Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001
From: reclaim the streets
Subject: SWP, WP/LRCI and PGA
 

Socialist Workers Party and PGA

Hello.

The PGA sub-group of Reclaim the Streets (London) would like to set out our thoughts regarding Workers Power (UK section of the LRCI) and Socialist Workers Party (UK) participation in the Peoples' Global Action meeting in Milan this month.

It's our opinion that these two groups are not compatible with the smooth and productive running of the meeting. For the following reasons:

  1. Their structures are counter to the way we wish to organise and their solutions for society are counter to any of the visions we are working towards.
  2. They have a long history of 'entryism' in the UK, where they tend to swamp campaigns and push their party line - abusing the open consensual way we work. We know we are able to challenge this, but this is not why we are travelling to Milan.
  3. We realise that there are links that have to be made with wider groups and are not stating this position in order to be elitist or insular. We are hoping to have a positive, inspirational meeting in Milan, one that will allow the PGA groups across Europe to work more closely together. This will be almost impossible if we are forced to spend the 2 days arguing over who should be in the room and who should stay out.
    Of course we all have to think more deeply about who we make our alliances with, but we would argue that there is a real absence of common ground in this instance, an absence that makes the prospect of WP/SWP participation in Milan (and PGA in general) a grim joke indeed.
  4. As this is a European PGA meeting for the discussion of issues and to make decisions about our collective future, it is not appropriate that groups opposed to our methods and process should take part. It is essential that issues relating to Bolivia and our grassroots networking are concentrated on over the 2 days. If this were simply an organising meeting for Genoa or Qutar, then the situation might be different and perhaps links could be made and joint actions planned. We are not ruling out then any discussions, solidarity action or joint demonstrations forever, but they should be dealt with as individual events, allowing us to decide tactically and in context who we choose to work with.

Our opinion, based on our understanding of their politics and on our past experiences with them in the UK is that by allowing the SWP and WP into this meeting, we will jeopardise the positive energy we've worked so hard to create. So we propose that the SWP and WP are blocked from attending this PGA meeting in Milan.

Thanks for listening,

London Reclaim the Streets (PGA group)

Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001
From: reclaim the streets <rts@gn.apc.org>
Notes from a London meeting

Hello.

Recently 15 or so people involved with Reclaim the Streets, Indymedia, Wombles, PGA support, Schnews... and with no group in particular, met in London to discuss their participation in the Milan European PGA Meeting. Our talking was informed by the many inspiring introductions and ideas presented here on the list, the proposed agenda, and the recent information about the authoritarian left wanting to attend the meetings.

Some of the points in our discussions we felt would be better presented directly by those toying with them, but we settled with some 5 main suggestions and responses for the agenda and timetable, which all present were happy to collectively propose:

1) We thought it would be better, as already suggested, to have the tour of Leoncavello social centre on the Friday evening so as to ensure a strong start on the Saturday morning.

2) The half hour previously given to the centre tour on Saturday morning could then be devoted to participant presentations. This may seem a short time but we are aware how easy it is to talk about ourselves for too long! As we have made efforts to introduce ourselves here on the list and as there is encouragement for groups to bring written and other materials about themselves, a quick process putting faces and voices to our disembodied messages should suffice. Alternatively - or as well, if many of us have arrived already, there could be fuller presentations on the Friday evening.

Hopefully many of us will also get to know each other in more relaxed ways as the weekend proceeds...

3) We agree that there needs to be more time set aside on the agenda for preparing European involvement in the worldwide PGA conference in Cochabama, Bolivia in September. The Cochabamba conference will be an important continuation of our attempts at global grassroots coordination so there is a need to discuss and prepare what we can in the European meeting. In Praha there were convenor 'decisions', about north/south number ratios for example, that should also be discussed. The morning session on Sunday might be the best time instead of - or including - the 'changes to the manifesto' discussion.

Other than the timetable we thought:

4) More space for 'roundtables' on specific topics beyond action days and evaluations if possible. To ensure that the many and diverse everyday issues of the groups and movements gathered have a chance to be discussed in more depth. Also because we don't want just to attend meetings where we all have to discuss everything about everything!

5) A focused discussion on the alternative(s) would be useful. The increasing attempts by the authoritarian left and the social liberals to capture the energy of the global days and international networks - to impose the correct theory, or to sell their realistic reforms - highlights the usefulness of provisionally clarifying what we will create and the practical expressions we will need to share;also to better understand what we are resisting and where our collective actions are best directed.

Solidarity and see you soon,

from London....

www.agp.org