Alternative Spaces at London's European Social Forum, October 14–17, 2004

Anonymous Comrade writes:

Call for Autonomous Spaces During the European Social Forum
London, October 14–17, 2004

We are a loose network of individuals, groups, organisations and grass roots communities and who act, think and struggle for another world beyond capitalism. We write this call to those in the UK, the rest of Europe and those further afield to participate in building alternative autonomous spaces around the European Social Forum, which will be held in London during October (14–17th) 2004.We want to create open spaces for networking, exchanges, celebration, thinking, and action. We believe our ways of organising and acting should reflect our political visions, and are united in standing for grassroots self-organisation, horizontality, for diversity and inclusion, for direct democracy, collective decision making based upon consensus, and against the false consensus in which power is used to silence others.

We do not have, nor represent, one single unified position on the ESF. We are however, all united in the knowledge of the ESF UK organising process as un-transparent, non-participatory, and exclusionary.

The UK ESF organising process has essentially been controlled by the hierarchical and authoritarian Socialist Workers Party, Socialist Action, and through the central involvement of Mayor Ken Livingstone's Greater London Authority. Because the organising process and methodology both in the UK and at the European level has not reflected the values and charters which the ESF aspires to, the ESF process is politically bankrupt.

However we wish to state clearly that we recognise, value and support the energy, diversity, and experiences of those attending the ESF.

It is also important to say that some of us have tried to work inside the ESF process, fighting to "democritise" the ESF, and as such, much of our criticism is borne from experience and cannot be dismissed. Some of us believe that it is possible to rebuild the ESF to make it closer to the ideals it claims, and to build a truly participative process, others — after their experiences — believe this is simply not possible. Some of us wish to go further and say that the entire basis of the ESF is fundamentally illegitimate, that it only represents a space for the co-option of struggles, and that as such, it should be opposed. While others are aware of the problems within the ESF process but don't wish to be defined by them and are simply interested in working with organisational processes that are more authentic under the statement "another world is possible". We all however are united in our diversity and in our desire to act together in ways that respect these differences — we invite you to join us...

Following an international autonomous spaces meeting in Berlin in June, where 70 individuals from 45 groups and networks came together, discussions and planning has continued in London. There are now several self organised and autonomous spaces under construction — they range from legally hired venues to squatted social centres. An alternative programme of events will cover areas such as precarious work(ers), asylum and migrant issues, community organising, anti-war campaigns, environment, gender issues, alternative media, and technologies of control — from copyright to biometric ID cards, to the G8 — which comes to the UK next year in 2005, and more... There will be film screenings, alternative media centres, street theatre, parties, creative actions and protests...

We invite you to participate in the autonomous spaces, to help shape them, to organise workshops, discussions, creative interventions, and practical alternatives.

To get involved contact: autospace@yahoo.co.uk
See you in London!

Background to the call

We write this background note to all the networks and communities in struggle in the UK, Europe and beyond so as to clarify who, the authors of this call, are and what we stand for. Among us there are many positions, many visions, many different political languages and backgrounds that often seem odd to each other. We sat together for several hours and it became clear to us that it was difficult to draw together a document summarising our "position" or "line" on the ESF, or indeed, on how to change the world.
Among us, we discovered there were at least three different approaches to the ESF. There are those for whom "another ESF is possible". These are those who in the last few months have fought inside the ESF process and for whom the often documented power games of the "verticals" (Socialist Worker Party, Socialist Action, several trade unions officials and the representatives of London's government, the GLA) represents the hijacking of the democratic and participatory principles of the Social Forum. There are those who instead stand in opposition to the ESF because they believe it only represents a space of cooperation of struggles, a space that does not promote the overcoming of capitalism but only its preservation with perhaps a "human face". There are finally those who prefer to define themselves by what they do, and are not interested in identifying themselves in relation to ESF.

Hierarchical organisations would have hidden these differences for the sake of their public appearance, and would have manoeuvred minorities and find ways to force them to accept a common line. We are different, because we embrace diversity, we celebrate it, and we regard it as the source of our strength and creativity. Therefore, we are not afraid to be transparent. We have discovered that our common ground is not a "line", is not a means to silence the other. Our common ground is a mode of relating to each other, a mode of producing, of making decisions, and making things happen, that is grounded on the dignity and respect for all. However odd our political outlook seemed to each other, however "strange" the language we used, however "right" or "wrong" the arguments used among us appeared, we came to realise that in our practices we are all for grassroots self-organisation and not for top-down management, we are for horizontality and inclusion, not for hierarchy and exclusion, we are for collective decision making based on consensus that build on all our diverse powers, and not for voting or the false consensus in which power is used to silence others. Unlike the verticals within the ESF, we all think that another world beyond capitalism is possible only to the extent we practise what we preach, and the end of our struggles must correspond to the organisational means we choose to bring it about.

Autonomous spaces already being planned

BEYOND ESF — Wednesday 13th–Sunday 17th October
We want to continue the radicalisation that we have seen during the recent mobilisations against the WTO, G8, IMF and World Bank summits through BEYOND ESF — a self-organised, radically different space. We invite participation in discussion and direct action around specific themes: surveillance & control : social centres : precarious work : no borders : zapatismo : G8 Scotland 2005. BEYOND ESF will be based at a large legal venue, with provision for cheap food, meeting space, indymedia and alt media facilities, and evening entertainment (*also possible simultaneous translation).
For more information: http://www.wombles.org.uk/auto
Contact: wombles@hushmail.com

European Forum On Communication Rights / Indymedia / Schnews
Thursday 14th–Sunday 17th October
The Camden Centre in central London will house an ongoing Indymedia Centre, with bar and cheap food. Thursday will see the Communication Rights Forum with a range of communications and media networks participating, with events on the other days dealing with themes such as Surveillance and the Security State, Biometric ID Cards, Migrants and Noborders, Gender, Intellectual Property, Copyright, Creative Commons, Corporate media and Alternative media etc. Saturday will see a one day event from www.schnews.org.uk
See: http://www.efcr2004.net
Contact: info@efcr2004.net
IMC contact: imc-uk-network@lists.indymedia.org

The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination
This open and autonomous initiative will function as a hub for those whose activities fall outside of and in between the spaces of culture and politics; whose actions exist between resistance and creativity. We are calling on groups and individuals from around Europe to propose actions, events and tool/tactic sharing workshops. Themes include, reclaiming contested spaces, surveillance and consumption and the brand.
Find out more: http://www.labofii.net
e-list — http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/labofii
Contact — james@labofii.net

Life Despite Capitalism — Saturday 16th October
A one-day event outside the ESF on "Commons and Communities", to be held at a central london university (LSE) with two strands: "ROOTS" — Discussion of visions, understanding, struggles, successes and difficulties around experiences of commons and of reclaiming our powers and communities (commons at work, traditional/indigenous commons, creative commons, alternative spaces, public services, and migrant and precarious workers). "SWARM" — will see the people working on "single issues" in the previous workshops, mixed up randomly to cross-pollinate and contaminate each other.
See: LifeDespiteCapitalism
Contact: m.deangelis@ntlworld.com

The Carnival Forum
A volitile mix of politics and pleasure... As a mobile carnival forum we intent to interlink some of the key esf venues and to take democracy to the streets en route — taking the forum out of the tradtional conference hall and to the (so called) every day people. Reaching out to the most diverse array of people possible the CF is unpredicatble, inclusve and creative. It's the jester in the ESF court! — interspersing festivities with discussions, workshops and skillsharing around (but far from limited to) ESF themes like peace, democracy, neoliberalism, sustainability, discrimination, the economy and work.
See Main Carnival Forum
Contact: forumofhope@care2.com

Solidarity Village / UK LETS Co-operate — 13th–17th October
Join us in creating a space for co-operative projects in response to social inequalities due to the capitalist (neoliberal) system. We are creating a dynamic and participative Forum using Open Space methods to provide information about practical projects. If you think that another world is possible, know that another economy is already happening!

Under the overall themes of "Another Economy is Possible" and "Life Despite Capitalism", we present options towards a sustainable economy at the service of humanity, answering to human rights and environmental needs, not the profit motive. The event will start on the evening of Wednesday 13th October. There will be an opening circle, evening cultural events, some self-contained one day events such as Filling the Vacuum, LETS Co-operate, Commons and Communities, Another Capital is Possible, and New Forms of Democracy.

The Solidarity Village will be based at Conway Hall and London School of Economics, and will include an Information Centre, Stalls, a Cafe, Wellbeing Spaces and Creche. Proposals for seminars, debates and workshops are being combined with existing or new themes, either in separate rooms or in the open space, and rooms for independent workshops may also be booked.
See: http://www.solidarityvillage.org
Contact: admin@solidarityvillage.org