Brief report about European No Border meeting
desaparecido at nadir.org | 04.12.2001 22:59
Here’s some subjective feedback about the European No Border meeting that took place in Munich on December 1st,2nd by someone who took part briefly.
****** Participation
About 40 people met. The No Border network is a European co-ordination space for anti racist grassroots groups, collectives working in support of self organised migrant groups, against deportations etc. (Check out www.noborder.org).
Groups like Noone is Illegal (Germany, Spanish State...), folx that have organised bordercamps in the past in Tarifa, Frankfurt, Slovenia, Germany..... , No Border (London) and other groups from the UK (i.e. close campsfield), PublixTheater Karawane (Austria), Collectif Anti Expulsion (Paris) and friends from Strasbourg, no border groups in Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia, Lithuania...), Ya Basta Finnland and Italy, indymedia and many more very nice people.
******* Projects, discussions and proposals
Just to highlight a few of the important points worked on.
* International NoBorderCamp in Strasbourg July 2002:
One of the main activities of the network will most likely be the INTERNATIONAL NOBORDER CAMP IN STRASBOURG IN JULY 2002. Starting from their struggle for the freedom of movement and settlement and for a world without borders, the people in the network seem to be wanting to extend the focus of their work to fight all forms of social control. Social control as the form of expression of the war within Europe. This is mainly reflected in their clearly expressed wish to work closer to other social movements throughout the world and the groups identifying with the PGA principles. But also in the concrete target by choosing Strasbourg for the camp.
Strasbourg hosts the SIS (Schengen Information System), a key piece in the European social control machinery. As you probably know the SIS is aimed to contain two extensive databases : one with names and data about foreigners and immigrants, and the other with names of political activists. The SIS can be consulted instantly from any checkpoint in any part of Europe. I am pasting a document below, just released by Statewatch about SIS.
A call will be released soon. The camp aims to be large, inclusive and participatory....a place to experiment new forms of action and disobedience to fight social control. It is all in process of co-ordination, finding enough support to kick it off (especially since the groups in Strasbourg have a lack of human resources) and so on. The call will probably include more info on how to get involved, upcoming preparation meetings etc else keep checking the
http://www.noborder.org site.
* There is also talks about co-ordinating efforts to improve the work in support of Chechen refugees. Some groups in Russia are working on this especially (an email related to it was recently posted to this list by anti).
* Some initial discussions around the idea to work in co-ordinated way against the IOM (International Organisation on Migration), in the way the WTO, IMF, WB etc have been protested so far. The IOM is a rather unknown international institution supported by many nation states and basically co-ordinating the work of deportations and control of migration flows world wide. It was decided to monitor it closer and produce more information about it before deciding co-ordinated campaigns against it.
* There was some talk as well to network closer to groups that want to tackle the issue of war from a world wide perspective of a struggle against all forms of oppression and domination. The need to create more links and co-ordinate efforts with the upcoming bordercamp in Ecuador (www.camp-ecuador.de.vu) and the mobilisation against the FTAA + Plan Colombia in March 2002 were made. But also with the mobilisation and activities around Zaragoza (Spain) against the upcoming EU summit of ministers of war in March 22nd,23rd.
About 40 people met. The No Border network is a European co-ordination space for anti racist grassroots groups, collectives working in support of self organised migrant groups, against deportations etc. (Check out www.noborder.org).
Groups like Noone is Illegal (Germany, Spanish State...), folx that have organised bordercamps in the past in Tarifa, Frankfurt, Slovenia, Germany..... , No Border (London) and other groups from the UK (i.e. close campsfield), PublixTheater Karawane (Austria), Collectif Anti Expulsion (Paris) and friends from Strasbourg, no border groups in Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia, Lithuania...), Ya Basta Finnland and Italy, indymedia and many more very nice people.
******* Projects, discussions and proposals
Just to highlight a few of the important points worked on.
* International NoBorderCamp in Strasbourg July 2002:
One of the main activities of the network will most likely be the INTERNATIONAL NOBORDER CAMP IN STRASBOURG IN JULY 2002. Starting from their struggle for the freedom of movement and settlement and for a world without borders, the people in the network seem to be wanting to extend the focus of their work to fight all forms of social control. Social control as the form of expression of the war within Europe. This is mainly reflected in their clearly expressed wish to work closer to other social movements throughout the world and the groups identifying with the PGA principles. But also in the concrete target by choosing Strasbourg for the camp.
Strasbourg hosts the SIS (Schengen Information System), a key piece in the European social control machinery. As you probably know the SIS is aimed to contain two extensive databases : one with names and data about foreigners and immigrants, and the other with names of political activists. The SIS can be consulted instantly from any checkpoint in any part of Europe. I am pasting a document below, just released by Statewatch about SIS.
A call will be released soon. The camp aims to be large, inclusive and participatory....a place to experiment new forms of action and disobedience to fight social control. It is all in process of co-ordination, finding enough support to kick it off (especially since the groups in Strasbourg have a lack of human resources) and so on. The call will probably include more info on how to get involved, upcoming preparation meetings etc else keep checking the
http://www.noborder.org site. * There is also talks about co-ordinating efforts to improve the work in support of Chechen refugees. Some groups in Russia are working on this especially (an email related to it was recently posted to this list by anti).
* Some initial discussions around the idea to work in co-ordinated way against the IOM (International Organisation on Migration), in the way the WTO, IMF, WB etc have been protested so far. The IOM is a rather unknown international institution supported by many nation states and basically co-ordinating the work of deportations and control of migration flows world wide. It was decided to monitor it closer and produce more information about it before deciding co-ordinated campaigns against it.
* There was some talk as well to network closer to groups that want to tackle the issue of war from a world wide perspective of a struggle against all forms of oppression and domination. The need to create more links and co-ordinate efforts with the upcoming bordercamp in Ecuador (www.camp-ecuador.de.vu) and the mobilisation against the FTAA + Plan Colombia in March 2002 were made. But also with the mobilisation and activities around Zaragoza (Spain) against the upcoming EU summit of ministers of war in March 22nd,23rd.
desaparecido at nadir.org