International Co-ordinating Meeting

An Invite to an International Networking and Co-ordination Meeting (26th -27th February in Tuebingen, Southern Germany) for Those Wanting to Build Radical Resistance to the 2005 G8 Summit to be Held in the UK

The G8 are returning to Europe in 2005. Over the last 18 months an international network has been emerging to ensure that their meeting will not pass by uncontested. In the UK, a network of autonomous local and working groups, going by the name of Dissent! (for more about Dissent! see the end of this invite) have been spreading news about the up-coming summit and the planned resistance to it, pooling ideas and resources and dreaming up ideas for action. The opportunity provided by the European Peoples' Global Action (PGA) Conference, which took place in Belgrade in July 2004 and the European Social Forum (ESF) in London in October, was used to begin an international dialogue between those planning resistance to the Summit.

Ideas and inspiration have been shared, and practical preparations have begun.

In Britain, a number of working groups have been working on initiatives such as a website, a newsletter, organising structures and resources for legal support, training people as street medics and touring the country explaining the issues being discussed at the Summit and the realities behind them. Across Europe and further a field, individuals, groups and networks have been producing their own anti-G8 materials, building links with groups locally, organising benefit parties and discussing what they want their role to be in the mobilisation.

Preparations are well underway. However, as 2005 begins and the Summit starts to come into view, it's time to step up our efforts. If we're to have a serious possibility of disrupting the Summit, maximise the potential for strengthening local and global networks of struggle, and develop and collectively express a critique of capitalism more substantial than that which will be propagated by the mainstream of the anti-globalisation movement, then there is no time to waste.

The International Meeting

As part of a discussion at the European PGA Conference about the best way to involve people from outside of the UK in organising resistance to the 2005 G8 Summit, both as a means of maximising our impact upon the Summit itself and contributing to the development of real international networks through face-to-face contact, it was decided to hold an international networking and co-ordination meeting to focus upon resisting the Summit in February 2005.

The meeting will take place in Tuebingen, Southern Germany on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th February 2005. The meeting is being hosted by the Tuebingen Infoladen (Info-Shop) Collective who are providing accommodation, meeting space and food. The proposed agenda which follows has been drafted by the Dissent! International Networking Group. The agenda is a draft and is open for comments, additions and alterations. Email any comments to: info-g82005@riseup.net

Come along to the meeting and get involved! We will attempt to make translation into as many languages as possible available. If you require translation from English please let us know as soon as you can. Also, please get in touch if you can offer translation to or from any languages.

Slowly but surely the realization that July is not that far away starts to get hold of people in Holland to. Different people from all around the country started to meet up on a regular basis to create a solid basis for action across the ocean. We hope to mobilize as much people as possible to come to Scotland to join the protests, but besides mobilization the group is busy making concrete plans for action and thinking out how to supply infrastructure for Dutch activists in Scotland itself.

To inform and inspire, there will be several info nights, action-planning evenings and activist training days.

Some dates that are fixed now are: *April 16th: benefit & infonight at de Vrankrijk, Amsterdam

*April 17th: info evening at De Klinker, Nijmegen *June 18th: activist training day (time and place unknown)

Furthermore for more information about protest against the G8 in/from Holland people can mail to: infog8@squat.net

To keep informed about days, dates, action etc. people can subscribe to the email-list:

g8-admin@lists.direkte-aktie.net

"Collectif des resistances" in Lyon are organising a week of resistance against the G8 in May 2005.

A large network has formed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland including groups and people from 30 different cities, who want to work together against the G8 in 2005, and on towards the G8 in 2007 when it comes to Germany. Information gatherings have been held in three cities, as well as a big fundraising party. They are planning an info-tour in March/April.