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)
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.
The climate camp “movement” is growing: engage, teach, learn, demonstrate alternatives, skill share, be moved, prepare, take direct action
Al Gore: “I believe we have reached the stage where it is time for civil disobedience to prevent the construction of new coal plants.”
Next Monday The largest act of civil disobedience will happen against global warming in the US. A large protest has been called at a coal-fired plant in Washington, D.C, 11,000 people are expected. In the days leading up to the protest, youth climate activists are organizing a conference called Power Shift ’09. Thousands of student activists plan to lobby lawmakers on Capitol Hill, urging them to rebuild the economy through bold climate and clean energy policy.
Looks like the “climate camp movement” is continuing to grow globally and momentum is building in the lead up to COP15… Ireland too are organising thing for this summer. Also Greenpeace´s “lawful excuse” court battle win might open the flood gates for more direct action…
On September 24, 2008, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore told the Clinton Global Initiative conference in New York city:
“If you’re a young person looking at the future of this planet and looking at what is being done right now, and not done, I believe we have reached the stage where it is time for civil disobedience to prevent the construction of new coal plants that do not have carbon capture and sequestration.”
To find out why things are so critical have a quick view of the trailer of his recent film; An inconveniant truth:
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
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.
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 theZCCidea is Chris Keene, supporter of CAT (centre of alternative technology) in Wales. CAT are responsible for the ZERO CARBON BRITAINproject.
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
In Brazil, more than one hundred thousand people are gathering for the ninth World Social Forum. A crowd of some fifty thousand kicked off the event Tuesday with a march through the Amazon city of Belem. The World Social Forum gathers social movements from around the world under the theme of ‘another world is possible.’ It’s timed to coincide with the gathering of corporate leaders in the Swiss town of Davos.
Watch latest vids from WSF TV. Listen to AMARC live radio broadcasts.
All infos on main site: WSF 2009 @ Belém – Pará – Brasil: 27 jan – 1 feb
Several IMC members are traveling to Narobi, Kenya this month to support an Indymedia convergence during the seventh annual World Social Forum which runs January 20-25th. Media activists from Africa and around the world will be reporting in the World Social Forum, providing hands-on media production workshops, building two low-power radio stations in Kenya, and creating dialogue and cooperative production across borders.
Other IMC members are not traveling to Narobi but are staying at home to support the network by attempting to widen the discussion with the Global Listening Nodes project: a proposal to Syndicate content from different nodes in social centers and other alternative media outlets during the WSF and combine it with content from Nairobi also. A kind of global collaboration on both virtual and physical. Basically getting more social centres and other spaces to open up during WSF as local nodes around planet for people to go to to firstly listen to stuff live from kenya, but also maybe where they could have 2 way systems: being able to participate in forum without physically being there.
But the journey of the WSF has not been without its criticisms. Some claim that the Charter of Principles, which form the core of the WSF process, are not always adhered to with the result of alternative fora being created, as happened for the 2004 European Social Fora in London. Worse still is frustration with the entire social forum process, as happened at the 2002 Argentinian Social Forum because “Radical perspectives were not included within the forum’s debate.” But this year old and new African IMC´istas are working hard to attempt to take the WSF story to the next stage, and for that they are looking for ever more solidarity and collaboration.
(This article was first published as a feature on Indymedia.org | Related posts appeared on Indymedia Ireland [1|2] Indymedia Barcelona and Indymedia Kenya)
Builders and machinery have moved in, trees and plants have been taken up and it looks like it might be the end for the Dolphins Barn Community Garden, which celebrated its first birthday on Wednesday the 12th of April. Presently the garden crew has 54 people on its mailing list and there have been at least twice that in the garden.
After nearly a year of what turned out to be a really positive experiment in sustainable urban gardening, re-establishment of community, healthy use of derelict space and the creation of new friendships, things have taken a change for the worse… but it might not be the end. There is the possibility of revisiting matters later in the year, but the gardening project has been put on hold for the moment after a number of meetings with the owners of the land where the garden is established.
Dolphins barn community garden birthday party on good friday
Posted by fuspey 
The Gracia community garden radio documentary trilogy and accompanying article
Posted by fuspey 
Posted by fuspey 
An experiment with streaming audio, projecting video and the interaction between real and virual worlds took place in Dublin’s new social centre
For some time here in Barcelona, and globally via email etc, many of us have been talking about an inititiave that is 
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