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

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 )

Streaming from the Gaff!

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

WATCH VID:

9th World Social Forum Kicks Off in Brazil

Another World is possible! Is it? If so, how?

(this article was first published on IMC-IE)

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

AMARC AUDIO # 1 : Walden Bello on role of WSF and beyond

Foro Social Mundial @ Kenya 2007 (mostly in Portugese)

IMC-BRASIL @ WSF 2009

N30: The day the political landscape changed forever

“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 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.

Watch full film from the streets about the action on the streets: This Is What Democracy Looks Like

Muralismo @ the Peoples Republic of Cork, Boy!

Question: What do you get if you throw a few colorful Latinos, a load of Rebel Langers, a “Jack” with his radio stuff and a load of cans of paint together? (Sounds like the recipe for one huge messy disaster, no?)

Answer: Perhaps one of most amazing community arts projects in the history of the Peoples Republic of Cork, a load of murals thrown up in the streets of Roy Keane land, many many things learned, much friendships forged, many memories created to last till the end of days…

Art spaces as weapons of war

Dublin’s Mayday 2004 saw thousands of opponents to fortress Europe beaten away by riot cops and water cannons. Days later, RED ARCHIVE, a strange OPEN communication space seeking all inputs, was asking: What is art, what is politics?

As activists, we used this space to communicate and build in and out of, to wander from and bring people to, to share critical ideas, to widen the discussion. Our ongoing war is one of communication against today’s culture of ignorance and apathy. Seven million people continue to die needlessly every year, perhaps our actions helped?

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Notes:

This piece was written for an upcoming book for the Project Arts Centre in Dublin. It was requested by Sarah Pierce, creator of The Metropolitan Complex. Our collaboration for the Red Archive, resulted in documentation on Indymedia Ireland as well as the half hour audio recording of the Red Archive Feedback session.

Information regarding the Demonstration against Fortress Europe:

Video of water cannon | ‘The Ruck at the Truck’: Noise Protest Echoes Continue: All The News That Fits: Final Edition | The long march on Farmleigh | Looking back on the Dublin EU summit protests – Mayday 2004 | Indymedia Mayday Festival and Centre | Photos | Photos 2 | May Day Smear Campaign – the Irish media turns against protesters

Mainstream coverage pre and post demonstration:

No May Day violence expected says O’Donoghue |  Protest and parties planned for May Day |  Dublin EU Riot: Ahern Praises Police