How do I feel Globalisation on my skin?We would like to open a discussion which puts the three topics in relation to each other, focusing on the situation and struggles in Eastern Europe and the relation between Eastern and Western Europe.How does Gender shape my identity?
Why should I believe in Genetech?
We would like to explore the topics on various levels: personal experience, political and economic analysis, struggles against the loss of autonomy of people, etc.
We want to close the gap between discussions and action.
We want to delegitimise the status of experts talking about other people's lives. We are all experts of our own experience and this is the expertise on which we want to build.
We want to disrupt the fatalism of the 'transition' from
real-socialism to capitalism and from a 'soviet' union to a european 'union'.
We do not want a 'transition' from A to B where B is defined by Western
and global interests, but a collective search for new ways to shape our
lives.
The personal is political. |
The aim is to facilitate autonomous strategies of resistance. These strategies should be adapted to the specific political and social situation of Eastern Europe. We hope in this way to counterbalance the often biased power relations between Eastern and Western activist groups. It is closely related to our efforts of overlapping and confronting political discussions in Eastern and Western Europe through our Russian-English newsletter Tusovka (see http://www.savanne.ch/tusovka).
In the long run, the aim is to contribute to a culture of resistance - resistance against mechanisms which take away people's autonomy and prevent them from shaping their lives in interaction with their surrounding. There are various groups and individuals active in resistance in various fields of life: environmentalists, feminists, lesbian and gay movements, human rights activists, anti-racist groups, art-and-politics or media activists, and more. If people from these various backgrounds come together, they may find out that they want to join their efforts and see their struggles as a common struggle towards more autonomy.
We hope this seminar will provide the opportunity for
finding ways of collaborating -- collaborate and still keep the diversity
of struggles.
Struggle can also be subversive behaviour in your immediate surrounding. |
We would now like to explore how they relate to each other.
Here are some thoughts and questions that have emerged in our discussions so far:
Globalisation, Gender and Genetech are three mediums of attack on personal autonomy.
Gender has had a central and constant role in histories
of personal autonomy. Globalisation and Genetech have made a more recent
entrance. Are we experiencing the Globalisation and Genetech Revolutions?
Or, by granting them this title of 'revolution', are we giving credibility
to their own hype?
|
(Note: this is a flexible working document. The aim is to give an impression of the seminar as we see it. No doubt changes will be made as we discuss the specific contents with the invited speakers. Please give us feedback on the program, so that we know your priorities when making changes.)
Summary followed by descriptions of individual workshops.............
Monday, 3 May
Why GGG? Why in this way?
Perceptions of Gender Relations: Personal
Stories I
History of the Perception of Gender Relations
in Eastern Europe
The Neoliberal Globalisation Attack Against
the Autonomy of People
Tuesday, 4 May
Women's migration: Personal Stories II
Patriarchal Structures in State and International
Institutions
Border Identities and 'GastArtBeiter':
Personal Stories III
Planning Session I: Eastern European Participation
in the ICC
Wednesday, 5 May
History of the Perception of Gender Relations
in Western Europe
Dealing with Sexisms in So-Called Progressive
Groups
Mechanisms of Media Bias
Playing with the Media
Thursday, 6 May
Perestroika and Forced Transition
Ethnicising Society: The War in Yugoslavia
Strategies in Gender Relations: Personal
Stories IV
Planning Session II: Press Work
Friday, 7 May
GGG Interlinked: The Modernisation of Agriculture
and the Destruction of Subsistence
Struggles against the Introduction of
Genetically Modified Crops
What Images Are Used when Speaking about
Genetic Engineering?
Planning Session III: Critical Review
of Current Strategies
Saturday, 8 May
EU and NATO Enlargement
New European Migration and Fortress Europe
Activism Under Conditions of Survival
in Russia, the Ukraine, Byelorussia: Personal Stories V
Planning Session IV: Cologne 1999
Sunday, 9 May
The Global Financial Casino and the Russian
Crisis
What Could a Non-Patriarchal Economy Look
Like?
Nature for Sale: Travelling Scientists
Looking for 'Usable' Plants
Planning Session V: Genetech Watch Eastern
Europe
7:30 | Wake-up call |
8:00 | Breakfast |
9:00-11:00 | Workshop I |
11:15-13:15 | Workshop II |
13:30 | Lunch |
14:45-16:45 | Workshop III |
17:00-19:00 | Workshop IV |
19:15 | Dinner |
20:30(-21:00) | Discussion |
Monday, 3 May
WHY GGG? WHY IN THIS WAY?
What is our motivation to organise this seminar? What
is our personal experience with Globalisation, Gender and Genetech? Why
a personal approach? Discuss concepts that we have used in describing our
approach to GGG: Autonomy, Dependency, Struggle, Subversion, (De-)Legitimising,
Personal and Group Identity, Categorisation.
PERCEPTIONS OF GENDER RELATIONS: PERSONAL
STORIES I
When did you first find out that there were men and women
in your society? How did you perceive the difference? Did you perceive
it as unjust? How did this perception and your analysis of it change along
your life? Starting from the personal experiences of women and men from
Eastern and Western Europe with gender relations, we would like to develop
and discuss various possible analyses. What are the stereotypes involved
(in the East; in the West) in describing men's and women's roles in society,
and how did they evolve? How do these stereotypes give rise to gendered
power relations?
HISTORY OF THE PERCEPTION OF GENDER
ROLES IN EASTERN EUROPE
Women and the Women's movement and state-imposed "equality".
The taboo imposed by the Communist party on discussions of gender relations
and sexuality. The state's reintroduction of the traditional family as
the cell of the society. Role of the family in perpetuating gender stereotypes,
in contradiction to the "equality" doctrine.
Women, jobs, nursery schools - benefits and coercion.
What influence did the post-WW II "fatherless generation" have on the perception
of gender?
Negative attitude towards "feminism" - where does it
come from? The development of the Lesbian movement and its difficult relation
to feminism. NGO funding and its influence on feminism in Eastern Europe.
THE NEOLIBERAL GLOBALISATION ATTACK
AGAINST THE AUTONOMY OF PEOPLE
The basic assumptions of neoliberalism. Globalisation
does not just happen, but is made. Headquarter economy and the new role
of cities. The trap of nationalism in the struggle against globalisation
and against EU enlargement. Transition economies in a global context.
Tuesday, 4 May
WOMEN'S MIGRATION: PERSONAL STORIES
II
Forced and planned migration. Different possibilities
and perspectives for staying in a target country: bars, sex work, marriage,
house work. Dependencies involved, and space for shaping one's life against
these dependencies.
PATRIARCHAL STRUCTURES IN STATE AND
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Army. Police. State administration and bureaucracies
in general. Higher education. Court system and treatment of sexual abuse.
Asylum and reasons for fleeing specific to women. Development aid and population
control. GATT/WTO. World Bank and implementation of gender concepts. How
are which types of masculinities legitimized and strengthened through these
institutions (see Connell, Masculinities)? And what kind of image of women
do they convey? In which institutions are women present in what positions,
and what does this have to do with the gender stereotypes conveyed by those
institutions?
(A selection of the topics mentioned here will be made
with the speaker(s). This list is intended rather as a brainstorming.)
BORDER IDENTITIES AND 'GASTARTBEITER':
PERSONAL STORIES III
Identities in transition.
Western interest for Eastern contemporary art. Explicit
and hidden relations of power - Western curators on eastward trips.
PLANNING SESSION I: EASTERN EUROPEAN
PARTICIPATION IN THE ICC
The ICC -- The Inter-Continental Caravan (ICC99) is a
project originally proposed by the KRRS, the Indian Karnataka State's peasants'
organisation, in which 600 peasants and other activists from India and
all over the world will come to Europe, in May/June 1999, and protest against
the neoliberal policies, and make contact with local peasant and activist
groups.
Wednesday, 5 May
HISTORY OF THE PERCEPTION OF GENDER
ROLES IN WESTERN EUROPE
From Virginia Woolf and Mary Woolstonecraft to Simone
de Beauvoir. The French critics -- Luce Irigaray and Julia Kristeva (what
influence did the latter's Bulgarian background have?).
Public vs. private space - "the personal is political".
Production and reproduction work. Double burden through reproduction work
and "career".
The critique of the "difference feminist" approach by
Lesbians and other women who were not middle class, white and western.
The emergence of "gender feminism" and the challenge
to the very categories of "men" and "women". Triple oppression -- the relationship
between sexisms, racisms and classisms.
DEALING WITH SEXISMS IN SO-CALLED PROGRESSIVE
GROUPS
Using recent examples from Zurich as a starting point,
look at the attempts of men to come to grips with gender concepts and with
sexisms and sexual violence within their political groups.
How do political groups deal with, or avoid dealing with,
blatant cases of sexual violence, and how do they deal with everyday sexisms?
What strategies could we develop to create greater awareness
of, and an effective struggle against, stereotypes, sexisms and sexual
violence?
MECHANISMS OF MEDIA BIAS
The invention of advertising and its effect on the media
landscape.
The scissors in the head - self-censorship. Writing between
the lines - state censorship and strategies to counter it.
Monopolies and transnational media corporations.
Alternative media and other attempts at reaching out.
Sympathetic journalists in the mainstream media. Selling a product, not
information.
PLAYING WITH THE MEDIA
Telling "the truth" is not enough -- taking cultural
grammar into account.
Subverting discourses -- tactics of communication guerilla.
The internet -- real chances and delusions.
Thursday, 6 May
PERESTROIKA AND FORCED TRANSITION
The actors and motives of perestroika.
Different approaches in different countries -- Poland
and Bulgaria.
Forced transformation of the economies and political
regimes in Eastern Europe -- the role of governments, international institutions,
transnational corporations.
How did people in various Eastern European countries
perceive the process, and what did it mean for their everyday life?
ETHNICISING SOCIETY: THE WAR IN YUGOSLAVIA
Discussion among people from different backgrounds on
origins of conflict and on interests and strategies of the various parties
involved, including international interests. What strategies did progressive,
anti-war movements develop? How did the ethnicising make solidarity difficult,
and how did people try to counter this? Nationalist tendencies within activist
groups.
STRATEGIES OF GENDER RELATIONS: PERSONAL
STORIES IV
Build upon Personal Stories I, the two historical presentations
on the development of gender relations in East and West, and other related
workshops. Discuss in more detail strategies of power, or of solidarity
and cooperation, of men and of women using or subverting gender stereotypes.
How are dependencies created, and what strategies do
we use to preserve or win back our autonomy?
PLANNING SESSION II: PRESS WORK
For the various events planned, and also in the long
run, it would be useful to build up a network of sympathetic journalists
in the various countries of Eastern Europe, and activists who can contact
them and spread information.
Friday, 7 May
GGG INTERLINKED: THE MODERNISATION OF
AGRICULTURE AND THE DESTRUCTION OF SUBSISTENCE
The story of the Great Plains, the "Green Revolution"
and the "Monsanto Revolution" as attacks on the autonomy of subsistence
agriculture.
The price of higher yields -- greater dependency on industrial
input. The myth of "feeding the world".
The real-socialist project of industrialising the agriculture
in the Soviet Union -- who wins, at whose expense?
Lyssenkovshina and the rejection of genetics -- breeding
programs gone astray.
STRUGGLES AGAINST THE INTRODUCTION OF
GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS
Monsanto's problem -- continuing to reap profits even
after the Roundup patent expires.
Eastern Europe -- a testing field for genetically modified
crops.
Collaboration between Monsanto and Ukrainian genetic
research institutions. The labeling campaign and the failure of Greenpeace
in the Ukraine.
Polish peasants against genetically modified crops.
GenetiX Snowball, "Cremate Monsanto".
WHAT IMAGES ARE USED WHEN SPEAKING ABOUT
GENETIC ENGINEERING?
How do people speak about genetic engineering?
What is left out of the picture?
Genetic code -- computer code. Cross-legitimation of
discourses from technology and nature.
PLANNING SESSION III: CRITICAL REVIEW
OF CURRENT STRATEGIES
How do networks like EYFA, A SEED, CEE Bankwatch, Social-Ecological
Union, PGA work? What lessons can be learned? Critical discussion of the
concepts used (sustainability, civil society, public participation, etc.).
Saturday, 8 May
EU AND NATO ENLARGEMENT
Myths and expectations. Real prospects.
Motives of politicians in Eastern Europe.
The humiliation of Schengen and visa regimes.
Accession promises as leverage to force changes.
Agenda 2000.
NEW EUROPEAN MIGRATION AND FORTRESS
EUROPE
New borders. Historical humiliation and lack of perspectives
-- a whole generation on the lookout for opportunities to "get out of here".
Why do people from Eastern Europe want to migrate? Perceptions of "the
West" in Eastern Europe. Would asylum still exist without the "human traders"?
Who has the possibility to migrate "legally"? Who has the power to define
what is "legal" migration? Solidarity movement with migrants in Western
Europe. Specific conditions of migration for women. Fortress Europe, Schengen
and reasons for the changes in migration policies of Western European countries.
ACTIVISM UNDER CONDITIONS OF SURVIVAL
IN RUSSIA, THE UKRAINE, BYELORUSSIA: PERSONAL STORIES V
How do the difficulties of everyday life influence activism?
"How do you expect people to be active if they are worried about remaining
hungry?" How can we overcome lethargy and fatalism? "It's easy for people
in Western Europe: they can just be on social welfare and do political
work." Political activism at a zero budget. Strategies of survival of an
Eastern activist at a meeting in Western Europe at which the organizers
have no idea what it means to have no money to buy even a sandwich in an
expensive country. Condition of dependence on Western activists' goodwill.
PLANNING SESSION IV: COLOGNE 1999
In June, two major summits will take place in Cologne:
the EU summit and the G8 summit. There will be actions in Cologne on both
occasions, and worldwide actions on 18 June against financial centers on
the occasion of the G8 summit. Discuss possibilities of doing actions in
Eastern Europe.
Sunday, 9 May
THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CASINO AND THE
RUSSIAN CRISIS
What are the direct effects of the "Russian crisis" on
people's lives in Russia and neighboring countries? What local conditions
made the crisis possible?
How are international institutions, governments, transnational
corporations, speculators involved? How is the "Russian crisis" linked
to those in South-East Asia, Japan, Brazil?
Conflicts between the World Bank and the IMF.
Foreign investment -- short-term benefits and long-term
dependencies.
How can these dependencies be decreased? Byelorussia
-- where does the isolationist variant lead?
WHAT COULD A NON-PATRIARCHAL ECONOMY
LOOK LIKE?
What is patriarchal about capitalism, and about its 'Soviet'
state-capitalist variant? Is capitalism more patriarchal than a feudal
system? How can a struggle against capitalism be combined with a struggle
against patriarchy? What alternatives to capitalism can we think of, and
in what way would they be patriarchal? Look at LETS, different systems
of barter propagated as alternatives, or developed as strategies of survival.
NATURE FOR SALE: SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITIONS
LOOKING FOR 'USABLE' PLANTS
Early expeditions of Linn? at the service of commercial
use. Globalising the plunder: Vavilov and his global view on exploiting
biodiversity. Current biopiracy expeditions and struggles against them.
Expeditions into the body: the human genome project and the interests behind
it.
PLANNING SESSION V: GENETECH WATCH EASTERN
EUROPE
Plan and coordinate a continuous working group on genetic
engineering in Eastern Europe, with the aim of setting up a database of
information about genetic engineering in the various countries (policies
of TNCs and governments, legislation, field tests, media, awareness, struggles,
etc.), which can serve to develop analysis and further campaigns.
END OF PROGRAM
As we have a limited amount of money for travel reimbursement PLEASE FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING APPLICATION AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE, this will greatly increase your chances of being selected for reimbursement.
DEADLINE. Return faxes and e-mail before April 1st (postal mail accepted until the 3rd), or else we will not have enough time to send you your invitation (required for several countries, stamped by the foreigners' police, need to be sent to you by postal mail).
1. Contact details
Full Name:
Passport Number (needed for invitation):
Address where you are registered (needed for invitation):
Postal address (if different from registration address -- for sending invitation!):
e-mail address (if applicable):
Tel:
Fax:
Name of organisation (if applicable):
2. Logistics
Please try to stay for the full program, and not just
for the workshops you feel are most interesting for you, since the aim
is to link different struggles. Please tell us when you plan on arriving
in Tabor, and when you plan on leaving (the seminar is from 3-9 May; best
to arrive on 2 May in the evening, and leave on 10 May in the morning;
you can also come early to participate in 1 May activities in Prague, contact
<zemepredevsim@ecn.cz>):
3. Motivation and expectations
Specifically explain your MOTIVATION to attend the GGG
seminar -- why do you want to come & what do you want to gain? (Please
write more than the usual "meet people, exchange experiences, learn more"
-- we are looking for clear, concrete motivation and expectations which
can help us in preparing the seminar):
4. About yourself
In order to facilitate contacts between participants
to the seminar, we would like to prepare a BOOKLET with a brief description
of each participant's interests and areas of activity, which we will distribute
to all participants when they arrive in Tabor. Please describe (not more
than 1000 characters) in what way you are dealing with, or plan to deal
with, Globalisation and/or Gender and/or Genetech, with an emphasis on
the struggle/resistance aspect. We want a mix of people, so we do not expect
you to be an expert in the topics.
5. Contributing
Would you like to contribute to the seminar by participating
in organising one of the workshops? Several of the workshops will be prepared
by a group of people rather than individual speakers. Please indicate which
workshop(s) you are interested in contributing to, and briefly describe
in what way.
6. Travel reimbursement.
Partial travel reimbursement (around 50%) can be given,
but wait for our confirmation before you're sure you will get it!!! In
case you cannot possibly pay the other 50%, we can discuss this individually.
If on the other hand you have a sufficient income, please consider leaving
the travel reimbursement to someone else.
In order to allow a maximum of people to come, the idea
is to pay only the cheapest way of transport (no airplane fares if possible).
IF YOU APPLY FOR REIMBURSEMENT, GIVE AN ESTIMATE OF THE TRAVEL COSTS (indicate
with what means of transport):
Send the form as quickly as possible -- BY THE DEADLINE. We'll let you know by April 3rd if you are selected for travel reimbursement, and we'll send travel directions, and in case you need it (depends on the country), an invitation. Don't forget that invitations have to be sent by postal mail, which can take several weeks from the Czech Republic depending on the country of destination.
Contact us at <tusovka@savanne.ch> or <kessi@kein.org>, or by telephone or fax at ++359-2-980 96 52. Applications by postal mail can be sent to GGG Seminar, PO Box 122, 252187 Kiev-187, Ukraine (note that postal mail may take several weeks -- e-mail or fax are preferable if you have this possibility). Updated information on the seminar is available from <http://www.savanne.ch/tusovka/seminar.html>.
The seminar will take place at CESTA / Cultural Exchange Station Tabor, Novakova 387, Tabor 39001, Czech Republic, tel: +420-361-258-004, email: <cesta@mbox.vol.cz>, web: <http://www.cesta.cz>.