2007-07-24

BALKAN PGA INFOTOUR SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2007

The majority of the PGA meetings (3 out of 4) took place in physical
autonomous spaces. That was clearly a political choice. For the people and
the collectives involved in the PGA it is vitally important to support
autonomous projects, spaces where people try to organise their daily life
beyond the capitalistic relations of dominance.

The 5th meeting of PGA in europe

After a lot of difficulties and problems to find a space and a convenor to
moderate the next PGA conference, activists from the greek region launched
and encourage the idea of a PGA conference in north greece. Choosing this
location was the outcome of lengthy discussions which will be included in
the presentation text (call out) for the 5th PGA conference.

Not only for the needs of this conference but also for the further
networking and coordination of the resistance we are starting a one-month
infotour in the balkan region.

Presentation of the PGA balkan infotour

Following the belgrade conference in 2004 there has been great enthusiasm
about the beginning of a balkan network of collectives, grassroots,
antiauthoritarian, anticapitalist and other groups or individuals.
Unfortunately, this enthusiasm was not fruitful enough perhaps due to the
lack of concrete objectives, or even perhaps some participants sensed the
traditional “networking for the networking” problem.

The idea of an infotour is not a novelty. Nonetheless, it is the first
time activists from a balkan country decided to visit groups and
individuals who share resembling ideas and the face similar problems.

We feel necessary to stress the following concepts about the infotour:

a) Not only we begin this journey on the occasion of the PGA conference,
which alone is a perfect opportunity to meet and act in solidarity in the
future, but also we aim to discuss, perhaps for the first time, about
tools and ideas that can give us ability to border on common grounds.

b) To call anti-authoritarian, autonomous anti-capitalistic and other
groups groups to assist in the shaping and the organisation of the PGA
conference.

c) To discuss and exchange views on the current status in the Balkans, the
rise of capitalism and the state violence, especially after the wall has
fallen and a series of wars have ravaged this region.

d) Finally, we want to emphasise that our call targets on groups,
collectives and individuals who act and think of themselves beyond
hierarchical social structures, who struggle against dominance and
capitalism without consent.

A few words on the PGA conference subjects :

Although a more detailed subject list will follow in the near future,
aiming to analyse issues that will either be discussed in the upcoming PGA
conference or have been discussed in previous conferences, we briefly
state that we are currently working on the following subjects:

• Digital struggles and tools for an alternative flow of information /
  indymedia tools – radio projects etc.

• Against biotechnology of dominance and biotechnology corporate lobbies

• Autonomous spaces

• Precarity

• No border

• The Balkans

• The Middle East

• Student Struggles

• Zapatistas and indigenous spaces

• Eco-communities (land and autonomy)

• Antiglobalisation movement (g8, summits etc)

• Repression / control state and Solidarity

• Patriarchy, sexism in the activist scene

• Climate change and environmental topics

• DIY

• Food not bombs

• We consider evident enough the fact that the conference subject list is
  open to any additions

Working groups we wish to operate in sight of this conference:

• translation

• group for visas

• technical team

• location

• newsletter

• presentation and networking

Proposal for the discussion on the course and process of the network

• infopoint network
• global conference
• future campaigns
• future of pga
• tools of the network
• next european conference

Infotour stops and dates:

• Istanbul
• Sofia
• Romania
• Ljubljana
• Budapest
• Zagreb

contact mailto:infotour_@no-log.org

PGA Hallmarks

1. A very clear rejection of capitalism, imperialism and feudalism; all
trade agreements, institutions and governments that promote destructive
globalisation.

2. We reject all forms and systems of domination and discrimination
including, but not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious
fundamentalism of all creeds. We embrace the full dignity of all human
beings.

3. A confrontational attitude, since we do not think that lobbying can
have a major impact in such biased and undemocratic organisations, in
which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker.

4. A call to direct action and civil disobedience, support for social
movements’ struggles, advocating forms of resistance which maximize
respect for life and oppressed peoples’ rights, as well as the
construction of local alternatives to global capitalism.

5. An organisational philosophy based on decentralisation and autonomy.
PGA is a tool for coordination, not an organization. PGA has no members
and does not have and will not have a juridical personality. Nor
organisation or person represents PGA.