[ox-en] interesting conference in spain
- From: "Franz Nahrada" <f.nahrada reflex.at>
- Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:49:36 +0200
is anybody going there?
cross posted from the Vienna List on solidareconomy.
maybe a good point to present Open Source Ecology
Franz
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Life despite Capitalism
Building Radical Economies
Escanda International Gathering
4 - 9 September 2008
In September 2008, the Escanda collective along with others will be
hosting a five day radical economics gathering. As well as analysing the
failures of the current economic system and the means of production and
circulation we will learn from the possibilities and experiences of those
working in the here and now, despite capitalism, to build autonomous
economies from a basis of sustainability, self organisation, solidarity,
respect and justice and the struggle for a better world.
The gathering will provide a space for networking and will combine
workshops that focus both on the theory of radical economics and the
practice working towards creating and building radical economies within
and between our own movements and collectives.
Why?
Within the movement we discuss politics - what is wrong with the system
and how we build our own networks, we discuss ecology - climate change and
how we develop more ecological ways of doing things, relations - how to
avoid hierarchies and power relations amongst ourselves, consumerism,
culture, direct action, health, education... but what about economics?
Over the last 5 years the Escanda collective and friends have organised a
number of different meetings and seminars. Ranging from gender issues,
popular education, renewable energies and social change, to a radical
women's gathering. This year, we want to go to the belly of the beast and
provide the space for skill sharing, learning, discussion and debate
around economics.
For many of us it remains a taboo word, or something we
have not quite got our heads around, all of us have critiques, ideas and
questions about the global economy and all of us, despite capitalism, are
doing things ourselves to provide for and control our lives. In the
seminar we hope to combine these different elements to develop our own
individual understanding, radicalise and deepen our critiques, explore
radical and alternative economies and join up with or form new networks of
autonomous production and circulation.
What?
Whilst we have an idea about what we would like to see in the seminar, we
are also very interested to hear from other groups and collectives who
have been working around these issues in developing the content and
programme of the seminar together. We have come up with these questions
but we welcome any feedback, ideas and suggestions you might have.
- What issues and themes would you like to see represented?
- Can you offer a workshop?
- Can you think of any groups or individuals that would be useful to
invite?
- What networks and groups are you involved in and (briefly) what do they
do?
- What do you understand by the word 'economy'?
So far we thought we would like to look at some of the topics below:
1· Looking at the mechanics of the market, global economics, money,
exchange, value and wage labour. Including looking at all the things we do
that are not 'valued' such as domestic work or social work.
2 questionnaire and discussions amongst ourselves about ways in which we
already manage our needs without money - e.g. in our families, social
centres, shared flats and international networks.
3 Learning about and examining existing models such as Solidarity
Economics, Participatory Economics, the concept of the Commons,
Anarcho-syndicalism etc.
4 Learning about and examining real examples such as our own communities
and social centres, the Zapatistas, Argentina from 2001, Spain during the
civil war, etc.
5 A networking point for those producing or circulating in non-capitalist
ways.
6 Working towards establishing our own production and circulation networks
between groups and collectives.
7 How do these model and examples link into our current real struggles?
How do we hold on to what we have wrestled out of the capitalist sphere
AND make them part of a bigger revolutionary process of going beyond
capitalism altogether?
8 Are these "radical economies" real and sustenible alternatives or they
can only exist like parasites of the capitalist system?
Where?
The seminar will be held from the 4th-9th of September 2008 in Escanda.
Escanda is a collective in the North of Spain - a space for interaction
and cooperation between groups of people, networks and movements. Escanda
aims to practice and experiment how to live together, without exchange
relations and with horizontal structures. The common thread is
non-hierarchical, anti-capitalist grassroots movements, with an emphasis
on the environment. We subscribe to the PGA Hallmarks and work within this
framework. As such Escanda organises meetings, seminars, courses,
trainings, skill sharing events and provides space for projects on a wide
variety of different issues.
For more information please contact
lifedespitecapitalismo googlemail.com
or
www.escanda.org
_________________________________
Web-Site: http://www.oekonux.org/
Organization: http://www.oekonux.de/projekt/
Contact: projekt oekonux.de