* reviews
Coming
soon Conference listing Your money or your life! Cancel the debts! March 12-13, Brussels, Belgium A major international gathering sponsored by COCAD (Committee for the Cancellation of the Third World Debt On Friday 12 March, COCAD supporters and guests will discuss how to work together better, and how to make a bigger success of other events, such as the Tribunal on Brazil's Foreign Debt (late March 1999 in Rio de Janeiro), the global campaign for the cancellation of the Third World debt (culminating in a big demonstration in Cologne on June 19th 1999), the European Marches against unemployment (culminating in a big demonstration in Cologne on May 29th 1999), the activities of ATTAC (Action for a Tax on financial Transactions to Aid Citizens), ATTAC International's plan for a big international gathering 24-26 June in Paris, the caravan of Indian peasants and farmers in Europe in May-June 1999, actions and initiatives against military policy (40th anniversary of NATO), the world march of women in the year 2000, just to name a few.
Simultaneous interpretation will be provided (English, French, Spanish, Flemish). The public event Over 800 people are expected on Saturday 13". Morning workshops include • "The origin and evolution of the Third World debt crisis" with Denise Comanne (COCAD). Chair: Pierre Galand. • "Globalisation and systemic crisis" with Eric Toussaint (COCAD). • "The human cost of neo-liberalism in Europe" with Nicolas Benies(France) and Cédric Losange (Lutte-SolidaritéTravail -- Belgium).
Afternoon workshops will focus on the human cost of the debt • "Latin America" with Adolfo Perez Esquivel (Nobel Peace Prize winner and head of Dialogo 2000 campaign in Argentina. • "Africa" with Binta Sarr (Association pour la Promotion de la Femme Sénégalaise). 32 International Viewpoint #309 March 1999
• "Asia" with Ajit Muricken (India) and Alan Roby (Indonesia). • "East" with Andrei Kolganov (Russia).
These workshops seek to provide an accurate sketch of the daily lives of people across the world living under the effects of neo-liberal policies, adjustment plans and debt servicing. These accounts and analyses provide the foundation for our struggle: debt cancellation must immediately and unconditionally go toward meeting people's basic needs. The speakers are not looking for pity; they are all involved in struggles for change.
Two workshops will deal with "resistance and alternatives • "Brazil" with Adelar Pizeta, a leader of the Landless Movement (MST), active (among other things) in the campaign for the cancellation of Brazil's debt. • "Jubilee 2000" with Marlen Barrett (coordinator for Jubilee 2000 campaign), Susanne Luithen (German campaign coordinator), Adolfo Perez Esquivel (coordinator of Dialogo 2000 campaign in Argentina), Pierre Lefèvre (Cancellation of African debt, CIAM, Democratic Republic of Congo), representatives of South African, Peruvian and Filipino debt campaigns, and Belgian NGOs (Broederlijke Delen, Entraide et Fraternité, COCAD/CADTM), and others.
At 17.30 there will be a plenary session to examine a series of measures for a radical transformation of the system. Speakers will include ATTACFrance with Christophe Aguiton (AC., secretary of ATTAC-France); Globalisaion Watch with Susan George; global trade, the MAl and after with Carole Crabbé ("Clean Clothes" campaign); wealth tax (someone from the Appel des 600); against unemployment and job insecurity with Jipi De Ley (European Marches); against financial speculation with Sophie Charlier (Entraide et Fraternité); the year 2000 Marche mondiale des Femmes; COCAD. Chair: Gérard Karlshausen (CNCD).
This session will examine various activities aimed at taxing capital gains in order to redistribute wealth. Speakers will also address the link between their campaigns and the question of the debt (the day's main theme). The different approaches presented will help those gathered put sketch out an overall strategy for change. Participants Africa: Mali (Jeunesses pan-africanistes); République démocratique du Congo (CIAM); South Africa (AIDC); Sénégal (APROFES, CONGAD); Togo (CADTM-Togo); Europe: Germany (Campagne Jubilee 2000); France (ATTAC, Observatoire de la Mondialisation); Switzerland (AMP); Spain (SODEPAZ Madrid, etc., Komites Internationalistak from the Basque country, EUiA from Catalonia); Holland (People's Global Action); Great Britain (Jubilee 2000 and others); Luxembourg
(ASTM), Russian Federation (Alternative Review). Americas and Carribean: Argentina (SERPAJ, Dialogo 2000); Brazil (Movimemto dos Sim Terra - MST) ; Mexico (CIDHMOR; Desde los Cuatro Puntos magazine) ; Cuba (CEE) ; Peru (Jubilee 2000); Venezuela (National Association of Consumers) Asia: India (INSAF, KRRS); Pakistan; Philippines (Alab-Katipunan); Sri Lanka (NSSP); Indonesia (PRD)
Many leaders of struggles for social change from other countries will be present for the entire day. Because of time and space restrictions, not all will be given a "soapbox" (as the saying goes). But they will be present and will speak in the debates; so that we may benefit from their wealth of experience. Brussels Aula (Hall) O, Avenue de la Plaine n°2, 1050 The meeting will take place at Free University Brussels, Belgium All enquireis about the conference should be addressed to COCAD, 29 rue Plantin, 1070 Brussels, Belgium Fax: (32-2) 522.61.27 Email: cadtm@skynet.be Web: http://users.skynet.be/cadtm Crossing Over: 19691999 Ethnic Studies and Radical Politics Beyond the Schooling Industrial Complex Berkeley, California, USA, April 9-10,
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the Third World Strike at the University of California, Berkeley. As a collective action initiated by students of color on January 22, 1969, the strike posed a sustained and far-reaching challenge to the conservative university ad ministration and state government. The enduring effects of that campaign included the establishment of an Ethnic Studies program, the (temporary) construction of institutional links between campus and community, and the formation of an unprecedented solidarity among radical youth of color.
This historic anniversary provides an opportunity to commemorate the movement and to critically revisit the principles that informed it: self-determination, educational relevancy, cross-disciplinary collaboration and multiethnic political solidarity. The organisers consider
Ethnic Studies to be a vital site of political resistance, even as it is housed within the corporate university.
A guiding principle of this gathering will be that challenging the exclusionary and discriminatory practices of educational institutions is necessary but ultimately insufficient as a radical alternative to the current situation. A narrow focus on increased "access" to these institutions simply will not produce sustainable, viable social change.
It is imperative to develop a fundamental critique of schools as sites of oppression-even as they function under ideal conditions.
Recent right-wing assaults on affirmative action and Ethnic Studies in the state of California have converged with broader, bipartisan efforts to further marginalize the working poor, to criminalize immigrants and youth of color, and to reaffirm incarceration as a convenient "solution" for poverty.
In the face of this crisis, CROSSING OVER encourages participants from across the country to gather and coordinate their efforts to create, expand, and support Ethnic Studies programs while strategizing new ways to make these programs relevant and useful to existing community struggles. For More information contact: Dept. of Comparative Ethnic Studies, 506 Barrows Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Fax. (+1 510) 642-6456 Email: crossover@uclink4.berkeley.edu Website: www.ethnicstudies.com EuroMediterranean homosexualities Marseilles, France, 24-31 July
The 20th century is rich in lessons for lesbians and gay men in Europe and throughout the world. We have lived through brutal repression (tascism, Stalinism and other dictatorships), the rise of the women's movement, spread of birth control and abortion rights, a (temporary?) decline in the power of religion, the AIDS epidemic, an explosion of global communication networks, lesbian and gay images on MTV and the Internet and much more.
Does this mean that there is no going back from the freedoms we have won? In fact no victory is necessarily forever: the forces fostering homophobia are still at work. We are there in the social landscape but have not really found our place in it. Many lesbians and gay men are ignorant of our history. In Europe and still more in the rest of the world our lives are not seen and treated on an equal footing. We are still favourite scapegoats: when things get worse in Europe and the Mediterranean, tensions increase, and racist crimes and violence multiply, then hypocrites and bigots are quick to attack us as well, and the police and courts are
The Euromediterranean Summer University will gather together the European experiences of recent decades, and express our solidarity with the other peoples of the Mediterranean. As well as enjoying the Mediterranean summer, our presence will be a challenge to the homophobic National Front municipal governments in Vitrolles, Magnane, Orange and Toulon.
Workshops
Several parallel workshops will develop the Summer University's cycle of themes chosen by the programme committee, both on its own initiative and by outside proposal. Some workshops will continue every day throughout the Summer University, others may be more limited in time. The Euromediterranean dimension will be particularly visible. Workshops will be led by particular groups, media outlets, researchers and writers, and accompanied by a film • gays/knowledge — lesbian, gay, bi, transgender and transexual forms of exp ression — popular culture from the '20s to today - history + memories — transmission - archives - lesbian and gay studies • identities - genders - sexualities portrayals of sexuality — practices pornography • oppressions — repressions — discriminations → racism - sexism -lesbophobia +- homophobia • subversions — integration — political stakes — grassroots organising — media • strategies — political and social demands - militant actions individual and collective commitment impact of recent struggles (AIDS & domestic partnership) • daily life - economic issues — economic insecurity - citizenship — social life - lifestyles — consumption - health -- urban and rural life Last minute speaker proposals shold be sent to: Comité scientifique UEEH Intech chemin des Fontaines F. 84110 Vaison la Romaine, France Fax: 33-4-75 27 14 04 Email: intech.@wanadoo.fr The forums
The forums will gathering all the participants to hear particular speakers. They will take the form of round tables on the above themes. All participants will be encouraged to speak (there will be travelling microphones and translation to and from several languages). Outside guests prominent in political and intellectual life will also play a role. The forums will all be recorded for publication. The organisers
We are a coalition of women and men, lesbians and gays from various perspectives inspired by this project. Some of us took part in the past in the creation and five sessions of the Marseilles Gay and Lesbian Summer University (1979-1987), which brought together between 400 and 600 people for a week every two years.
We want to create an open forum for discussion and gatherings where the various sensibilities of the gay and lesbian community can come together on a basis of mutual respect, pluralism of thought and behaviour, friendship among peoples, and a common commitment to anti-sexist and anti-racist demands... As a rule men and women will both be welcome... This will not be a place for decision-making." (Excerpt from article 4 of the bylaws)
Co-ordination is ensured by a members council, with 50% women. Registration
The fee for taking part in the Summer University is 850 FF. It is also possible to reserve a room and meals in the university restaurant for 900 FF. Reduced rates are available for students, unemployed and people with long-term illnesses. Register early — fees will go up after April 1999! Registrations and requests for information can be sent. to: Université d'Eté des Homosexualités Intech Chemin des Fontaines 84110 Vaison la Romaine, France Tel: 33-4-90 28 70 10 Fax: 33-4-90 36 19 63 Organizational contacts (tel/fax): 33-4-75 27 14 04 (Jacques Fortin) Artistic programming: 33-4-91 47 29 52 (Verte Fontaine) Other events International Socialist Forum dayschool on 'Marx and Philosophy. 7 March, Conway Hall, London. Contact: <isf@isf.org.uk> 'Global capitalism & effective opposition 3-4 April, Glasgow, Britain Sessions on capitalism and UK break up. Contact: <radfest@yahoo.com> Tel. 0131 557 6242. G8 demonstration 18 June. World-wide activities For information on British events contact Reclaim the Streets on 0171 281 4621. London Anarchist Bookfair 16 Octobe, London, Britain Contact: <m.peacock@unl.ac.uk> Tel. 0171 247 9249.
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Viewpoint
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International Viewpoint #309 March 1999 33