role and purpose of Convergence Centers

Convergence Centers (CC) are as a support part of the infrastructure and logistics for the anti-summit protests

the CCs are available befor the G8 summit starts as basis for international activists to find and gather usefull information and offers for earlier arriving and long-travellers places to sleep

in this spaces there will be the option to figure out the local situation and to get first contacts

the rooms of the CCs will offer a platform for discussion, information, coordination and action. They should function as a tool for international exchange and networking beyond the protests.

workshops about the politics of the g8 and their influence - racism and war against migrants - global agriculture and GMO - policy of war - global privatisation - energy ressources and ecology - policy of education - local political issues in different regions of the world

in the CCs you should get information about actions, places, dates or tips for finding affinity groups, etc.

practical orientated workshops, f.e.: infos about situation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - Infoworkshops about german laws - Repression - Trauma - actionworkshops and trainings - communication methods in complex situations - find decisions in hughe groups as well as first aid during demonstration specially

the plan

As you may have noticed with joy, the different working groups to organize the CCs to support protests against the G8-summit in 2007 have started. The planings schedule that there are three CCs in different cities:

* Berlin° 21.5. - approx. 1-2 weeks after the summit

* Hamburg° 25.5. - 10.6.2007, in the „Rote Flora“

* Rostock 25.5. - 2.6.2007

We think it is helpful to have CCs already before the big protests are starting and also after the actions in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, so that there are contact points, rooms to prepare and also for retirement to other bigger cities nearby. For this reason the CCs in Hamburg and Berlin will stay open also during the protests near Heiligendamm.

We need support to support you!

How you can contribute?

It is important, that the local working groups on the CCs get help and support also in the months before the protests from groups of other cities and interested people, which are responsibly caring for different parts such as:

organizing and coordinating the kitchens and translators

enquire, do and coordinate the workshop programm

buildup of the technical infrastructure et. al. electrical equipment, Computer-Pool with Internet

traffic, transport and logistic, that means organisation of materials and activists

collecting material such as bikes and other things to go to or do actions and manage distribution of it

contacts and communication between infopoints, camps, legal team structures etc.

giving first information to newly arrived activist

security of the CCs against police and nazi attacks

and of course – umpteenth money! At the moment there is a financing gab of several thousand Euros, that means every Euro, that you can donate now, is helping a lot to build up a useful infrastructure for the protests.

A special call goes to all of the international activists to put forth their ideas, creativity and ideas for the CCs before and during the actions.

What else can you do:

Hosting soliparties and –festivals - Celebrating against G8 and for the resistance

collecting donations at events and presentations, infotables, parties etc.

Merchandising – T-Shirt, Badges, Broschures - d.i.y. or (just) selling them

If you are well served with money as a political group or know groups that are, show them the CC concept and ask for financial support or if they can provide material.

Donations to the Convergence Center

Netzwerk Selbsthilfe e.V.

Konto 740 388 7000 - BLZ 100 900 00 - Berliner Volksbank

IMPORTANT - reason for payment: Convergence Center

contact via mail

* Berlin: mail.cc_berlin[AT]nostate.net

* Hamburg: convergence-hh[AT]nadir.org

* Rostock: cc-rostock[AT]riseup.net

* to all of the three Convergence-Centern: convergence-center-g8-2007[AT]mail.nadir.org

Local action for global resistance!

Convergence Center in Hamburg:

Dear people,

from 26.05. to 10.06.2007 we are planning to built up a Convergence Center in Hamburg to support the protest against the G8-summit in Heiligendamm (06.06.-08.06.2007). The exact space of time should be orientated on the needs of the activists. The center should take place in the “Rote Flora”, a left political project, which is occupied since 16 years, uninhabitated but used in several ways. Thinking that it is reasonable to offer a place for international activists before the summit will start, we want to give a place where people can meet to get connected and prepare the protest. A metropolis like Hamburg is a dedicated actionfield, to put the local fights in a global context. As the biggest harbour of Germany and “gate to the world” Hamburg is a junction for the global exploitation. So we are thinking that it is a good occasion not to focus only on Heiligendamm, but to attack also the profiteers of neo-liberal policies in local coherence and to make them puplic. Therefore the Convergence Center will be a initial point to preparate for the summit-protest and for direct action. For us it is very important to give a good base for the internationals to prepare their resistance in Germany. There will be workshops, lawyers, soup kitchen and places to sleep, possibilities to get infos and to get connected. For us it is a logistical challenge to organize all this and so you are requested to get actively involved in the preparation and realisation of the center. We want to emphasise that this is also a call for international activists to bring their creativity, their ideas and their action from now on and during the center to Hamburg. We are thinking that it makes sense to have an additional point of preparation and refuge related to the camps in Meck-Pom and so we would appreciate the organisation of more Convergence Centers in close-by cities like Rostock and Berlin.

Wiki: hamburg.dissentnetzwerk.org

contact per mail: convergence-hh[at]nadir.org