Introduction: Political Infocenter Wageningen (Nederland)

The Infocenter is a place that provides working space, left wing & anarchist literature, a telephone, a fax and internet access. It is located in a self-controlled building 'de Wilde Wereld' (translated as 'the wild world') in the center of Wageningen.

Daily, people with an anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist, anti-patriachical and anti-racist view are working at the Infocenter. They analyse various developments in the current society and choose focal points to direct their activities at aiming to attack capitalism, patriachy and racism.

Currently there are 5 groups actively involved within the Infocenter. About ten people are participating in one or more of the five groups that fully support the political view mentioned above. Sometimes other people are involved with a particular project of one of the groups. They do not necessarily share the same political views as the basic group of people.

We welcome anyone willing to start a political group or willing to participate in an existing groups.

The Magpie and the Elephant
is an autonomous center documenting the struggle and way of life of indigenous peoples. It's founded by radical left people aiming to support and make the struggle of indigenous peoples more visible for interested people. The fight against capitalism is more important than exclusively humanitarian indigenous peoples issues.

Beside updating the archive, writing articles and answering questions, the Magpie and the Elephant is active in networking and organising actions and campaigns. Examples are the past four global days of action against capitalism: june 18, november 30, mayday2k, september 26 and organising a cycle of presentations about West-Papoea last februari.

Refugees Under Roof (VOD)
A foundation that supports illegalised refugees. VOD mainly directs it's activities at practical social work and legal support. During the three years of existence many refugees were supported, varying from a single financial gift to helping people returning to the asylumprocedures or looking for an alternative perspective together.

Once in a while VOD organises actions in Wageningen.
Besides social and legal support, the Middle-East Teatent is one of the most successful activities of VOD. Refugees sell tea, coffee and snacks from the Middle-East to provide for their own living and to inform people about political themes. VOD also organises worlddisco's and various cultural events. VOD is the only group within the Infocenter which receives money from the government of Wageningen to pay the costs of the office.

Workplace Left Analysis Biopolitics (LAB)
DNA of indigenous peoples, fetusses and oocytes as material for the biotech-industry? Pre-natal and pre-implantation diagnostics: new shapes of eugenics? Public debates to placify people and hail new technologies?

Many things seem to be possible with development in modern biotechnology. It might be funny that things are possible but who will gain from it? Besides, is all that is possible also desirable?

With this kind of questions in mind, people from NoGen (since 2000 LAB) critically observe developments in biotechnology. By writing articles, organising presentations, publishing the magazine 'BioBrief' and a website (http://huizen.dds.nl/~lablab)we distribute our analyses.

Biotechnology Archive NoGen
Eugenics, new reproductiontechnologies, xenotransplantation, cloning, preventive healthcare, the Human Genome Project, population politics, euthanasia, bioethics, regulations and lots and lots more. Over 20.000 newspaper articles, hundreds of books and magazines, video-tapes, music-tapes and e-mails.

NoGen provides scholars, students, pupils, journalists, activists and others with information about the above mentioned subjects among others. Currently the archive is mainly focussed at the healthcare system and anti-eugenics.

Workgroup Xenotransplantation Issues (WXV)
wants to place questionmarks at the developments of the transplantation technology and wants to encourage people to develop a view about it. The Workgroup contributes to the public debate on xenotransplantation started december 1999 with an extensive website (http://www.stelling.nl/xeno), a free brochure and archive material.

The groups gives priority to fighting for womens- and humanrights, over the fight against genetic manipulation. The campaign against xenotransplantation is a considerable success in terms of public attention and appreciation for the information provided (especially for the website).


AUTONOOM POLITIEK INFOCENTRUM
Burgtstraat 3
NL-6701 DA Wageningen
Giro 3464211
tel: 0317- 423 588
fax 0317- 450144
website http://www.bos.nl/homes/infocent


PGA related Groups