N30 + 10 years – Remembering and celebrating “The day the political landscape changed forever”

November 30, 2009

As we still fight WTO in Geneva today, as we prepare for COP15 in Copenhagen

“The day the political landscape changed forever“, was how Fritjof Capra referred to events of N30, Tuesday 30th of November 1999, in his book The Hidden Connections. He was referring to the day when 1000´s of global justice activists came together and succeeded in shutting down the first WTO (World Trade Organisation) talks in the US using (mostly) non violent direct actions (NVDA) in the north western US city of Seattle. This was the event which brought the “globalisation” debate to the mainstream. It has been misleadingly described as anti-globalisation, what it should be accurately described as is anti corporate globalisation.

10 years on and again there is rubber bullets, tear gas and flames in the streets. This time in Geneva, as people from all over the world converge in the lead up to COP15, the climate change talks in Copenhagen… amongst others, the Social and Climate justice caravan.

A thing born once in Seattle amidst tear gas and protest > happy birthday indymedia

10 years later – attempts to shut down the WTO in Geneva

From rubber bullets, tear gas and flames in the streets of Seattle to the streets of Geneva today

This Is What Democracy Looks Like – the story of the battle of Seattle

Anti-WTO demonstration in Geneva (euronews- no comment)

(this article first appeared on Indymedia Ireland | more info here N30 )

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5th Junio ‘09 – HOME, Bagua y la lucha para proteger la Selva Amazonia

November 18, 2009

5th Junio 2009 – Esta fecha marco del Día Internacional del Medio Ambiente. En esta dia en 2009 2 cosas increaible passer: una bueno, una muy malo: la peli HOME y la massacre en la Salva Amazonia Peruana en Bagua. Esta reportage presente 3 videos sobre la situacion real de Peru y par ayudar nuestr@s herman@s en Bagua. En esta punto de cambio climatco, no podriamos perdir la salva amazonia, YA!

Viva Pachamama!!!

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HOME | Una Muerte en Bagua | Una Muerte en Sion

Siempre, tenemos tod@s una fecha con la planeta, Ya!

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ECO ECO ECO – Viva San Xibeco

November 16, 2009

You have to love the pure madness and wildness of it all. La Prosperitat, the edge city barrio (neighbourhood) in Barcelona is where, starting from midnight on friday, you will hear lots of roaring in the streets: ECO ECO ECO – VIVA SAN XIBECO. This is the opening night of the local festival this weekend, but for this night you will find the presence of a saint, San Xibeco, but he is no ordinary saint.

Take the yellow line metro up to Via Julia this friday and find out why…

San Xibeco es un santo creado por los vecinos de La Prosperitat, en Barcelona. Cada noviembre, un grupo de jóvenes organiza de forma voluntaria esta fiesta que pretende unir al barrio y crear red social.


San Xibeco is a saint created by the community of La Prosperitiat, in Barcelona. Every november, a goup of young people organise voluntarily this festival which tries to unite the neighbourhood and create a social network.

ECO ECO ECO …. VIVA SAN XIBECO


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BCN climate change talks 2009

November 4, 2009

Barcelona Pre COP15 Climate Change Talks – Main entrance shut down by activists while Africa boyotts talks

Ecological crisis – Can we really rely on them to solve the worlds problems?

(Original article written on Indymedia Ireland – re-edited into article on Indymedia Climate)

This week (monday 2 – friday 6) the Barcelona International Climate Change Talks are happening, five days of formal negotiations, in the lead up to COP 15. Since Saturday there have been a series of actions in the cities streets as well as at the conference centre to raise awereness, to unite eco movements and to try to force change during this window of opportunity in the conference centre at the far side of Montjuic. But will it be enough to get us out of our AGE OF STUPID? Perhaps not, news has just come through today that African countries have abandoned the talks.

Talks Timeline

Saturday – Manifestation in Barcelona streets; “The climate is not for sale” (vid | report)
Sunday – Outdoor film screening in city streets – 11th hour – Age of Stupid – Eco hopes (poster)
Monday – TckTckTck wake up call for climate talksGreenpeace banner dropAnarchist night greeting
Tuesday – Africa boycott U.N. climate talksEvening Water Lobby group targeted
Wednesday – Main entrance shut down by activists

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Pelis Por Pachamama

May 5, 2009

Has Argentina anything to offer Waterford, Ireland and beyond?

March 28, 2009

How have things panned out in Waterford?  Did the occupiers of the factory there ever get to see “The Take“? if so what were their impressions, were they inspired, could similar strategies be built up in ireland? Are similar bottom up movemtents starting to grow? Can we learn from Argentina?

Good luck to all in Ireland for M30, let us hope that the “green isle” continues to wake out of its 15 year slumber, now that the tiger has fucked off, and let Biffo and his shower follow….

The Take

In suburban Buenos Aires, thirty unemployed auto-parts workers walk into their idle factory, roll out sleeping mats, and refuse to leave. All they want is to re-start the silent machines. With The Take, director Avi Lewis, one of Canada’s most outspoken journalists, and writer Naomi Klein, author of the international bestseller No Logo, champion a radical economic manifesto for the 21st century. But what shines through in the film is the simple drama of workers’ lives and their struggle: the demand for dignity and the searing injustice of dignity denied.

The Wests Awake

plough

The Starry Plough, flag of the Irish Citizen Army flies in Waterford

Meanwhile, the Irish “Leader” Biffo, has his portrait illegally hung in the main Irish gallery, then found out and pulled down, then the public were told about it via RTE (Irish state media), then RTE had to applogise for their telling of truth…

National Gallery Hides Art: RTE Hides News: Artist Hits Nail On Head: Guards Involved


Bold, Beautiful, Blooming Barcelona asks: What would it mean to win?

March 9, 2009

The Gracia community garden radio documentary trilogy and accompanying article

1 – Entering, Breaking ground, dreams of a greener barrio.
2 – Murals and kids
3 – Lauras garden tour

VIDEO : Hort de Gràcia Web: http://horteres.org/

Hort Comunitari: The Gracia community garden radio documentary trilogy The Gracia community garden radio documentary trilogy and accompanying article Springtime in Europe and the Earths life’s cycle is in bloom again. The 3 parts of the radio documentary capture magical moments in the recent history of one of the most exciting projects in Barcelona at present, our community garden in Gracia. This article was written after a lovely Valentines weekend of much open, shared and participative activity; the highlight of which was our collective mural day in the garden. It is hoped that some of the life, current ideas, projects, tools, spaces, bargains, oddities, dreams, passions and goings on of the city and her peoples are communicated here-in.

Friday… Thinking about winning

Saturday… Painting pictures and feeling like we are winning

Sunday… Sharing passions, playing and doing, Remembering the South.

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Streaming from the Gaff!

February 22, 2009

An experiment with streaming audio, projecting video and the interaction between real and virual worlds took place in Dublin’s new social centre

Back in 2005 we made a short 4 minute documentary video after our succesful streaming experiment to connect the Digital Hub with the Dublin social centre, seomra spraoi (room of play in Gaelic / native Irish) as part of the “future of digital media”.  The film is viewable on Archive.org

Although it was a successful stream, it did cause some contreversay within the Indymedia Ireland collective, but we were trying to push the boundaries of communication limits in the Network Age

(very) DIY poster announving the communication action


Greening the city: Temporary urban green zones

February 16, 2009

For some time here in Barcelona, and globally via email etc, many of us have been talking about an inititiave that is simple, practical, ecological, cheap to do and can be a massive benefit to healthy urban communites. Some precedents exist already: New York City is perhaps the best that I have heard of. Perhaps Erik might be able to provide links for this. Some say it is impossible to do it here, I disagree, I think it is not only possible, but that it is feasible, and as the “eco awareness” grows and the city looks for answers to its eco problems, this is a simple, small, nice step.

This mail is to propose the idea to you, see what you think, seek support, seek your knowledge, ideas etc. Its also an invite to learn about, visit, share experiences and learning with us in the existing catalyst and example of this idea, that is alive and growing as I type: the new community garden in Gracia, Barcelona.

Mobile garden, Image from Gracia hort gallery

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Zero Carbon Caravan > COP15. Live radio project(s), zero carbon world concert(s) for a zero carbon world

January 31, 2009

As Bucky Fuller, might have put it: We must learn again how to steer our little Spaceship Earth

This article is in regard to the Zero Carbon Caravan (ZCC) and related ideas in lead up to COP15, in Copenhagen December 2009,which will be one of the most important times in our collective human story. The creator of the ZCC idea is Chris Keene, supporter of CAT (centre of alternative technology) in Wales. CAT are responsible for the ZERO CARBON BRITAIN project.

The article written here, arises from email to Chris and it will change as our ideas do. This very exciting project, of critical value, simply adresses the pressing issue of our time…. Adapt or Die

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