arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

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A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
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Minutes of the international meeting in Lugano against the Davos World
Economic Forum 2001

To the participants and all other interested people

The meeting (14./15.October 2000) was a success: About 80 people and
groups/organisations from various countries took part. Some really good,
efficient and constructive work was done in different workshops and
most of the discussions on our contents were interesting.
All agreed that beside organising a mass demonstration on the 27th
January we will mobilise for a TOTAL BLOCKADE of the WEF meeting which
is taking place from 25th to 30th.
The platform which was elaborated by the Swiss groups of the anti-WTO
coordination will be the basis of the coming mobilisation.

The main principles of the platform are the following points:

* * * * * * * * * * * *
* *

1. We reject all forms and systems of domination and discrimination.
Because in our daily lives we struggle against capitalism, racism,
patriarchy, authoritarianism, nationalism, homophobia and anti-semitism,
we are mobilising today against the WEF.
We are aware that we are also a part of the existing contradictions.
Therefore, we strive not to accept this oppression and discrimination in
any form in our daily surroundings. We are convinced that patriarchy,
racism, and anti-semitism must be topics of on-going discussion.

2. We clearly reject the WEF and deny it any legitimacy whatsoever.
The WEF is, with its organised meeting of global leaders, one of the
driving forces behind the development and consolidation of the new world
order. For this reason we want to abolish the WEF.

3. We take a confrontational position to the WEF, which excludes both
dialogue, and any form of lobbying. We do not want to offer the WEF any
opportunity to pose in the limelight of the media, with their
superficial "willingness for dialogue with the civil society", as
open-minded patrons of peace. Such dialogue, as dictated by those in
power, serves only to silence criticism. We are of the opinion that it
is necessary, on this point, to develop a broad grassroots mobilisation.
Against omnipresent neoliberal thinking we want to, once again, make
other social possibilities both imaginable and realisable.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
* *

The groups who want to join the platform and mobilise against the WEF
meeting in Davos in january 2001 are asked to include the above points
in their leaflets, newspapers, magazines and websites and to send one
copy to the anti-WTO coordination (anti-wto@reitschule.ch). If you are
interested in the full version of the platform in German, French,
Italian, English or Spanish - the platform includes besides the three
principles a history of resistance against the WEF and an analysis of
the role of the WEF - ask the anti-WTO coordination for it.

THE NEXT, TECHNICAL STEPS

e-mail list to mobilise against the WEF: antiwefinfo@egroups.de
to subscribe send an empty e-message to:
antiwefinfo-subscribe@egroups.de

next international meetings: 16th-17th December 2000 in Geneva
13th-14th January, probably in Zurich

next meeting of the Swiss anti-WTO coordination: 5th November, 2 pm,
Reitschule Berne

to get more information: anti-wto@reitschule.ch

call: We need people for the different working groups (contacts are
mentioned further down). Also it would be important for the coordination
of the protests that people from other countries arrive and stay in
Zurich a few weeks before the WEF meeting. In Zurich there is going to
be an office for the coordination of the protests and the start of
indymedia work.

PARTICIPATION

Around half of the participants in Lugano came from Switzerland and the
other half from Italy. There were also a few from France and Germany. On
the second day of the meeting two activists of the Columbian "proceso
de comunidades negras" attended and spoke about their resistance
against the "plan Colombia" (see further down).
The Italian participants from Rome, Milan, Florence, Bergamo, Turin and
Como represented various "centri sociale", "movimenti antagonisti",
viva-Zapata groups and video activists who work with Indymedia. Swiss
participants represented the groups of the anti-WTO coordination,
Nord-S=FCd-Koordination Basel, the Centro Sociale Molino in Lugano (thes=
e
people also did some great cooking for everybody!), the anarchist trade
union FAU-CH, Phase 1 Lucerne, students' collectives in Ticino,
alternative radio LoRa, young socialists in Thun, Ticino and Zurich,
ATTAC Lausanne, Fribourg and Ticino. A representative of the Zurich
based NGO "Erkl=E4rung von Bern" (declaration of Berne) attended as a
guest. The French anarchist trade union CNT, the German groups Wild Cat
and "Eurom=E4rsche" (wo are mobilising for the blockade of the European
summit meeting in Nice on the 6th and 7th december 2000) were also
represented.

PROGRAMME

Saturday 16th October

1. The anti-WTO coordination presents itself and talks about the
mobilisations against the WEF in previous years.
2. Information on Davos: geography, political and legal situation et=
c.
3. Presentation of participants, their groups and the potential for
mobilisation in their countries; presentation of alliances who attend
the meeting but will mobilise in their own existing networks
(Eurom=E4rsche, Public Eye on Davas, ATTAC)
4. Working groups
- accommodation and food
- media: alternative media, Indymedia; mainstream media
- cultural events: concerts before the WEF meeting; cultural events
during the WEF meeting
- blockade and other actions
- transports, borders etc.
- anti-repression

Sunday 17th October

5. Assembly meeting, summaries of the working groups
6. Discussion on contents, main points
7. Presentation of the Plan Colombia and resistance against it
8. Cooperation with other alliances, political parties or organisati=
ons
9. Discussion on violence

1. Presentation of the anti-WTO coordination and mobilisations
against the WEF in previous years

The anti-WTO coordination in Switzerland started at the beginning of
1998 in a autonomous, zapatist and feminist context and took part in
the mobilisations against the WTO conference of ministers in May 1998.
In the time after that the anti-WTO-coordination concentrated a lot of
its work on the protests against the WEF in Davos. Its middle-term aim
is to prevent the WEF meeting as an arrogant, patriarchal meeting of
self-appointed global leaders of the world from taking place.

2. Information on Davos

Some information about the situation in Davos:
Davos is a tourist resort with 13,000 inhabitants. The village sits at
a height of 1560 meters, so during the end of the year you can expect a
lot of snow and temperatures below freezing. There are only two access
roads and one train line leading to Davos. This means that the area is
easily put under surveillance, but there are also thousands of ski
tourists underway at this time in Davos every year. The local officials
and the WEF management have insisted repeatedly that they want neither
to turn Davos into a fortress nor to interfere with the freedom of
movement of the ski tourists during the WEF Congress. But in fact, all
access roads and every train arrival is controlled, and the demo has
always been met with a massive police force. In previous years the
demo has always been prohibited. But, because we have always legally
contested this ruling and have now also won before the Federal Supreme
Court, we assume that we will receive a permit to demonstrate for the
27th of January 2001. One positive advantage of having a permit is that
our arrival in Davos would be more difficult to criminalize.

3. Presentation of participants, their groups and the potential for
mobilisation in their countries; presentation of alliances who attend
the meeting but will mobilise in their own existing networks
(Eurom=E4rsche, Public Eye on Davos, ATTAC)

3a. Italian
The "movimento antagonista Toscana" is a broad movement that
includes different groups and Centri Sociali. Its main topics are among
others migration and neoliberalism. The "movimento antagonista" is a
non-hierarchical organisation that intends to build up a movement
starting at the grassroots. Coordination on an Italian and
international level are important and the "movimento antagonista" wants
to link its local work with international events such as Davos, Prague,
Nice, Naples etc. Methods of the "movimento antagonista" are
demonstrations and direct actions. The activists don't want to discuss
violence as a question of violence, but as a question of efficience.
Their aim is to be as efficient as possible to prevent the global
leaders from taking decisions. The activists of the "movimento
antagonista Toscana" are against the participation of parties like the
Green Italian Party. That party is part of the Italian government and
supported the NATO intervention in Kosovo. In January 2000 it took part
in the protests against the WEF in Davos. A number of Italian activists
(for example Ya Basta) still havn't arrived because of an important
demo in Milano. Other groups can't take part but are interested in the
mobilisations against the WEF. One absent group suggested to do
internet actions against the WEF.

The Italian activists assume that a big number of Italian demonstrators
will
go to Davos.

3b. French speakers
The "r=E9seau sans titre" is interested in mobilising against the WEF, bu=
t
doesn't atttend the meeting.
"Conf=E9d=E9ration paysanne" doesn't attend either, but will mobilise - l=
ike
last year.
CNT is represented with one activists and wants to mobilise.
A big number of French activists are busy mobilising against the
European summit in Nice (6th and 7th December) at the moment. But still
there might be a lot of them coming to Davos.

3c. Switzerland
The Nord-S=FCd-Koordination Basel is building up an alliance with
different groups and organisations in Alsace and Southern Germany. They
will mobilise together.
The anti-WTO coordination is in touch with organisations who don't
necessarily support the platform but want to mobilise against the WEF
meeting such as NGOs like Erkl=E4rung von Bern ("Public Eye on Davos") or=

christian groups (liberation theology), environmentalists etc.
ATTAC Switzerland wants to mobilise, too.

A large number of Swiss activists are expected to take part in the demo.

3d. Germany
So far there has been little interest shown by groups in Germany. At the
meeting "Eurom=E4rsche" (Euro marches) is represented.

Eurom=E4rsche (Euro marches):
The network of European marches against unemployment, unprotected
employment and social exclusion (brief: Eurom=E4rsche) is an alliance of=

different groups, mainly of trade union background, but also some left
autonomous groups. They define themselves as part of a international
anticapitalist movement, but they also have some very concrete demands
such as a minimal income for everybody in EU countries. At the moment
they are busy mobilising for the protests in Nice. They want as many
people as possible to stay in Nice after the big demo on the 6th
December - there will be concerts all night long all over Nice -,
"occupy" the city and block the congress on the following morning.
Euro marches support the platform against the WEF and will call for the
demo and for actions in Davos.
Nice can also be used to mobilise for the protests in Davos: there's an
opportunity for it in the evening of the 6th and may-be on the 7th Decemb=
er.

Erkl=E4rung von Bern, "Public Eye on Davos":
On representative of the NGO "Erkl=E4rung von Bern" presents their plans
for "Public Eye on Davos". Last year they launched "Public Eye on
Davos" with some other NGOs (among others Friends of the Earth) for the
first time. They demanded that the WEF had to be more transparent and
that voices of concerned people in the South had to be invited to the
forum. Erkl=E4rung von Bern itself was part of a panel discussion on the=

WEF meeting. Their expectations weren't met: there was no echo and no
possibility to take any influence inside the WEF). After this they
decided to remain outside the WEF and to organise a counter congress in
Davos from 25th to 28th January, i.e. at the same time as the WEF
congress takes place. They haven't planned any events at the time of
the demo on Saturday afternoon. It is still not clear if the Erkl=E4rung
von Bern is going to support the demo or not: This depends on the
results of our discussion on violence. The representative finds it
important, however, that the different forms of resistance don't stand
in each others way and that they refer to each other.

ATTAC Switzerland
ATTAC will mobilise for the protests in Davos. On 21st October there
will be an all Switzerland meeting of ATTAC where a representative of
the Brasilian landless movement Sem Terra is going to speak. ATTAC
suggest to link the protests in Davos with the social summit in Porto
Alegre which is going to take place at the same time as the WEF
meeting. The participants can't decide on this yet as it is still not
clear what the contents of the meeting in Porto Alegre will be and who
exactly organises it. (Some mistrust towards trotzkiytes is visible in
the meeting.)

4. RESULTS OF THE WORKING GROUPS
In all working groups more people are needed. If you are interested get
in touch with the contact person.

accommodation/food
Plans for accommodation: during the days of arrival (from Sunday 21st
January on) there will be centres in Lugano, Geneva and Zurich where
activists arriving from countries in the South, the West, the North/the
East can meet and stay for a few days. As such centres the Molino in
Lugano, the Usine in Geneva and the Rote Fabrik in Zurich are proposed.
Closer to Davos, on either side of the village, there will have to be
central meeting points. Activists who take part in the blockades/actions
during the WEF will be able to get information there, to meet and
coordinate themselves.
Accommodation will be decentral, i.e. in the vicinity of Davos. We won't
be able to organise a huge number of places to sleep. People who are
planning to arrive by bus should best prepare themselves to spend a few
nights on the bus. This might allow us to provide accommodation for a
bigger number of activists. People looking for accommodation please get
in touch with: anti-wto@reitschule.ch. Also let us know as soon as
possible from what date, until what date and for how many persons you
need a place to stay. Plans for food: Seen as accommodation will be
decentral, everybody should best look for their own food. Anyway,
mobile kitchens (such as Rampenplan in Holland and a mobile kitchen in
Freiburg, Germany) will be asked to accompany the action days and the
demo and to provide hot tea and soup to keep us warm.

contact: anti-wto@reitschule.ch
(By the way: we assume that our e-mail account is regularely read by
others, too. If you want to be anonymous keep that in mind!)

media
Indymedia: We'll set up an Indymedia office in Davos to send information
to alternative media, interested groups and individuals and to write
independent reports on activities in Davos. There will be different
sub-groups within the media group, working with video, radio, on the
Indymedia homepage, print media etc. Some such as radio LoRa will
transmit happenings in Davos live, others will discuss various topics
of the WEF and neoliberalism in general and during the WEF publish up
to date news. For this we'll need a room in Davos. We also need
computers, mobile phones (to be able to be at the places where things
are happening or get some live reports at least) and other technical
infrastructure such as a telephone line etc.
Indymedia people will have their vests and/or Indymedia passes to make
themselves recognisable. Mainstream media: We'll definitely have a media
conference to get our point across. The conference could take place as
a parody with different imaginary characters as speakers. This form
would allow us to make our point without having an individual speaker
who might be seen by the media as responsible for events.
There are also discussions going on whether to accredit some mainstream
journalists.

contact: savanne@savanne.ch

culture
before the WEF meeting: various concerts and films in different towns to
mobilise people and raise money.
during the demo: a lorry with a generator and a sound system can be used
for music and speeches.
after the demo: there will be a party with a live concert and some
radical rave in Davos.
The whole thing should be colourful, with a lot of music and theatre. If
you know people who are interested in doing something tell them to get
in touch with us.
Another idea: Everybody brings a sack of snow to build a huge snow
sculpture or a place where radical snowboarders can perform.
Barrels as drums, fire spitters etc.
To store all the material we need a room in Davos.

contact: irrwege@gmx.net

blockades and actions
plans: total blockade of the WEF congress. We should prevent the
participants from getting to Davos and thus prevent the inaugural
meeting on Thursday 25th at 6 pm. from taking place. The participants
of the WEF will try from Wednesday to get to Davos by different means
of transport: A large number will arrive by plane in Zurich Flughafen
where they will hire limousines or get on a bus of the WEF. The richest
will get a helicopter from Zurich to Davos and a few remaining ones
will get on a train.
This means that we'll have to block the motorway and the main road from
Landquart to Davos as well as the air space between Zurich and Davos. We
decided not to block the train as there might be the participants of
the counter congress on it.
A blockade might be the most effective form of protest to prevent the
WEF meeting from taking place. A road can be blocked by a mass of
people but also by a mobile small group. It's important, however, to
put up signals before the blockades to prevent accidents. We don't want
to attack participants of the congress. (Also there will be other
people travelling to Davos, such as inhabitants of the village, and
towards them we want to be kind anyway!)
We'll send detailled information on the situation in Davos (map etc.) in
the coming weeks to allow the different groups to prepare themselves
independently. Don't forget to let us know if you want to stay somewhere
around Davos!
some infos:
Saturday night 27th January: the delegates will have their party
in the congress centre and the swimming pool
Sunday: sports day of the delegates on a hill beside
Davos (Schatzalp)
Tuesday: buffet on the same hill (Schatzalp)

contact: anti-wto@reitschule.ch (for German and French speakers)
com_antagonista@hotmail.com (for Italian speakers)

transport and borders
borders: In case foreign activists get blocked at the borders lawyers,
media and activists have to be mobilised. It's also possible to block
roads leading to the border if people can't cross the border.
transport: may-be free trains in cooperation with trade unions; convoys
of busses who are in contact with each other

contact: anti-wto@reitschule.ch

anti-repression
We'll set up a telephone line as a anti-repression contact and an
distribute an info leaflet in at least three languages. There are
already interested lawyers in Zurich. In case that there's many arrests
a central office will be totally overwhelmed. In this case it'd be
necessary to have more such offices. So please try to contact as many
lawyers as possible in different towns.
There will also have to be some groups of medical supporters.

contact: aktionfunke@yahoo.de

CONTENTS AND SPECIFIC POINTS
1. A Turkish comrade of Devrimci Sol explains the effects of neoliberal
politics in Turkey. One such effect is repression. According to new
plans the Turkish government wants to build new jails with cells for
solitary confinement in various cities. All political prisoners will
then be in solitary confinement. In Turkey a broad alliance is
protesting against these plans. Turkish representatives will
participate on the WEF in Davos. If the alliance against the new jail
system starts working in Switzerland, too, the topic will be brought up
in the protests against the WEF.

2. Plan Colombia
Two activists of the "proceso de comunidades negras" explain the
situation of blacks on the pacific coast and the "Plan Colombia".
According to this plan the US government will send 7 billion $ to
Columbia. Their excuse is the fight against drugs and drug deal, but in
fact it's all about the fight against people in resistance, not only
the Guerrillas but all social movements. EU states have been asked,
too, to give some financial "support". The US investment flows mainly
into the military sector, European states are asked to support
"civilian projects".
According to the two activists of "proceso de comunidades negras" there
will be hardly any opposition or any social movement left in Columbia
if the Plan Colombia can't be stopped.

Proceso de comunidades negras (PNC): 9 million blacks live in Columbia,
mainly along the pacific coast. In the last few years one million of
them got chased, another 400000 killed. PNC is also a cultural concept:
"Soy porque somos" is one of their slogans which means: they can only
be free if they can fight together with other movements for all of
their freedom. The pacific coast where most of the blacks live is an
important economic area in Columbia. The PNC want to take the areas
along the pacific coast out of the control of capitalism and the state
and declare them as autonomous. So far they have several of these
collective autonomous regions. They see their resistance as part of
global resistance.
links to Davos: The Columbian president Pastrana is expected to go to
Davos as he did in the past two years (as well as many delegates from
the USA). PNC suggests mobilisations in Columbia at the same time as
Davos. In mid-November there will be a PGA meeting with all countries
who are affected by the Plan Colombia. At that meeting PNC will talk
about their suggestion. They'll let us know the outcome of their
discussions.

DISCUSSION OF VIOLENCE
The discussion was be based on a paper which had been written by the
anti-WTO coordination. The aim was to work out some common lines.
However, we didn't get that far in our discussion but still we got the
impression that the different points expressed aren't too far from each
other.

The following statements were expressed in the discussion and should be
the base of our future discussion:
- It's not only about symbolic resistance in Davos. Our aim is to
prevent the WEF meeting from taking place or at least to delay it. The
aim of the demo is to get to the congress building.
- There is a continuity Seattle-Melbourne-Prague-Nice-Davos-Genua
(G8). We need some broad activity to achieve our common goal.
- At the demo there has to be room for different positions.
- We'll have to think about strategies which allow various forms
of actions, for example one group blocks the road while the other tries
to get into the congress centre.
- The people of Davos should not suffer in any circumstance.
- The WEF participants should not be physically attacked.
- The question of violence should be seen as a question of
efficience. Nobody thinks that violence is an aim. If we carry out
actions which aren't non-violent they have to be even more understandabl=
e.
- It's neither necessary nor efficient to attack cops who try to
flee. It's rather a kind of hooliganism.
- We might have to defend ourselves and our aims in Davos,
depending on the circumstances.
- This is a collective project, we want it to be respected. If
some participants of the demo act in a stupid way we should intervene.
With this we also minimise the cops' ability to send provokers.
- What will we do if we get attacked by cops in some blockade? The
more we can resolve this kind of questions in our discussions the
smaller is the risk of unwanted things to happen.
- A certain level of militancy is needed: Two years ago the demo
got hemmed in. Last year we could only go forward because we went
through some police blockades.
- We might have a history full of rocks and broken glass. Some
fantasy might be good and necessary, though.

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