Meetings in Ljubljana, Sofia and Goettingen...
Dear all,
As we could follow on various mailinglists there are two simultanous meetings in Ljubljana and in Sofia and also a third one in Goettingen all on the same weekend of 13th and 14th of February (see attached all three first invitations again).
All three meetings have their own respective context and background, but for sure a lot of similar questions and overlapping topics. And obviously all initiating networks see the need for more exchange and discussion about the perspectives along the Balkanroute and which way to support and to try to intervene for the ongoing struggles for freedom of movement in the next weeks and months. We probably share, that the route will remain a contested space and that we can exspect crucial developments.
Thus we think, it would be very important to establish an exchange between all three meetings and their respective preparation process. At the weekend itself we should try to have a direct contact about proposals and (interim)results to make it possible to refer to each other in the most productive way.
Best,
hagen
13th of February 2016 in Ljubljana
We call solidarity collectives on Balkan Route, refugee and migrant collectives and collectives involved in struggles against exploitation and domination to participate
on Transnational Assembly Against the Fence for Real Europe Without Borders
Struggle of refugees and migrants we are witnessing has resulted in the opening of the corridor of hope across the borders of the European Union. Consequently, European powers have started to turn the Balkan Route into a detention route, constructing razor blade fences, leaving behind their democratic masks. In their struggle, refugees and migrants are enjoying massive support by collectives and individuals in solidarity. Together they have brought into the heart of Europe one of the principal contradictions of contemporary capitalism. They have made explicit the clash between opposite understandings of the freedom of movement and the right to migrate: a capitalist interpretation serves to establish a hierarchical global division of labour which is constantly challenged by the struggle of people to take control over the conditions of moving and migrating. For years hundreds of thousand people in search for dignified life fleeing from war and poverty have suffered massive violation of human rights beyond EU external borders in so called buffer zones administered by authoritarian regimes supported by European powers. Today violent and repressive character of European migration and border regime is getting manifest on European soil. While more and more openly racist politicians and opinion makers, encouraged by populist racist roaring, are convincing public to get used to systematic violence and repression on refugees and migrants that serves to avert and subject them to selection, segregation and merciless exploitation, the movements against exploitation and domination should side with refugees and migrants in the common struggle against the attempts of those in power to preserve existing European border and migration regime by pushing refugees and migrants out and turning paths of hope into detention routes.
Slovenian authorities are erecting a razor blade fence on the border with Croatia, the non-Schengen member of the EU. The aim of militarization of this border is clear: to repress the movement of the refugees and migrants, and to preserve European border and migration regime, regardless of the price. In case of failing to keep the existing regime in power, the system of producing and reproducing global capitalist hierarchies within and across the borders of the EU would have also failed. Moreover, the construction of a razor fence is a direct attack on the forms of trans-border cooperation and modes of life that had – in the face of nationalism and racism that has always had an important role for a functioning of capitalism – existed and persisted for decades, even centuries. In our opinion the time has come to join two generations of struggles. The first one is a struggle against historical nationalism and racism that have caused so much suffering in Europe and have always been primary obstacle and simultaneously the target of the movements against exploitation. The second one is a struggle against currently rising nationalism and racism that cause numerous victims on the Balkan route and the other paths of hope.
For this reason we are calling for transnational and trans-border assembly on which we will make plans for our common activities against razor blade fence on the border between Slovenia and Croatia, and against all other fences that are being currently constructed by the European countries.
The assembly will take place on 13th February 2016 in Ljubljana in Social Center Rog, starting at 12 am and lasting approximately until 7 pm. We would like it to take a combined form of plenaries and workshops in order to deepen the exchange and the cooperation along the Balkan Route. The assembly will also be an opportunity to discuss decentralized actions on 1st March, the day of transnational and trans-border social strike. A more detailed agenda of the meeting will follow within two weeks.
_______________________________________________
13. - 14.th of February 2016 in Sofia
A call for Balkan, European and world solidarity with Bulgarian antifascists and all people suffering from the fascist presence in Bulgaria
by Antifascist action – Sofia
Times are harsh everywhere, especially in Eastern Europe, where a strong wave of fascism is exploding. We saw what nationalism could lead to in Ukraine and we would like to suppress this tendency in Bulgaria. Unfortunately, in a country where 26 years of capitalism have impoverished the population, the European Union has betrayed their hopes and anticommunism is very strong, nationalism becomes a social phenomenon, gaining hegemony on the streets (numerous swastikas could be seen in every Bulgarian town) and currently in the parliament.
Since 2003 Lukovmarsh, a fascist march commemorating a Bulgarian Nazi collaborator has become an annual event. If Ukraine has Bandera, Bulgaria has General Hristo Lukov. Lukov had very close relations with the Third Reich and has established the fascist organization of the Bulgarian National Legions. As a minister of war he was planning wars and attacks on most of the neighbouring countries.
Lukovmarsh, organized by nationalistic organizations and parties has gained support even by foreign members of Blood and Honour, who came to march in solidarity a few years ago. Many international nationalist/Nazi organizations have come to support Lukovmarsh. This year in Sofia again there will be members from different European fascist organizations, including the Spanish Falange and the German NPD. Every year activists try to persuade the mayor of Sofia to prohibit the march due to its Nazi character. Up until now there has been no success.
Since the war in Syria started, Bulgaria has experienced a refugee wave, never seen before in the country. Refugees and migrants, represented by the media as a foreign threat have become a reason for dangerous ideologies to become very popular, and hatred towards non-Bulgarians to seem justified and logical. This has resulted in a lot of street violence and a right-wing coalition in the parliament, in which a patriotic party also takes part. We witnessed such hate speech in the parliament, which has never been heard before. Since last year Bulgaria has been brutal in its ways to stop migrants at the southeastern border by using inhumane police brutality. Hunter gangs from the area also help the police. In the summer we saw several conflicts between Roma people and Bulgarians in different places, including a neighbourhood in Sofia. In those street battles Nazis also took part.
At this moment, as a marginal fraction of the Bulgarian society, we, the Bulgarian anti-authoritarians, anti-capitalists and anarchists are calling for antifascist solidarity! As enemies of all repressive ideologies we gain no support even when calling for humanity. Anti-racist demonstrations usually gather no more than 100 people in the capital. This year, with racism gaining both street and state power, we will demand the ban of Lukovmarsh with a counter demonstration on 13.02 at 14:00 h., just a few hours before the Nazis take the streets at 17.00 h. On the same date antifascist demos and meetings will be held in Dresden, Germany and in Budapest, Hungary. We are in touch with comrades from those countries and we’ll have a common banner in English against Nazis! Everyone, especially from the neighbouring countries, who supports the cause, is invited to join us. Let them never reign again! NO PASARAN!
On the 14th of February а No Border meeting will be held /around 11:00 a.m./. in Sofia. Around New Years Eve we had a serious discussion with comrades from Germany, who were making a research at the Bulgarian-Turkish border and we felt a strong need for common decentralized actions against border policy. There was also an idea for a No Border camp /proposed by Greek comrades/ at the Macedonian-Greek border. Having in mind all these things and the ongoing brutality at the borders we made the decision to have such a meeting in Sofia the day after the anti-Nazi counter-march! All are welcome to take part in both events!
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ivo stefanov <balkan-route@lists.riseup.net>
Date: Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 12:42 PM
Subject: [balkan-route] invitation fo AFA protest and No Border meeting in Sofia
To: Balkan Solidarity Network <balkansolidaritynetwork@lists.riseup.net>, Balkan Route <balkan-route@lists.riseup.net>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//
13. - 14.th of february 2016 // OM10 // Göttingen
SOLIDARITY HAS NO BORDERS!
Invitation: Networkmeeting for supporters, no border kitchens, activists and individuals who support or have supported refugees along the balkan route
13. - 14.th of february 2016 // OM10 // Göttingen
We would like to invite you supporters on the balkan route to come together, tell your stories and experiences, reflect on what happened the last months, what refugees achieved, what we were able to do, how politics reacted, what changed...At the same time we would like to use the opportunity to connect in a better way and to exchange informations.And we invite you (maybe also through "Inputs" from activists) to think about how and what we can do in the future to keep supporting people, to overcome borders. For example: political action, no border camps/tours, mobile kitchens, safe spaces for refugees, squats, emergency phones, car-konvois, active help for refugees on their way, info-networks for activists and refugees, an international balkan-route-conference in spring, "Self-Care", ....
Other possible topics:- dealing with (closed) borders, the new restrictive laws against refugees and the attempts of authorities to divide refugees into ›good‹ and ›bad‹– Refugee self-organization, the situation and struggles at the EU-borders and the positive achievements of the Refugee Struggle so far– The situation, demands and struggles of women refugees and migrants- deportations and mistreatment of refugees– ›Living‹ conditions in the refugee camps- squats and communities for people to gather in solidarity- active support (also for illegalized people)- reports from other meetings and conferences- informations about the situation in the destination and transit countries to refugees- criminalization of active support of illegalized people and reaction- Perspective of our common activism and organisation --> idea: bigger open source plattform to upload reports, updates, information and exchange --> how to get ourselves better connected to each other?- discuss idea of a following balkan conference --> closer & sustainable network between activists among all balkan countries- self care & sustainability of NoBorder activism (out of action...)- evtl. invitation of people with experiences: e.g. Fluchthelfer.in or from balkanroute.bordermonitoring– The increasing racist attacks and possible reactions on the formation of racist vigilant groups– Racism against Muslims and Roma/Sinti- ...its up to you!
Let's create a networt of solidarity and tear down all the borders!!!solidarity has no borders!
when and where?13.- 14. Februar 2016OM10 (Obere-Masch-Straße 10)Göttingen
Timeline: Friday: You can already come to Göttingen on Friday Saturday: Start at 10.00 pm reflection, talking about out experiences first ideas about "how to go on" inputs/working groups (about networking, actions, direct support for refugees, longlasting support structures, contents, inputs by short presentation of "projects" like macedonia-support, bordermonitoring, squat/shelters, jugend rettet, no border camps, watch the med alarm phone,...) evening together sunday: start at 10.00 pm building common perspectives, plans big plenary end around afternoon
we ask groups and networks - because of limited space in OM10 and because of better working atmosphere - for - when possible - collecting ideas already before the meeting and sending delegated people to the conference. single persons are of course also very welcome!there will be delicious food for everbody.pleas write to openborders@riseup.net before, so we know how many people will come. also tell us if you need sleeping places or something else. thank you!
You will find more infos in the next daysat: openborder.noblogs.org
Contactemail: openborders@riseup.net
We are looking forward to meeting you!solidarity has no borders!No border Activists, January 2016
PS: the preparation meeting for the conference will take place on 31.1. at 10.00 Uhr in OM10 in Göttingen. when you want to participate tell us via email or just come and join us!