Proposals and discussion from the Group C: Possible Campaigns and Actions
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? i. Create concrete links between local and global struggles, furthering the awareness of global power structure behind local problems. ii. Share experiences of autonomous spaces and exchange practical skills through working together on alternatives to capitalist and other destructive systems. iii. 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.
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.
Therefore the working group proposes this process for convening on and then collecting proposals of action between the individuals of the network:
- Split up in smaller groups to brainstorm, what PGA could be useful for during the following year. What are its objectives if they have evolved, what are effective strategies given the current situations. Discuss what is the relevancy of PGA in supporting counter summits for example. Start a working process how this could be done concretely.
- Have much more proposals which can be brought back to larger groups, wherein some of the proposals can be chosen.
- Around the proposals action groups form by interested parties to help the proposals to become actions or campaigns.
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.
Discussions we had
Discussion about how we can use PGA structures to support/promote actions and creation of alternatives. The question was, whether PGA can support anything, as it is not an association. Therefore concrete support can only be meant in a practical sense and not in a theoretical.