Berlin: Invitation to the Third Anti-Racist Border Camp

Invitation to the Third Anti-Racist Border Camp
July 29th - August 6th, 2000 in Forst

What strikes me most is that you cannot see any country
borders.
I suddenly realised that the borderlines shown on maps
are just creations in people's minds. (Ulf Merbold,
Astronaut)

Well, we cannot offer a trip to the moon, unfortunately.
But the camp still offers possibilities to examine the
findings cited above. When a person crosses the river
Neisse he is not stopped by invisible powers or forces
from entering the Federal Republic of Germany. Those
which stop him have names and functions. They are made
of flesh and blood and are hiding behind the fulfilment
of duties as well as national or European
responsibilities:

The German Federal Border Police (BGS). The Federal
Ministry of the Interior. The Central Authorities for
Foreigners. Others willingly execute the desires of
silent majorities by using the language of violence
against people of colour, people of a different
nationality or opinion, attacking or occasionally
killing them:

German neo-nazis and fascists. Many contribute their
part by looking the other way, by not intervening,
remaining silent or even by denouncing the victims:

German citizens.

This mixture of xenophobia, racism, and social as well
as state-organised persecution we call the BORDER
REGIME.

Against this conglomeration of German every-day life we
are again organising a camp at the Polish-German border.

State racism through prohibition of work, deportation,
internment, restricted freedom of movement and police
suspicion will be discussed as well as strategies
against racist opinions and propaganda found in pubs and
living-rooms.

The camp will also examine the concept for building
tolerance in the region of Brandenburg ('Tolerantes
Brandenburg') organised by the regional government. We
will provide a forum for criticism to all those who have
no voice or are not heard within the concept. They are
cordially invited to participate with their wishes and
demands.

Our aim is clear:

- - advocate the interests of migrants and refugees.
- - encouragement, support and co-operation of initiatives
which want to stop racist street brutality, inhuman
treatment at foreign administration offices and the hunt
for human beings at the border.
- - a public critique of the conditions which lead to such
situations.
- - the disruption and irritation of the border regime.

Like last year, we would like to have a meeting of
friends with political and cultural discussion and
action. The convergence of different personal, cultural
and political backgrounds and experiences is
intentional. An important aspect is the
self-organisation of the participants. We expect that
people accept responsibilities in camp life and we look
forward to open-mindedness, which hopefully will foster
lots of ideas for actions and inspiring encounters.

See ya,
the camp organisation.

Equal rights for refugees and migrants!
Open borders!
No more deportations!
Support refugees!
Contact: c/o FFM, Grenzcamp 2000, Gneisenaustr. 2a,
D-10961 Berlin, e-mail:  ffm@snafu.de,
 http://www.nadir.org/camp00