

:Time: 2008-03-04 -> 2008-03-06
:Place: Maribor, Pekarna Cultural Centre

Meeting in the Gustaf hall.

People from...

- Berlin
- Budapest
- Denmark
- Lljubljana
- Maribor
- Nis
- Zagreb
- ...

***********************
Presentations on Monday
***********************

===========
PGA history
===========

I. Intercontinental Gathering of Humanity Against Neoliberalism

Foundation:

II. Intercontinental Gathering of Humanity Against Neoliberalism

in Spain. Special efforts has been done to get ppl from Asia. Lot of
farmers' groups working against WTO.

Collective space which is not defined by membership which deals with
WTO as a process and keep the dynamix b/w countersummits.

1st gahtering: 1998 Feb Geneva -- preparing global mobilisation,
global days of action -- before the summit, not at the summit!

Very successful GNA 60 cities and big in Geneva. "End of history"
mentality was very strong then, so GNA shaked thinks up. Zapatistas
and countersummits and GDAs articulated the rage under the ground.

Crazy project in 1998 in Europe. Working name TCP -- Totally Crazy
Project. Let's do sth that is impossible w/o a functioning global
grassroots network. Indians: if you organise for us in Europe we go
there where the governments and multinationals are. "Intercontinental
Caravan for Solidarity and Resistance. 500 reps travelling through
Eurasia.

Such a project had to involve many groups from many places and in a
decentralised way -- that established a network. 6 months working like
crazy. People got used to meet every couple of weeks.

Next: **Prague**.

**First International Social Forum**. Also large contingent from
outside the NGO spectrum.

Basis of consensus:

* 1998 1st Global PGA Conference

* 1999 Bangalore, India

* 2001 Cochabamba -- decision to stop the global process. We have to
develop alternatives instead of spectacular actions. To give time to
focus on the local.

"The PGA hallmarks offer a broad political foundation that appeals to
a spectrum of different global left groups. Provides unity of action
and freedom of action at the same time. They encapsulate the basis of
radical left action." (German Secret Service, after G8)

==========
Euromayday
==========

May 1. at Aachen (Charlemagne awards) action and platform:

- european basic income
- freedom of movement
- freedom of sharing
- freedom of organising

Sarkozy gives to Merkel this prize.

"Capitalism will not end in revolution but in catastrophy."

Leninist Q: "What is to be done?"

But we know what is to be done!

We don't know who we are.. :)

Convoke a new International!

=================
0th Transnational
=================

June 17-21 Maribor

Read the Call for a Zeroeth Transnational if you are interested.

Jist of the discussion:

* Alex & Co.: Our political space is Europe and we need a common
identity, complete with ideology, minimum demands as middle term
goals, and surely iconoly. These are the basis of the formation of a
new political subjectivity that goes beyond the antiglobalisation
movement. The triumph of neoliberalism, neoconservatism and the
church and finally the war have shown that these weak
meta-identities like noglobal does not work so well when confronted
with traditional/old-school ideologies.

* Sergio & Co.: We have to build a global movement and because of the
differences in political culture the global consensus cannot be
formed on basis of an ideology. Also, what will give political
expression to the unsatisfaction and rage that is building up in the
population is not an identity but a process of organisation through
common action and collaborative campaigns. By working together in
constructive practical project we can create a new cycle of
struggles.

=========
anti-NATO
=========

Venue confirmed, sleeping places OK.

Workshops, lectures. German collective is doing exhibition and movie
projections on *extraordinary rendition*.

Hopefully demo as well.

Antinato infotour is on the road (organised by Germans)!

===========================
ROG social centre Ljubljana
===========================

- Active since 2 yrs.

- Working on opposing detention centres.

Trend: From political asylum to quota policy -- from full citizenship
rights to limited rights. When they are not needed anymore they are
sent away.

Detention centre: Restricted movement and communication and resources
for ppl waiting for asylum status.

In post-fordist environment the cultural work has to be organised in
another way than the national administration is doing it. ROG invited
everyone to contribute freely to the process but also declared the
process anti-sexist, etc.

In the first time there was contact with city administration but they
wanted to impose hieararchical ways of organising. There were
conflicts b/c of this so no there is no communication. ROG is
basically waiting for eviction now.

Environment: The regime of apartheid is introduced and the cycle of
investment is in high tide. So it's really important to establish a
place for ppl to meet w/o censorship. ROG is also experimenting with
*self-valorisation*. What ppl want to do w/ their life? Workers from
construction centres can learn how to be DJ or VJ in the social centre
which is part of the struggle against work.

Anti-sexism and internationalism is rampart in the ROG, some meetings
are done in Serbo-Croatian which is a non-existent language
officially.

CRAX from Barcelona is collaborating with ROG and exchanging ppl and
struggles. Erasmus from below!

Eurovision of Conflicts -- an event to present all important social
conflicts today. Counterpower. This is in June -- 20, 21.

Convergence on the political processes on *migration*. The system of
repression is built on circulation and non-circulation of people.

**European SQUAT Days of Action?** We are technically a squat but we
don't articulate it like that. Nobody declared it squat. It was only
"opened". The first group who entered only wanted to highlight that
squatting is *an agent of gentrification*. The complexity of ROG
disabled us to work in the SQUAT Days of Action context.

Erased ppl -- permament residency.

============================
Discussion: Map of Struggles
============================

* Erased

* Freedom of movement

* Get NATO out of Europe

* Indymedia

* Pirate Bay

* Militant anti-prohibitionism -- "They would love it, man! It would be
immensely popular!" :)

* Workfair (Ghost ISP Anerson?)

* Warfair

* New secularism -- how to divide the nation with the state. Going
beyond the sovereignity of the state. Criticism: they will build
institutions on it and that worries us. Europe has to integrate
Islam or it ceases to be a global power. Some bishop wrote in a
newspaper that he is in favour of using Islam law in civil cases
for certain people. We have to be clear on the point that we are
against governance of the population. We should say fuck
multiculturalism and fuck integration? Why? Because
multiculturalism as it is deployed in Europe (the British rule of
Empire -- 'divide and rule'). When they give power to legislative
power to communities it's not the communitarianism of Latin America
but giving power to traditional structures. Liberal identity is
weak in front of this traditional identities politicians say that
we are secular but let's stick to our Christian rule. It's like
monoculturalism. Two identities: **nationalism for the poor,
neoliberalism for the rich**. Multiculturalism is a virus of
Europe (?). We have to be careful when we do European Identity --
b/c officially it is internationalism &
multiculturalism. Multiculturalism is used to control a wide
spectrum of people by corporations.

----

We need a global process and a global movement -- and if you move into
the global arena, forget about ideologies!

Ten years ago we lived in a different world: the legitimacy of the
state was defined in a positive way: there was a broad consensus that
capitalism will provide good life for the majority of the
population. Now, the legitimacy of the state is expressed in negative
terms: it is supposed to defend the citizen against a spectrum of
dangers.

*************************
Working groups on Tuesday
*************************

===========================================================
0./a. Presentation: Balkan Infotour (by Dirdala Collective)
===========================================================

Dirdala collective: two people from the small town Nis. Infoshop at
home, organising small events, concerts, screenings, etc. Problems
with local fascist pigs -- now they are well known. Hard core!a

Collect ppl from Balkans and Eastern Balkans (Croatia, Serbia,
Slovenia, etc.)

1st stop was Zagreb
-------------------

* 30 ppl
* tired b/c of borders
* 2 copies each b/c afraid of the borders

What they presented?
--------------------

* PGA
* Hallmarks
* Digital tools

* Problem:
- How to explain that PGA is not an organisation?
- You do what you are doing now but do it better through PGA!

* PGA Conference in Athens 2008
* Emails for mobilisation
* Explained about Visas
* *It seems Macedonians cannot get visas for Greece!*

* Lot of ppl subscribed to PGA lists b/c of Infotour.

What were the experiences?
--------------------------

* Nis, Sofia is very close, but we didn't know the collectives there!

* Zagreb Bookfair is a very good networking opportunity!

* Anti-projectile / ANTI-NATO actions Romania w/ PGA Europe Prep. Meeting

* Anti-NATO Caravan Berlin --> Greece (?)

* The ppl were most interested in a-NATO: in Serbia a-NATO is a
far-right topic and ppl are against NATO but for wrong reasons.

* Decentralised Action Day for Squats and Autonomous Spaces 11-12 April.

* Long discussion about problems with other groups, pseudo-antifa
groups, personal conflicts which disrupts the scene, etc.

* The NGOs are focused too much on money.

* In Hungary any action on the street is automatically presented as
right-wing anti-government action controlled by the right wing
party in opposition, so it's hard to make an autonomous political
point with a street action (or in another way).

* Soros Foundation and Open Society Institute came to Hungary after
the change of system and trained all the critical people how to
make NGOs and gave a lot of money so everybody who had critical
ideas were artificially channelled into the NGO scene. Thus,
there's not really much grassroots activity.

* Also in post-Yugo area bags of dollars are coming from United
Nations and other organisations so there is a lot of NGOs and
temptation to get money and get coopted.

* Reference to yesterday's discussion on identity: do we need the 0th
Transnational? Groups like we talked about are (1.) not effective
and (2.) have no identity and visibility. Having no identity in
terms of not having a bad history is a good thing.

* We have to find out if ppl from Kosovo need separate visa
process. Or at least help them if we can to find out.

Post-scriptum: report from rijeka
---------------------------------

:Subject: [PGA_Europe_process] report from rijeka
:From: malo_kucence@riseup.net
:To: "pga balkan" ,
:Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 14:55:37 -0800 (PST)
:Sender: pga_europe_process-bounces@squat.net
:Reply-To: PGA Europe process list
:User-Agent: SquirrelMail/1.4.12
:Importance: Normal

so we are now in sarajevo after traveling 15 hours from rijeka. we left
sergio so we hope that hes ok!

so in rijeka it was really great
during the day we went to tribunal on the faculty of low called "why
nato?" which was organized by deputy of minister of defence. there werent
lots of people, mostly students of low who came only for the reason of
getting + from their profesors. the good thing is that there were people
who asked some really good questions and although they didnt get an answer
they had a chance to tel the other side of the story.

so in the evening we had a meeting in the infoshop called "skatula" which
is really great. there were around 10 people. they liked the idea of
getting involved with pga network and we collected their e mail, so ill
send it to vlanto later. we talked about the site and all. two of them are
comming for sure to the conference and they dont need visas, which is
great.
also we talked about anti nato in romania and they are planing to do some
actions in rijeka, acctually theyre already working on that, cause croatia
is about to enter nato.
also planning to do something to to some actions on 11th and 12th of
april. in rijeka have never been any squats, and their infoshop is not so
autonomus space,but they are making some efforts.

so thats all for now well write soon again!

snowy greetings from sarajevo

======================================
0./b. Presentation: Energy (by Sergio)
======================================

**0. Sergio on Energy 12:00 -- 13:00**

Thesises on the contemporary historical situation
-------------------------------------------------

* Things are fucked up all over the world, Eastern-Europe is not so
special in this manner.

* There is a sense that things have to change radically, but there is
no perspective about this change. Collective desire for change and
collective awareness of a historical crisis.

* Facilitating the articulation of this desire for change. The South
already has an effective movement and they even had it before the
antiglobalisation movement took off. The relationship created a good
dynamics.

* After 9/11 the movement lost initiative. Before we made actions,
without demands and representatives -- so the only political
mediation from the states was repression. But this repression thing
was a bad idea because general ppl had a sense that the movement
has a point.

* Then we lost initative b/c states created a state of exception --
wars. We didn't act but we reacted: we tryied to stop them but we
couldn't. This was the mobilisation against Iraqi.

* Securitanism -- states are not good anymore b/c they provide good
life but because they *defend* ppl from outer and inner threats.

* The collective intelligence that is there in the ppl have to be
addressed.

* The strategic question is how to inspire a process that creates a
snowball effect -- inspiring ppl so they join and they inspire more
ppl.

* Issue-based politix is a thing of the past. If the issues are
isolated we are isolating ourselves and creating an atomised
movement.

* This is the framework in which the energy topic will be explicated!

Climate and Energy Package
--------------------------

European Commission: January 23th "Climate and Energy package"
(proposal of directives) -- to deal with climate change and a lot of
low-carbon energy stuff. Big PR campaign to argue that this is the
coolest documents ever produced on the topic:

- 10% of energy consumption to be from renewable energy
- +20% energy efficiency
- -20% CO(2) emission

Media & NGOs are celebrating the package and saying that EU is better
than USA. BUT if you read the actual document, it is a disaster:

* Renewable energy: only *bio-fuel* is addressed concretely. Bio-fuel
is occupying a lot of land -- but we already use too much cultured
land b/c we consume and eat stupidly! There is not enough land in EU
for this -- so the bio-fuel fields will be outside EU.

* UN says 40 million ppl in Earth will loose their land, livelihood,
perhaps life b/c of expansion of bio-fuel plantation.

* Amazon is cutted in two North-South -- so far it has been only the
Trans-Amazonia road going East-West. This is suicidal for
Earth. Non-linear effect to create climate change.

* BP & Shell will not sell fuel but bio-fuel. Recolonilasation of the
South -- they have to control the land. "Green energy!"

* End of the story: **their plan is to destroy the climate in the
name of saving the climate!**

The others are treated together and because of the market mechanism
that they want to set up these energy sources will disappear or become
unsustainable.

Spain: had a very progressive policy -- but this is not good for EU
business b/c it is not "a market based-mechanism". This law was that
anybody can set up a windmill and then their production is bought for
a guaranteed price for 20 years.

UK: corporations did not want to build nuclear plants b/c they are too
expensive b/c of insurance costs. But now the government is paying for
the insurance (through guaranteeing future income).

So people are concerned about CO(2) emission and the state strategy is
**to move from renewable energy to no-emission energy** -- nuclear.

Who is going to get the remaining nuclear material? Military question
-- don't let the countries outside get their hands on it!

Carbon capture and storage -- a technology to be used to pump the last
volumes of oil from old reserves. Working with CO(2) and liquifying it
to use to push out the oil. They are reselling this technology to
stuck all the CO(2) under ground. "Clean coal & clean oil" -- pilot
projects are funded now. This takes more energy than which can be
gained by burning the oil that is produced. But sooner or later all
CO2 will come up from the ground -- so we are just delaying the
problem!

The problem with these externalities is similar to the problem with
nuclear energy.

ETS -- European CO2 Trading Scheme. There is already law for large
emitters to reduce their emissions. If they don't do this they need to
buy emission reduction volumes from other emitters.

Part of the package is the second part of ETS -- not emitters get
emission rights for free, more than they need. So they can sell these
rights that they got free. 1. Money from energy prices. 2. Money from
selling emission rights. 3. ??? This system also supports
concentration of companies. Energy is one of the most concentrated
sectors in Europe.

So the package is stupid. Addressing the problems created by
capitalism by more capitalism.

Energy: based on traditional macho culture like nuclear POWER and big
cars! But renewable energy is decentralised and small scale. Many
women are fighting on the renewable side.

**We need to make decisions and voice actual demands.** This resonates
with general ppl's concerns. They will never introduce progressive
energies in Brussels (or make a directive saying that ppl should
self-organise and self-manage their lives and energies), but history
have shown in Denmark and Spain that the general population and
grassroots participation can introduce renewable energy strategy --
and then the government had to pass laws to make possible small local
cooperatives of windfarms. Now 150.000 households who were owners of
landfarms. 15.000 people put together money and subsidies in
Copenhagen to build an offshore landfarm. All this started as part of
the *anti-nuke* campaigns in the 70s!

**Let's not make protest but build alternatives!**

**It's not about energy but about the way to organise society!**

- But we don't even own our places!

- Yes but this is a project that will not work without braking out of
the activist ghetto -- and this is a good thing! PGA was acting like
this, especially in 1999 w/ Transcontinental Caravan where a lot of
peasants' organisations participated not just the usual european
suspects -- althouth these peasants are as radical as we are.

- But where do we put the windmills in a city?

- You have to collaborate with the countryside around or be creative.

- So this is an ambitious project but also it seems feasible and it
can highlight and develop the constructive face of the movement!

- Social energy and energy energy.

- Pekarna will be renovated by 2012 -- 7 million EURs. So there is a
possibility to make the establishment running on renewable
energy. Also, can we connect also with the infrastructure around us
to give extra energy if we have and take when we need?

B/c there is nothing happening at the moment but there is an
accumulation of desire so we can design big projects that require more
resources than we have! How do we get the resources? Because this is
not just protest but building a lot of infrastructure. We have to
build cooperation with South where ppl are already building popular
power and taking control of their own life -- for example the
movements are strong enough to occupy lands and keep them. We have to
get to that point (sooner or) later. **Let's get control of the means
of production!**

But how do we do this in a non-NGO way?

So there will be a transition b/c we run out of coal, uranium, etc. --
but corporations imagine this is that they play the old game until the
last minute and make the transition during the final crisis. The
transition will be into another way of production in capitalism.

Get renewable energy out of the market!

================
1. Digital Tools
================

1. **Digital tools** for Balkan Decentralised Network & PGA
13:00-14:00

- balkans.puscii.nl
- europe.pgaconference.org
- pgabalkan@eurodusnie.nl
- Balkan Infoshop mailing list
- pga_europe_process@squat.net

14:00-15:00 TV Lunch -- Caravan of the Erased screening

=================
2. Communications
=================

2. **Communications** for Balkan Decentralised Network & PGA
15:30-16:30

- Updating Balkans Decentralised Network leaflet
- Balkan Newsletter
- Press group
- PGA inspired newsletter

=============
3. Infopoints
=============

3. **Infopoints** for Balkan Decentralised Network & PGA
16:30-17:30

- What is a PGA infopoint?
- How to become an infopoint?
- List of existing infopoints.
- Communication between infopoints.
- Distribution network.

Discussion about having infopoints -- why to create structures?
---------------------------------------------------------------

- If there are official infopoints PGA becomes more an organisation than
a network?

- There are infoshops -- why call them PGA infopoints? If we do good
work infoshops will do everything to get their hands on our materials
and to talk about us and promote the network.

- Instead of having infopoints it's more useful to make trainings on
organisation, to work together on campaigns -- and that doesn't
involve **creating structures**.

- **Social talk** is very important to keep the network and the mailing list
alive. So we have to send short comments about events, politics,
books, materials, etc. to the list and discuss them.

- **Book exchange**: Idea to photocopy or scan books and send it to infopoints who are
interested in it and after the transfer discuss it virtually or even
possibly in real life.

Review of Existing Infopoints
-----------------------------

* Berlin -- Install Autonomy collective

- Unified with Carambolas

- Probably next convenor for 2010

**UPDATE!**

* Athens and beyond DIYmusic.org

- DIY Greece -- UPDATE!

- Different address.

Other tools to network infoshops
--------------------------------

- Abolishing the Borders from Below

- Anarchist Yellow Pages

- other tools.

===================
6. Radical Exchange
===================

6. **Radical exchange**
19:30-20:30

- EVS
- IFA money
- Invitations
- How to spread and store the invitations and coordinate radical X
change places?
- Role of the infopoints in spreading information and promotion

1. European Voluntary Service
-----------------------------

- All ppl under 30 can apply.

- Part of Youth in Action Programme.

- Both organisations have to have EVS certificate. The organisation
which applies for volunteers for 3-12 months. Or you need a
coordinating organisation. Criteria for inclusion is basically that
you have to be an NGO.

- You have to find a sending organisation.

- What is surprising is that very few ppl know about EVS.

- National agencies are very pro-european. Politically correct
vocabulary.

- There are multiteral EVS programmes: a packet of exchange of different
ppl betwen different organisations. Then you also get money for doing
the meetings.

- It changes the way organisations work! Two networks that started
grassroots ended up being NGO offices. It can be really destructive to
base networks on this opportunity. This erodes in a very visible way.

- Deadline is 1st June to apply for Pekarna -- now it's sending and
receiving ideology.

- There is a catalog for EVS organisations with all the places.

- If you are inviting somebody you can make false bills and get a lot of
money from the EU but it is a lot of work!

2. Youth Initiatives and Youth Exchanges
----------------------------------------

This is another programme for shorter stays, if I understand
correctly.

3. Social Centre Network Proposal
---------------------------------

* Initiative from ROG.

- People at ROG are putting together a network for social centres!

Came out of Barcelona Migrants' Rights -- meeting of social centres in
Europe. KRAKS (?) meeting in April -- cultural centres are networked
(Trans-European Halls), but more political places are not networked
yet so we should work on it. Also how to insert these things into the
city and secure the spaces. In June in Ljubljana, there will be a
meeting and shortly a common call. Close connections to Spain, Italy,
etc. Triple event ideas:

1. How to network autonomous places in general?
2. Convergence of the political processes, mainly on migration
3. **Eurovision of Conflicts**: presentations of the most important
struggles in Europe.

- "Exploitaiton is the system of borders today."

- Contra-doxa.org -- NATO critique in Romania.

- Trans European Halls -- specialised EVS network of alternative
centers (we need something similar with political places).

======================
4. Political Narrative
======================

4. **Political narrative**

17:30-18:30

- Research
- Correspondents
- Editorial team

* The idea is to construct a political narrative (a more/less coherent
story) from the news of different struggles that are posted on
different mailing lists, websites, etc. We have to "connect the
dots" of struggle to construct a single story, an explanation to
what is happening. Also we need correspondents or researchers on the
ground (from different collectives) to gather information and
knowledge, insight, commentary, etc. Then we need a few people to
synthesise this.

* This is something like a 0th Transnational (0T) / PGA project.

* We decided to use the radical-europe@listes.agora.eu.org

* Josip seems like coordinating this.

====================
5. Money Money Money
====================

5. **MONEY MONEY MONEY**
------------------------

18:30-19:30

- Solidarity parties
- Merchandise (buttons, T-shirts, patches, cds)
- Common money pool + collectives' money
- Projects, NGO
- Transportation

We didn't really have time to discuss this. Several people said they
would be interested in organising solidarity parties to grow the
common PGA money pool to have money for future projects that come out
of the process:

* Ovis, Maxigas -- Budapest
* Alex Foti -- Milano
* Virus Collective -- Athens
* Carambolas Collective -- Berlin

END of notes from the meeting compiled by maxigas.

Carambolage Callout for Global Office, PGA-inspired infopoint

Recognizing the need for an international space for activists in Berlin,
the Carambolage Collective is issuing a callout for people to join our
efforts in creating a dynamic meeting space and a People's Global Action
(PGA) Infopoint. We invite anyone who is interested in helping to
realize this vision, on a conceptual as well as a task-oriented level.
We hope that activists will find out about what is going on and make
connections here, talk to each other and give feedback.

We are an informal group which also loosely bases its ideas on the PGA
Hallmarks:

• A very clear rejection of capitalism, imperialism and feudalism; all
trade agreements, institutions and governments that promote destructive
globalization;
• We reject all forms and systems of domination and discrimination
including, but not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious
fundamentalism of all creeds. We embrace the full dignity of all human
beings.
• A confrontational attitude, since we do not think that lobbying can
have a major impact in such biased and undemocratic organizations, in
which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker;
• A call to direct action and civil disobedience, support for social
movements' struggles, advocating forms of resistance which maximize
respect for life and oppressed peoples' rights, as well as the
construction of local alternatives to global capitalism;
• An organizational philosophy based on decentralisation and autonomy.

These were also the cornerstones of the Dissent! International Network
mobilizations against the G8 in past years.

We intend our infopoint to function as a community space, where we can
make the decentralized PGA network more visible and maintain an open
forum for the involvement of independent groups. PGA has no members, all
collectives and individuals involved are autonomous. This creates a good
infrastructure for mutually supporting a variety of projects and
initiatives.

The Carambolage Collective started April 2007 with the creation of the
anti-G8 infopoint. We are seeking more activists to expand the
international support network to revive the anti-WEF movement as well.
We also need more help to organize informational events and to kick off
topic-related campaigns.

Some of our shorter term goals are to mobilize for anti-nuclear
campaigns, anti-G8 and anti-NATO actions in Romania 2-4 April 2008.

Furthermore, we plan to develop the Carambolage web site
(www.carambolage.cc) which provides information on where to obtain legal
advice for activists experiencing state repression. We also plan to
assist in mobilizing efforts against the next WEF in Switzerland,
support and endorse international protests and anti-capitalist
campaigns, and finally, to campaign for the right of assembly at
demonstrations in Germany. Additional ideas are to work on campaigns
around current topics and to set up an archive of international activist
materials in our office, available in different languages.

As already mentioned above, newcomers to the Carambolage collective
would have plenty of struggles to plug into. 11-12 April 2008 are the
decentralized Days of Action for Squats and Autonomous Spaces. This
year, there will also be climate and anti-racist camps to get involved
with. The next PGA conference is scheduled at the end of August in
Greece, as well as campaigns against the US military bases in the Czech
Republic and Poland.

We plan to have plenary meetings once a month so that everyone involved
or who wants to get involved can come and exchange ideas. We would like
to maintain not just an office, but create a clearing house of activist
information. We see the global office providing materials, launching
international solidarity campaigns with other anti-capitalist struggles
outside of Germany and Europe, as well as network locally in Berlin. At
times when global actions are scheduled to take place in Berlin, we want
to provide a local infrastructure for visiting activists. We would like
to provide a networking space for independent media activists,
squatters, radical workplace activists, and more.

If interested in becoming involved, please contact the Carambolage
collective at: carambolage@riseup.net

Glocal Office, New Yorck 59 / Bethanien
Plenum: am ersten Dienstag des Monats, 19:00 Uhr
Unsere Öffnungszeiten: Dienstags 19:00-21:00 Uhr

www.carambolage.cc
GLOBALIZE RESISTANCE: SI NOS TOCAN A UN@ NOS TOCAN TOD@S!!
FIGHT CAPITAL & ITS REACTION... FREE THE COMMONS

program of Maribors meeting

Here is the final program with timeline.

http://infoshok.wordpress.com/joy-of-revolt-34/program/

Radost obrata ¾ − Joy of Revolt ¾
3.-4. March 2008, Maribor, Pekarna, Ob ¾eleznici 8
Program:
Monday 3.4.2008
10.00 Supernova
Breakfast
11.00−14.00 White Room
Preparation of the afternoon’s and next day’s discussions
14.00−15.00 Supernova
Lunch
15.00−17.00
Rest, chillout
17.00−21.00 Gustaf
Official start of festival & introduction (Josip)
Zeroeth Transnational (Alex)

Anti−Nato campaigns(PGA)

Migration − no border, no nation, stop deportation! (Racismo Stop, Socialni
center Rog)
Discussion
21.00−3.00 Gustaf
Party
------------------------

Tuesday 4.3.2008
10.00 Supernova
Breakfast
11.00 −14.00 Gustaf
Balkan Decentralized Network (Vlanto, Malo Kucence)
Digital tools − new ways of networking and information exchange, and its use
for connecting our communities/groups (PGA)

Discussion
14.00−15.00 Supernova
Lunch
15.00−17.00
Resting, chillout
17.00−21.00 Gustaf
Topics and presentation of the next PGA conference in Greece (Vlanto)
Energy renewal− possibilities of energy renewal as fertile base for social
mobilization and creativity (Sergio)
New secularism − beyond sovereignty of national state

Post−Yugoslav Infotour (Malo Kucence)
Discussion
21.00−3.00
Party

CALL TO ALL ACTIVE GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS FROM NEAR AND FAR

Radost obrata ¾ - Joy of revolt ¾

3-4 March 2008, Maribor, Slovenia

On 03 and 04 of March 2008, a multi-vitamin festival of free exchange, called
�Radost obrata 3/4� (Joy of revolt 3/4), will be held in Maribor. The festival
will host numerous active individuals and groups from different parts of Europe,
who are all, each in their own way, fighting bio-political and eco-social
catastrophes, brought on by the neoliberal and nationalist ideologies.

Nationalism, mixed with religious poison and neoliberal excuses about social
progress, is an implicit threat for the life of every critical, open-minded and
advanced individual. Everyday experiences of the 21 Century reality show us that
old world views are outdated and obsolete. Those who hold the power are no longer
capable of solving today�s problems, so they (and their disciples) rely more and
more on false pretences, lies, deceits, wars, media manipulation, crisis,
blame-shifting and looking for scapegoats, as tactics of problem-solving.

Our festival wishes to bring together as many views as possible; different
experiences will serve as a tool for the struggle against the system reproducing
inequality, slavery, dependency, sexism, racism, war, intolerance� We believe this
exchange with similar organizations will open new possibilities and opportunities
for our fight for equality on a local level. And we firmly believe that a
marginalized and excluded minority can become a majority fighting for the cause.

Every turn of wheels in this process gives new impetus; every new impetus is new
joy. Some are seeking for mechanisms to set these wheels in motion in the academic
and theoretical field, others in building a community, street actions, digital
networking� The common denominators here are selflessness, solidarity, exchange,
creativity of revolting, direct actions, DIY� Our fight is the personification of
a wild cat, queer creative power, and of chlorophyl. We are pink, black & green
generation.

A lot of subjects interest us, but at the same time we are aware of the pressing
time-frame of the event. Two days aren�t a lot when it comes to such a vast
subject matter, so we set up the following agenda for the festival:

- Digital tools (new ways of networking and information exchange, and its use for
connecting our communities/groups)

- Decentralized Balkan network (possibilities for further development of our
connecting in the Balkans, as well as further)

- Zeroeth transnational (the idea of an ideological-symbolical platform of 21.
Century movements)

- Migrations (experiences from struggles against Centres for foreigners and the
migration system that treats migrants as a �security threat�)

- Militarism (dismantling of NATO and its bases, Europe�s exodus from militaristic
colonialist pacts)

- Energy (beyond criticising EU�s destructive climate and energy package, our
talks will revolve around possibilities of energy renewal, and it�s potential as a
fertile base for social mobilization and creativity)

- Precarity (struggles against precarity, the system of chronic social
instability, and inequality)

- New secularism (beyond sovereignty of national states; if it�s achieved by
capital, how can it be achieved by people, too?)

- Topics and invitation to the next PGA european conference in Greece (august 2008)

These are only some of the subjects we would like to include in our debates; the
agenda is not set in stone, and can be expanded if necessary, since we would like
to see as many people as possible participating in discussions. Our aim is to
bring together different experiences, exchange ideas, and open up new aspects of
our common cause. We want Maribor to become a meeting-ground of heretic, critical,
open-minded and progressive thought.

For practical reasons, the debates will be held in English, and will be followed
by informal social activities (i.e. partying till early morning!).

If you plan to participate and need a place to sleep, please contact us in advance
(at radostobrata@gmail.com).

The official start of the festival will be on Monday, 03. 03. 2008, at 17:00 in
Gustaf hall in Pekarna, Ob �eleznici 8, Maribor

These are web pages of collectives involved in meeting preparation:
http://radostobrata.blogspot.com/
http://infoshok.wordpress.com/
http://www.pekarna.org/
http://www.zofijini.net/

International Euromayday Meeting on the 23rd and 24th of February 2008


Place: "Intelligenzraum" at RAW-Tempel, Revaler Str. 99, Berlin-Friedrichshain

How to get there: S-train or U-train to "Warschauer Strasse", then
cross the bridge into Friedrichshain, next turn to the right is
Revaler Strasse.


http://www.raw-tempel.de/angebot/raum/raum03.htm


proposed schedule:

Saturday 23rd


11:30-12:00: coffee, croissants and cigarettes

12:00-12:15: short introduction of all participants (for deeper
informations about the collectives and their struggles we will prepair
handouts of the answers on the FelS questionaire and on the questions
send arround by Zoe)

12:15-14:00: state of euromayday network (we hope to start the
discussion with a short introduction by the people who wrote the
malaga paper)

14:00-15:15: lunch break, promenade (What are the perspectives for the
euromayday network in 2008 and beyond? discussion in mixed groups)

15:15-17:00: reports from discussion groups, discussion in plenary
about mayday 08: cities, media, actions, callout, demands, common
action in Aachen

17:00-17:15: short break

17:15-18:00: topics for the callout, formation of a small workgroup to
write a draft for Sunday

collective dinner


Sunday 24th

11:00-12:45: discussion about the callout draft

12:45-13:00: break

13:00-14:00: what to do after 1st of May?, beyond esf in malmoe

PGA 2nd PREPARATIONAL MEETING in Maribor Slovenia() 3rd to 4th of March 2008

After the meeting in thessaloniki a necessity for a second preparatory
meeting is allready mentioned by several activists that involve with the
effort of the balkan based convenorship of the 5th PGA conference. The
european gathering of PGA this time will take place in Athens from 20th to
27th of Augoust 2008 and a lot of things must be done at time. We invite
every collective and single person in the network to join the meeting and
support with ideas and any kind of help !! we definitely need it! But this
meeting is important for a second reason as well! We are planning to
coordinate this meeting together with local slovenian groups and radical
europe network activists. for more information and involvment send us at
con2008@no-log.org and sure at pga_europe_process@squat.net .
pgabalkan@eurodusnie.nl you can also check news at
http://pgaconference.org

Topics of the meeting

a small presentation of the PGA network by the activists from Balkan
Decentralised Network!

political reader and topics progress of the next conference!

balkan decentralised network meeting

tools of the next conference

radical europe presantation

political issues and perspectives ( radical europe)

x - yugoslavian PGA inspired infotour