Hi there <br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="h5"><div class="gmail_quote">
<br>
I managed to get the following article put up on the New Statesman site, but they
took out all the links I'd put in (see below) and published it at the
end of the day when they promised me it would be up 1st thing (otherwise
I would have given up on them and sent the following around sooner!) plus they manged to put it up somewhere no-one will ever look with a crappy picture to boot. <br>
<br>
Anyway, it's at <font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"></span></font><font color="navy" face="Arial" size="2"><a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2011/03/assemblies-across-assembly" target="_blank">http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2011/03/assemblies-across-assembly</a></font> but the fully linked article is set out below. <br>
<br>Would be great if lots of people could comment on the NS site so we can show them how many of us are up for this so that next time they will put stuff in a more prominent place!)<br>
<br>And of course, please circulate the following which includes links to Unicommon in Rome - SOLIDARITY! - if you have time. <br>
<br>
Thanks and up the Common Revolutionary Global Network.. !!!<br>
<br>
Mark<a href="http://www.resist26.org/" target="_blank"><br>
</a><div class="gmail_quote"><div class="gmail_quote"> </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><b>What are we Protesting For ?<br>The Power of the People's Assembly!</b><br><br>George Monbiot has <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/06/march-26-protest-aims-first-draft" target="_blank">recently written</a> that the creative groups mobilising for March 26th need to become 'propositional' and not just oppositional. He is right about this, yet he misses the main point. For many of us, the fight against austerity is about far more than merely resisting job losses and reduced services, and calling for state reform. Fundamentally, it is an opportunity to bring into being a new political model based on the power of democratic structures, or what some of us call <a href="http://www.socialistproject.ca/relay/relay30_gindin.pdf" target="_blank">people's assemblies</a>. Therefore, our proposition is not to the state, but to our fellow marchers and the wider public. </div>
<div class="gmail_quote"> </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">To sum it up, here then is our simple manifesto: <br><br>(1) We are fighting for a <a href="https://groups.google.com/group/project2012/web/crd-principles?hl=en" target="_blank">new model of democracy</a>, and not for mere state reforms <br>
<div>
(2) As was shown with the Iraq invasion, we cannot defeat the cuts with marches from A to B <br></div>(3) We want to go beyond defence of the welfare state and organise to liberate people. By way of a common politics of <a href="http://www.peopleincommon.org/archive/C421.html" target="_blank">constitutional change</a>, community welfare or <a href="http://www.gemeinwohl-oekonomie.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Common_Welfare_Economy.pdf" target="_blank">'common-fare'</a>. <div>
<br>
(4) These aims cannot be achieved by old political structures such as parties, unions and sectarian pressure groups. </div></div><div>
<div class="gmail_quote">(5) They can be achieved ONLY through <a href="http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/about/" target="_blank">new forms of political organisation</a> </div>
</div><div class="gmail_quote">(6) We are calling these new, common organisational forms People's Assemblies. PAs are a non-sectarian, strategic organizing tool which, when joined up have the potential to <a href="http://www.aworldtowin.net/documents/assemblies.pdf" target="_blank">transform society</a> everywhere.<br>
(7) In Canada the <a href="http://www.workersassembly.ca/" target="_blank">Greater Toronto Workers’ Assembly</a> is building a movement of trade unionists, workers, students, and social movements which cuts across the usual sectarian lines. And there are many other examples <a href="http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/2011/03/international-examples-of-peoples-assemblies/" target="_blank">worldwide </a>of Popular Assemblies springing up in recent years. It is clear that Assemblies have the potential to build a movement to peacefully transform the way that services are owned and run locally and nationally, but also internationally too. <br>
(8) After the march on Saturday, we should like to see People's Assemblies spring up in cities and rural locations across the country and further afield. <br>(9) During last December's UK student protests, campus-based <a href="http://studentassembly.org.uk/" target="_blank">assemblies</a> of students and local anti-cuts campaigners temporarily appeared across the country, with over 300 in attendance at <a href="http://cambridgetab.co.uk/news/assembly-fight-voldemorts-cuts" target="_blank">Cambridge University</a> and a regular Student Assembly established in London.<br>
(10) More recently, anti-cuts campaigners occupied Lambeth Town Hall and declared themselves to be a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/feb/23/protesters-occupy-lambeth-hall-cuts?INTCMP=SRCH" target="_blank">People’s Assembly</a> in solidarity with the movement<br>
(11) At the recent <a href="http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/2011/01/national-education-assembly-reports/" target="_blank">National Educational Assembly</a> and the European Assembly in Paris last February students and workers voted for the formation of campus-based and city-wide assemblies across the UK and Europe </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">(12) On March 24th-26th in addition to actions in the UK, there will also be <a href="http://www.thecommonseminar.org/kafca/kafca-A4-screen.pdf" target="_blank">international demonstrations </a>against austerity and the financialisation of human life. Many of these actions have been organised by Popular Assemblies across Europe and <a href="http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/SoR_2011" target="_blank">world-wide</a>. </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">(13) After the march this Saturday, we plan to camp the night in Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square. </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">(14) On Sunday, we are inviting everyone to participate in a National Constituent Assembly in Hyde Park, from around 11am to plan future strategy together, and in particular to commit to building permanent People's Assemblies in their local communities so that we can begin the process of democratic revolution here in the UK, Europe and world-wide.<br>
(15) It is possible to imagine, and collectively build a world in which everything gets properly looked after through commonly owned and run public services working alongside the best of the services we already have. This is our dream, to perfect democracy and the political economy of public service provision so everyone can live in dignity, and be empowered to shape our culture together as equals. The key to making this great dream a reality is the development of new structures, working People's Assemblies and the embrace of a new local to global politics of the common. <br>
(16) Thomas Paine said it far better than we can: "we have it in our power to build the world anew"<br>(17) For more information, have a look at the <a href="http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/" target="_blank">People's Assemblies</a> web-site, and help us make the Network grow. Better still, join us on Saturday night and on Sunday morning in the park!</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"> </div><font color="#888888">
<div class="gmail_quote">Mark Barrett<br><br><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Faculty of Arts University of La Sapienza -Rome is now occupied in</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
solidarity to London struggle!</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Moreover on the 26th of March italian students will be in London, to</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
block the city together with English students. UniCommon will be there</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
with those are fighting against the rising fees and european</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
austerity. It will not be a demo like the others: it is a european</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
day of struggle launched in London on 30th of January, a common day</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
after month of resistance.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
We have learnt to block the city through the savage demos in Paris</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
during the NoCPE movement of 2006, while in London students have build</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
up book-shields like us in Rome last year. This amazing sharing of</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
practice bring us to London on side by side to Puerto Rico,</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Wisconsin's students and Maghreb people.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
We want to go to London to say clearly to the English Government, as</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
well as to the Italian's one, that the only cuts we like are those on</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
army and war! Cut the war not our education!</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
At the same time we are organizing a huge demonstration in Rome to</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
support "Common goods" as energy, knowledge and water, we will block</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
the city and make actions to support UK mobilization starting from</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
now: we have occupied the Faculty of Arts, La Sapienza University,</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Rome!</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
26 March: Meeting point is at P.le Aldo Moro, University La Sapienza, Rome.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
----------------------------</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
El 26 de marzo los estudiantes italianos se ponen en marcha hacia</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Londres, para bloquear la ciudad juntos con los estudiantes de Londres</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
UniCommon decidió estar presente, junto con aquellos que están</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
luchando en contra de un aumento en las tasas de matrícula y contra</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
las medidas de austeridad en Europa. El 26 de marzo no es un</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
acontecimiento como los demás: es un día europeo de lucha </span><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">lanzado en</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Londres el 30 de enero, un día de todos, construido a través de estos</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
meses de lucha.
Hemos aprendido a bloquear la ciudad gracias al</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
movimiento contra el CPE enParís en 2006, en Londres han construido</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
libros escudos como se hizo en Roma en diciembre, es esta increíble</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
circulacion de las luchas y de las prácticas que nos ha llevado a</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Londres, y nos pone al lado de los estudiantes de Puerto Rico, New</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
York y con los compañeros del Magreb.
Llegamos a Londres para decir</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
muy claramente, tanto al gobierno Inglés que al gobierno italiano,</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
que es posible cortar solo el gasto militar! Cut the war not our</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
education!</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
El mismo día en Roma está organizada una grande manifestación para los</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
bienes comunes como la energía, el agua, el saber, donde iremos a</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
bloquear la ciudad y haremos acciones en apoyo de las protestas</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
británicas.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Nos vemos en P.le Aldo Moro, Universidad La Sapienza, Roma.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
----</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
About Book Bloc project:</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Knowledge is Power: Let's arm ourselves!!</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
We protect ourselves from the dismissal of knowledge by creating book-</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
shields, arming in cooperation, between a book and the other. We</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
occupied squares, monuments, streets, schools and universities. We</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
defended ourselves from the clashes of police, we spoke different</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
languages, different stories. But a thing unites us, behind the</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
shields: rage, because ignorance is not neutral. We face an attack to</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
our desire by the governments of half Europe, in the name of an</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
unprecedented austerity. We must defend ourselves.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Plexus, Nexus...Book Bloc: we are in Rome, London, Cairo, Tunis,</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
Wisconsin, Puerto Rico...We've been in the struggles, changing them,</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
subverting their national borders and their grammar. UniCommon starts</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
from the beginning beyond the national space. The Book Bloc project is</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
born immediately in the striated space of borders, in its unbearable</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
segmentations within the university, the knowledge, our bodies.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
National borders are like disciplines: they must be destroyed!</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
UniCommon</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
info: </span><a href="http://www.unicommon.org/" target="_blank">www.unicommon.org</a></div><br>
</div>
</font></div>
</div> <br>
</div></div></div><br> <br>