http://esf2004.net/en/tiki-index.php?page=PersonalAcount
Although we supported the Paris ESF initiative because it is one of the big events of the Movement (part of the Agenda...), we realized that it didn't quite suite our ideas/ideals. We felt that a European gathering should have a more concrete aspect (hence, actions, related to the problematiques in Europe/of the ESF); we felt that self-management was important, therefore we needed to create a space that corresponded to our ideas, a place where people, youth essentially, could take part in, a place of a human size, where people could meet, exchange, debate, create, be self-managed (there we didn't really succeed!)... As any Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) !
We felt that, as for the VIG, we have to live things together (direct democracy, respect, self-management, bio life, ant-sexist attitudes, anti-racist...), even if it is during a TAZ, to make things possible. And we also wanted to have fun. Have free concerts. Be an open space.
We also wanted these ideas and our own movement to be acknowledged by the ESF, the actors of the ESF, the "organizing committee". In each country where an ESF takes place, some people (from NGOs, trade-unions, associations...), appoint themselves to organize the thing. You know how it works.
In March last year maybe, Marie-Laure?, (and I think Jonathan was there as well and found it boring), went to the 1st or 2nd EPA in Berlin. ML was pretty stressed by how the meeting had been : people speaking and speaking, and not much for which our ideas to match with. Nothing much to do...
It just seemed like a big "antiglobalization" machine.
But we wanted to do something.
1)We then decided that the best was to organize our own space.
More or less like the Hub, but better !
As you know, every one tries to learn from previous experiences. And also, we didn't want to be against the ESF, we wanted to have one foot out (to do our things), and one foot in (through seminars/workshops...), to have our ideas brought to the other actors of the movement, to debate from within. And also, lets be frank, to benefit from the practicalities of the ESF : housing, spaces... and also to be on the program. Hence, we avoided many practical, financial problems. That can be discussed of course. And that is the critic we receive from the Libertarians, anarchists.. And so on, but we believe that this is public money = ours.
2)We also felt that for the ESF to be concrete for us, we should do something we had been wanting to do for a long time, which even appeared as a necessity, to have a bit of credit, even for ourselves.
In Vamos! We had been speaking for a while of how to have a concrete role and action for things we stand for : freedom of circulation, rights of migrants, illegals...
And as the ESF "theme" was about freedom of circulation in Europe, we thought that it couldn't just be people debating in big rooms...
We needed to work with the "Sans", the "Without" papers, roofs, jobs..., the NO VOX.
3)So, in July last here, when there was the 3rd EPA for the Paris ESF, my mission was to grab a microphone, and say, "Hey ! This is who we are. This is what we stand for ! This is what we have done. And we want the movement to acknowledge it, and this is what we are going to do, and we want the "org.comm.." to take us into account, therefore, give us some of the "land"/practicalities that are going to be given to the ESF, to us aswell. Then we'll managed. And, take note, that we are not just little kids fooling around bla bla bla, that what we stand for is one of the roads to explore to make that other world that we call for possible. . We are fucking legitimate ! And I call everyone who shares the same desires/ideals... to join us."
Something like that.
So, I let some hours and people go by to get my ideas clear. And I stood up, got into the line, took the mike and started my song !
And, you know what, it worked !
The job, before that, had been to check out among the people, groups taking part, who was what, who was doing what, who was close to our "radical ideas", who wanted to join in. Therefore, I was able to say, when I spoke that such an such, X and Y, were on the same line. Which gave more strength to my words.
That is when I started to speak with the No Vox. I brought up the idea of a real partnership, and of course, politically we were on the same vibes, and on top of that, we were making the link with a real, concrete struggle, and also they were obtaining an echo of their struggle, for their issues, they never had before.
It was like a Davos meeting (I give you this, you give me that), except that it was on nicer issues and ideas !
I also went to speak to the "mythic" Disobeddienti. And you know what, they listened and were for it ! Even if, when time came to build things, there weren't really here. As usual. But for actions, they were ok.
Voila.
Once we had this, we worked in Paris. We went to meetings, many, big and small ones. Financial ones, practical ones... We did a big lobbying work, to be sure, that they (the Org. Committee) weren't just saying "ye syes youre nice, we'll do something for you". Which what they did for a while. They were kind of afraid of what we would do...
So we worked our ass of. We had support in the Committee.
Parallel to that, as not having a space from them was a possibility, we searched for places in and out of Paris, that could be cool and secure and that could house thousands of people. In doing so, we discovered quite a lot of place, nice people, cool parties.. but nothing that really was what we wanted !
And keep in mind that we wanted something close to La Villette in order for people not to spend all their time in the metro...
Before I left for y holidays in August, we were kind of depressed, we still had no space. I went to the city hall of the 19th, that was one of the arrondissements hosting the ESF. I had brought a map of Paris.
So the officials were speaking bla bla bla; not this wont work because of this, and this neither...
Then, I saw a green spot, on the map that I had opened, that was close to La Villette. And I said : what is this?
Oh, just a stadium.
What???! A stadium! WE TAKE IT!
And that was it. Then came the search of chapiteaux, authorisations, security commissions, all the materials...
On the other side, some of us were working on the programme, the tasks, the workshops, the concerts, the exhibitions, the batucada, the actions, the food...
On opening the process to other groups. (when I was in BCN, I went to a meeting of the Xarxa to tell them : "hey? you guys and girls are going to the ESF? Well this is what we are doing, come over ! And I did the same thing in Lisbon. It was cool that my holidays took me to such places!)
Some preparatory meetings on our own, with the NO VOX, other groups that were taking part.
Another thing, still with the idea of opening the process to all, and to do it with people which we felt had common themes and struggles, we worked with the Network LesbianGayTrans? and Bisexuals (LGTB), that lead political actions for equal rights.
(For example, they have launched an appeal "Pour l'egalite des droits", and we , and other groups signed it. There is a demo demain, and the batucada is playing, yahoo ! And, maybe a little action.)
So. A lot of work. Till the days of the GLAD, when I was still dealing with the Security Commission of the Prefecture de Police (many prior meetings aswell), that wanted to close the place down for absence of security.
Voila.
This is roughly what we did.
To have the "intellectual" aspect of our process and ideas : http://www.intergalactique.lautre.net/article.php3?id_article=121
And there is everything, even your report , as well as our programme at the ESF :
http://www.intergalactique.lautre.net/article.php3?id_article=80
The programme of the GLAD in German : http://www.intergalactique.lautre.net/article.php3?id_article=86
What the GLAD is, was : http://www.intergalactique.lautre.net/article.php3?id_article=59
The spirit of the GLAD : http://www.intergalactique.lautre.net/article.php3?id_article=8
Everything is at : http://www.intergalactique.lautre.net/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=6
By the way, we have redone our website, you should check it out : http://www.intergalactique.lautre.net/rubrique123.html
Created by: stuart last modification: Friday 30 of April, 2004 [12:23:30 UTC] by stuart