Handout for the spokes council

PROPOSALS TO THE PGA PROCESS DISCUSSIONS 

You'll find a lot of information about the PGA process structures in the “Plaisantation”, available at the infopoint. The way these discussions will be organized, their contents as well as some central questions are described in the last part of the practical guide. Here is a list of the proposals to the spokescouncil.

Sommaire

  1. Handout for the spokes council
    1. '''(0) INTRODUCTION: NOTATION USED ETC.'''
    2. (A) TOOLS FOR NETWORKING: IMPROVING THEM, GETTING INVOLVED, CREATING NETWORK STUCTURES
      1. 1) About PGA
      2. 2) Contents
      3. 3) Digital tools
    3. (B) TOWARDS A NEW CONFERENCE
      1. 1) Continuity and Skill Sharing
      2. 2) Organization of a PGA winter meeting
      3. 3) Finding a new convenor group for the next conference
    4. (C)POSSIBLE CAMPAIGNS & ACTIONS
      1. '''1)''' Actions and PGA network
      2. '''2)''' In argument for proposals
      3. '''3)''' Proposals
    5. (D) GLOBAL PROCESS
      1. 1) Relationship with other continents
      2. 2) Global solidarity
      3. 3) Exchange campaigns
      4. 4) next global conference
    6. (E) ORIENTATION/POLITICAL DEFINITION OF A NETWORK (SUCH AS OURS)
      1. 1) In general, a network of this type could/should
      2. 2) Proposal for possible forms that these meetings could take, whether as part of PGA or not

'''(0) INTRODUCTION: NOTATION USED ETC.'''

(I)nformation that will mainly be anounced and do not seem to need any further debate.

(P)eople are needed for this proposal

(D)ecission -Points marked with D should be debated and decided upon.

(A) TOOLS FOR NETWORKING: IMPROVING THEM, GETTING INVOLVED, CREATING NETWORK STUCTURES

1) About PGA

- communication between infopoint and tools of coordination

- Translations

- Infopoints classified list and how to register as infopoint

2) Contents

We propose to try again to have an « inspired by pga » newsletter that could be distributed over europe and be available as a part of the infopoint kit on the webpage.

pga-process list and using directly personnal pressure. :)

Deadline : Send your reports by the 17th of September to stamp-journal(at)pgaconference.org

next one, it would be great.

3) Digital tools

(I) List-administration: organizing this PGA conference involved creating & using a series of mailing-lists, which were reviewed, some tagged for destruction, some for continuation and broader use:

- PGA chat: an Internet Relay Chat channel was created on irc.indymedia.org for easing communication in between distant members of the STAMP collective. It has been put to extensive use during the “Digital Struggles” focus in the decentralized conference in Dijon, allowing interested parties to follow some of the discussions. There's no reason to get rid of it!

(I) Websites: the main PGA-related websites were collectively reviewed:

(B) TOWARDS A NEW CONFERENCE

1) Continuity and Skill Sharing

(D) Continuation of the various thematic groups started during this conference: how to have more people taking part in the preparation of the issues for next PGA events and keeping issues working groups in between conference? Discussions about keeping or creating pga thematic lists that were created to organize this conference in between conference.

(I) It was proposed in belgrade to organize some PGA-process skill-sharing and to write a "PGA organization practical guide". (I) Stamp people have been starting to work on a tool-text/book about the way this conference was organized to pass knowledges (P) Need to try to keep usefull logistic contacts for the organization of next conferences and to ask already before the end of this one...

2) Organization of a PGA winter meeting

(D)(P) The idea would be to have a new winter/spring meeting after this conference for people involved with the various projects and structures and hopefully with a new convenor group. Are there any ideas and groups who would like to welcome and organize such meeting?

3) Finding a new convenor group for the next conference

(D) What would be the accurate process to find a new convenor during this conference or after? Are there already groups who think about organizing a next conference ?

(C)POSSIBLE CAMPAIGNS & ACTIONS

'''1)''' Actions and PGA network

(I) In order to inform what sort of campaigns and actions a peoples global action network could be necessary or useful for, the working group asks and proposes answers to the following questions:

A.) What are the objectives of the PGA network? The objective of the PGA is to support and further the hallmark principals (summary: reject destructive systems of domination and discrimination, use a confrontational attitude and direct action tactics, construct local alternatives to global capitalism, organise through decentralisation and autonomy.)

B.) In what ways can a PGA network be used to meet these objectives?

  1. Create concrete links between local and global struggles, furthering the awareness of global power structure behind local problems.
  2. Share experiences of autonomous spaces and exchange practical skills through working together on alternatives to capitalist and other destructive systems.
  3. Have an exchange about the effectiveness or relavency of past and present forms of action and reflect about which strategies to continue, abandon, change or invent.

C.) What are the capacities of the PGA that make it unique from other networks? What makes its additional existence necessary and helpful in meeting its objectives? The PGA is much broader than other existing networks as it is trans-national, trans-lingual, trans-thematical, and includes a diversity of action methods. In connecting these diverse groups the PGA has a capacity to facilitate a unique exchange of information and a unique scale of action coordination.

'''2)''' In argument for proposals

(D) Because PGA is not an association concrete support can only be meant in a practical sense and not in a theoretical.

It is the opinion of the working group that while it is good to share ideas and experiences, there are other adequate places to do this and so this does not justify the existence of the PGA if that is its only accomplishment. The working group felt that there was a relatively low ratio of action proposals compared to experience sharing this year and that the PGA is at risk of becoming an entity whose main accomplishment is reproducing itself rather than creating and continuing effective actions towards the change it desires in the world.

The working group concludes that the PGA is useful only as long as it births and informs projects that work towards its hallmarks, and suggests that this be a criteria by which to judge the necessity of its continued existence.

'''3)''' Proposals

(I) Therefore the working group proposes this process for convening on and then collecting proposals of action between the individuals of the network:

(D) The working group used this process to brainstorm these following concrete proposals for action this year:

*Do thematical global action days before the G8 in Germany (migration, agrobusiness and education).

*Create alternatives to the capitalist system during the G8 in the region, which last longer than the G8 and involve the community.

*Support the no-border camp 2007 in the Ukraine and plan an action to shut down world wide financial districts.

(D) GLOBAL PROCESS

This working group addressed relationships with other continents, global solidarity, exchange campaigns, next global conference, link with the 6th declaration and proposal of new encuentro...

There is a perceived problem that globally the PGA is weak because it has lost its focus, we propose this methodology in order to find the answers

1) Relationship with other continents

We need to make a serious effort at outreach, this means both locally and globally both on and off the internet to establish/re-establish the connecting points of the PGA network (including the zapatistas).

We must revive our dialogue with allies in the South and find ways to make the PGA more relevant to specific struggles.

2) Global solidarity

(P) As part of the outreach effort, start a global Survey-Discussion to see what PGA is (or could be) to groups around the world; what resonates and what doesnt; Are there themes, or junctions of themes, that could connect groups better than just "anti-capitalist"? Which could give a new dynamic and action focus to PGA again? There is already a first list of persons who want to work on this (contact elviejo(at)greenmail.ch).

(I) Using Theme-based discussions and cross-overs to connect local, regional, global struggles. One proposal being discussed within the German G8 mobilization is using specific theme-days to connect the various global struggles to the G8 (G8 and agriculture for example)

3) Exchange campaigns

(P) Exchanges: As part of the process of our survey, we feel that there is need to seriously consider putting more effort into long term exchanges. This is especially important and proven effective in South-South relationships, and is an option taken at the last international meeting in Haridwar already being worked on in South Asian PGA.Interested persons should write to globalaction-subscribe(at)lists.riseup.net

(I) Resource Sharing: having the resources available to the network as was proposed within the decentralized gathering (legal guide; autonomous spaces database; sources of alternative technologies...) People can make suggestions for this to the webgroup stamp-www(at)pgaconference.org and/or the globalaction list. There is also a communication group. Contact them at agpcomm(at)lists.riseup.net. And a blog at deletetheborder.org/en/pga

4) next global conference

(I)We cannot propose another global conference now. First we must see some results of the process proposed and see also their pertinence for the South.

* Local, Regional, Continental Gatherings:

(D)Proposed concrete involvements for all groups:

- Participate in the proposed international discussion (which must also happen locally if it is to be a discussion between collectives! )

- Making new contacts, with a particular effort for Africa and Middle East. These can be announced and/or subscribed to the global action list.

- Specifically, make local and international contacts for the G8 theme days

- Translation help

- Propose ressources / knowhows

- Updating your infopoints in this process

(P)Particular job: - Constitute a global database of PGA organisations (volunteers?).

(E) ORIENTATION/POLITICAL DEFINITION OF A NETWORK (SUCH AS OURS)

This text is the result of a discussion in Fraysinnous

Noting an ongoing lack of involvement/enthusiasm in the PGA network as such, we tried to specify/explore what we could hope for from a European and global network (1). Redefining our motivation for having/being part of such a network seems to us a necessary precondition before people get involved in taking on work and responsibilities related to the network and the transformation of its structures. These questions might seem quite obvious to some people, but they aren't for everybody. Do we need to stick to them doggedly, to develop them and argue about them? In any case, they bear a direct relationship to questions of strategy at a global level.

Below is a proposal for a template/ templates/format for these type of meetings whether they are under the banner of PGA or not.(2)

1) In general, a network of this type could/should

At a global level

be an 'antidote' to the 'social forums' and other similar NGO and 'citizen stakeholder' initiatives, maintain a network of people who have things such as types of (direct) action and political standards (the hallmarks) in common, which allows us, without necessarily knowing people really well, to meet with other activists, in whom we can have already – a priori/ above anything else, a degree of trust and confidence, which we see as important.

provide a space for co-ordination on a global level.

From a strategic point of view

Co-ordination of struggles: finding ways to give our work a common direction; to identify the common crossover/ convergence points. Provide the means to express our respective needs to establish and develop ways of working together. Allow/facilitate us to bring our actions, methods of working (practices) and political discussions from our own groups (local, affinity) beyond individual (personal or group) positions, to a wider network (from the point of view of coordination of our struggles).

In order to facilitate common actions/action together- it is essential to create confidence and trust between us. For this to happen, we need to clarify what we don't agree on, and in a wider sense, develop the discussion on these points. This is an important precondition to good co-operation between us for an ongoing series of actions

Spice up some of our alternative practices to mix them up with the culture of direct action and proactive politics, and get them out of a culture of individualism in which they're often locked and isolated. Find new ways to engage and inform ordinary people, to get out of our isolated pockets of activism.

A need to broaden the range of things we work on

To pay some attention to the 'smaller' less discussed topics like home schooling, birth etc etc (in the sense of untangling ourselves from the control of the state) Create small working groups on these topics and to think of actions etc to continue work on them/ raising their profile..

2) Proposal for possible forms that these meetings could take, whether as part of PGA or not

Based on the impression from Fraysinnous that perhaps not enough people felt engaged by the PGA, we formulated a proposal for a meeting style/ template which corresponds more closely to the form of the meeting during this decentralized week. This proposal could potentially be taken as an idea that would replace the PGA purely and simply, if the 'defection' were confirmed on a European or global scale!. It could equally be seen as an complimentary and parallel initiative to a continuing PGA process, even as a project to be taken upby/worked on by future PGA meetings.

The principal idea is to preserve/ensure the quality of the meetings by limiting the set/number of themes (1) and their crossover convergence points(2) (as in Frayssinous, with "childhood" and "anti-industrialism")

STAMP: MeetingNotes/SpokesCouncil/HandoutEn (dernière édition le 2008-12-19 18:59:51 par anonyme)