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Hello all,<br>
First, I find it quite normal that CJA be a less dynamic network than
before Copenhagen. Summits somewhere on the continent have always been
more effective mobilisers than decentralised days of action. We love to
swarm, its visible, empowering and fun. And automatically concentrates
efforts and a feeling of urgency. <br>
<br>
That said, ever since the days of PGA there has been a dialect between
decentralised days of action and summit hops, in which the former -
although infinitely less visible to the media - actually made possible
the latter (if only because decentralised days of action in Seattle,
Prague or Goteborg preceded summits there).<br>
<br>
The problem with our decentralised days of action in the North is that
we generally have precious little local strength and base. (Thus the
Indians send half a dozen people to a summit and 50 000 to the local
day of action, while we send maybe 20 and have a local demo with
200...) The most fundamental unmet challenge has always been to use
international networking and mobilisation to build much stronger,
broader social movements locally, here in the north.<br>
<br>
>From that point of view, I think that the decision to call for a day of
action on the 12th of october - stepping overtly away from the summit
as to some degree an illusory political target - is new, bold and
fundamentally correct. It is the logical continuation of the
spontaneous call for "peoples' assemblies" that came out of the one in
Copenhagen. Saying: Hey, there isn't anyway we can make these States
negotiate something correct. We have to build the local power to do it
ourselves or be able to force the changes at a more local level. (So I
basically agree with Mark, though he seems slightly daftly ambitious
with the idea of organising soviets everywhere... That is our job
sooner or later!)<br>
<br>
How can a network like CJA help serve this purpose? For me, the <b>decentralised
actions should be clearly aimed at building local power, attacking
local issues, although of course making global connections.</b><br>
<br>
This rejoins more or less the line of thought on the global picture,
that we started in a discussion this summer with Tadzio and some
friends, which I would resume thus: <br>
1) With the economic crisis the capitalist states - in intense
competition and betting on austerity - are going to pull back from any
meaningful measures (see Copenhagen Accord or the US proposition of -4%
CO2 for 2020!)<br>
2) Cancun will thus be if anything an occasion to delegitimise their
act (if they don't do it themselves).<br>
3) And at least partially legitimise the Cochabamba propositions.<br>
4) We can be in general agreement with these, but know that without
support/pressure from popular movements both interrnally and
internationally, the ALBA States will not be capable/willing to strike
out in a really new direction (see all the neo-extractivism debate).<br>
5) So its up to us to organise our local struggles, local evolutions or
revolutions as part of a global one. <br>
6) On the Climate Justice, global dimension, there was the idea of
"twinning" local movements north and south. So as to be able to say, we
don't just stop cars or whatever here, we exchange with, come to know
and find material help for a particular climate movement in the South.<br>
<br>
Call this commons building, peoples' assemblies, transition towns or
whatever - it seems to me that nothing less will do. (Transition towns
may look sort of comfortable petit-bourgeois, but they seem to get all
sorts of people moving and talking. Maybe we should be acting in that
sort of broad community sphere, instead of mostly only talking to
ourselves or through the media? We might even learn how to be
understood. And there is just no way that we are going to get the job
done if we can't hugely broaden the base of people we are working with.
Which doesn't mean that we have to abandon all radical talk or action.)<br>
<br>
Anyhow, in Geneva, that is what we are trying to do (instead of hopping
from Cochabamba to Amsterdam, as I would love to do): bring together
the many often small groups working on degrowth, renewables and
housing, eco-quarters, local agriculture, transport, etc. to launch a
regional movement (Geneva and nearby France) to reduce CO2 by 40 % in
2020! <br>
<br>
Hopefully, we will have something to show on the 12th of october!<br>
<br>
Olivier<br>
<br>
Mark Barrett wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:AANLkTi=SB3R3o8JVZsBtCN98y0+LB7WKfNCzxY1XVRGC@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div>Dear CJA</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Unfortunately I shan't be able to make the international climate
meeting - which as I understand it is a CJA one? - this weekend in
Holland. Anyhow, in terms of future course, this is what I was going to
suggest there, if I had been able to afford the journey. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I would like to suggest CJA definitely does not dissolve (well,
at least, not in the sense intended) but rather takes full advantage of
its amazingly diverse international reach and radicalism. Definitely we
should stay together and we should develop itself strategically as a
global network, but I think we should widen our appeal while also
staying true to our radicalism. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>With this in mind I strongly believe we should be uniting under
one banner that goes beyond, but includes Climate Justice. The sanctity
of the environment requires a localisation of political economy, while
at the same time globalisation requires a grassroots movement for
democratisation / people power with which to transform the increasingly
hegemonic forces of state and capitalism. We should set our sights
there and put it into the environmental and wider context in one move. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Therefore we should accept that the seizure, or reclaimation
of power by the people in each and every neighbourhood,
workplace and/or other institutions across the world is, and always has
been the aim of the global justice movement, and we should therefore be
brave, and purposefully put ourselves as a group on the line with that
express medium to long term aim. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>It may seem like an impossible task but what other alternative
is there, and what other network is remotely in a position to work
toward that? We may seem dispersed, but we will have allies (aswell as
enemies, and those who are unsure of what side to be on) in each and
every community - those believing in community, people power and
equality, aswell as environmental guardianship are everywhere and we
need to join the dots for people to see these are all of a piece. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>So it may seem like an enormous and impossibly ambitious task,
but just by making it clear what we stand for, and getting started on
it we will be moving forward together and magical things will happen,
inshallah. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Therefore, we should get our politics in order (see below for
some suggestions drafted by myself and colleagues in the UK below) and
then start organising at whatever scale we feel appropriate to our
local conditions (township, city, nation, local neighbourhood) Peoples
Assemblies (or whateve you want to call them, for want of a better
word, Soviets.. :-) ) and actually begin that process of collective
united struggle for the democratisation and ecologification of
globalisation. By communicating to each other our successes, failures,
needs and what we have to offer - via emails, video blogs, skype
conference calls, actual meetings we can then begin to build a genuine
solidarity, and really use this and othe international lists, and web
services to the amazing purpose to which they lend themselves...</div>
<div> </div>
<div>These are extraordinary (and dangerous) times in which anything
is possible. Country-wide, worldwide, Europe wide, if we work
strategically and do not allow ourselves to dissipate we really can do
this now. If not now, when? If not us, who? </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Here in London and the UK some of us have been working on the
idea of uniting under the banner of Peoples Assemblies. After occupying
Parliament Square for 3 months as "Democracy Village" (with Peoples
Assemblies, discussions, decisions and direct actions takling place
every day) we were eventually evicted by the Mayor of London. Here a
lot of the energy was put into the campaign to get the troops out of
Afghanistan, but also the camp was an eco-village, and we were
consciously linked, and spoke about in the media, the International
community of climate justice activists and the call for PAs that had
come, albeit shakily from CJA. Since our eviction the authorities have
boarded up the whole of Parliament Square, but Democracy Village
Peoples Assembly has been meeting in Victoria Tower Gardens and we are
now planning a Democracy Rally and Peoples Assembly in Trafalgar Square
in October. We are also calling on the growing domestic anti-cuts
alliance to see the importance of decentralised organising in
communities, Peoples Assembly structures as both a way of helping
one another (and the environment) in the community, resistance to
state-capitalist solutions and building the new society all in one go. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Here are some of the thoughts on PAs, and the idea of Democracy
Village, including political ideology that have been put forward in the
UK. For an iconic symbol that can be recognised and replicated (and
also drawn upon according to local conditions) some people are
suggesting blank placards</div>
<div> </div>
<div>A. <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.aworldtowin.net/frontline/BuildPeoplesAssemblies.html">http://www.aworldtowin.net/frontline/BuildPeoplesAssemblies.html</a></div>
<div>B. Peoples Assemblies and the world we believe they can bring
about<br>
<br>
Values:<br>
<br>
Equality - each person is able to speak and be listened to - there is
no elite platform<br>
Difference - we learn from each other's perspectives; we may disagree,
but we listen to one another respectfully and our views become refined
through the experience <br>
Solidarity - we are together because we believe in the existence of a
common agenda. In spite of our differences, we pursue and find
consensus over ideas and shared actions<br>
Sharing - we believe in a society in which sharing and co-operation
trump competition. We freely share food and other gifts at our meetings<br>
Secularity - we respect and are happy to learn from different belief
systems but are committed to the ideal of secularism<br>
Ecology - we believe in a new, really democratic society with a very
low/zero carbon footprint<br>
Self-determination - we struggle for a new kind of freedom based on
community nurturing true individuality, and vice versa - "It takes a
village to bring up a child"<br>
<br>
Democratic Processes: <br>
(1) Peoples Assemblies make decisions horizontally <br>
(2) Peoples Assemblies are interested to learn about, try out and
embody new democratic practices<br>
<br>
Core Aims:<br>
(1) Real Democracy - PAs should find ways to campaign for a really
ecological, democratic society at local, national and global levels<br>
(2) Decentralisation - to bring this about sovereignty should be vested
at the neighbourhood / community / workplace level<br>
(3) Internationalism - PA communities link up in solidarity and support
across the world<br>
(4) Ideals - we are interested to bring about a world based on a
Reclaimation of the Commons, Truth, Peace, Sustainability, Justice and
Compassion above all things and we are willing to fight non-violently
to this end <br>
(5) Peoples Assembly movement - to bring these aims about we are
calling for a movement based on the idea of Peoples Assemblies<br>
<br>
Ideology: <br>
(1) local, democratic not private or state led provision of public
services (the real third way)<br>
(2) really democratic, people powered globalisation not capitalist or
state-led (the real third international)<br>
(3) a new appropriate political economy to match<br>
</div>
<div>C. <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://gco2e.blogspot.com/2010/08/geoarchy-goal-of-peoples-assmeblies.html">http://gco2e.blogspot.com/2010/08/geoarchy-goal-of-peoples-assmeblies.html</a></div>
<div>D. <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.peopleincommon.org/archive/C421.html">http://www.peopleincommon.org/archive/C421.html</a></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Up the global revolution</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Mark</div>
<div> </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">On 24 August 2010 10:49, Peter / GroenFront!
<span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:peter@groenfront.nl" target="_blank">peter@groenfront.nl</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote"
style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Dear
friends,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The next meeting op Climate Justice Action should, in my view
, have just one agenda point. Dissolve the network of not. <br>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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. <br clear="all">
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. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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. </div>
<div>I think it is time to face facts, and dissolve CJA as it is at
this moment. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>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. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Peter Polder </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
-- <br>
<div>skype:peterpolder</div>
<div><a moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://www.groenfront.nl/"
target="_blank">www.groenfront.nl</a></div>
<br>
<br>
</div>
</div>
<br>
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<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
</div>
<br>
<br clear="all">
<br>
-- <br>
"We hear men speaking for us of new laws strong and sweet /Yet is there
no man speaketh as we speak in the street.” <br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
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