Refugees, Aliens and International Networking
An update was given to the meeting on the situation as it stands in the UK.
These notes cover what various people said and are not agreements of whole meeting.
General go round brain storming
What would the people like to talk about? explanation about the workshop, by people from the last night meeting planning. the invitation: we should consider different factors, and make it really international, we have to clear it because it is, vague, it might be difficult in for everybody. talk about transportation, border, travelling? how we build and engage people to be part in the mobilisation? and linking up with them.
Agenda
what to talk about? mobilisation, invitations. who will organise this thing and how to stress the immigration issue. using the pga. for it? working together with no borders of that, talks in Porto Algiers about the G8 and the the globalisation bodies, and outcome a translation movement. know more about other countries . problem of transportation, to organise border travelling, emphasis from a lot on that, how to mobilise, provide resource for information. financially very hard to get people here, so make anther sort of solidarity action, the visas, have a group that would help in that. to have a network for mobilisation, travelling, bicycle. how to mobilise people to go there and groups to work locally, would like to make discussion more practical. to mobilise inside asylum seekers home in UK, and depending on resource, and going beyond borders, to highlight the restriction of movement to asylum seekers. how can we get the people in the mobilisation and to be in the action of the PGA. problems at the borders, to think about the other people that would face such thing and to focus on it. talking about going to buses, and how, when to mobilise. transport and getting more people. we are not few, and a lot of people are sympathetic, there is a way to get people to be involved and supportive. start building links with the people. set a strategy of solidarity. to network to link, refugee and G8. planning and action. 26th of March a meeting in London, anti repression, having a mobilisation meeting as part of Dissent. How to expand the fact that people from all over should be there, not an additional thing. points: transportation; how do we get people? sharing skills, resources to mobilise? linking networks.
sharing skills. in Berlin a lot of materials, they have posters and stickers for German speakers. the "trapese", having a cdrom, has movies and presentation templates and infos about G8 , there is no time for other projects. there is website from Canada about it. to post it in all imcs, and fundraise through parties to make ads for G8. and to break the anti G8 circle and just people looking it up for themselves. to get people interested. throught Marhaba Europe, need more materials . project of people in Scotland to host people from Middle East, East Europe, and Africa, we can take the discussion to our local group and then, work it out with the people from Scotland. news letter in German, and info cds, about G8. info evening about migration and G8, and announce this on the list and media as well. languages as it is hard for people to read English, to find a native website, wiki is the name.
http://www.dissent.org.uk/TRANSPORTATION AND BORDER PROBLEMS
if you are not an EU citizen you may need an invitation to the UK. helpful if from company. those from Scotland to go back to find groups to take this on, to see if the invitation, and there is a collective working on many issues, and it is important to start now. no firm answer. We should continue discussion about invitation. create a mailing list to help link invitation and invited. how can we get to Scotland, which is cheap, safe, and what routes . suggestion : ferry boat, and mostly single, or just in cars or small minbuses and look main stream: also when do you plan to come? 2 day early or 2 weeks, and what do you get in leaflets . Flights direct to Scotland with such as ryanair.com can be cheap and then ferry, the best might be individually, and to set different direct action before the G8, and make a lot of noise. making actions and free movement issue, building a campaign about that and borders. hitch hiking eg with Lorrys can be interesting. to pressure the NGO people for more action. the immigration control if you are illegal, and some people should be with you, going to Gastons court case, and witness because he might have movements restricted. is it possible to sneak in the political groups, like socialist groups, trade unionist? how can we get people to help others in the borders issue. do direct action is case if buses got turned from entering Scotland. get copy of meeting minutes, and everybodies email. So people can start working. and focus on this subjects. Check various ferry routes. If we will have no borders day of action it should be with the NGOs, trade unions demonstration.
NO BORDERS NETWORK. They are busy. check the email list, but nothing for G8. The Strasbourg people want to do something but not enough people. Suggested to use an Internet Relay Chat channel, to talk more about initiatives.
Summary of possible initiatives
- Solidify information and arrangements for travel.
- No Border efforts over 2 days to welcome international comrades across border.
- Bring refugees / stateless people, whose movements are restricted, themselves into core of mobilisation.
- Direct linking up specific groups of possible attendees from afar i.e. outside EU with hosts in Scotland who engage with each other before hand to enable them to come, with visas, travel arrangements and secure place to stay.
Additional Notes
Next Dissent International Working group meeting 26th of March in London hosted by the Voice Refugee Forum with outreach being done to bring in other groups.
There is already existing g8refugee action: http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/g8refugee-action
another list yet to be worked out coming from makebordershistory initiative from this meeting may be set up.
http://www.makebordershistory.org domain now obtained.