From: Brant Downey To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Fwd: CSIS Report on Anti-Globalization Protests Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2000 18:34:32 -0700 (PDT) Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: social-movements@wit.ie MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Mailer: Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS) =20 > PERSPECTIVES > a CANADIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE publication >=20 >=20 > ------------------------------------------------------- >=20 > Report # 2000/08 > ANTI-GLOBALIZATION - A SPREADING PHENOMENON > August 22, 2000 >=20 > This paper uses open sources to examine any topic > with > the potential to cause threats to public or national > security=20 >=20 > INTRODUCTION > 1. Shock and surprise were widespread in the wake of > the disruptive protests and associated violence that > characterized the Seattle World Trade Organization > (WTO) Ministerial Conference, 29 November-3 > December, > 1999. Yet the demonstrations were not something new, > nor was the principal target=97multinational corporate > power=97an unexpected focus. Opposition to corporate > globalization has been growing for several years, a > trend underscored by increasing media attention > since > 1995. Security agencies at Seattle, however, were > caught off-guard by the large number of > demonstrators > and scope of representation, combined with the use > of > sophisticated methods and technology that > effectively > shut down the Conference.=20 >=20 > 2. Prior to Seattle, the most recent associated > event > occurred six months earlier, on 18 June, 1999, when > protests known as =93J18=94 were organized to coincide > with the G8 Economic Summit in Cologne, Germany. The > focal point was the City of London, where a march of > 2000 people degenerated into a riot in which 42 > people > were injured and damage was estimated at one million > pounds sterling.(1) But the activities were not > confined to London; cities in North America and > Europe > also were involved, and in most cases financial > districts were targeted.=20 >=20 > 3. Bringing together a broad spectrum of interests > and > agendas, J18 incorporated both people and > technology. > While the former demonstrated on the streets, the > latter featured in cyberattacks against business > institutions. For five hours, at least 20 companies > were subjected to more than 10,000 attacks by > hackers(2). Adding a sense of insult to injury, the > Internet was the means by which the concept of J18 > originated, and by which the event was ultimately > orchestrated.=20 >=20 > 4. Neither J18 nor the WTO protest in Seattle, or > its > counterpart, A16, the International Monetary > Fund/World Bank (IMF/WB) demonstration five months > later in Washington, DC, were unique, one-off > events. > As exemplified by further protest activity at the > Organization of American States (OAS) Ministerial > Meeting in Windsor, and the World Petroleum > Conference > (WPC) in Calgary, similar incidents can be expected > to > occur in various forms and with varying degrees of > intensity, aiming at the same target=97corporate > power=97for the foreseeable future. Reminiscent of the > Vietnam and anti-nuclear protest era of the =9160s and > =9170s, the activities are global in scope, > international in locale, and have involved sites in > Canada on several occasions.=20 >=20 > SITUATION=20 > 5. Meetings of international monetary, trade and > environmental organizations, which in the past > incited > little or no protest interest, are now drawing the > attention of thousands of anti-globalization > activists. Representing a broad spectrum of groups, > lobbyists, and overlapping networks, including some > violent extremists whose presence raises security > concerns, they share a mutual antipathy=97that of > multinational corporate power. Often described as > more > influential and stronger than government, some > corporations boast budgets larger than the gross > domestic product (GDP) of many nations: =93...of the > top > hundred economies, fifty-one are multinationals and > only forty-nine are countries.=94(3)=20 >=20 > 6. Alleged abuse of corporate power by > multinationals > is the basic focus of protest activity. Large > corporations with international undertakings stand > accused of social injustice, unfair labour > practices=97 > including slave labour wages, living and working > conditions=97as well as a lack of concern for the > environment, mismanagement of natural resources, and > ecological damage. Anti-globalization demonstrations > have achieved worldwide support partly because the > target, per se, its representatives, and its effects > are global in nature. Major brand names, among them > Nike, Starbucks, McDonalds, and Shell Oil, are > principal targets, ironically because their massive > advertising campaigns designed to engender public > prominence have been successful=97and that status is > being used to highlight the charges brought against > them.=20 >=20 > 7. Protest objectives extend beyond the claimed > corporate impropriety, however. Multinational > economic > institutions, such as the World Trade Organization > (WTO), the World Bank (WB), and the International > Monetary Fund (IMF), are seen as establishing, > monitoring, and rendering judgements on global trade > practices, and are viewed as the spearheads of > economic globalization. These institutions, > considered > to be the servants of corporate interests, > exercising > more power than elected governments and interested > only in the profit motive, have increasingly become > principal demonstration targets. Underlying the > anti-globalization theme is criticism of the > capitalist philosophy, a stance promoted once again > by > left-of-centre activists and militant anarchists.=20 >=20 > 8. The global parameters have encouraged disparate > groups and individuals to participate in the > demonstrations. In Seattle and Washington, for > example, the wide variety of parading malcontents > evoked the eclectic ambience of a =93protest county > fair.=94 Circumstances also have promoted the > involvement of fringe extremists who espouse > violence, > largely represented by Black Bloc anarchists and > factions of militant animal-rights and environmental > activists. The melding of various elements and > establishing of strange-bedfellow ties at individual > demonstrations have contributed both to the impact > and > the unique character of the events.=20 >=20 > DISCUSSION > The Issues > 9. The growing trend toward anti-globalization > activism is directed, first, against =93big > business=94=97multinational corporate power=97and, second, > against =93big money=94=97global agreements on economic > growth. Allegations of exploitive labour and > human-rights abuses reach back to the mid-1990s when > a > number of corporations producing major brand name > products, such as Nike sneakers, Gap jeans, and > Starbucks coffee, were accused of union-busting, > sweatshop working conditions, and child labour > practices on a global scale. Among other well-known > multinationals, McDonalds, Monsanto, and Shell Oil > were indicted for similar faults. The litany of > castigation ranges across a broad spectrum, > including > paying low wages, offering minimal health benefits, > depleting old-growth and rain forests, using unsafe > pesticides, bio-engineering agriculture crops, > violating animal rights, and colluding with violent > and repressive regimes.=20 >=20 > 10. Accusations against the multinationals > continue=97students still gather in Eugene, Oregon, > the > home of Nike, to protest the corporate giant=92s Third > World labour practices=97but increasingly they are > being > supplemented by demonstrations against such > institutions as the World Trade Organization (WTO), > International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World > Bank > (WB). Protagonists claim these establishments > promote > and facilitate corporate power and that elected > governments are being overshadowed in the political > arena by global economic institutions and their > efforts to direct and expand economic growth. > Activists, however, are divided in their > anti-globalization position. The larger segment > supports restructuring corporations to reflect > accountability and transparency; the smaller > segment, > while also supporting these objectives, actively > promotes the total demise of global structures > including the WTO. Anarchist activists and some > environmentalists fall in the latter category.=20 >=20 > 11. The philosophy of capitalism also is under > attack, > facing charges that it is ignoring the social > welfare > of individuals, and destroying cultures and the > ecology in the quest for growth and profit. As > prominent corporate names come under fire, making > for > good publicity and media attention, groups such as > animal-rights activists and environmental protection > advocates vie for an opportunity to share the > spotlight, many making similar claims about > exploitation. Some observers term the situation the > =93rise of the New New Left=94(4) and draw comparisons > to > the 1968 Parisian =93summer of the barricades.=94 The > unifying elements on this occasion, however, are the > powers of the corporations, name-brands, > globalization, and the interests of capital, in > opposition to the welfare of workers, exploitation > of > the ecology, and a range of collateral issues. Many > factors are involved, with certain incidents cited > as > triggers, among them the death of Nigerian activist > Ken Saro-Wiwa, and the campaigns against Kathy Lee > sportswear, Wal-Mart, Mattel and Disney, and Shell > and > Chevron Oil Companies, which draw attention to the > claims of the protesters and give substantive > meaning > to the demonstrations.=20 >=20 > 12. In her book, No Logo, Canadian Naomi Klein > claims=20 >=20 > ...corporate investment in the Third World was seen > ...as a key to alleviating poverty and misery. By > 1996, however, that concept was being openly > questioned, and it was recognized that many > governments in the developing world were protecting > lucrative investments=97mines, dams, oil fields, power > plants and export processing zones=97by deliberately > turning a blind eye to egregious rights violations > by > foreign corporations against their people.(5)=20 >=20 > Further, she states:=20 >=20 > At the heart of this convergence of anticorporate > activism...is the recognition that corporations are > much more than purveyors of the products we all > want; > they are also the most powerful political forces of > our time....So although the media often describe > campaigns like the one against Nike as =93consumer > boycotts,=94 that tells only part of the story. It is > more accurate to describe them as political > campaigns > that use consumer goods as readily accessible > targets, > as public-relations levers and as popular-education > tools.(6)=20 >=20 > 13. Although multinational corporations and > international trade institutions are the subjects of > criticism, not all observers share a negative > perspective. Many commentaries are published which > speak in favour of beneficial and positive > accomplishments, especially in relation to the > international institutions. The concept of free > trade > is just one topic which has been favourably > addressed: >=20 >=20 > Global free trade promotes global economic growth. > It > creates jobs, makes companies more competitive, and > lowers prices for consumers. It also provides poor > countries, through infusions of foreign capital and > technology, with the chance to develop economically > and, by spreading prosperity, creates the conditions > in which democracy and respect for human rights may > flourish.(7) >=20 > 14. One relatively small but vocal and violent > protest > element is the militant anarchist faction, often > identified as the Black Bloc. Considered to be > exponents of a virtually defunct philosophy, > anarchists received a fillip for their cause in 1995 > when the Unabomber=92s political manifesto was > published. Paradoxically, the manifesto identified > technology as a major source of the world=92s ills and > called for the violent destruction of the system, > especially the Internet, which in large measure has > contributed to promoting the anarchist message > worldwide. Although some members of the anarchist > milieu believe that a peaceful, ethical approach > should be followed, many defend the use of violence > as > the only means to achieve the classic anarchist > society based on small independent communities that > function without elected leaders.=20 >=20 > 15. While most demonstration participants and > members > of protest groups seek to conduct their activities > in > a peaceful, legitimate manner, militants and > extremists have other ideas. The radical, extremist > participants represented at the > demonstrations=97whatever their cause=97believe the > standard forms of protest=97marching, rhetoric, and > placard-waving=97have failed to achieve anything of > importance. They believe it is necessary to > undertake > =93direct action=94 by inflicting damage on those > corporations that extend the reach of global trade > and > technology at the expense of the Earth and its > poorest > citizens. Some of the more aggressive frequently > resort to climbing and rapelling techniques to scale > buildings and other lofty sites to conduct sit-ins > or > hang banners for publicity purposes. > Extremists=97often > anarchists, animal-rights supporters, or > environmentalists=97indulge in such violent actions as > smashing windows, setting fires, or trashing shops > and > fast-food outlets.=20 >=20 > 16. No matter the fundamental viewpoint, pro or con, > involving globalization, concerns on the part of law > enforcement and security agencies are very real. > While > individuals and groups have a right to legitimate > protest, including non-violent demonstrations > whatever > their size, they do not have the right to close down > political meetings. Writing in the The Ottawa > Citizen, > two professors from Carleton University have said:=20 >=20 > Democracies have the right and the responsibility to > protect free expression and lawful assembly. This > includes rights for activists and critics. It also > includes the rights of elected officials to assemble > and express their views. The tyranny of small > groups, > minorities or even majorities to prevent the > exercise > of such rights by trying to shut down meetings is > unacceptable in a democracy.(8) >=20 > Groups=20 > 17. Diversity is a major characteristic of > anti-globalization protests and demonstrations, > which > are often described as =93multi-generational, > multi-class, and multi-issue=94(9). Participants > represent a variety of issues and not all are > pursuing > globalization as their primary target. For some > protesters, anti-globalization is a principal > concern, > but for others it is merely a shared goal, with the > demonstrations simply a means to an end. That is, > the > combination of groups and participants coming > together > creates a powerful impression and an impact out of > all > proportion with their individual strengths. The > melding of the various groups into one large body > implies power, and attracts attention and publicity, > which, in turn, draws more and more participants. > Many > groups and individuals take part largely because of > the attention and publicity which are generated, > almost in the manner of self-generating growth. > Seattle and Washington reflect how large the > antagonistic audience has become, and the lengths to > which participants will go in their desire to shut > down or impede the spread of globalization. It is an > issue with significantly more supporters from the > left > than the right, and features a large component of > youth.=20 >=20 > 18. To some degree, participation at protests and > demonstrations depends upon the subject of the > targeted meeting or conference. Labour had serious > concerns about the proposals scheduled to be > discussed > at Seattle=92s WTO Meeting=97consequently labour was > well > represented, well organized, and contributed to the > protest funding arrangements. The WB/IMF Meeting in > Washington, however, was of less interest to labour, > drew a much smaller number of labour supporters, and > prompted a much lower labour profile. The OAS > meeting > in Windsor also raised labour=92s concerns, but when > it > became evident that some of the more contentious > issues were not on the agenda, interest waned. As > well, because Windsor is largely a labour town , it > did not behoove labour organizers to create a bad > impression. Differences of opinion do exist and > schisms do impact on attendance and activity at > demonstrations; during the OAS Conference in > Windsor, > for example, labour representatives attempted to > prevent the more violent protesters from storming > police barricades.=20 >=20 > 19. Protesters represent a broad spectrum of causes > and goals=97environmentalists, animal-rights > supporters, > union members, human-rights activists, anarchists, > even the White supremacist milieu. But with the > exception of large and prominent organizations, > e.g., > Greenpeace, the names or titles of groups are not > significant. Many groups are merely splinters, have > few members, are formed briefly for the need of the > moment, change their names frequently, or are > located > in a specific region; in many cases, individuals are > members of several groups at the same time or > espouse > various causes. Of more importance are the causes > and > motivations, per se, which are represented by the > various groups and which provide an indication of > the > likely type of protest activity that might be > expected > at a demonstration.=20 >=20 > 20. Some relatively well-known organizations and > causes often are represented at anti-globalization > demonstrations: the AFL-CIO, appearing on behalf of > labour=92s interests, and People for Ethical Treatment > of Animals (PETA), one of several animal-rights > support groups. Similarly, Rainforest Action > Network, > Earth First!, and the Sierra Club advocate > environmentalism, and Global Exchange, Direct Action > Network, Nader=92s Group, Radical Roots, and Global > Trade Watch uphold the human-rights banner. Two > organizations which have materialized in recent > years > and play a significant role are the California-based > Ruckus Society, and the Calgary-based Co-Motion > Action. Both specialize in training protesters and > organizing and managing demonstrations, aspects > discussed in greater detail below (see: Tactics and > Technology).=20 >=20 > 21. The more militant and violent protesters belong > to > extremist elements associated with many of the > causes, > especially environmentalist, animal-rights, and > anti-abortion activists. Extremists currently > achieving the most notoriety are found among > anarchists and members of the Third Position. The > former are represented in part by the Black Bloc, > the > Anarchist News Service, the Black Army Faction, and > Anarchist Action Collective. Individuals identified > as > members of the Black Bloc were believed responsible > for much of the violence in Seattle and, to a lesser > extent, in Washington. The Black Bloc is a loosely > organized cluster of anarchist affinity groups and > individuals, estimated in North America to number a > few hundred, who come together to participate in > protests and demonstrations(10). The Third Position, > largely a European phenomenon but spreading rapidly > to > the USA, is a curious mixture of extreme Left and > Right political motivations which include the use of > violent means of protest(11).=20 >=20 > Tactics and Technology=20 > 22. While diversity has contributed to modernizing > and > strengthening protests and demonstrations, new > tactics > and technology, collectively and individually, have > radically changed the face of protest activity and > generated renewed life in the reality of > demonstrations. Gone are old-style gatherings > confined > to waving placards and banners, declaiming speakers, > and moderate, controlled marches in specific > locations. Not unlike the massive and often > vigourous > Out of Vietnam and Ban the Bomb protests of the =9160s > and =9170s decades, today=92s demonstrations, > resurrecting > the anarchist theme of =93direct action,=94 employ a > host > of novel methodologies that have given a whole new > complexion to the nature of the protests. The > development and implementation of new tactics are a > direct result of the impact of new technology and > the > ability of organizers to use it to their best > advantage.=20 >=20 > 23. Creating the foundation for dramatic change, the > Internet has had a profound impact=97in part by > enabling > organizers to quickly and easily arrange > demonstrations and protests, worldwide if necessary. > Individuals and groups now are able to establish > dates, share experiences, accept responsibilities, > arrange logistics, and initiate a myriad of other > taskings that would have been impossible to manage > readily and rapidly in the past. International > protests and demonstrations can be organized for the > same date and time, so that a series of protests > take > place in concert. The Internet has breathed new life > into the anarchist philosophy, permitting > communication and coordination without the need for > a > central source of command, and facilitating > coordinated actions with minimal resources and > bureaucracy. It has allowed groups and individuals > to > cement bonds, file e-mail reports of perceived > successes, and recruit members.=20 >=20 > 24. Anti-globalists aim by force of numbers to shut > down targeted meetings and, in the process, paralyze > free movement in a host city. In the short term, > they > carry an economic impact, a form of sabotage long > endorsed by environmental activists. In the months > prior to a campaign, activists attend extensive > training and educational courses associated with > proposed protests and demonstrations. By organizing > counter summits to run concurrently with > international > events, as was done during the June, 2000, World > Petroleum Congress in Calgary, activists ensure > involvement. Pre-event lectures include highly > emotive > subjects, such as the execution of activist Ken > Saro-Wiwa by the Nigerian government in 1995, and > human-rights conditions in Bolivia and Guatemala. > Idealism plays a large role, with protesters > becoming > more and more knowledgeable about their subject and > sophisticated in their methodology, using travelling > =93road shows=94 and teach-ins to increase their > effectiveness.=20 >=20 > 25. The new protest phenomenon has been > characterized > by the broad range of interests which have come > together to conduct the demonstrations with minimal > dissension. =93Reclaim The Streets,=94 a UK-based > initiative that originated with street parties or > =93raves=94 in the mid-1990s, is a tactical concept that > protesters have adopted to promote their causes en > masse(12), and which gave rise to the massive > gatherings at Seattle and Washington. The > methodology > has been remarkable in terms of organization, > especially because a central =93director=94 is not > evident > and, in part, the resulting lack of infighting has > been the secret of success. Like the Internet > itself, > the anti-globalist movement is a body that manages > to > survive and even thrive without a head. However, > radical elements and extremists are taking advantage > both of the absence of a controlling element and the > events themselves to indulge in violence, which is > not > the stated intent of demonstration participants. >=20 > 26. One of the more impressive innovations has been > the method of organizing, arranging, and directing > the > operational and administrative activities associated > with the demonstrations=97accomplished effectively > without the obvious influence of central authority, > command, or control. In many ways, the system is > very > similar to that advocated by anarchists of the > libertarian socialist philosophy. Activities begin > with like-minded individuals who gather in affinity > groups across the country, plan their roles, and > travel to the site of the demonstration. Once at the > site, they join with other like-minded affinity > groups > to form clusters and to select a spokesperson who > attends the daily spokescouncil. At the latter, > discussions are held and information passed > concerning > operational and administrative > activities=97arrangements > for accommodation, feeding, legal advice, types of > actions to be implemented. Locations are chosen for > certain activities and agreements reached concerning > the types of protest actions to be undertaken, > although complete agreement is not always > achieved=97the > more militant or extremist elements usually do as > they > please. >=20 > 27. Some clusters undertake specific taskings and > responsibilities, such as securing food, > transportation, and accommodation, making legal > arrangements, and forming into working groups to > cope > with the range of logistical, administrative, and > operational requirements necessary for a successful > protest (e.g., media, training, legal, > transportation, > issues, permitted actions, scenarios, propaganda, > medical, fundraising, communications). Prior to the > Washington IMF/WB demonstration, a number of > affinity > groups met several months in advance, as did > representatives of the spokescouncil and the working > groups. Some sponsors, representatives of labour > organizations, and a broad range of causes formed > coalitions for the purpose of =93mobilizing=94 > participants. Again, the availability of the > Internet > permitted them to share ideas, experiences, and > problems from a global perspective.=20 >=20 > 28. Cellphones constitute a basic means of > communication and control, allowing protest > organizers > to employ the concepts of mobility and reserves and > to > move groups from place to place as needed. The > mobility of demonstrators makes it difficult for law > enforcement and security personnel to attempt to > offset their opponents through the presence of > overwhelming numbers. It is now necessary for > security > to be equally mobile, capable of readily deploying > reserves, monitoring the communications of > protesters, > and, whenever possible, anticipating the intentions > of > the demonstrators. In some cases, the extremist > elements, e.g., Black Bloc anarchists, have used the > ranks of moderate protesters as shields to prevent > law > enforcement personnel from viewing violent > activities > and from getting into position to stop the damage.=20 >=20 > 29. Protesters have learned to employ both kerosene > and vinegar-soaked rags for anti-tear gas and > anti-pepper spray purposes, and to use a combination > of chicken wire, PVC pipe, and linked arms to create > almost immoveable street barricades. As well, a > technique which harks back at least three decades to > anti-nuclear and Left and Right Wing demonstrations > in > Great Britain, the renewed use of ball bearings and > marbles against police horses has been suggested. > Among the use of new technologies, Pretty Good > Privacy > (PGP) is the preferred means of encrypting > communications on the Internet. As well, the > anti-globalists have adopted media-savvy techniques > developed and refined by environmental activists. > For > example, during the 26-30 March, 2000, BIO 2000 > biotechnology conference held in Boston, protestors > against genetically modified food set up the =91Boston > Independent Media Centre,=92 which posted photos, > stories and audio clips on its Web site throughout > the > week of protests.=20 >=20 > 30. The Ruckus Society, a Berkeley, California-based > group formed in 1995, has made a specialty of > training > protesters to meet the challenges encountered in > demonstrating effectively, e.g., the placement of > banners and individuals in critical locations, > overcoming obstacles, and evading security controls. > Ruckus played a leading role in preparing > demonstrators participating at Seattle and > Washington, > and previously trained environmentalists in civil > disobedience in Alberta and British Columbia. > Representatives were present in Windsor and Calgary, > prior to the OAS and WPC conferences, to teach > demonstrators various improved protest > techniques(13). > An offshoot Canadian group, Co-Motion Action, > conducted a training camp in Banff to prepare > protesters for the World Petroleum Congress. Among > direct action and civil disobedience lessons taught > are use of the Internet, cellphones, video cameras, > scaling walls, climbing trees, creating human > blockades, scouting sites, and forming plans to > combat > police tactics(14).=20 >=20 > Funding > 31. Financial and material support of protesters and > demonstrations, partly self-generated and partly > raised by contributions from interested parties, is > fundamentally a matter of initiative and > imagination. > Again, the Internet facilitates protest activities, > offering a fast, simple, and inexpensive method of > communication for organizing, motivating and > encouraging attendees, sharing experiences and > ideas, > and soliciting funds. Many participants make their > own > way to demonstration sites, securing their own > transportation, food, and accommodation; frequently, > attendees share their capabilities and facilities > and > are assisted by like-minded groups and individuals > at > the demonstration location. Some funding originates > with the large and better-known protest > organizations > such as the Direct Action Network and the Alliance > for > Global Justice(15). Protesters attending > demonstrations considered to be in the interest of > labour are often provided funds, transportation, > meals, and lodging by labour unions and affiliated > groups.=20 >=20 > 32 The San Francisco-based human-rights group, > Global > Action, provides an example of the cooperative and > collegial relationships which exist in support of > demonstration organizers and participants. A > nine-person protest team conducted a 20-city tour > using shared and borrowed vehicles prior to the > Washington IMF/WB demonstration. The tour was > arranged > by e-mail correspondence, which also facilitated the > team=92s housing and food during the journey. In > return, > the team conducted meetings, teach-ins, rallies and > promotional activities to encourage attendance in > Washington. >=20 > 33. Funds are raised variously by solicitation, > sales > of badges, T-shirts, and other paraphenalia which > publicize the range of protest movements. Other > sources of funding are training courses, such as > those > run by The Ruckus Society and Co-motion Action, > which > charge $125.00 per attendee but request that > participants pay as much as they can afford(16). > Fundamentally, the protesters and the actual > demonstrations do not of themselves require huge > financial support. Much of what is undertaken is > improvised and ad hoc, and does not result from the > efforts of large self-interested lobbies or > conspiracies. The closest approximation to organized > support is that represented by labour=92s activism, > which has included publicity and the provision of > buses to transport participants.=20 >=20 > Implications for Canada=20 > 34. A member of many of the organizations that have > been subjected to, or are targeted for, protest > actions (WTO, IMF, WB, OAS, WPC) at home and abroad, > Canada is a favoured venue for international > conferences. Governments at all levels in Canada > make > a practice of inviting and encouraging organizations > to hold their meetings and conferences at various > locations across the nation. The concept is good for > business and serves to raise Canada=92s democratic > profile in world affairs. Paradoxically, however, > Canada=92s positive image could be marred by the > occurrence of protests and demonstrations, and > especially by associated unfavourable media > coverage. > Similarly, some authorities suggest Canada=92s > reputation and interests abroad could suffer if the > country is identified as a member of institutions > targeted by foreign protests and demonstrations. >=20 > 35. Although the majority of demonstrations are > intended to be pacific, violence does occur and > protests can be disruptive and expensive. While > security agencies must know the nature of the > opposition they are facing and be prepared, they > must > be careful of the form and extent of their response. > Excessively draconian procedures could have a > deleterious effect and provide the protesters with > propaganda material to be used against the > government > and security elements. Further, care must be taken > that security does not create the atmosphere of an > armed camp which restricts and inconveniences the > movement of conference attendees and irritates local > business interests. Ultimately, security forces and > policy makers also must recognize the possibility of > increased levels of violence on the part of some > extremists who may become frustrated by the > protective > measures in place at targeted conferences and > meetings. >=20 > OUTLOOK=20 > 36. Anti-globalization protests and demonstrations > will continue. In fact, many non-associated groups > will seize on the anti-globalization theme as a > convenient rationale to participate in > demonstrations, > making it difficult to accurately forecast security > needs. Conference organizers, security agencies, and > law enforcement personnel will have to accept that > reality and the inherent challenge, which will > demand > adequate contingency planning. Sound intelligence > arrangements will be crucial to the successful > implementation of precautionary measures, especially > to avoid errors of over- or under-commitment of > resources and to preclude draconian responses or > steps > which would promote violent reactions from > protesters. > Extremist fringe elements will seek any excuse to > indulge in aggressive tactics or resort to > destructive > activities. Clashes amongst demonstrators and > between > protesters and security peronnel have become a > standard feature of many conference demonstrations, > and some anarchist groups are calling for more > violent > involvement.=20 >=20 > 37. North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom > will > likely be the most affected areas, largely because > the > majority of targeted meetings and conferences are > scheduled there. Prominent locales such as London, > Paris, Berlin, Vienna, and Prague are attractive to > delegates, media, and protesters alike, as were > Washington and Seattle. Within relatively easy > travel > distance, even for trans-atlantic journeys, they are > readily accessible, offer a wide range of amenities, > and possess excellent communications. As well, such > major capital cities have a cachet that enhances the > impact of media coverage and encourages the presence > and extraordinary actions of demonstrators.=20 >=20 > 38. Distance and remote location remain factors in > curtailing the presence of demonstrators to some > degree, but are not sufficient to ensure security or > constrain the influence of pressure groups. For > example, early in May, the annual meeting of the > Asian > Development Bank at Chiang Mai, Thailand, was > overwhelmed by 4,000 protesters demanding an end to > policies they claimed punished the poor. Inspired by > events in Washington and Seattle, protesters caught > police by surprise when they stormed security > barricades.(17) The July G-8 Summit on Okinawa was > peaceful, largely because heavy security precautions > combined with high costs for transportation, > accomodation and logistic support to deter the > presence of large numbers of protesters. > Nonetheless, > a day prior to the conference, thousands of people > staged protests across Japan and students marched in > Tokyo, shouting =93Smash the summit.=94 (18)=20 >=20 > 39. While location will have an influence on the > number and type of demonstrators present at a > conference, the purpose and nature of the gathering > will be a much more decisive factor. Significant > meetings, especially those featuring senior > government > or corporate leaders, such as G-8 Summits and IMF > meetings, will attract large numbers of peaceful > protesters, as well as those predisposed to violent > activities. As well, the lack of obvious achievement > by principals during a preceding conference, such as > failure to approve debt relief for poor countries, > may > serve to mobilize thousands more protesters and > trigger a wave of anger and outrage at subsequent > events. Representatives of lobby groups who were > present on Okinawa voiced their disatisfaction with > the outcome and claimed their frustration will lead > to > protests =93that will eclipse events in Seattle.=94(19)=20 >=20 > 40. The Internet will continue to play a large role > in > the success or failure of globalization protests and > demonstrations. Groups will use the Internet to > identify and publicize targets, solicit and > encourage > support, organize and communicate information and > instructions, recruit, raise funds, and as a means > of > promoting their various individual and collective > aims. The Internet remains a major source of protest > motivation and planning; it will require careful > monitoring by conference planners to determine the > intentions and goals of demonstrators, and to > forestall unexpected incidents.=20 >=20 > 41. Continued presence and use of large numbers of > security forces, fencing, and similar restrictive > measures could dampen the enthusiasm of protesters > and > might gradually reduce the size of some gatherings, > as > could adverse weather conditions. But, as > demonstrated > by extremist animal-rights and environmental > activists, security measures could prompt a rise in > the scale of violence from smashing windows to arson > attacks, the use of explosive devices, and even > physical threats against individuals, including > posting warning letters purported to contain > contaminated razor blades. The situation is > paradoxical: the interest of targeted institutions > and > their membership in holding meetings on Canadian > soil > could wane if faced with stringent security > precautions and movement restrictions. Conversely, > Seattle-type disturbances and interference could > similarly engender a loss of interest in using > Canadian venues for international conferences and > meetings which might prove attractive to > demonstrators. Nonetheless, it has been established > that antiglobalists are organizing against a number > of > international meetings in Canada, including the > April > 2001 Summit of the Americas in Quebec City. Given > the > virulent anti-globalization rhetoric directed > against > the Organization of American States (OAS), the > threat > of Summit-associated violence in Quebec City cannot > be > ruled out.=20 >=20 >=20 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- >=20 > ENDNOTES >=20 >=20 >=20 > 1. The Globe Mail, 1 Dec 1999.=20 >=20 > 2. The Sunday Times, 15 Aug 1999.=20 >=20 > 3. The Ottawa Citizen, 20 Apr 2000.=20 >=20 > 4. Minneapolis Star Tribune, 21 May 2000.=20 >=20 > 5. Naomi Klein. NO LOGO. Alfred A. Knopf, Canada, > 2000, p.338.=20 >=20 > 6. IBID, p.339.=20 >=20 > 7. =93After Seattle=94, William Finnegan. The New > Yorker, > 17 Apr 2000, p42.=20 >=20 > 8. The Ottawa Citizen, 1 Jun 2000.=20 >=20 > 9. Time. 26 Apr 2000, p.21.=20 >=20 > 10. =93NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND=94, David Samuels. > Harper=92s > Magazine, May 2000, p.37.=20 >=20 > 11. =91Neither Left, Nor Right=92, Southern Poverty Law > Center Intelligence Report, Winter 2000, p.40.=20 >=20 > 12. Klein, Op. Cit., p.311.=20 >=20 > 13. Calgary Herald, 15 Apr 2000.=20 >=20 > 14. The Globe Mail, 12 May 2000.=20 >=20 > 15. Time, 24 Apr 2000, p.21.=20 >=20 > 16. The Globe Mail, 12 May 2000.=20 >=20 > 17. The Globe Mail, 8 May, 2000.=20 >=20 > 18. CNN.Com, 21 July, 2000.=20 >=20 > 19. Reuters, 23 July, 2000.=20 >=20 >=20 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- > Perspectives is a publication of the Requirements, > Analysis and Production Branch of CSIS. Comments > concerning publications may be made to the Director > General, Requirements, Analysis and Production > Branch > at the following address: Box 9732, Stn. =93T=94, > Ottawa, > Ont., K1G 4G4, or by fax at (613) 842-1312. =20 >=20 >=20 > [Main Menu] >=20 >=20 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ------- > Disclaimer: The Canadian Security Intelligence > Service > assumes no responsibility for the use of the > information at this World Wide Web (WWW) site. >=20 >=20 > =A9 CSIS/SCRS 2000=20 > =20 >=20 > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from > anywhere! > http://mail.yahoo.com/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/ ---------- End of message ---------- From: CyberBrook To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Anti-capitalists plan another protest in Prague Date: Mon, 04 Sep 2000 20:57:42 -0700 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Anti-capitalists plan another protest in Prague Up to 20,000 anti-globalisation protesters are expected to bring chaos to the streets of Prague during the IMF and World Bank summit in September By Justin Huggler in Prague 3 September 2000 Anti-capitalists have vowed to make the protests the biggest yet, pledging to "destroy the IMF" and turn the summit into "Seattle II". Officers from Scotland Yard have already visited the Czech Republic to exchange intelligence on British protesters expected to travel to Prague. Anti-capitalist groups are organising coaches to ferry protesters to Prague from London, Manchester, and Liverpool. Websites offer information to protesters on the demonstrations, how to get to Prague, and first aid. Czech police have also conferred with the FBI and Interpol. The organisers are expecting the most trouble from groups travelling from the US and Germany. Up to 5,000 protesters are expected from Germany, according to one website. Most activity so far has been from the Czech-based Initiative against Economic Globalisation (Inpeg), which insists all its activities will be peaceful. But trouble is expected. Police officers are being drafted into Prague from across the country: 11,000 will be on duty. There will also be 5,000 soldiers on standby. Hospitals are even preparing for chemical and biological attacks. The protests will be a major test for the police, who came under fire for heavy-handed tactics against much smaller-scale anti-capitalist protests in Prague last year. Czech President Vaclav Havel has attempted to defuse the situation by inviting protesters and representatives of the IMF and World Bank to a debate in Prague Castle ahead of the summit. But nobody believes the battle will be resolved across the debating floor this summer: it will be fought out on the streets on the date the anti-capitalists like to call S26. ---------- End of message ---------- From: CyberBrook To: "Social Movements List" Subject: MoJo's Seventh Annual Roundup of Student Protest Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2000 18:03:08 -0700 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Real Reformers, Real Results

Our Seventh Annual Roundup of Student Protest

by Keith Meatto
Mother Jones
http://www.motherjones.com/
September/October 2000

            &nbs= p;           Like VW Beetles, quiz shows, and Shaft, student
            &nbs= p;           activism is back. A record 46 percent of college freshmen
            &nbs= p;           joined public protests last year, the largest percentage
            &nbs= p;           since UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute began
            &nbs= p;           tracking the trend in 1966.

            &nbs= p;           This year's cause c=E9l=E8bre was
            &nbs= p;           the campaign to end the use of
            &nbs= p;           sweatshop labor by the
            &nbs= p;           $2.5-billion collegiate apparel
            &nbs= p;           industry. Undergraduates nationwide demanded their
            &nbs= p;           colleges quit the Fair Labor Association (FLA) -- an
            &nbs= p;           industry-backed watchdog that opponents liken to a fox
            &nbs= p;           guarding the hen house -- and join the Worker Rights
            &nbs= p;           Consortium. Founded by students, academics, and labor
            &nbs= p;           unions last October, the WRC promises strict workplace
            &nbs= p;           oversight, free from industry influence.

            &nbs= p;           With rallies, sit-ins, hunger strikes, and even marches in
            &nbs= p;           the nude, student activists pressured more than 50
            &nbs= p;           schools to embrace the fledgling WRC. But sweatshops
            &nbs= p;           weren't the only issue galvanizing campus protest:
            &nbs= p;           Affirmative action, body politics, and living wage
            &nbs= p;           concerns also got their due. Herewith, some memorable
            &nbs= p;           moments from an action-packed year of protest.

            &nbs= p;           1. University of Oregon While Eugene was gaining
            &nbs= p;           notoriety as the anarchist capital of America, U of O
            &nbs= p;           students were busy flexing their organizing muscle.
            &nbs= p;           Months of protests -- including mock sweatshop
            &nbs= p;           demonstrations in which students hunched over sewing
            &nbs= p;           machines for 14-hour shifts -- led Oregon to join the
            &nbs= p;           WRC last spring. The move provoked the ire of Phil
            &nbs= p;           Knight, Oregon alum and CEO of Nike, which is a
            &nbs= p;           founding member of the FLA. He withdrew a $30-million
            &nbs= p;           pledge to the school's athletic program and vowed he'd
            &nbs= p;           never give again.

            &nbs= p;           2. University of Michigan Student protests, capped by
            &nbs= p;           a three-day occupation of the dean's office, pushed
            &nbs= p;           Michigan to join the WRC. Swooshing mad, Nike nixed a
            &nbs= p;           six-year licensing contract that would have paid the
            &nbs= p;           university $22 million. Minority students also crusaded
            &nbs= p;           against racial insensitivity, protesting Michigamua, a
            &nbs= p;           century-old secret society whose traditions include
            &nbs= p;           adopting phony American Indian names and quaffing
            &nbs= p;           beer from sacred tribal artifacts. For 37 days, protesters
            &nbs= p;           occupied the society's private, wigwam-themed
            &nbs= p;           headquarters on the top floor of the student union. When
            &nbs= p;           the smoke cleared, Michigamua members had returned
            &nbs= p;           the artifacts and opened their penthouse to the public.

            &nbs= p;           3. Florida A&M University Three thousand students
            &nbs= p;           from the historically black A&M campus stormed the
            &nbs= p;           Tallahassee Capitol in protest of Governor Jeb Bush's
            &nbs= p;           "One Florida" policy. The initiative sounds inclusive but
            &nbs= p;           effectively wipes out affirmative action in state university
            &nbs= p;           admissions. Student leaders met with Bush and won a
            &nbs= p;           concession to exempt graduate and professional students
            &nbs= p;           from the policy.

            &nbs= p;           4. University of Washington The native soil of
            &nbs= p;           Starbucks and Microsoft also yielded a bumper crop of
            &nbs= p;           activists criticizing the global economy. Some 1,500 UW
            &nbs= p;           students took to the streets in February to protest the
            &nbs= p;           World Trade Organization's ministerial meetings,
            &nbs= p;           comprising roughly 5 percent of the crowd at the Battle
            &nbs= p;           of Seattle.

            &nbs= p;           5. National Autonomous University of Mexico In the
            &nbs= p;           spring of 1999, the largest university in the Americas
            &nbs= p;           announced a tuition hike -- from the equivalent of 4 cents
            &nbs= p;           to $110 -- that would place higher education out of reach
            &nbs= p;           for thousands of low-income Mexicans. In protest, more
            &nbs= p;           than 2,000 student radicals shut down the Mexico City
            &nbs= p;           campus, leading the university to reclassify the fees as
            &nbs= p;           "voluntary." But strikers held out -- for an additional
            &nbs= p;           eight months -- calling for an end to new library and lab
            &nbs= p;           fees, and for a greater voice in university affairs. Police
            &nbs= p;           stormed the campus in February, arresting 800. The
            &nbs= p;           university's 270,000 students soon resumed classes --
            &nbs= p;           monitored by some 2,500 federales.

            &nbs= p;           6. Ohio State University To illustrate the skewed logic
            &nbs= p;           of spending $187 million to renovate the football arena
            &nbs= p;           while denying janitors and cafeteria workers a living
            &nbs= p;           wage, Buckeye students and union members picketed
            &nbs= p;           and successfully halted construction at Ohio Stadium for
            &nbs= p;           a day. The protesters eventually won a $2 hourly raise
            &nbs= p;           for 1,900 university employees.

            &nbs= p;           7. Wesleyan University Demanding living wages, health
            &nbs= p;           benefits, and job security for the university's janitorial
            &nbs= p;           staff, 35 students seized the Wesleyan admissions office
            &nbs= p;           for 33 hours in April. President Douglas Bennet
            &nbs= p;           responded quickly after the protest: Janitors saw their
            &nbs= p;           hourly wages increase 20 percent and also won gains in
            &nbs= p;           their health care and pension packages.

            &nbs= p;           8. University of California,
            &nbs= p;           Berkeley Berkeley and its nine
            &nbs= p;           sister UC campuses joined the
            &nbs= p;           WRC this spring, giving it the
            &nbs= p;           backing of an additional 175,000
            &nbs= p;           students. Cal Bears also challenged
            &nbs= p;           the propriety of a $25-million grant
            &nbs= p;           from drug giant Novartis, which gives the company
            &nbs= p;           broad rights to discoveries made within the College of
            &nbs= p;           Natural Resources. Protests and teach-ins helped win a
            &nbs= p;           state hearing on the issue and focus national attention on
            &nbs= p;           the eroding wall between the ivory tower and Wall
            &nbs= p;           Street.

            &nbs= p;           9. Columbia University After three years of teach-ins,
            &nbs= p;           rallies, and marches by student activists, Columbia
            &nbs= p;           adopted the nation's most progressive sexual misconduct
            &nbs= p;           policy. Thanks to the newly amended disciplinary code,
            &nbs= p;           defendants in sexual misconduct cases at Columbia can
            &nbs= p;           now be barred from the hearing room when accusers
            &nbs= p;           detail their complaints; a new full-time arbitrator will field
            &nbs= p;           sexual grievances; and staff and students alike will
            &nbs= p;           receive stepped-up education about sexual assault.

            &nbs= p;           10. State University of New York, Albany Student
            &nbs= p;           agitation forced SUNY Albany to cancel its dining hall
            &nbs= p;           contracts with Sodexho Marriott. Sodexho's parent
            &nbs= p;           company is the largest shareholder in Corrections
            &nbs= p;           Corporation of America, a leading purveyor of for-profit
            &nbs= p;           prisons. In addition to the prison connection, students
            &nbs= p;           denounced the company's health and labor records.
            &nbs= p;           Events at SUNY Albany have energized similar
            &nbs= p;           campaigns against Sodexho contracts at nearly 30
            &nbs= p;           colleges nationwide.

            &nbs= p;           -- Additional reporting by Katarzyna Lyson, Monique
            &nbs= p;           Murad, and Trevor Stordahl ---------- End of message ---------- From: Ricard Moren To: "Social Movements List" Subject: borders blockades Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2000 16:10:03 +0100 (BST) Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS) Dear all, I would be grateful if anybody can suggest me reading on theoretical-practical approaches to borders blockades (between countries) done by social movements in case of conflicts (e.g. when a group of people are not allowed to get into a country by police and then they block the border in order to impede trade and the access of other people). In case there is nothing published on it, I am also interested in any study you may know on borders blockades in general. That is a possible scenario for the days before the IMF & WB summit in Prague (26-28 september 2000, see http://inpeg.ecn.cz) and any information can be useful for the social movements that are trying to challenge the lack of democracy in those global institutions and the impact of their policies on people and, in general, on life in the planet. Maybe social sciences can be useful in the long and complex struggle to improve the living conditions for most people in the world, not just providing words for discourses but also for actions. Best wishes, ricard ---------- End of message ---------- From: CyberBrook To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Anti-Globalisation Protesters Claim Victory In Melbourne Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 07:56:48 -0700 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Monday, September 11, 2000 by Agence France Presse Anti-Globalisation Protesters Claim Victory In Melbourne MELBOURNE, Australia - Anti-globalisation campaigners=20 claimed victory Monday after blockading a major international economic conference in a= =20 pitched battle with police in which scores of people were hurt. Five police officers, two demonstrators and a casino=20 employee were taken to hospital as violence erupted at the start of the three-day World=20 Economic Forum (WEF) summit at Melbourne's Crown Casino. One demonstrator had three front teeth knocked out by a mounted policeman wielding a truncheon to clear an escape route for a state premier, Richard Court of Western Australia, who was trapped for almost an hour in his vandalised car. Television footage showed police charging with batons and numerous wounded and bloodied protesters, although it appeared the injuries were relatively minor. Two young men, aged 17 and 21, were arrested for police assault. One of the protest leaders, solicitor Pauline Spencer, later claimed police had used capsicum spray and batons, injuring more than 100 peaceful demonstrators with "inappropriate force." "We had Victoria Police just storming with batons, thrashing people about the head ... breaking ribs, breaking hands," she claimed, adding that batons had been thrust into stomachs, breasts and genitals. Some demonstrators had been dragged away by the hair, she said. More than 200 delegates -- almost a quarter of the 850=20 accredited to attend -- and a number of journalists were locked out of the summit by=20 protesters with arms linked as police stood by apparently powerless to help. Some of the delegates managed to get to the conference=20 only after being ferried by boat or helicopter hours late into the casino complex, on the=20 Yarra River's Southbank. Organisers of the summit branded the demonstration an=20 "abuse of democracy." The WEF's Geneva-based public affairs director Charles=20 McLean said one of the buses that failed to get delegates into the casino had its windows=20 smashed by "street hooligans" and 200 delegates had been forced to turn back. "This is not a case of civil disobedience, defiance of an= =20 unjust law," he said. "It is rather defiance of the very laws that protect free speech and=20 free assembly -- the same laws that allow peaceful protest and dissent. "I'm sure the people out there are more concerned with=20 getting their faces on television. I wonder how many realise we are discussing in here many of= =20 the things which are supposed to concern them, such as corporate responsibility." However, protest leaders claimed they were successful in= =20 blockading the conference. "I think we can all claim victory tonight," a spokesman=20 for the S11 (September 11) protest alliance, South Australian union leader Stephen Spence=20 told reporters. The blockade, by an army of Trotskyists, anarchists, students, gay rights activists, environmentalists and even Falun Gong supporters, grew from a few hundred in heavy early rain to perhaps eight or nine thousand by late afternoon, their ranks swelled by school children They linked arms in a weaving chain that snaked half way around the casino complex, chanting demands for an end to economic rationalism, for the Western world to write off third world debt, and for Asian sweat shops to be closed. But the demonstrators achieved at least one major success in persuading Australian Treasurer Peter Costello, a conference delegate, of the need to heed public opinion on globalisation. "If policy makers think that they can ignore public opinion, I think we would be making a rather large mistake," he said. "We can talk about the benefits of an open trading system, but let's remember that the last opportunity to put some detail on that was in=20 Seattle and it was a failure." The casino, owned by Australia's most conspicuous=20 capitalist, billionaire media tycoon Kerry Packer, admitted losing millions of dollars because= =20 staff and customers had been scared off and has been closed for until further notice. Deputy Police Commissioner Neil O'Loughlin said police=20 had been successful in getting most delegates into the forum despite the best efforts of= =20 protesters to blockade it. Five police had been injured, receiving back, arm and eye= =20 injuries. "They have caused disruption to the city but not to the=20 forum and it is unfortunate Melburnians have had to suffer the traffic problems and=20 some property damage caused by the demonstrators," O'Loughlin told reporters inside the= =20 casino. Copyright =A9 2000 AFP ### Common Dreams NewsCenter is a non-profit news=20 service providing breaking news and views for the=20 Progressive Community. FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material= =20 the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such=20 material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights,= =20 economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of= =20 any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17=20 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior=20 interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to:=20 http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of=20 your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. =A9 Copyrighted 1997-2000 All Rights Reserved.= Common=20 Dreams. www.commondreams.org ---------- End of message ---------- From: Axel Dorscht To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Announcement - IHCMD Online Study Program Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 18:22:23 -0400 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.1 (32) (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ---------- APOLOGIES FOR ANY CROSS POSTING ---------- Please feel free to pass on the information to interested parties, colleagues and friends. Announcement IHCMD Online Study Program Sustaining Human Existence in Changing Conditions, Human Mental Existence and Human Conceptual and Mental Development Setting the Conceptual and Mental Conditions beyond Religion, Philosophy and Science The Institute for Human Conceptual and Mental Development (IHCMD) is presenting a free Online Study Program -- Sustaining Human Existence in Changing Conditions, Human Mental Existence and Human Conceptual and Mental Development: Setting the Conceptual and Mental Conditions Beyond Religion, Philosophy and Science. The Program consists of two parts. The first part is a short Introduction Session (October to mid-December 2000), and the second part is a longer Study and Training Session (January to August 2001). The two Sessions can be taken separately. However, the Introduction Session is a prerequisite for the Study and Training Session. The focus and concentration of the IHCMD Online Study Program are persisting and growing mental, social and environmental conditions, problems and challenges we face today, as individuals, as societies and as a species globally, and understanding their nature, causes and development, answers and solutions. The approach is to consider the conditions, problems, demands and challenges of human existence and human development beyond religion, philosophy and science, at the level of human mental existence and human conceptual and mental development. It is to consider them within the context of the fundamentals of the nature and conditions, demands and challenges of human mental existence and conceptual and mental development. Moreover, it is to consider them within the context of the historical path and direction of human conceptual and mental self-development; of human beings trying to comprehend and manage existence in changing conditions that has brought the human species to where we find ourselves today. It is to consider, at the level of human mental existence and human conceptual and mental development and within the context of the historical path and direction of human conceptual and mental self-development through the ages, how today we comprehend and manage human existence and human development, the understanding and mental skills and practices we develop and on which we rely, their limits and shortcomings of where they contradict, conflict with and fall short of the natural conditions, demands and challenges of human existence and human development. It is to consider the answers and solutions at the level of mental existence and conceptual and mental development, the direction we need to take in conceptual and mental development, individually and as a species, to address and move beyond the conditions and problems we face and to sustain human existence in changing conditions in equitable ways within the boundaries and limits set by nature. The Introduction Session (October to mid-December 2000) is an introduction to the issues. The Study and Training Session (January to August 2001) will consider the issues in more depth and detail, particularly as they are reflected in individual experience and awareness. It is an exercise in individual conceptual and mental self-development. The Study and Training Session is to individually set the conceptual and mental conditions beyond religion, philosophy and science, necessary to sustain human existence in changing conditions. For more details and registration information go to the IHCMD Online Study Program web page at , 'Currently Offered Programs' or contact the organizers and hosts of the Program at . __________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Axel Dorscht, Head | Institute for Human Conceptual Tel: 1-613-233-8354 | and Mental Development (IHCMD) E-mail: ihcmd@egroups.com | 9 Second Avenue, Suite 2 Website: http://go.to/ihcmd | Ottawa, ON K1S 2H2 Canada __________________________________________________________________________ ---------- End of message ---------- From: CyberBrook To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Protesters Aren't Alone in Doubts About Globalization Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 21:41:29 -0700 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Wednesday. September 13, 2000 in the Los Angeles Times Protesters Aren't Alone in Doubts About Globalization by Tom Plate MELBOURNE, Australia--The suits on the buses mostly sat quietly, working their cell phones in part because there was little else to do. The buses, which were to transport them to the large convention hotel housing the World Economic Forum's annual Asia conference, were not moving. Blocking their way three blocks from the glistening Crown Towers complex, where the official sessions were to be held, were row after row of arm-linked protesters. There were thousands of them, and many who were braving the brisk breezes of the nippy Australian spring were women and children. These protesters may not have understood all the nuances, complexities and yield curves of globalization. But they knew they didn't like this scary global phenomenon one bit. This World Economic Forum provided the juiciest target since the riots last December in Seattle, scene of the now-infamous World Trade Organization fiasco. True, the WEF, unlike the WTO, is a nongovernmental organization with no formal power to legislate or administer or adjudicate. Still, the wide-roving talk-tank, which also holds an annual January conclave in Switzerland, presented an irresistible target of opportunity for these protesters. Before long, about 750 or so WEF invitees--CEOs, government officials, policy intellectuals, media leaders, academics and WEF officials themselves who had flown in from their Geneva headquarters--didn't know what hit them. On Monday morning, when it dawned on police that they could be facing another Seattle, the WEF invitees were warned of the brewing trouble. Spurning the buses with their police escorts, some of the invitees sauntered up to the barricades and tried their best to charm their way through. It was a no go. So at the outset, this was a conference whose attendance was severely restricted, as the hotel site was wholly encircled by protesters well before the police realized how many there were and what they were up to. In frustration, near the end of the day some delegates agreed to be airlifted to the hotel rooftop by police helicopters, or, with a James Bond-like panache, sped to the site by motor launch across the Yarra River. The attitude inside was defiant but concerned; and there was less gloating about the unmitigated benefits of globalization than the protesters outside might have imagined. Sure, Australia's Prime Minister John Howard proclaimed globality "the ticket to prosperity for poor nations." This is the pro-globalization party line. But there were plenty of suits inside who had their doubts, though not in the way of many of the protesters, who regard globalization mostly as a cover for the multinational corporate pillaging of the poor. On the inside, doubts about the health of the Asia Pacific regional economy, increasingly globalized as it is, were common. A surprising number said the Asian recovery probably would not continue. Australian Treasurer Peter Costello complained bitterly in a riveting off-the-cuff opening address that too little has been done in the region to repair the infamously flawed world "financial architecture"--just a few years ago oft-cited as the root cause of the crisis. Kenneth Courtis, Asia vice chairman of Goldman Sachs, accused Japan of creating "a massive debt trap" for itself that might trigger an even more deadly crisis. No, few if any of the angry protesters had any idea of the intensity of the debate inside. For many of them, globalization is nothing more than a global conspiracy designed to leave them behind and line the pockets of the rich. When you're out of a job, or fear you're going to lose one, this view seems more plausible than radical. Rapid technological innovation, not just immense corporate greed, is the driving force of the new millennium. The truth is that globalization is a powerful force hurling all of us--wealthy or not--into an uncertain future. But observing the many young faces of protest on the barricades, you had to accept that these were the genuine, defiant ones of the new age, with a resistance fueled not just by hatred of brutally unfeeling corporations but also by the harsh facts of contemporary life. Many people simply want to stop the world and get off. That this is their only solution causes them no embarrassment. Rather than viewing globalization as a ticket to prosperity, they see it as a ticket to nowhere. Nodding to the tumult outside, economist Courtis warned his fellow rich and famous, "It's too simple [to just preach to people], 'It's the markets, stupid.' " Capitalism's global gladiators are going to have to come up with something better than this if they are to convince others--and maybe even themselves. Times contributing editor Tom Plate, a WEF Participant, teaches at UCLA. ---------- End of message ---------- From: CyberBrook To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Ginetta Sagan: The Power Of A Nobody Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 21:55:09 -0700 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: renaissance-network@cyberjournal.org, jslakov@TartanNET.ns.ca Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Wednesday, September 13, 2000 in the San Francisco Chronicle Ginetta Sagan: The Power Of A Nobody by Stephen Most GINETTA SAGAN, the human rights activist who died last=20 month at age 75, was better known to the powers-that- be than to the public. President=20 Clinton honored her work for Amnesty International by awarding Sagan a presidential Medal of=20 Freedom in 1996. Vaclav Havel, president of the Czech Republic, and Kim Dae Jung, the=20 South Korean president, were among the prisoners of conscience she helped set free.=20 When Augusto Pinochet imprisoned thousands of Chileans opposed to his 1973 coup d'etat,=20 Sagan somehow reached the general's direct phone line and demanded that he release=20 them all. A diminutive woman with a warm smile and intense energy,=20 Sagan always insisted that anyone could have done the same. Working out of her home,= =20 she seemed to be nothing more than ``that housewife in Atherton,'' as former CIA chief=20 William Casey once called her. Far from being a pose, Sagan's refusal to be ``somebody,''= =20 to seek public office or to take an official position in a human rights organization, drew=20 from the secret sources of her strength. Sagan was incognito from the day she was born. The love=20 child of a French Jewish doctor and a married Italian Catholic doctor, Ginetta took on the=20 identity of her wet nurse's baby who had died two years earlier. This arrangement shielded her=20 parents from scandal -- her father, under Italian law, was unable to obtain a divorce -- and it=20 protected Sagan from persecution as a Jew during the war years. Growing up with a false identity also prepared Sagan for=20 her role in the Italian Resistance. Known as Topolino, or ``little mouse,'' the 4-foot-11=20 teenager seemed innocuous. The prominent Fascist officer and his mother for whom she=20 worked as a maid in 1943 never guessed that as the girl scrubbed every surface of the=20 house, she was listening in on phone conversations and searching for official documents in the= =20 trash. Sagan's branch of the Resistance, based in Milan,=20 succeeded in smuggling nearly 10,000 people into Switzerland. Topolino escorted 300=20 anti-Fascists, Jews and draft evaders across a barbed wire fence that marked the Swiss border. A=20 removable section of barbed wire, which she retrieved after the war and wrapped around a candle,=20 was to become the symbol of Amnesty International. In February 1945, Topolino was captured, imprisoned and=20 raped. One night, she sat alone in a pitch-black cell when, she recalled, ``a man threw a=20 loaf of bread in the cell, calling me a whore and all sorts of names.'' Hidden inside the hollow=20 panini, she found a matchbox containing one match and a tiny scrap of paper. Lighting=20 the match, she read: ``Corragio! Lavoriamo per te.'' (Courage! We are working for you.)=20 Sagan told this story many times. She wanted people to know that they can make a difference by=20 writing prisoners of conscience and their jailers in countries around the world, letting=20 the former know that they are not alone and the latter that they are held responsible for what=20 they do. Creating an international constituency to insist that=20 people in every country, regardless of their religion, politics and ethnicity, have the right not= =20 to be persecuted or unjustly imprisoned became Sagan's lifework. In 1967, a friend introduced=20 Sagan to a Greek woman who described her experiences under the military junta. Sagan= =20 learned that methods of torture that the Gestapo used in wartime Italy and throughout occupied= =20 Europe were being practiced again. Shortly thereafter, she joined Amnesty=20 International, which had been founded by London lawyer Peter Benenson in 1961. In Paris, Sagan applied the techniques of the Resistance=20 to the task at hand. She formed a network that included veterans of the Italian underground= =20 and Greeks in hiding from the junta. Sagan compiled lists of prisoners and located the prisons= =20 where they were detained. Fact-finding required her to travel to Greece several=20 times, always disguised and under an assumed name. In 1971, Sagan recruited Joan Baez and Melina Mercouri to= =20 perform at a fund-raising concert in support of the junta's prisoners. Shortly after this=20 event, which drew 10,000 people to Berkeley's Greek Theatre, Baez and Mercouri joined a group= =20 on the Stanford University campus that formed the first West Coast chapter of Amnesty= =20 International. When Gen. Pinochet overthrew President Allende's=20 government, Sagan, Baez and their West Coast cohort initiated Amnesty International's first=20 direct-mail campaign. Their efforts proved instrumental in expanding Amnesty's influence and its U.S.= =20 membership, which eventually reached 290,000. Alliances with celebrities did not=20 diminish Sagan's need for anonymity. She learned to hide within the shadow cast by the light of=20 publicity. In 1985, Sagan invited Baez to travel with her to Poland,= =20 which was then under martial law. Sagan had raised money to support people imprisoned for=20 their participation in Solidarity, the worker's revolution that, ironically, was challenging the= =20 Soviet empire. How to get funds into Poland was her problem. When their flight arrived in=20 Warsaw, Baez and the film crew that accompanied her became the focus of attention. Sagan,=20 ostensibly just another member of the entourage, was smuggling thick wads of currency under= =20 her clothes. Suddenly her pantyhose snapped. Baez quickly took her friend's luggage= =20 and told customs officials that the woman's back was hurt. ``I walked as if I had broken my=20 spine,'' recalled Sagan. Trying to remain incognito, Sagan accompanied the singer=20 to Father Jankowski's parish house where they spent the night. The next day she hid in= =20 the church as Baez entertained the congregation. The 60-year-old smuggler managed to accomplish her=20 mission, but her presence became known to the authorities. As she traveled in a car chauffeured by Lech Walesa's=20 driver, the vehicle's brakes failed. Believing the car to have been sabotaged by agents of Gen.= =20 Jaruzelski, Sagan made a point of posing for a photograph beside the wreck, a triumphant= =20 smile on her bloody face. She did not care that her name be known, but she wanted the=20 general and his henchmen to see her spirit. SAGAN FUND AND AWARD In 1974, Amnesty International USA established the Ginetta= =20 Sagan Fund (and Award) for women's and children's human rights to preserve her legacy= =20 in perpetuity. The annual presentation of the Ginetta Sagan Award honors the=20 ``ordinary'' women who have the courage to change their world. Stephen Most, a Berkeley-based playwright and=20 scriptwriter, interviewed Ginetta Sagan for a documentary film about prisoners of conscience. =A92000 San Francisco Chronicle ### Common Dreams NewsCenter is a non-profit news=20 service providing breaking news and views for the=20 Progressive Community. FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material=20 the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such=20 material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic,=20 democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such=20 copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section= =20 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving= =20 the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to:=20 http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your=20 own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. =A9 Copyrighted 1997-2000 All Rights Reserved.= Common=20 Dreams. www.commondreams.org ---------- End of message ---------- From: "Laurence Cox" To: "Social Movements List" Subject: ESA 2001 Social Movements - Call for papers Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2000 12:16:55 +0100 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: social-movements@wit.ie MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.12b) (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) This might be of interest to some listmembers. Laurence ------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 18:33:21 +0100 From: Mario Diani Subject: ESA 2001 Social Movements - Call for papers Dear colleagues and friends: please circulate, and apologies for cross-posting. MD. Call for Papers The Research Network on Social Movements of the European Sociological Association invites proposals for papers to be presented at the Fifth European Conference of Sociology on August 28 - September 1, 2001 at the University of Helsinki, Finland. We are planning to run six panels. Four will explicitly relate to the general conference theme, Visions and Divisions, while two will be left open in order to accomodate interesting proposals which do not fit into the main topics. We welcome paper submissions on any topic of relevance to the study of collective action and social movements broadly defined, but we are particularly interested in contributions addressing one of the following thematic areas: 1. After Seattle: The globalization of collective action Last year's events in Seattle and more in general the recurrent campaigns against the IMF and the World Bank's activities has only made more urgent a discussion of the implications of globalization processes for patterns of collective action. Are recent developments anticipating the overcoming of traditional national divisions and the emergence of a global public sphere? What is the specific role of participatory social movement politics going to be in the new context, as opposed to other forms of professionalized - if occasionally radical - political action? What is the potential for the growth of transnational collective identities and movement communities bridging previously distant actors? 2. Social movement studies East and West Social movement research on former socialist countries in Eastern Europe has flourished in the last ten years. Now that the amount of published material on the 1989 revolutions has become conspicuous, it is perhaps the time for a re-assessment of what has been achieved. In particular, we would appreciate contributions which critically discuss the application of Western social movement theory to processes which have developed in very different contexts to the ones that originally inspired our "toolbox". What has been the analytical and the intellectual payoff of these attempts? Have Western concepts and methods "travelled well"? What are the major lessons we can take from recent achievements of social movement analysis in Eastern Europe? 3. "Distasteful" movements Research in social movements is still overwhelmingly devoted to "tasty" movements, i.e., movements that researchers feel sympathetic with. Given the dominant views in the social movements community, anti-democratic, racist, xenophobic, and illiberal movements are still under researched. The neglect is, however, being remedied and we invite contributions from colleagues who are conducting, or have conducted, research in these and related areas. Once again the main questions are both empirical and theoretical: what does recent research tell us about the real consistence and dominant traits of these phenomena? And how adequate are our analytical tools to their understanding? 4. Social movement research and third sector research Academic research is as much and possibly more fragmented and balkanized than real societies. This session aims at opening a dialogue between researchers on social movements and researchers focusing on voluntary organizations and third sector dynamics at large. Although largely indifferent to each other, the two traditions actually share more than occasional concepts and approaches. The session should contribute to a process of cross-fertilization which is both desirable and long overdue. 5-6. Open sessions Submissions are encouraged from any subfield of social movement research. Please send abstracts of your paper (maximum 250 words) or any request for additional information, preferably by e-mail, before 31 January 2001, to Mario Diani Department of Government University of Strathclyde 16, Richmond St. Glasgow G1 1XQ Scotland Phone: +44 141 5482733 Fax: +44 141 5525677 E-mail: mario.diani@strath.ac.uk NB: Colleagues interested in the Social movement research and third sector research panel should also send abstracts to the panel co-organizer, Dr Martti Muukkonen (e-mail: martti.muukkonen@joensuu.fi). Registration should be sent to the conference secretariat, preferably by internet: www.congcreator.com/esa2001/ or by e-mail: esa2001@congcreator.com or by regular mail: ESA Conference, CongCreator, P.O.Box 762, FIN 00101, Helsinki. Finland. Tel +358-9-4542 190, fax +358-9-4542 1930. Mario Diani Professor of Sociology and Head of Department Department of Government University of Strathclyde 16, Richmond St. Glasgow G1 1XQ Scotland Phone: +44 141 5482974 (direct) 5482734 (secretary) Fax: +44 141 5525677 I am now working in NUI Maynooth Dept. of Sociology. My new address is Dept. of Sociology, St. Anne's, NUI Maynooth, Maynooth, Co. Kildare. My email will eventually be laurence.cox@may.ie, but this address should remain valid for another month or so while I get set up in Maynooth. New phone no.: (+353-1) 708 3985; I hope to set this up for my own voicemail in the near future. ---------- End of message ---------- From: c.barker@mmu.ac.uk To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Re: promising new website Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2000 15:11:40 +0100 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.12a) (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) I sent out a notice some time ago about the ISA RC48's new website. It has been superseded - the website has moved. What follows is from a recent circular, which should be self- explanatory. Colin Barker ******** Date sent: Fri, 08 Sep 2000 10:15:34 -0700 To: resarch@jps.net From: Legionnaire Subject: New information for RC48 Members... 1. Visit the RC48 Web Site and put its URL into your "Favorites." The URL is: http://www.csus.edu/isa/index.html 2. The RC48 Web Site is now listed in the ISA RC48 page. If need be, you can access it from there. The URL is: http://www.ucm.es/info/isa/rc48.htm 3. The RC48 Web Site is now listed on many of the popular search engines. 4. Remember, we are interested in the things that you want to see on the RC48 Web Site. The Editor for the Newsletter is Dr. Bob Kloss and he can be contacted at and the RC48 Webmaster can be contacted at . Christophe Franck Webmaster ---------- End of message ---------- From: Gordon Mitchell To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Need NMD demo photo Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2000 10:57:50 -0400 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Mulberry (MacOS) [1.4.4, s/n S-398070] (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Dear Colleagues: I am putting the finishing touches on my book, STRATEGIC DECEPTION: RHETORIC, SCIENCE AND POLITICS IN MISSILE DEENSE ADVOCACY (Michigan State University Press, November 2000), and I need a photograph of recent anti-NMD demonstration activity in Europe to introduce the final chapter. The photograph would need to be at least 300 dpi (either black and white or color). If there is anyone out there in possession of such a photo or if someone has a tip on where I might find one, your help would be much appreciated. E-mail delivery as an attachment would be the best form of transmittal, since time is of the essence. One of the central themes of analysis in this book is how missile defense advocacy relates to peace movement activism, particularly the Heritage Foundation's successful campaign to "steal the language and cause" of the nuclear freeze movement during the Reagan Star Wars era. Advance promotional material for the book is online at http://www.msu.edu/unit/msupress/rhetoric/strategic.html Thanks in advance, Gordon R. Mitchell Assistant Professor of Communication University of Pittsburgh ---------- End of message ---------- From: c.barker@mmu.ac.uk To: "Social Movements List" Subject: social movements conference Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 22:09:23 +0100 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: apeace@arts.adelaide.edu.au, crit-geog-forum@mailbase.ac.uk, cultstud-l@lists.acomp.usf.edu, european-sociologist@mailbase.ac.uk, psn@csf.colorado.edu, social-movements@wit.ie, social-policy@mailbase.ac.uk, social-theory-request@mailbase.ac.uk, socbb@soc.surrey.ac.uk, soc-hods@mailbase.ac.uk, teaching-politics@mailbase.ac.uk MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.12a) (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) SOCIAL MOVEMENTS CONFERENCE CALL FOR PAPERS (apologies for cross-posting) Under the joint auspices of International Sociological Association Research Committee 48 (Social Movements, Social Change & Collective Action) and British Sociological Association Study Group on Protest and Social Movements. Jointly sponsored by Sociology Departments of Manchester University and Manchester Metropolitan University. "ARE SOCIAL MOVEMENTS REVIVING?" Plenary Speakers: Frances Fox Piven (City University, New York) and Donatella Della Porta (University of Florence) Manchester, Chancellors Centre of Manchester University, Friday 3rd November - Sunday 5th November 2000. We invite papers which address the conference theme, but also others within the general field of social movements, protest, contentious politics, collective behaviour, and related areas. Please send proposals (not more than 200 words) with titles to either or both of the conference organizers: Colin Barker, Dept of Sociology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manton Building, Manchester M15 6LL, England (email c.barker@mmu.ac.uk) Nick Crossley, Dept of Sociology, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (email nick.crossley@man.ac.uk) Closing date for proposals: 13 October 2000 (but earlier submision much preferred!) Further details of the programme will be announced later. The conference will run from 3.00 p.m. on Friday 3rd November to 2.00 p.m. Sunday 5th November. Prices include all conference attendance, meals, teas and coffees. Bed and Breakfast accommodation is available at the Chancellors Centre: Full price stlg160.00 Students (Post-grad and under-grad) stlg100.00 Bed and Breakfast per night stlg20.00 BOOKING FORM should be returned to Rachel Dix, Dept of Sociology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manton Building, Manchester M15 6LL, England (email: r.dix@mmu.ac.uk) NAME ................................................... ADDRESS ..................................................... ...................................................................... ..................................................................... email address .................................................. fax ................................................................. full price stlg160.00 ............. student price stlg100.00 ............. Friday night B&B stlg20.00 ............. Saturday night B&B stlg20.00 ............ TOTAL stlg ........... Cheques payable to University of Manchester. If paying by credit card, please supply credit card number (MasterCard and Visa only), name on card and expiry date CARD NUMBER ....... ....... ....... ....... NAME .............................................. EXPIRY DATE .................................. Closing date for bookings: 20 October 2000 Please let Rachel know if you have any dietary or other special requirements Colin Barker Sociology Department Manchester Metropolitan University Humanities Building, Rosamond St West, Manchester M15 6LL, England tel 0161 247 3439 fax +44 161 247 6321 ---------- End of message ---------- From: Axel Dorscht To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Final Announcement - IHCMD Online Study Program Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 11:32:28 -0400 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.1 (32) (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ---------- APOLOGIES FOR ANY CROSS POSTING ---------- Please feel free to pass on the information to interested parties, colleagues and friends. Final Announcement IHCMD Online Study Program Sustaining Human Existence in Changing Conditions, Human Mental Existence and Human Conceptual and Mental Development Setting the Conceptual and Mental Conditions beyond Religion, Philosophy and Science The Institute for Human Conceptual and Mental Development (IHCMD) is presenting a free Online Study Program -- Sustaining Human Existence in Changing Conditions, Human Mental Existence and Human Conceptual and Mental Development: Setting the Conceptual and Mental Conditions Beyond Religion, Philosophy and Science. The Program consists of two parts. The first part is a short Introduction Session (October to mid-December 2000), and the second part is a longer Study and Training Session (January to August 2001). The two Sessions can be taken separately. However, the Introduction Session is a prerequisite for the Study and Training Session. The idea is to take the Introduction Session and in the process consider taking the Study and Training Session. The focus and concentration of the IHCMD Online Study Program are persisting and growing mental, social and environmental conditions, problems and challenges we face today globally, as individuals, as societies and as a species, and understanding their nature, causes and development, answers and solutions. The approach is to consider the conditions, problems, demands and challenges of human existence and human development beyond religion, philosophy and science, at the level of human mental existence and human conceptual and mental development. It is to consider them within the context of the fundamentals of the nature and conditions, demands and challenges of human mental existence and conceptual and mental development. Moreover, it is to consider them within the context of the historical path and direction of human conceptual and mental self-development; of human beings trying to comprehend and manage existence in changing conditions that has brought the human species to where we find ourselves today. It is to consider, at the level of human mental existence and human conceptual and mental development and within the context of the historical path and direction of human conceptual and mental self-development through the ages, how today we comprehend and manage human existence and human development, the understanding and mental skills and practices we develop and on which we rely, their limits and shortcomings of where they contradict, conflict with and fall short of the natural conditions, demands and challenges of human existence and human development. It is to consider the answers and solutions at the level of mental existence and conceptual and mental development, the direction we need to take in conceptual and mental development, individually and as a species, to address and move beyond the conditions and problems we face and to sustain human existence in changing conditions in equitable ways within the boundaries and limits set by nature. The Introduction Session (October to mid-December 2000) is an introduction to the issues. The Study and Training Session (January to August 2001) will consider the issues in more depth and detail, particularly as they are reflected in individual experience and awareness. It is an exercise in individual conceptual and mental self-development. The Study and Training Session is to individually set the conceptual and mental conditions beyond religion, philosophy and science, necessary to sustain human existence in changing conditions. For more details and registration information go to the IHCMD Online Study Program web page at , 'Currently Offered Programs' or contact the organizers and hosts of the Program at . Axel Dorscht Organizer and Host IHCMD Online Study Program __________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Axel Dorscht, Head | Institute for Human Conceptual Tel: 1-613-233-8354 | and Mental Development (IHCMD) E-mail: ihcmd@egroups.com | 9 Second Avenue, Suite 2 Website: http://go.to/ihcmd | Ottawa, ON K1S 2H2 Canada __________________________________________________________________________ ---------- End of message ---------- From: CyberBrook To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Not guilty: Protesters who destroyed GM crops are cleared Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 09:55:32 -0700 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: renaissance-network@cyberjournal.org, jslakov@TartanNET.ns.ca Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Thursday, September 21, 2000 in the Guardian of London Greenpeace Wins Key GM Case Not guilty: Protesters who destroyed crops are cleared by Paul Kelso Greenpeace's executive director and 27 other=20 environmental activists were yesterday cleared of causing criminal damage to a field of=20 genetically modified maize, in a verdict with profound implications for the future of GM crop trials=20 and direct action. Lord Melchett and his fellow protesters, 13 of whom also= =20 work for Greenpeace, were acquitted at a retrial at Norwich crown court after=20 claiming they had lawful excuse to attack the crop at a farm in Lyng, Norfolk, in July 1999. The not guilty verdicts were greeted with cries of delight and tears from some of the defendants and applause from the gallery. Outside some defendants were congratulated by jury members. At the original trial in April the 28 were cleared of theft, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on criminal damage charges after seven and a half hours. The defendants, who include a Baptist minister, a beautician and the caretaker from Greenpeace's London office, were awarded costs for both trials. The total cost to the crown prosecution service was estimated at =A3250,000. Speaking outside the court, Lord Melchett said the=20 verdict sent a clear message to the government. "The time has come for Mr Blair and the=20 chemical companies to stop growing GM crops. "We have known for a long time that people don't want to= =20 eat GM food; supermarkets won't sell GM food and now the time has come for people to stop= =20 planting GM food." He said the verdict did not give a green light to other=20 protesters to destroy crops, but refused to rule out similar action by Greenpeace in the=20 future. "The next step is for the government to take action. We=20 don't have immediate plans, but if the government don't do anything and the chemical=20 companies don't stop planting these crops, we won't rule anything out." A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said=20 the crop trials would continue. "If we halted our strictly controlled research then there=20 would be widespread GM crop planting without us getting the evidence we need," he said. "Our=20 top priority is to protect the environment and human health." Seventy three sites were chosen for crop trials this year= =20 and already 12 spring-sown oilseed rape crops, 12 forage maize crops and 24 beet crops have= =20 been harvested. Twenty five sites are being planted with GM autumn-sown oilseed rape. Under EU law the government has no plans to ban GM crop=20 planting, but the biochemical companies have agreed to take part in a four-year trial=20 programme, now in its second year. William Brigham, the farmer on whose land the GM maize=20 was grown, said the verdict gave "the green light to trespass and the green light to=20 vandalism". "This attack was a frightening experience for myself and= =20 my family," he said. "Greenpeace is a massive environmental pressure group and we are a=20 small family farm. They used bully boy tactics to get their point across and today the bully= =20 has won." Scimac, the industry body which represents Aventis, the=20 biotech company which developed the GM maize on Mr Brigham's farm, also condemned the=20 verdict. "This raises concerns that go much deeper than the safety= =20 of GM crops," its chairman, Roger Turner, said. "It raises fundamental questions=20 about the ability of our legal system to cope with the gradual erosion of respect for public=20 rights and authority. "We are disappointed that an extreme minority do not have= =20 enough confidence in the strength of their argument to let science decide." Mike Schwarz, a partner at Bindman and Partners, the=20 solicitors who acted for Greenpeace, said the verdict was a vindication of the jury system.=20 "Juries understand reasonable citizens' actions. But to get to juries you have to get past police= =20 forces keen to clamp down on protesters and a CPS which wants to keep these cases in=20 magistrates courts and away from juries." The verdict provoked anger from the National Farmers'=20 Union, which described it as "perverse" and as declaring "open season" on farmland. The NFU's president, Ben Gill, said he would be writing=20 to the home secretary, Jack Straw, ahead of a planned meeting to discuss the issues raised=20 by the case. "We find it extraordinary that even with such clear=20 evidence a not-guilty verdict was reached," he said. "This gives the green light to wanton= =20 vandalism and trespass." Peter Tidey, chief crown prosecutor for Norfolk, defended= =20 the decision to bring a retrial. "Criminal damage is a serious offence and allegations=20 that an offence was premeditated and carried out by a group of people are taken into=20 consideration when deciding whether to proceed," he said. The attack on Mr Brigham's crop took place at dawn on the July 26 last year when the 28 protesters, 19 men and nine women aged between 22 and 52, converged on his farm. Dressed in white overalls with the Greenpeace logo on the back and accompanied by four journalists including a video cameraman, the group set about removing the entire six and a half acre crop. They had brought with them a tractor with a cutting device and a tipper truck. "I was there with the= =20 intention of removing the entire crop, of bagging it and returning it to its owners, AgrEvo Ltd= =20 [now Aventis] in King's Lynn," Lord Melchett told the court. The aim of removing the entire crop was crucial to the=20 defence case. The protesters argued that they had lawful excuse under the Criminal Damage Act= =20 1971 to uproot the crop, as leaving it to flower and pollinate would have led to a=20 greater crime - the contamination of other crops in the vicinity. "We are delighted the jury=20 agreed with us," Lord Melchett said. Greenpeace targeted the maize on Mr Brigham's land after= =20 he gave an interview to the Eastern Daily Press in which he said he would be growing= =20 the crop under contract for AgrEvo. The publicity prompted villagers in Lyng to hold a public= =20 meeting to discuss the crop trial. Mr Brigham was invited but, on the advice of AgrEvo, did= =20 not attend. Following the meeting, Lord Melchett wrote to him urging= =20 him to discontinue the trial. Shortly afterwards the farmer gave an interview to=20 Farmers Weekly in which he indicated that the maize was due to flower within a week. This=20 prompted Greenpeace to carry out its action. "That crop, when it flowered, would release GM material=20 widely," Lord Melchett said. It posed "the most serious environmental threat... it's=20 alive, so it can't be cleared up like chemical pollution, or even nuclear waste." =A9 Guardian Newspapers Limited 2000 ### Common Dreams NewsCenter is a non-profit news=20 service providing breaking news and views for the=20 Progressive Community. FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material= =20 the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such=20 material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights,= =20 economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of= =20 any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17=20 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior=20 interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to:=20 http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of=20 your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. =A9 Copyrighted 1997-2000 All Rights Reserved.= Common=20 Dreams. www.commondreams.org ---------- End of message ---------- From: CyberBrook To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Strike paralyzes Nepal Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 20:30:42 -0700 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Thursday, 21 September, 2000 Strike paralyzes Nepal A general strike called by nine left-wing opposition parties in Nepal has brought the life in major cities to a standstill. Schools, factories and businesses have been shut down, and streets are deserted as vehicles stayed off the roads in the capital, Kathmandu, and other cities. The opposition called the strike against what it says police repression against peaceful demonstrations; it also accused the government of failing to check rising prices and safeguard Nepal's interests in its relations with other countries. The authorities have imposed strict security measures. On the eve of the strike, police arrested hundreds of protesters when they tried to defy a ban on demonstrations. From the newsroom of the BBC World Service ---------- End of message ---------- From: CyberBrook To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Sony's Covert War on Environmental Activists Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 13:04:51 -0700 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: flatta@ceb.ucop.edu Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" * Sony's Covert War on Activists * -- A leaked document shows Sony
Corp. has been monitoring environmental activists who are waging an
international campaign to hold electronics manufacturers responsible for
their toxic waste.

http://www.motherjones.com/news_wire/sonyspy.html ---------- End of message ---------- From: Andrew Hund To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Address change Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 11:40:14 -0700 (PDT) Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: Social Movements List MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS) Sorry to bother the list -- I need to change from one email address to another. If you have the instruction please send them to axh69@po.cwru.edu. many thanks Andrew Hund ---------- End of message ---------- From: CyberBrook To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Nader Rallies More Than 11,000 Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2000 17:01:40 -0700 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: renaissance-network@cyberjournal.org, jslakov@TartanNET.ns.ca Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Saturday, September 23, 2000 in the Minneapolis Star Tribune Nader Rallies More Than 11,000 At Target Center by Bob von Sternberg Ralph Nader brought his longshot Green Party presidential= =20 campaign to Minneapolis Friday, headlining a rally at Target Center that drew thousands=20 of supporters. The Nader campaign said that 11,500 showed up, leaving=20 the turnout only slightly short of his organizers' hopes. "We knew we were throwing the dice on this one," said party activist Ken Pentel, referring to expectations that Nader might attract a crowd as big as 15,000. "But even 10,000 would be huge." Nader told the wildly cheering crowd, "The most important control system the power brokers have established in our country is that we will settle for less, that we will settle for the least worst. We have to raise our expectation level. In this period of American history, we settle for too little." As the crowd roared "Let Ralph Debate!" Nader added: "I=20 hope Al Gore and George W. Bush are listening to this." Winona LaDuke, the Minnesotan who is Nader's running=20 mate, told the crowd: "We will not be taken for granted -- and we will vote." Nader also shared the stage with former TV talk show host= =20 Phil Donahue, campaign finance activist Granny D and video satirist Michael Moore. Donahue, who called Nader "America's most important=20 private citizen of the 20th century," said he has "known this man for 35 years, and he gave me= =20 the first look I ever had at the raw, obscene use of corporate power in this country.=20 Ralph has been singular in his blowing the whistle on concentrated corporate power. For a long=20 time, no one else was out there." Donahue, who said he has never before supported a=20 presidential candidate, recorded a campaign ad for Nader before the rally. The crowd was enthusiastic in its support for Nader, who political analysts say has virtually no chance of winning the Nov. 7 presidential election. Peggy Heffner brought her 10-year-old son, Chris, from their home in Plymouth to the first political event she has attended in 40 years. "If my one vote can get some campaign funding into some worthwhile coffers for the next presidential election year, and encourage new individuals to step forward to run for office, then I'll feel that this vote in this election year was the most important that I have ever cast," Heffner said. If Nader and LaDuke manage to win at least 5 percent of the vote nationwide, the Green Party will qualify for federal campaign funds for the 2004 presidential race. Joe Horkey, a south Minneapolis resident who was handing out campaign fliers in the arena, said he supports Nader "because he's fun" -- a=20 description rarely applied to the dour consumer activist. "I enjoy how he's anti-corporate." Michael Kelly, a onetime DFL activist from St. Paul,=20 managed to buttonhole Nader during a fund-raiser that preceded the rally. "I used to support the other guys, but I got tired of=20 wasting my vote on a status quo that keeps the same thing going election after election,"=20 Kelly said. "And you know this guy can't be bought off -- that's a=20 good enough reason alone to vote for him," he said. Chose his venues Nader's Minneapolis rally was the sixth stop on a=20 four-day campaign swing through the Midwest and on to the Northwest that was to wrap up today= =20 in Seattle. With little cash, Nader chose cities that have either=20 large college populations or that he thinks are inclined to be liberal and receptive to his=20 anti-corporate, pro-consumer message. News coverage of the campaign has been picking up, with=20 organizations as disparate as the New York Times, USA Today and Swedish Television covering= =20 the tour; the rally Friday was broadcast on C-SPAN. During the Twin Cities stop, Nader kept up his steady=20 rhetorical drumbeat in an attempt to be included in the three presidential debates between=20 Democrat Gore and Republican Bush. Nader and Reform Party nominee Pat Buchanan have been=20 excluded because their national poll support has registered in the low single digits, far= =20 short of the 15 percent demanded by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. "You can campaign in all 50 states, as I have, for 10=20 years and still not reach as many voters as you will in the debates," Nader said. At a news conference Friday he showed off a foot-high stack of petitions that campaign volunteers said contained the names of 18,000 Minnesotans demanding his inclusion in the debates. Donahue said that if Nader isn't included in the debates, "we'll have no real gutsy, so's-your-old-man political discourse that we deserve. Remember, there wasn't much resonance for Jesse Ventura's ideas until he got in the debate." Nader said he plans to be in Boston, site of the first debate on Oct. 3, outside the hall where it will be staged. 'Political coward' He said his staff members are discussing a plan with=20 executives of the Fox network that would possibly allow him to field the same questions=20 being asked of Gore and Bush. Nader's answers could then be inserted into the taped= debate. Moreover, he unveiled a new tack Friday in pushing for an= =20 opening to the debates: "George W. Bush should favor a four-way debate because it will=20 put Al Gore on the defensive because Al Gore is a certified political coward." Although Nader was contemptuous of both candidates, he=20 aimed his sharpest barbs at Gore, who most analysts said is likely to lose the most=20 votes to Nader. Nader dismissed the opening of the Strategic Petroleum=20 Reserve, announced Friday, as "a little tricky election-year ploy to make Al Gore look=20 good." He said the release of the oil "is too little, too late" to make a significant dent in=20 climbing oil prices. Earlier Friday, Nader released a detailed farm policy=20 that, among other things, would halt the growing concentration of agribusiness ownership,=20 create a farmer-owned grain reserve that would cushion commodity prices, encourage organic=20 farming and eliminate the ban on growing industrial grade hemp. "The agriculture crisis is the most serious in the=20 history of the country," Nader said. "It has been brought about by the collusion of giant=20 agribusinesses and their government henchmen in Washington, D.C." =A9 Copyright 2000 Star Tribune ### Common Dreams NewsCenter is a non-profit news=20 service providing breaking news and views for the=20 Progressive Community. FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material= =20 the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such=20 material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights,= =20 economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of= =20 any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17=20 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior=20 interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to:=20 http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of=20 your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. =A9 Copyrighted 1997-2000 All Rights Reserved.= Common=20 Dreams. www.commondreams.org ---------- End of message ---------- From: mat sept To: "Social Movements List" Subject: launch of organdi: social sciences quarterly (call for papers) Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 02:56:55 -0700 (PDT) Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: social-movements@wit.ie MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS) We would like to inform you about the launch of organdi quarterly. An international journal of social sciences and contemporary issues, organdi is published quarterly in English and French including articles, special issues, interviews, cultural reviews and letters to the editor. We are calling for papers, and are encouraging you to take part to the following issues : 1st issue (November 2000): development in perpective 2nd issue (February 2001) : body and civilization We hope that you will find interest in our site: http://www.geocities.com/organdi_revue/ Best regards, Organdi __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/ ---------- End of message ---------- From: CyberBrook To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Prague: another victory for anti-capitalists Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 10:03:21 -0700 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: renaissance-network@cyberjournal.org, jslakov@TartanNET.ns.ca Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2000 IMF, World Bank Wrap Up Meetings a Day Early PRAGUE (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund and World Bank wrapped up their formal annual meetings a day early Wednesday, cutting a morning of speeches from their three-day agenda after talks marred by violent protests. South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, the chairman of this year's meeting, said 47 formal set piece speeches from finance ministers and central bank chiefs had been concluded ''in record time.'' Highlighting the challenges of economic stability, equity and the need to reform the two global lenders, he added, ``Our task is to turn words into deeds, and in this, we cannot fail.'' Officials stressed that bilateral meetings would continue on Thursday, the day originally scheduled for closing speeches by Manuel and others, and IMF Managing Director Horst Koehler told CNN Television the schedule change was not due to the protests. ``Our very efficient chairman made a proposal to the plenary whether we should end today, and we agreed,'' he said. But World Bank vice president Mats Carlsson admitted the demonstrations had encouraged the decision to move the closing ceremonies ahead a day. ``We are having a consensus on many of the development issues, but it probably is also prompted by the demonstrations yesterday,'' Carlsson told Reuters Television. ``But today everything is calm and some things will still be going on tomorrow.'' Tuesday, the first day of the meetings, was dominated by running battles between police and anti-capitalism activists who argued that the two global lenders were worsening the lot of the poor and suggesting the wrong ways to solve countries' problems. At the height of the battle protesters stormed to within meters (yards) of the edge of the secure zone surrounding Prague Congress Center, lobbing cobblestones at delegates and pelting them with eggs. Some 55 police officers and a few dozen demonstrators were injured in a day and a night of fighting. ``I share with my colleagues the feeling of distress from the problems that have arisen on the streets,'' World Bank President James Wolfensohn said in his closing address to delegates. ``We regret that there were those whose sole purpose was destruction, which colored the currents outside these buildings.'' Almost 12,000 police were drafted in to protect the delegates and quell the protests. Many delegates have already left and the bill to pay the police Thursday -- a public holiday in the Czech Republic -- would have been enormous. INPEG, the main protest group, said it was delighted that things were winding up ahead of time. ``I don't know whether this is directly our achievement but we surely contributed to it,'' said spokeswoman Alice Dvorska. INPEG had promised to keep its protests peaceful, and Dvorska said she was unhappy about the violence. The protesters, wielding sticks and hurling stones torn from Prague's cobbled streets, had briefly besieged the Congress Center Tuesday until they were driven back by police using truncheons, tear gas, dogs and stun grenades. Delegates deplored the violence and gave their support to the IMF and World Bank, institutions which the protesters insisted should close down. ``Violence has no place in a civilized society and I stand here on behalf of India, the land of Mahatma Gandhi who espoused the cause of non-violence, and I condemn the violence which was unleashed here yesterday,'' Indian Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha told fellow delegates. ``Whether the IMF and the World Bank exist or do not exist is a matter which will be decided by the will of the 182 countries who are represented here, not by a handful of hoodlums in the streets of Prague.'' ---------- End of message ---------- From: c.barker@mmu.ac.uk To: "Social Movements List" Subject: forwarded by request Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 22:36:35 +0100 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: Quoted-printable X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.12a) (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Subject: Dear friends: Please read and distribute the following. If you are willing and able to organize an educational event at which one or more defendents might speak, please contact me. DEFEND THE RNC 420 On August 1st, thousands of people from all across the country took to the streets of Philadelphia, engaging in direct action to disrupt the Republican National Convention. They did it to draw attention to this country's criminal injustice system. They wanted to remind the nation and the world of the Republican and Democratic parties' complicity in the mass incarceration and police brutality aimed overwhelmingly at youth, the poor, and communities of color. During the course of the day, Philadelphia cops attacked hundreds of protesters, arresting 420, including medics, legal observers and uninvolved bystanders, ironically subjecting them to the very conditions for which the protesters were taking to the streets. In jail, people were beaten, hogtied and subjected to extensive verbal, physical, and sexual abuse by guards. Hundreds were held-without any contact with lawyers, without access to phones-for up to three days without being arraigned. Bails were set at up to $1 million and hundreds are now facing trumped up charges, including protesters charged with aggravated assault after being beaten by police and conspiracy to commit crimes which they did not-and could not have-committed. The 420 arrested during the RNC are part of a new movement against power, and it's being attacked like movements before us that have threatened the power of the economic and political elites. From Seattle to DC, from Philly to LA, people in this country are waking up and challenging a system of rule where the richest and most powerful call the shots. A system in which the economically marginalized are beaten in the streets and imprisoned by the millions; where voters are forced to choose between two nearly identical parties with the same agenda of mass incarceration, war, and corporate rule. The direct action in Center City was necessary to break the spell of acceptance and complicity with the America we know. It was intolerable to allow the rich politicians who poisoned our cities with poverty and death row to hold their farce of a celebration here in Philadelphia without a show of resistance from the roots. Just as it is intolerable to live alongside a state which systematically brutalizes and incarcerates millions of its citizens. Police violence and prison are nothing new to Philadelphia neighborhoods. It's the reason thousands of people disrupted business as usual to confront the richest and most powerful of incarcerators. SUPPORT FREEDOM FIGHTERS UNDER ATTACK! You can help! =FAsend a check, made out to PDAG (Philadelphia Direct Action Group) to: PDAG PO Box 40683 Philadelphia PA 19107 or call 215-701-7311 for more information about donating money =FAorganize benefits for legal defense funds in your communities =FAconsult www.thepartysover.org and www.phillyimc.org for updated information =FAorganize educational events in your communities-to find out if there are defendants in your geographic area that might be able to speak, contact Nicole at 215-724-4211 or nicolem@astro.temple.edu =FAcontribute phone cards and office supplies =FAexpress your outrage to both Philadelphia and your local officials =FAcontact the R2K Legal Collective to find out others ways you might be able to help: 215-925-6791 In solidarity, Nicole Meyenberg Assistant Director Teachers for a Democratic Culture English Department 10th Floor Anderson Hall Philadelphia, PA 19122 215-204-2041 nicolem@astro.temple.edu ---------- End of message ---------- From: Andrew Hund To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Academic Jobs at Community Colleges Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 18:40:09 -0500 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: social-movements@wit.ie MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Content-type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-4" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 21, 2000 CONTACTS: Sandra Pizarro Director, State Government Relations 916.327.8422 Kyle Orr Public Information Officer 916.327.5025 GOVERNOR DAVIS SIGNS BILL TO AID COMMUNITY COLLEGES AB 2159 ADDRESSES GROWING NEED FOR EXPANDED FACULTY POOL Governor Davis on Monday signed into law AB 2159 by Assemblyman Robert Pacheco (R-Walnut), a bill sponsored by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. This action modifies the eligibility criteria for students to participate in the Graduate Assumption Program of Loans for Education (Grad-APLE) and expands the ability of Grad-APLE recipients to teach in the 107-college system. The community college system is facing a system wide shortage of faculty fueled by two primary factors: a large number of faculty approaching retirement age who will have to be replaced, and growing enrollments. The new law addresses this critical need by expanding the pool of available faculty candidates. Currently, 55 percent of the roughly 19,000 full-time faculty at the California Community Colleges are over the age of 50 (33 percent are over the age of 55). Given these numbers, the community college system will need to replace nearly 10,000 faculty over the next ten years to maintain just the current workforce. Established in 1998-99 and administered by the California Student Aid Commission, the Grad-APLE program has provided full-time graduate students who plan to teach full-time in a California college or university with a warrant that can be redeemed to pay up to $6,000 of their student loans upon completion of each of their first three years of teaching. This bill will enable students who enroll in graduate programs on at least a half-time basis, and later teach on at least a half-time basis, to be eligible for the program. The bill also makes California residents who attend a graduate program outside of the state but return to teach in California eligible for a Grad-APLE warrant. ---------- End of message ---------- From: "BRAM FOEDERER" To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Unsuscribe Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 09:02:21 MET Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Organization: Tilburg University Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Windows (v3.01d) (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Please remove me from the list. Thanx All the best, Bram ---------- End of message ---------- From: Martti Muukkonen To: "Social Movements List" Subject: critical mass Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 13:49:03 +0200 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Light Version 3.0.6 (32) (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) Comments: Originally To: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Does anyone remember who was the first sociologist who used the concept of critical mass in explaining group phenomena? I remember even the example (100 soldiers here and there in the town or being as a company) but I don't remember who used it. Martti Muukkonen +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Martti Muukkonen teologian lisensiaatti / licentiate of theology,=20 yhteiskuntatieteiden maisteri / master of social sciences TY=D6 / OFFICE: =20 Joensuun yliopiston kirjasto, Tutkijanhuone 11, PL 107, 80101 Joensuu, FINLAND=20 puh. / tel. +358-(0)13-2512720 =20 e-mail martti.muukkonen@joensuu.fi =20 kotisivu / homepage http://cc.joensuu.fi/~muukkone =20 KOTI / HOME: =09 Niinivaarantie 84 D 13, 80230 Joensuu, FINLAND =20 puh. / tel. +358-(0)13-318752, gsm +358-(0)400-905159 =20 +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* PARENTS - TO BE PRESENT IS A PRESENT! ---------- End of message ---------- From: Thomas Koenig To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Re: critical mass Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 13:45:13 +0200 (MET DST) Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: Social Movements List Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-Mailer: Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS) On Thu, 28 Sep 2000, Martti Muukkonen wrote: > Does anyone remember who was the first sociologist who used the concept of > critical mass in explaining group phenomena? Hi Martti: I don't know who was the first sociologist who explicitly used the concept of critical mass as it is understood in contemporary rat choice theory. The oldest reference in my personal database is: Oliver, Pamela, Gerald Marwell, and Ruy Teixeira (1985),"A Theory of Critical Mass. I. Interdependence, Group Heterogeneity, and the Production of Collective Action," American Journal of Sociology, 91 (3), 522-556. It's a good bet for finding that "first" reference, if it is not already the article you are looking for. Of course, myriads of social scientist had some implicit notion of critical mass long before the authors of that article were born. I'm pretty sure a number of classic sociological studies are quoted in above article (who has two follow-ups, one in AJS 94: 502-534). Updated versions of these articles can be found in: Marwell, Gerald and Pamela E. Oliver (1993): The Critical Mass in Collective Action: A Micro-Social Theory, Cambridge, U.K. & New York, NY: Cambridge University Press 1993. HTH, cheers, thomas --- Thomas Koenig Seminar fuer Politikwissenschaft Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, FR Germany ---------- End of message ---------- From: mat sept To: "Social Movements List" Subject: Re: critical mass Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 07:05:08 -0700 (PDT) Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS) Did you have a look at Elias Canetti's Crowds and Power ? --- Thomas Koenig wrote: > On Thu, 28 Sep 2000, Martti Muukkonen wrote: > > > Does anyone remember who was the first sociologist > who used the concept of > > critical mass in explaining group phenomena? > Hi Martti: > > I don't know who was the first sociologist who > explicitly used the concept > of critical mass as it is understood in contemporary > rat choice theory. > The oldest reference in my personal database is: > > Oliver, Pamela, Gerald Marwell, and Ruy Teixeira > (1985),"A Theory of > Critical Mass. I. Interdependence, Group > Heterogeneity, and the Production > of Collective Action," American Journal of > Sociology, 91 (3), 522-556. > > It's a good bet for finding that "first" reference, > if it is not already > the article you are looking for. > > Of course, myriads of social scientist had some > implicit notion of > critical mass long before the authors of that > article were born. I'm > pretty sure a number of classic sociological studies > are quoted > in above article (who has two follow-ups, one in AJS > 94: 502-534). Updated > versions of these articles can be found in: > > Marwell, Gerald and Pamela E. Oliver (1993): The > Critical Mass in > Collective Action: A Micro-Social Theory, Cambridge, > U.K. & New York, NY: > Cambridge University Press 1993. > > > HTH, > > cheers, > > thomas > > --- > Thomas Koenig > Seminar fuer Politikwissenschaft > Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, FR Germany > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos - 35mm Quality Prints, Now Get 15 Free! http://photos.yahoo.com/ ---------- End of message ---------- From: amorum To: "Social Movements List" Subject: RE: critical mass Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 09:02:13 -0500 Reply-to: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Sender: Maiser@staffmail.wit.ie X-listname: Comments: Originally To: social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Mailer: WebMail (Hydra) SMTP v3.61 (via Mercury MTS v1.47 (NDS)) As a useful concept in the study of modern social movements, I actually think it began with the work of Mark Granovetter, "Threshold Models of Collective Behavior," which appeared in the American Journal of Sociology around 1976 or 1977. Obviously, as the title suggests, Granovetter was interested in when a "critical mass" emerged that would provoke collective behavior. a.m.orum >=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Original Message From social-movements@staffmail.wit.ie =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D >Does anyone remember who was the first sociologist who used the concept of >critical mass in explaining group phenomena? > >I remember even the example (100 soldiers here and there in the town or >being as a company) but I don't remember who used it. > >Martti Muukkonen >+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* >Martti Muukkonen >teologian lisensiaatti / licentiate of theology, >yhteiskuntatieteiden maisteri / master of social sciences > >TY=99 / OFFICE: >Joensuun yliopiston kirjasto, Tutkijanhuone 11, PL 107, 80101 Joensuu, >FINLAND >puh. / tel. +358-(0)13-2512720 >e-mail martti.muukkonen@joensuu.fi >kotisivu / homepage http://cc.joensuu.fi/~muukkone > >KOTI / HOME: >Niinivaarantie 84 D 13, 80230 Joensuu, FINLAND > >puh. / tel. +358-(0)13-318752, gsm +358-(0)400-905159 >+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* > >PARENTS - TO BE PRESENT IS A PRESENT! ---------- End of message ----------