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about the virtual people smuggler

The Virtual People Smuggler - as is the case with 'people smuggling' generally - arose out of the need and desire to cross borders. In the first instance, to cross the borders of various noborder events and protests themselves, to create a space which was an adequate expression of the movements for the freedom of movement.

Confined neither by geopolitical limits nor the standard aesthetics of protests, the Virtual People Smuggler pays tribute to the chatrooms, spoof sites, weblogs, online gaming, independent media as virtual, vital and, therefore, actual moments in the crossing of borders. In other words, as the experience encountered by people as they log in to virtual communities which are unrestrained by national borders, and also, thereby, as one of the forms in which protests (especially noborder protests and events) can and do occur.

Crossing the distinction between 'virtual' and 'actual' (which denies the experience of virtual communities and communication as real, as both effective and affective), as well as celebrating the desire for freedom of movement (which results not only in clandestine travel arranged by people-smugglers in order to cross geopolitical borders, but also gave rise to the most successful salespitch for internet software), the Virtual People Smuggler asks, "Where do you want to go today?"

virtual people smuggling

In the language of governments, 'people-smuggler' is synonymous with 'amoral', if not downright 'evil'. What, it is suggested, could be worse that demanding money from people who are fleeing, often for their lives? But the reality is that 'people-smuggling' would not exist were it not for the criminalisation of those lines of flight by governments. In the language of governments, then, the term 'people-smuggler' is a convenient political substitute for 'asylum seeker', or for those who take flight and those who move sans papier. It is deemed to be politically more acceptable to, for example, announce measures to interdict and deter vessels carrying asylum seekers under the heading of 'Measures to Halt People-Smuggling' that to point out their actual reason and effect: the interdiction and deterrance of the sans papier. Likewise, it is the clandestine nature of the travel which creates dangers in excess of those which occur in licensed travel - for instance, as sea routes are sought outside safe waters and to avoid regular government and military patrols.

destinations

the first installment of the virtual people smuggler will take you to woomera, where - during the easter weekend of 2002 - a protest festival will address a number of issues that are highlighted in this remote town in the desert of southern australia: internment of sans papier, indigenous struggles for land rights, uranium mining, missile testing, toxic waste dumping, and military surveillance. for more information on events that are planned in woomera you can go to the festival's website.
the next scheduled destinations include the bordercamps that are planned in europe later this year