Invitation for an ESF preparation meeting
Invitation to all groups working on migration to an europe(an)wide preparation-meeting in London from 10th to 12th of September 2004
15.Aug.04 - This is an open invitation for a preparation meeting for an event on the question of migration at the ESF in London, October 2004. We propose to meet from the 10th to the 12th of September in London. We are aware of the different realities and struggles of migration caused by the limitations of the right of mobility all across Europe. The actions and demonstrations of January 31st 2004 in 52 cities were the beginning of a necessary europe(an)wide mobilisation. It was an important step ahead in creating a movement for the right of mobility. This action day was made possible thanks to the collaborations between a wide range of groups and individuals during the two previous European Social Forums. We would like to build up on this experience, because the right of mobility has to be a central issue at the ESF.
This year is particulary significant given the enlargement of Europe and the ongoing process of border transformation. Borders of the new Europe are not confined to geographical limits, but well beyond. They affect the everyday lifes of migrants both inside & outside of Europe.
We believe that the right of mobility encompasses different struggles of migration taking place everyday throughout Europe. These struggles address all aspects of everyday lifes such as work, health, education,housing, political, social & human rights of migrants. They are fighting for the closure of detention camps, and the end to deportations, they challenge the negation of rights & demand the right of legalisation, and they struggle against all forms of racism & exploitation.
We invite all the groups involved in those struggles to discuss on a preparation meeting how we can develop and strengthen an europe(an)wide movement. We believe that the ESF in London will be a very important opportunity to bring those struggles together.
Tavolo migranti dei social forum italiani; Coordination Nationale des Sans Papiers/France; Droits Devant/France; Gisti/France; Act up/Paris/France; Barbed Wire Britain Network to End Refugee and Migrant Detention; no one is illegal/UK; volunteers from noborder London/Britain; National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns (NCADC)/Manchester/UK; Hackney Refugee & Migrant Support Group/London/UK; Indymedia Estrecho/Madiaq/Spain; CGT- Andalucía/Spain; Centro Social- Casa de Iniciativas 1.5 -Malaga/Spain; Papiers per Thotom-Barcelona/Spain; Network for social support to immigrants and refuges /Greece; Network for political and social rights /Greece; Dost je!-Ljubljana/ Slowenia; Kanak Attak/Germany; Refugee Initiative Brandenburg/Germany; The Voice Refugee Forum/Jena/Germany; no one is illegal-amplitude/Germany; off-limits/Hamburg/Germany; Association for Legalisation/Germany
Contact for further coordination: frassainfo@kein.org
A few additional remarks:
The initiative for the invitation above came up by discussions of socalled
"frassanito-network". People from Tavulo di migranti, Act up, Kanak Attak
and no one is illegal met a first time during the frassanito-nobordercamp in
Italy in summer 2003 to discuss about a better coordination of
migrationrelated groups for the European Social Forum. We share a common
approach to consider migration as social movement and to see migrants
struggles in a crucial role for the further development of the whole global
movement.
In Paris last November some of us have been involved in launching the
proposal and original call for the europeanwide action-day. And while some
more friends from Spain and Greece joined our network this year, we decided
to put some more efforts in the preparation of upcoming ESF. Before the
meeting in september we will send out a paper addressing five central topics
of our struggles: work & migration, detention camps, the negation of rights,
anti-racism and borders. The meeting, of course, is open for other topics &
proposals.
Meeting agenda
Friday, 10th of September 2004
7 p.m.: plenary
migration as social movement and the global movement in europe ... florence, paris, the 31st of january and london ... - critics, chances and challenges to the esf.
five introductional speeches from no one is illegal-manifesto-group/london;
from 'dost je!/ljubljana; from droits devant!!/ paris; sans papiers collective/paris; tavolo migranti/bologna. afterwards open discussion ....
Saturday, 11th of September 2004
9 a.m.: short plenary
brief presentations of all the following workshops; we have to clearify interests and depending to the number of people we want to split up in two or three parallel workshops in the morning as well as in the afternoon; for example it is proposed now by some groups to have the workshop about detentions and about deportations together ...
additionally it is proposed from droits devant to present for some of the workshops short videoclips, which include statemenst from sans papier-activists, who cannot join the meeting because of visa problems.
10 a.m. until 1 p.m.: first bloc of parallel workshops
- Workshop I. detentions, camps, "lager"† (prepared by act up/paris) including
deportations, (euro-)charters ...??
- Workshop II. border regimes and autonomy of migration (prepared by tavolo di migranti/naples and no one is illegal/hanau)
- Workshop III. mobilisation practices, participation of the acteurs themselves (prepared by droits devant!!/paris)
2.30 p.m. until 5.30 p.m.: second bloc of parallel workshops
- Workshop IV. migrant labor (tavolo di migranti/bologna)
- Workshop V. right of legalisation (kanak attak and Association for
Legalisation/Germany)
- ...
7 p.m.: plenary
- brief summaries and reports from the workshops
- open discussion about the 31st of january and a follow-up-project ...
Sunday, 12th of September 2004
10 a.m. until 1 p.m.: plenary
conclusions, concrete agenda for the esf in october, for participations in
the autonomous spaces during the esf and appointments beyond