[Spotykach] conference date & ESF

[Harald Gloede]

Dear Katrin,

concerning your proposal I would like to inform you (and all the
others) about other meetings that will take place in Berlin:

From 25. - 28. of May there will be the BUKO (Bundeskongreß
Internationalismus) Conference in Berlin, a meeting with 500 to 800
people from groups with different political background, anti racist,
international solidarity refugees and migrants and others.

Perhaps there will be also an event in the Mehringhof (where the EYFA
conference should take place too) called "Linke Buchtage" (Meeting of
left wing editors) at the end of May, but I`m not sure with this date.
It has to be asked in the Mehringhof Office.

With best wishes from cold Berlin and hope to see you once again

Harald

K> Dear all,

K> Conference dates

K> here at EYFA we have discussed the dates of the conference in more 
K> detail and came to the conclusion that the original dates which we 
K> mentioned in the funding application (18-25 April) firstly were too 
K> close for us to the European Social Forum (6-9 April) because we are 
K> attending and organising meetings there and starting to organise a 
K> campaign from April onwards. The ESF dates were not decided at the point
K> of application so we just had to give some date we thought fitted and 
K> which was within the project dates of the funder which end on 30 June 
K> (European Youth Foundation (EYF), Council of Europe). Further, Olga (our
K> local organiser!) expressed her wishes to set the date of the meeting as
K> late as possible, but end of June was not possible because we couldn't
K> include the follow up in the final funding report (reader etc). Also, 
K> Ecotopia is set in the first week of August and preparation work in EYFA
K> office starts quite early for that, so 30 June is too late for EYFA 
K> office as well.

K> I have therefore asked the EYF to change the conference dates to

K> Wednesday 24th to Tuesday 30th May 2006

K> I hope that all of you have understanding for the fact that we had to go
K> ahead with these changes without cross-checking with everyone on the 
K> list about their personal agendas, it would have been impossible really
K> to find one week that suited everyone. Please put these dates in your 
K> agenda so we all have the pleasure of your necessary participation and
K> input in this long-awaited event:)

K> However, we would also like to hear from you if there are any 
K> INSURMOUNTABLE obstacles to your attending this conference because of 
K> these dates. We will do anything we can to make it possible for as many
K> people as possible to come.

K> ESF

K> We have heard there has been a debate on changing the original dates of
K> the European Social Forum, which were decided to be 6-9 April in 
K> Instanbul at their last meeting. Sara who works in EYFA office and is on
K> all the ESF lists reported that a meeting in Florence where many ESF 
K> groups were present talked about changing these dates to end of May, but
K> we hope that this will not be the case because it would clash with our
K> conference, amongst others. Until there has been no official ESF date 
K> change we will therefore continue planning an interaction of people and
K> content between the ESF and the Est-West meeting in Berlin, counting on
K> the ESF to take place well before the Berlin conference.

K> For this it would be good to know if any of you were planning to go to
K> the ESF? EYFA wants to take part in the autonomous space in the ESF next
K> year, the local organisation is not that far yet for us to be able to 
K> arrange accomodation or programme I think, but we want to be present in
K> any case.

K> I thought it would be good to present East-West issues at the ESF, I 
K> heard the ESF has its own debate on these issues and it would be useful
K> if these could be presented in turn at the meeting in Berlin. E.g. how
K> do political activists assess and deal with the differences in political
K> history and current economic adn political circumstances and different
K> political culture? What are the attempts to overcome these differences
K> (if any) and formulate a common (not homogenised), anti-capitalist (?)
K> goal for the future without falling into old party communist rhetoric?
K> These questions are being debated within western Euroepan circles at 
K> every European network meeting, be it the former noborder network, the
K> Euromayday network, the frassanito network, you name it. National 
K> differences always play an issue with regard to political practice. 
K> Because East-West meetings are not so common because of visa, language,
K> historical ties etc., these debates have not moved as far between 
K> Eastern and western European groups, how do we plan to bring them 
K> forward (if this is what we want?)

K> These are just a few questions that come to my mind, there are 
K> definately more, but whatever they are, I think we should use the energy
K> and opponrtunities of the ESF to exchange experiences and inspire debate.

K> So who's planning to go and interested in linking the two meetings?

K> take care and warm greetings from an increasingly cold and grey Amsterdam,

K> Katrin xx









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Harald Gloede
Gneisenaustr. 2a
D - 10961 Berlin
Tel.: +49 30 6935670
mailto:ha-gl at so36.net