PGA: European gathering 2006

General information

The PGA conference will happen in two parts, in a decentralised fashion: the first 9 days from August 19th to August 27th, 2006 will take place in 5 different locations around France, in Frayssinous, Bellevue, Toulouse, Lyon and Dijon: five urban & rural sites will simultaneously host discussions on specific topics, and carry practical projects linked with local concerns. Everyone can participate with debates, workshops, screenings... on these issues and others!

The main topics for the decentralised thematic discussions are: Access to Land, Anti-Industrial Struggles, Antipatriarchy, Autonomous Spaces, Communities, Digital Struggles, Environmental Destruction, Housing Autonomy, Kids & Ageism, Post-Colonialism, Radical Ghetto, Societies of Control, Urbanism, and When Streets Are Burning.

It will be followed by 2 days off from August 28th & August 29th, 2006 for cleaning & collective road-movie: with trains, hitch-hiking, buses, trucks, bicycles throughout France & chilling-out.

From Wednesday 30th of August to Saturday 3rd of September, 2006 (afterwards 2 days of cleaning & transportation) a 4 days centralized conference will take place in the Tanneries squatted social centre in Dijon: once altogether, reports on thematic discussions' outcome, new workshops & debates, sharing of strategical reflexions and action projects, decision-making on organisation, orientations and projects for PGA Europe.

All information on the conference, the topics, and the locations on :: pgaconference.org

Complementary information

Formats Because we refuse the partitionning of life in roles and their hierarchisation, we want to mix theory, dish-washing and revolution, and wish everyone to share concerns on logistics & daily-tasks, as much as interest for contents.

Besides strategical discussions, workshops, skill-shares and various meetings, the conference will include DIY construction moments & practical projects. They should allow us to know each other better through common achievements, while paying attention to the relationnal dimension of the encounters.

Registration Please bear in mind that each decentralized location has physical, human & environmental constraints. Since room is limited, it is crucial to register as soon as possible to take part in the conference. A form is available :: here.

More information If you want us to keep you tuned about the conference organizing process, please subscribe to the :: pga-announce mailing-list.

Talks on migration

In the following a introduction to the thematic discussions on [i]Racism, post-colonialism, struggles around immigration, the abolition of borders, which will take place in Lyon from 19th to 27th of August 2006. Parallel talks in Lyon will focus on antipatriarchal & antiheterosexit struggles, feminisms & gender issues, societies of control & securitarian politics (videosurveillance, biometry, repression & new technologies, and analysis & reflexions on the social movement from Spring.Practical projects are a samba workshops and a screenprinting workshop: poster creation.

There will be an accomodation for some 100 people (camping).

Contact information for Lyon:
E-mail: stamp-lyon (at) pgaconference.org
Telephone : +33-(0)6 82 59 23 68
Web Site : http://www.friche-rvi.org

Address:
Collectif Friche Artistique-Autogérée - RESO
84 avenue Lacassagne
69003 Lyon - France

Migration Policies, Racism and Neo-Colonialsim

According to us, the four issues that follow are linked together despite their diversity. You can not deal with one without dealing with the others. They are hotly debated issues because they put at stake individual or collective situations, which are often controversial. We often wonder about them, without really linking them to our lives and our struggles. That's why we are eager to discuss them earnestly- they are of the most importance.

Moreover, we would be glad to take a glance at the implementation of European and Extra-European migration policies, how they have got tougher, how dangerous they can be for some people, what we can already do to re-act and resist... and so on, in order to strengthen resistance, to enhance reaction, and to encourage solidarities.

Racism (or racisms?) is still prevailing in our societies, on institutional as well as inter-individual basis. How can we face it, and resist it? In a word, how can we react against racism/s?

In the French context, people often explain the position of some individuals or social groups –according to their situation into de country, or their relations towards the State itself, or comparing to society – by the prevalence or resurgence of colonialist attitudes... What about those analyses? How can we fight? How come people are so much "colonialist" in their relations to their country, nationally speaking, but as well in their relations to "us", and "our networks"?

And last but not least, we should mention the riots and the other demonstrations of violence that mostly occurred in suburbs and poor areas of France, in November 2005, as well as the old struggles that regularly make us march. Those struggles are linked to the three topics we mentioned lately, i.e. migration policies, racism, neo-colonialist attitudes and policies (notwithstanding the police's behavior, social and economical discriminations, urbanism…). Most of us felt enthusiast when the riots occurred, but actually it seems there is a great discrepancy, in France, between most anarchists, libertarians, anti-capitalists, and revolted whatsoever and the people themselves who revolted in suburbs and poor areas. That's why we should focus on the nature of those movements. How can we use them to meet, strengthen links, solidarities and projects between the most of revolted people? Besides, we should as well question the riots: what did we get, in terms of meeting, enthusiasm, and questionings... How can we fill the gap, and feel empathy ...behind the words? You, people outside of France, most of you may be interested in discussing those matters.. What can you add to that, how did you see, how did you live those events? Did they inspire you, or question you... in which way?