Globalise Resistance Bulletin

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday April 08, 2003 22:10 by Globalise Resistance - Globalise Resistance globalise_resistance at yahoo dot com

Globalise Resistance Bulletin

Globalise Resistance bulletin 1. Meeting Sunday 13th April 2. Postering for public meeting 3. Shannon protest Saturday 12th April 4. Jorg Haider visits Trinity College 5. Minutes of steering committee meeting 6. New website

1. Meeting Sunday 13th April, Liberty hall, 2pm.
This June 1st the G8 meet in Evian, France. This means Bush and Blair
and the gathered forces of the largest economic powers in the world.
GR has called a meeting to organise an Irish contingent to join the
protest.

Last week's bulletin advertised a meeting on Saturday 12th June.
However as this was found to clash with a protest in Shannon, we have
rearranged it for the following day, Sun 13th April.

Speakers:

Christophe Aguiton, ATTAC, G8 protest organiser
Patricia McKenna, Green Party MEP
Des Geraghty, SIPTU president
Joe Carolan, Globalise Resistance

Following are some excerpts from an open letter written by Christophe
Aguiton;

Proposal for the movements against war and neo-liberal
and corporate globalisation

Dear friends,

On Saturday 29 March, we held a meeting of the
European coordination of the campaign against the G8
which is scheduled to be held in Evian, France (near
Geneva) on the 1st of June.

This campaign has brought together several movements,
unions, parties, NGOs and activists from all over
Europe who are preparing different activities
including a counter summit, alternative villages, a
huge demonstration for 1 June and many other
initiatives. On the website of the coalition
www.g8-evian2003.org, you can find the appeal signed
by some of the participants of the campaign coalition
and some practical information about the different
initiatives.

It's now clear that the war will be not short and easy
for the UK and US armies. That changes the situation
for the governments who are in the G8 but also for the
anti-war campaigners.

For the movements, in spite of the enormous
international mobilisation of 15 February and the
incredible and spontaneous reaction when the war
started, it will be hard to maintain this level of
protest as the war continues. Therefore, it is
important to plan our mobilisations and to have better
coordination between the different coalitions.

Looking at these realities, and following our
discussions of 29 March, we would like to make some
proposals for the movements.

The first is to target the G8 as the main moment to
mobilise against the war. In many countries there will
be important demonstration on 12 April. In others,
demonstrations are planned on different days but we
need another international appointment, like the 15
February. The best moment, which would give people
time to prepare and mobilise, is during the G8 -- in
Geneva (near Evian) for the people who can get there
and in cities around the world for the people who do
not have the possibility to join Geneva.

If the G8 is cancelled or postponed, that will be an
important step for us because we think the G8 is
illegitimate. However, we can still go ahead and
organise our own meetings instead of the G8.

What's more, if they cancel or postpone the G8, it is
not only because the big countries are divided, but
also because they failed to answer the demands of the
people of the world and they are too afraid to meet
where and when the people are demonstrating. This is
the time to show that we are the alternative and that
the people and the movements represent another
globalisation, a globalisation for peace and social
justice.

For all these reasons, and also because we need an
international meeting to talk about our mobilisations
and to organise the next events and demonstrations, we
propose, if the G8 is cancelled, to organise on the
same dates a Geneva "conference of the people". We
need this conference to be very representative so that
it is able to adopt a declaration about the war and
the next mobilisations against corporate
globalisation, with the WTO ministerial in Cancun as
main target.

These are our ideas and proposals. At the European
level, we will be meeting again in Berlin at the end
of April.

In solidarity,

on behalf of the Geneva meeting,

Christophe Aguiton

2. Postering for public meeting

Anyone who has the time is invited to help with postering and
leafleting to advertise the above meeting.

Meet Wednesday 8th April, 6pm at the front gates of Trinity College.

3. Shannon protest Saturday 12th April
Anti-war protesters will convene in Shannon town centre at 2pm and
march to the airport, where American military aircraft continue to
refuel on their way to the Gulf.
Similar protests have been organised all over Europe.
There will be buses from many parts of the country, contact your
local Anti-War Movement for details.
For buses from Dublin phone 0876329511

4. Jorg Haider visits Trinity College
One time leader of the ultra right-wing Austrian Freedom Party Jorg
Haider is to visit Trinity College Thursday 10th April. He will be
speaking in the Graduate Memorial Building at 7.30pm.
Mr. Haider is well known for his racist anti-immigration stance. Last
year Ryanair attempted to collaborate with Mr. Haider to promote
their new service to Austria, but were forced to pull out of the deal
after widespread protests.
Globalise Resistance will gather outside the building in Trinity at
7.15. Bring banners and noise.

5. Minutes of last steering committee meeting
1. Discussion on Evian G8 protests and how the war (occupation of
Iraq, economics of war. wars for profit) will be a central focus for
the anti-G8 mobilisation. Further discussion on difference between GR
and the ISF. The ISF is an open space to facilitate the movement. GR
is an umbrella organisation that aims to build the anti-globalisation
movement in Ireland through mobilising protests, public meetings etc.
2. Finance discussed. Pat Clafferty, Treasurer to see what's in the
account. Need fundraisers, May Day fundraiser agreed.
3. Building for Sunday's meeting: Pat design poster, meet wed to put
them up. Garrett to do press statements.
4. Nora agreed to liaise with ISF.
5. Agreed to organise, similar to Genoa, two sets of buses, ones
leaving for the week to cover alternative summits etc and the others
to facilitate the shortest time being there for the Sunday
demonstration. Claire will contact bus companies. Helena to work on
sponsorship forms. Everyone agreed to contact groups/trade unions/
political parties to back the call against the G8.

6. New website
GR Ireland has a new website which can be found at
www.freewebs.com/globalise