Invitation to an International meeting
to prepare the mobilisation against G20 summit, July 7th/8th in Hamburg
April 7 from 11 am to 6 pm (in Hamburg)
(More soon at http://www.g20-protest.de or write to international@g20-2017.org)
Next 7th and 8th in July, the heads of the states of the most powerful countries in the world will meet for the G20 summit in the city of Hamburg. We know most of their faces and accuse them of pushing policies of domination and exploitation, of racism and xenophobia, of impoverishment and war. The G20 represents another phase of “global governance” that is augmenting the G8 (actually, the G7 since Russia’s accession of Crimea). The G20 was formed in 2008 when capitalist globalization entered a nearly fatal meltdown. In a context of near-permanent crisis, leading regional military, economic and political powers are attempting to bandaid structural problems – but at the same time compete within the “organized chaos” of markets.
On the one hand, the G20 promised to become a better forum with wider membership – including the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) bloc – so as to amplify the power and legitimacy of the multi-polar neoliberal world order. On the other hand, G20 policies are resulting in the deterioration of living conditions for millions of people, women and men, who pay the price for this model of global injustice, along with environmental devastation including climate catastrophe.
For twenty years, our movements for “global justice” have opposed this top-down power and rejected the philosophy known as neoliberalism, its realities and future risks. Today, we see the ecological crisis and the destruction of life unfolding before our eyes; we see financial crisis “management” resulting in the concentration of extreme wealth for few (the 1% have as much wealth as half the planet) and mass impoverishment for the majority of the people; we see a proliferation of armed conflicts, in which ordinary people – especially those resisting the injustices – pay the highest price with their lives, while the military industry gets unprecedented high profits; we see millions of people being forced to leave their homes in pursuit of shelter and a better life, while walls, on land and sea, are built and condemn them to death.
This disastrous situation turns even more disastrous by giving birth to “its own monsters”. The old representatives of the “status quo” and establishment cling to their privileges, while reactionary forces emerge out of this mess. The latter use the social disasters and multiple crises to push for an order that in reality only protects the “old centres”. Nationalism, protectionism, the diminishing of public space and socio- political rights are accompanied by claims to speak on behalf of the “Volk” (the homogenous, ethnically cleansed people). This is just another class, race and gender war to secure the privileges of the few. However, with a truly monstrous face.
We have fought impoverishment and war since decades and in various ways. We fight locally and globally. We do not only resist, but also practically demonstrate the alternatives. Twenty years ago the movement of movements used to say, another world is possible. Today, in front of the disaster capitalism and the “political monsters” that it is producing, we claim that not only another world is possible, but that WE ARE THE OTHER WORLD, possible and necessary!
While the state elites make deals in Hamburg, we strongly believe that this summit is not only the right moment and place to act, to stand together on the streets of the city of Hamburg with loud voices and in manifold ways. Our answer to the summit of the powerful must be also a transnational convergence of resistance and alternatives, of unity and solidarity. It is time now to give the no-G20 mobilisation a broad international breath, starting at the European level.
Various alliances of different activists’ groups and social movements, developmental and environmental NGOs, church groups and parties in Germany have been forming for months, to prepare an appropriate welcome for the G20 (http://www.g20-protest.de/, https://www.g20hamburg.org/de). The activities planned so far will be as colourful as the movements that are engaged in it and will send a strong signal to the world that we are the many who believe in global, just alternatives:
- A huge mass demonstration will take place on the last day of the summit (July 8)
- Mass actions of civil disobedience on the squares and streets of Hamburg on the first day of the summit to stop it from taking place (July 7)
- Our “summit for global solidarity” will start just before the official summit (July 5 & 6) to give space for political discussions and analyses, for strategizing and movement building
- The weekend before the summit (July 2), a wave of citizen’s protest will move through the city by boat and air, in public parties and focused discussions
In order to plan for a transnational mobilization that ensures global participation and a true (European wide) mobilization against the G20, we need to organize ourselves. Therefore, we invite you to a transnational preparatory meeting in Hamburg on April 7 from 11 am to 6 pm.
We have already started to organize internationally via a mailing list (http://lists.g20-2017.org/mail-man/listinfo/interlist) and through regular conference calls (for more info contact international@g20-2017.org). The April 7th International Meeting is a space to put this process in more motion: a convergence of struggles and alternative means, attempting to recombine a multitude of people, acting on different issues, with their different languages and practices. How we can do that while the task we know is difficult but necessary? We hope to find the way to do it together.
Let’s use the energy and chance for a face to face meeting to debate the context we are finding ourselves in as well as to debate appropriate responses of protest, resistance and convergence. Let’s get adjusted to the mobilization plan in Germany and the city of Hamburg. Let’s work out a process so that we can effectively mobilize and outreach, secure participation as broad as possible, debate, and map the necessary organizing steps to work on.
For the agenda we propose these general topics (a detailed agenda will follow later):
- A political debate and exchange on the global political situation and the role of the G20 summit in July 2017. What is it that we need to do and want to say in /with Hamburg?
- An introduction to Hamburg and to the German mobilization, to alliances and to the plans developed so far with representatives from the various work groups. This session will address how to get involved in the mobilization and specific activities such as the counter summit, the mass march, civil disobedience etc.
- Planning the work to be done (maybe in sub groups), in order to spread the news, to enlarge the process, to ensure international participation and European wide mobilization (working out media tasks and material, reaching out to other networks, creating a mobilization calendar).
A web/skype conference for parts of the meeting will be organized for those who cannot attend. The weekend after our international meeting (April 8/9) the second “no-g20 action-conference” (a large-scale German activists meeting, https://www.g20hamburg.org/de/content/zweite-aktionskonferenz) will take place and you are all warmly invited to participate. English translation will be provided and solidarity accommodation will be organized for people who register beforehand. Unfortunately, we cannot provide reimbursement for travel costs. If there are problems, please let us know.
Let’s think of the G20 in Hamburg as the physical and political space for all our different struggles, movements, and campaigns we are actively involved in within our territories. Let’s see it as a crossing and convergence point. It is a convergence of the many and a chance for face-to-face confrontation with our enemies in the ruling class. Let’s raise our voices, to make our protests stronger and to show the legitimacy and strength of our alternatives.
We are looking forward to hearing from you, to getting in touch with you, to learning about your points, to considering all your proposals and to networking. Please get back to us with any questions and to alert us if you plan to join us in Hamburg in April and more importantly in July! Contact us at international@g20-2017.org)
In solidarity and we hope to hear from you soon!
the International NO-g20 work group, February, 17, 2017
