From: glevy@PRATT.EDU
Date: Fri Feb 24 2006 - 09:44:12 EST
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: conference Call: Another World Is Necessary
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The Center for Global Justice (in central Mexico) has issued its Call for a
Workshop this summer "Another World Is Necessary." Our previous
conferences in 2004 and 2005 brought together hundreds of academics and
activists from many countries for stimulating discussions. We expect this
year's event will further this North-South dialog.
I have attached the Call in both pdf and Word formats (which I deleted
because of its length, JL) so you can send it to others and print it
out for posting. Help us spread the word. Hope to see
you this summer.
Venceremos,
Cliff
*********************
Call to participate in the workshop
ANOTHER WORLD IS NECESSARY
Justice, Sustainable Development & Sovereignty
JULY 19-26, 2006
Center for Global Justice
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Co-Sponsors:
Radical Philosophy Association, Global Studies Association,
Union of Radical Political Economists and
Argentina Autonomista Project
We call on social change researchers and activists to join this 6-day
workshop in seeking alternatives to corporate globalization that are just,
sustainable, and respect popular sovereignty. Participants are invited to
join the Center for Global Justice and share in the job of renewing its
mission. All sessions will be in both English & Spanish.
“There is no alternative,” (TINA) said Margaret Thatcher of neo-liberal
capitalism as led by the United States at least since the 1980s. And this
system’s defenders still argue TINA. But this flies in the face of reality.
Without waiting for governments, victims of neo-liberalism have themselves
constructed many viable alternatives aiming at justice, sustainability, and
popular sovereignty. And new majorities are directing governments to join
this construction and the global justice movement. For another world is
not only possible, it is now necessary. Amidst signs of a deep global
economic crisis, the present system’s environmental and social
unsustainability is clear. Failure to honestly ponder options invites
disaster by mindless recycling of a toxic system. Another world needs
inventing by us all - morally, economically, environmentally, politically,
& culturally.
We aim for bi-lingual, publishable results of our joint work on suggested
themes like:
1. Grasping the crisis: how capital pits working classes against each
other; conflicting agricultural models & the rural crisis; the neo-liberal
offensive today - economically, ecologically, politically; water &
ecocide; new imperialism & war; recycling racism.
2. Women world-wide: women’s rights; migration of women; indigenous
women; reproductive rights; women’s new economic activity; feminist
ecology.
3. Goals & Alternatives: How is the people’s resistance redefining social
and global justice, autonomy, and participatory democracy? New
kinds of democratic socialism including “socialism for the 21st century”;
how to undo racism; gender democracy; una vida digna.
4. Strategies & Tools: occupy, resist, produce; regional economic unity;
global justice movements; solidarity economy, recuperated factories, &
co-ops; can pursuit of local economic autonomy be combined with
electoral action?; North-South cross-border organizing; ambiguities of new
technologies; Tobin tax & international legal reform; food sovereignty;
the subsistence perspective; reclaiming the commons; distinguishing means
that are unjust, unsustainable, & disrespectful of peoples’ sovereignty
from those that are not.
We welcome individual or joint papers, performances or other creative
presentations on such themes. All papers will be posted on our website so
we can prepare for joint work by reading each other’s work in advance.
Site
visits will concretize our debates.
PROPOSALS DUE by April 15
FULL PRESENTATIONS IN ENGLISH & SPANISH by June 10
Proposals & queries to Beatriz Súcar at: conference@globaljusticecenter.org
What to expect & how to participate in
ANOTHER WORLD IS NECESSARY
July 19-26, 2006 Center for Global Justice, San Miguel de Allende, México
You will find four distinguishing features of the workshop:
n it will bring together researchers and activists on an equal basis
for two-way learning about how to move beyond corporate globalization
n it will bring together persons from the global North and the global
South in defiance of the neo-liberal project of pitting these hemispheres’
workers against each other
n all proceedings will be in both Spanish and English to assure the
understanding and communication needed for joint action; and
n our meeting is largely self-financed based on the formula “from each
according to ability, to each according to need.”
Finally: we ask all participants to read all presentations in advance.
This is because we ask all presenters to summarize presentations at the
workshop to maximize the substantive discussion needed for progress on the
issues. In the first three of our four work days, circles of reflection,
organized around presentations, will discuss with a view to making
progress toward consensus. Each day will end with a single circle for
sharing the groups’ progress (or lack thereof). On the fourth day, we
will convene in plenaries to attempt to frame conclusions. Results –
including key debates – will be made public. We plan two site visits on
two days, one to a co-op network, one to a community development group.
All participants are invited to join the Center to help renew its mission
and choose leadership & themes for 2007.Proposals for an individual or
group talk/paper/panel/creative presentation, etc. should include:
1. name, address, nationality, e-mail, affiliation, skill levels in primary
and secondary languages;
2. title of proposal, nature of proposal (activist report, paper, show,
etc.);
3. descriptive abstract.
Please indicate if you are willing to coordinate a reflection circle,
moderating discussion to assure that all receive a fair share of available
time and that presentations are merely summarized. Workdays end with a
common session on the various groups’ progress, led by their appointed
spokespersons.
DEADLINES
Proposals: APRIL 15 to Beatriz Súcar at: conference@globaljusticecenter.org
Notification of acceptance: MAY 1.
Final, full presentations in both Spanish & English, for mounting on our
website, are due by JUNE 10. If you cannot get your paper translated
yourself we will supply a list of translators charging reasonable rates.
COSTS
Registration fee: $250 includes all sessions, reception, lunches and coffee
breaks.
Site visits: $50 covers both visits.
Lodging and sessions at the Hotel Real de Minas (www.realdeminas.com) a
quiet,
full service hotel 10 min from San Miguel’s historic center. Single or
double:
702 pesos or $68 USD per night. Check our website for other options.
Scholarship assistance is available for low-income participants, including
travel expenses, and lodging & dinners with local friends.
Full fees (and contributions) help provide scholarships for low-income
participants.
The registration fee is due by MAY 15.
We welcome tax deductible contributions to our Scholarship Fund.
All checks should be made payable to: “Research Associates Foundation,”
and sent to:
Center for Global Justice BC-2323
9902 Crystal Ct. #107
Laredo TX 78045
For credit card payment & more information about the Center for Global
Justice, see our website: www.globaljusticecenter.org
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