Minutes of the International working group meeting at Dissent meeting in Osnabrück (28-10-2006)
Partipating: people from Amsterdam, Portland (Oregon), Heidelberg, Hamburg and Berlin
POINTS: +introduction of international working group +international newsletter +fundraising and border problems, visa +continuous work after the g8 summit +international meeting in february
- INTRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL WORKING GROUP*
+ two MAILINGLISTS:
http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/g8-int
+ there were the first MEETINGS at CampInski with people from Romania, UK, Russia, Netherlands, France
+ there is an international NEWSLETTER, already once published, second issue should come this week; if you have an article for the newsletter: mail to fabarticles (ät) lists.riseup.org
+ there are plannings and preparations for a CONVERGENCE CENTER in Hamburg (http://hamburg.dissentnetwork.org) and a preparation forum in Berlin before the summit
+ for TRANSLATIONS there is a mailinglist for translators: g8-translations (at) lists.nadir.org; info & subscribe: https://lists.nadir.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/g8-translations AND there is a wiki page for “coordination of translations”, you find it under dissentnetwork.org/wiki
+ preparations to help people to get VISA started a bit in Berlin and Hamburg
+ in NETHERLANDS people are preparing info points at borders (for the case that borders are closed), there are plans to organize shuttle buses and there will be a Dutch info tour
- NEWSLETTER*
The idea is that people from everywhere send their artcles to be published every two months or so. It consists of four pages A4, so texts should be short. Contact: mail to fabarticles (ät) lists.riseup.org
+ next newsletter will be publiched before the Rostock conference, in English and German
+ DISTRIBUTION PROBLEM: its unknown where the newsletter is distributed – please send some feedback about it to the editors! The idea is actually that people print and copy it on their own and distribute it in their cities and regions. In Netherlands for example somebody makes some copies and sends it to all squats and squat bars (just one paper version each, so that they can make copies on their own) Now there is the idea to print more in Berlin and send them to infoshops everywhere or at least to the people who are not able to pay for copies (e.g. in Serbia this is the case). There are people who could copy it and somebody who could collect addresses (both in Berlin), but there is nobody (until now) to care for the sending (if you could do so, please contact newsletter editors).
+ Other ideas are to distribute it at World Social Forum in Nairobi, Preparation meeting in december for No Border Camp in Ukraine etc (volunteers are wanted for copying and distributing)
- FUNDRAISING + VISA ISSUES*
There is a big need of money if we want to enable people from everywhere to come, especially people from e.g. Eastern Europe who don’t have much money for travel and visa; also for convergence centers and other support for people from abroad like food and accomodation. Its connected with the problem how to invite people who need visa for Germany. + Idea: ask people from Rostock II conference preparation circle and NGOs for money support
+ another question are possible border problems: people from different neighbour countries and border regions should be contacted and think about possible info points at borders and border actions (in Netherlands, people are already planning sth. like this.
- CONTINUOS WORK AFTER THE SUMMIT*
[more or less minutes of different people’s statements, probably often mixed with my personal interpretation on what people said]
+ now there is a PGA (Peoples Global Action) Infopoint in Hamburg. Their idea is also to involve more people from Dissent! in the PGA structures. It should be not only summit hopping, there should be ideas and perspectives for the next five years and more. Dissent! started with this idea of a wider perspective, but discussions are becoming more and more technical. + Maybe also decentral work and actions are much more effective than the concentration on one summit. + One idea for a longer term perspective is the next PGA europe gathering in 2008 to be hold in Germany (there is the idea, but its only possible if much more people get involved) + In the International newsletter, page 3 is reserved for discussion, especially about possible topics for the international meeting in february – so this could be also two places for the discussion about long term perspectives + The problem is that most people are not even planning one year in advance and don’t know what they are going to do in their lives after the summit. + Its difficult to do “technical” discussions and deeper ones about perspectives at the same time – you often get easily stucked in the technical ones. + Decentral actions in different countries and cities will happen anyway, its now contradiction with the central mobilisation to Heiligendamm – people who stay “at home” for various reasons can make actions in their home towns. + In the US, a lot of activists don’t have the money and don’t want the environmental impact, so they will do local actions. + The discussion pro and contra mobilisation can be inspiring for the mobilisation, its not meant to affect it in a negative way + There are homepages wanted for texts about pro and contra summit mobilisation, perspectives etc. There is for example agp.org (PGA page), but its considered too big to find texts.
- INTERNATIONAL MEETING IN FEBRUARY*
Its planned for the second weekend in february, 9 to 11-02-2007. It is still not completely clear where it will happen, in Praha (CZ) or Warszawa (PL). Local groups in these cities have been asked to organize accomodation, meeting places and food. + there will be a preparation meeting for it with a “technical”(logistics) and a “theoretical” part (perspectives). On 30 and 31 of december in Rostock. + there is somebody who will write an invitation for it. + a lot of topics are open and have to be clarified until the preparation meeting: fundraising (also for travel costs), invitations for visa, technical stuff.