[Cja] CJA: the great fix-it-or-nix-it-debate
david lee
david at risingtidenorthamerica.org
Wed Aug 25 13:18:11 UTC 2010
tadzio,
As someone from a climate-based network in need of much galvanizing
(with due reason, given the sheer size of the country)...
I say: Bravo! Well put.
These international networks seem to occupy castle-in-the-sky real
estate that might absolve of us the localized work you describe. It's
not that none of us know it, it's just that some things don't have
endings and capitalism is already sufficiently globally networked. :)
i hope you're well,
/d
(((rtna)))
Tadzio Mueller said the following on 8/25/2010 2:43 AM:
> dear friends (and dare i say comrades ;-)),
>
> it's great, and somewhat ironic, to see that there's finally some
> discussion regarding anything CJA-related at all. maybe it's like when
> my mum wanted to throw away that dusty teddybear in the corner that i
> never, ever played with anymore. realising that it was going to go the
> way of all things, i put up a big fight, and won. it stayed.
> unfortunately, it also stayed in its corner, gathering dust, until at
> some point, she threw it out in a nightly commando-raid... wow. very
> religious: speaking in parables - apologies for that, it's early, and
> coffee isn't ready yet...
>
> my point, though, should be obvious: it's inspiring that people
> obviously feel so strongly about CJA. it is even more inspiring that
> there are regional/national networks that somewhat draw on a CJA(-like)
> identity in their work, and that are growing and getting stronger. but:
> the work done at regional/national levels has in principle almost
> nothing to do with what happens with CJA at the largely European level
> (ref. back to long debates whether CJA is global or european - de facto,
> it is european). at that level, the network has been largely
> disfunctional since before (!) copenhagen. in copenhagen itself, the
> only functioning CJA structures were the media group, and the reclaim
> power action group (though in both cases, they were also strongly
> constituted by our amazing danish friends, organised in the climate
> collective). neither of these structures exist anymore. meetings have
> been getting smaller and smaller, and more and more like gatherings of
> friends. for those who haven't been to these meetings: there's a very
> strong sense of drift, of a lack of purpose. we're not playing with the
> teddybear, as it were. it's gathering dust. it doesn't have a purpose
> right now.
>
> to be sure: this lack of purpose is not because the problem has gone
> away - but because, i suggest, right now is not really the time for
> global network building around climate justice. really, we need to
> engage in sub-global/continental capacity/power-building. global
> networks are only as good as their social base. in fact, strengthening
> global networks / the expense of/ local bases leads to the latter
> becoming subject to the whims of the former.
>
> anyway: if people want to make the de facto european CJA network come
> alive again, by all means, get involved. make the structures work.
> create structures. do stuff. put in management-speak: CJA can only
> function if there's a significant 'buy-in' from people all around the
> continent. if not, all the inspiring words written on email lists won't
> change the fact that CJA is pretty much non-existent. and if that is the
> case, then the few of us who actually have been investing time and
> resources and affect into trying to make things work, traveling to
> distant meetings, can maybe spend that energy elsewhere.
>
> solidarische gruesse
>
> tadzio
>
>
> --- On *Tue, 8/24/10, Andy Vermaut +32(0)499 35 74 95
> /<andy.vermaut1 at telenet.be>/* wrote:
>
>
> From: Andy Vermaut +32(0)499 35 74 95 <andy.vermaut1 at telenet.be>
> Subject: [Cja] Climate Justice Action in Belgium is stronger than ever.
> To: "'Peter / GroenFront!'" <peter at groenfront.nl>, "'climate09-int'"
> <climate09-int at lists.riseup.net>, cja at lists.aktivix.org,
> copenhagengroup at climateactioncamp.org
> Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 7:00 PM
>
> Dear Climate Justice Action-friends,
>
>
>
> We have organized under the umbrella of Climate Justice Action
> Belgium a Climate Action Camp held in Liege, the Walloon part of
> Belgium.
>
>
>
> It was highly successful. The movement for Climate Justice in
> Belgium becomes stronger and stronger.
>
>
>
> It is true that we are not always able to attend international
> meetings. This is for me personally a budget problem.
>
>
>
> I think that many people cannot afford to attend all these meetings.
> Meanwhile we are working on.
>
>
>
> We have both in Flanders and in the Walloon part of Belgium a very
> strong branch who becomes every day stronger.
>
> We even show the politicians of our country that we can overcome the
> language barriers. Where politicians fail, we are required to make
> our voice heard.
>
>
>
> I believe that CJA should remain a powerful network who wants to
> build a climate just world. We have this obligation to the world,
> but also to the people involved who all want to participate in the
> building of a different world.
>
>
>
> In the streets there is a whole new sound… We are listening to a
> world in need. The network must not stop.
>
> We have to move.
>
>
>
> Positive greetings,
>
>
>
> Andy Vermaut
>
> Climate Justice Action Belgium
>
> +32499/35 74 95
>
>
>
> PS.. If there are people in our country are willing to go, I would
> go. Give me a call. If someone could support or help me with my
> travel expenses, I would surely come to the meeting in the Netherlands
>
>
>
> *Van:* peter.groenfront at gmail.com
> [mailto:peter.groenfront at gmail.com] *Namens *Peter / GroenFront!
> *Verzonden:* dinsdag 24 augustus 2010 11:49
> *Aan:* climate09-int; cja at lists.aktivix.org
> *Onderwerp:* [climate09-int] The Future of CJA ; dissolve or find a
> new course
>
>
>
> Dear friends,
>
>
>
> The next meeting op Climate Justice Action should, in my view , have
> just one agenda point. Dissolve the network of not.
>
>
>
> Climate Justice Action was formed to mobilise for Copenhagen. In
> 2009 it was a lively, planet wide network that was powerfull enough
> to make a stand in the streets of Copenhagen. In all the stress and
> rush to prepare for that event, we forgot to think about the future
> of the network itself. As a result many people dropped out after the
> Copenhagen summit. Discussions at the last two meetings have focused
> on finding a cause to keep the network alive. The standard recipe of
> global day of actions was brought up. But that's not enough to keep
> people motivated and keep the network alive.
> The meeting in bonn only had 30 people, the next meeting in Holland
> looks to be even smaller. Tasks taken up in Bonn haven't been done.
>
>
>
> Apperently the time and energy to keep the network alive isn't there
> any more. Most likely because the network is missing a concrete
> common goal. A battle to prepare for.
>
> I think it is time to face facts, and dissolve CJA as it is at this
> moment.
>
>
>
> I would be good to keep the mailing list up, to make contacts
> easier, or maybey organize a conference on Climate justice in
> Europe. But to keep dragging the burden of an international network
> would be a mistake. It will drain the time and energy needed
> elsewhere, and give people the false hope that we are able to
> mobilise large amounts of activist for future actions.
>
>
>
> I ofcourse hope to be mistaken, and see lot's of angry people at the
> next meeting to oppose my proposal. If not come over to have a drink
> at the campfire. I hope anyway to see you all on the barricades ,
> somewhere, sometime.
>
>
>
> Peter Polder
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> skype:peterpolder
>
> www.groenfront.nl <http://www.groenfront.nl>
>
>
>
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