INVITATION

Social struggles are taking place all over the world. Everywhere they are answered with repression and jail. This affects us all, but usually there is little exchange beyond our own struggles or countries.

That’s why we are inviting you to our self-organized five-day long camp in September in order to network, to exchange and bring together our experiences to discuss and promote practical mutual aid and solidarity. We want to think social struggles, repression and jail together – transnationally.

With our guests from Morocco, Egypt, Andalusia, Catalonia, Basque Country, Switzerland, Poland, Belarus, Bulgaria and Germany (situation September) we will talk about social struggles, repression and jail and find together ways of practical solidarity. Everybody is welcome to visit the camp and to actively take part in the discussions with our guests about mutual and practical solidarity.

We are looking forward to welcome and meet every one of you!

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CAMP THEMES

The camp will focus on two main topics that are supposed to be discussed from the perspective of social fights, repression, and jail.

1. Social struggles, repression and jail in North Africa

In European countries, it is mostly reported and discussed about escape routes and sea rescue, but what about the local situations? Together with activists from different regions of Northern-Africa we want to exchange views on the realities and fights there and to think about how a transnational, activist support is possible.

2. Poverty/Precariousness in Europe

We will talk about the social struggles in which poverty/precariousness is taken as a reason for action and protest or revolt. What are the consequences of these struggles? What does repression and solidarity look like? And who are the protagonists?

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PANEL DISCUSSIONS

On Friday and Saturday, the main panel discussions will take place. On each panel we will have a moderated discussion with our invited guests. The discussion will be led along a common set of questions. By asking the same questions we hope that differences and similarities of the various struggles in each region can be mapped out. That should help us to eventually talk about and to find ways of practical solidarity.

Each panel will be moderated by two persons and should be kept aligned along a given set of questions common to each panel. Discussions will be held in English and are translated simultaneously if necessary.

We do not have any predefined answers but are rather walking forward asking questions. Everything else remains in the hands of those that will participate at the camp.

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CAMP TIMING

In addition to the panel discussions and workshops, there will be enough space for informal talks and networking as well. There will also be a small (sub-) cultural program with theatre, concerts and film screenings.

The schedule is subject to modification. Some events have to be confirmed yet. Those events are marked as (tbc). Once you arrive at the camp, you will receive the complete schedule at the Info-Point.

09.09, Monday

All-day: Camp build-up 

10.09, Tuesday

All-day: Camp build-up
All-day: Camp is open for arrival

19:00h: Info-point opens
20:00h: Dinner
21:00h: Welcome in the big tent

11.09, Wednesday

Main activities of the day: casual warm up with open talks, first discussions and direct exchange.

10:00h: Breakfast
11:00h: Camp assembly

13:00h: Lunch
15:00h: Workshop and discussion: Prisoners solidarity work and presentation of the Trans-Ratgeber (1)

19:00h: Dinner
20:00h: Film screening: Frauen Bildet Banden, 2019, 77min, in German with English subtitles (2)
Afterwards: Discussion with film-makers of the FrauenLesbenCollectif LasOtras.

(1) The trans*Ratgeber Kollektiv is an abolitionist group that supports trans-gender persons in jail. The Trans-Ratgeber is a guidebook to support trans-gender and non-binary persons with juridical and daily life advices when being in jail.

http://transundhaft.blogsport.de/

(2) Documentary film about Rote Zora and militant women resistance in the 70ies and 80ies in West-Germany. The film features narratives of various contemporary witnesses and interviews with a historian and former Zoras. It provides a vivid perspective on the history of Rote Zora and the women movement of that era.

http://www.lasotras.de/roteZ.htm

12.09, Thursday

Main activities of the day: presentations and discussions along the themes of social struggles, repression and jail.

10:00h: Breakfast
11:30h: Presentation and discussion: Marinaleda in Andalusia (3)

13:30h: Lunch
15:00h: Presentation and discussion: Egypt (Cairo)

17:00h: Coffee break
18:00h: Presentation and discussion: Poland (Warsaw) and Belarus

20:00h: Dinner
21:00h: Bar opens

(3) Marinaleda is a small village in Andalusia. It has a political and economic system of a socialist nature. The community itself takes care of any conflict and realises decent social measures in all aspects of community life, like housing, work, health care, education... The history of Marinaleda is full of struggle, tough times, militant actions and the development of direct democracy as means of participation in every aspect of the village life.

You can find an historical overview here:

http://www.marinaleda.com/historia.htm

Video about Marinaleda, in Spanish with German subtitles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmKXEEUhG6E

Website:

http://www.marinaleda.com/inicio.htm

13.09, Friday

Main activities of the day: panel discussions about social fights, repression and jail in Northern-Africa

09:00h: Breakfast
10:00h: 1st block: Panel about social fights in Northern-Africa with speakers from Egypt and Morocco

12:30h: Lunch
13:30h: 2nd block: Panel about repression and jail in Northern-Africa with speakers from Egypt, Morocco and Spain

16:00h: Coffee break
16:30h: 3rd block: Discussion about ways of practical solidarity

20:00h: Solo concert for Viola (4)

21:00h: Dinner, Bar opens
Afterwards: concert with Xelu Baye Fall (5)

(4) Viola Solo, J.S.Bach, Suite in G-dur

(5) Reggae mixed with African traditional music and committed lyrics in the own traditional language

14.09, Saturday

Main activities of the day: panel discussions about social fights, repression and jail in Europe

09:00h: Breakfast
10:00h: 1st block: Panel about social fights against poverty/precariousness in Europe, with speakers from Poland, Belarus, Spain, Basque country and Germany

12:30h: Lunch
13:30h: 2nd block: Panel about repression and jail related to fights against poverty/precariousness in Europe, with speakers from Poland, Belarus, Spain, Basque country and Germany

16:00h: Coffee break
16:30h: Reading - Living imprisoned (6)
Afterwards: 3rd block: Discussion about ways of practical solidarity

21:00h: Dinner, Bar opens
Afterwards: concert with Senior Pilz (7) and others (tbc)

(6) Short poems in Spanish, German and English

(7) Senor Pilz is a Punkrock band from Cologne

https://www.senorpilz.de/

15.09, Sunday

10:00h: Breakfast
12:00h: Camp assembly: 

- presentation of insights and plans
- camp-résumé
- prospects of a next camp
- farewell

(around) 14:00h: Buffet
(around) 21:00h: Bar opens and camp disassembling begins

16.09, Monday

All-day: camp disassembling
The end

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TRANSLATIONS

All panels and workshops will be held in English. We will provide means for simultaneous translations for our speakers on the panels and the audience.

For translations of workshops and film screenings, we would like to rely on the self-organisation of everyone in order to arrange whisper translation if necessary.

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INFO POINT

The Info-Point will be open from 19h on Tuesday (09th of September) until the end of the camp.

Once you arrive, please pass by at the Info-Point to get all necessary information about:

- camp infrastructure and where to camp

- camp-schedule

- conflict resolution structure

- child care

- support for impaired persons

-  and more

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CONFLICT RESOLUTION DURING THE CAMP

We are currently working on a structure that will support conflict resolution during the camp. Our structure will use different means to solve conflicts than the Awareness structure that is usually established during events in left and radical spaces (in Germany).

Soon we will give you more details about our structure for conflict resolution. Once you arrive at the camp, you will get a detailed description of our conflict resolution structure at the Info-Point.

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FOOD

There will be a vegan kitchen for everyone (KüFa) organized by die Maulwürfe from Freiburg

http://volxkuechefreiburg.blogsport.de/maulwuerfe/

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SITE

Naturfreundehaus Leichlingen, Am Block 4, 42799 Leichlingen, Germany

Map: https://osm.org/go/0GDu1WaiA

Website: https://www.naturfreunde.de/haus/naturfreundehaus-leichlingen

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HOW TO ARRIVE

By car:

- take the highway A3 until Langenfeld Dreieck

- there, enter the Highway A542

- leave at the next exit Langenfeld Immigrath

- enter the main road Bergische Landstrasse in direction Leichlingen

- after 800 meters you will see a sign "Naturfreundehaus"

- follow the sign until you reach the Naturfreundehaus 

If you arrive by car, you can park at the paring lot in front of the Naturfreundehaus. You cannot take your car to the camping site.

By train...

There are hourly trains from all nearby cities to Leichlingen.

... from Bonn Central Station

- take the RB48 on track 1

- leave in Leichlingen

... from Cologne Central Station

- take the RB48 either on track 1 or track 2 (section D-G)

- leave in Leichlingen

... from Düsseldorf Central Station

- take the S8 on track 13

- leave in Haan-Gruiten

- in Haan-Gruiten take the RB48 on track 6

- leave in Leichlingen

If you arrive by train at Leinchlingen Station it will take roughly 2km walking to the Naturfreundehaus.

Check the route at openstreetmap.org

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WHAT TO BRING FOR CAMPING

The Naturfreundehaus is equipped with toilets and showers so you do not need to be worried about water supply or sanitation.

Please bear in mind that the camp is outdoors and that it could be cold at night and that there could be allergic reactions to the surrounding vegetation.

As basic camping equipment, please bring along the following items:

- warm clothes

- towel, wash-kit

- a tent

- sleeping pad and sleeping bag

- a torch or flashlight

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SUPPORT DURING THE CAMP

We need support in a couple of issues. If you can imagine to support us in one of them, then please get in contact with us before the camp starts so that we can provide you with all necessary information: solidarity1803@riseup.net

- Simultaneous and/or whisper-translation of the panel discussions: German-English, Spanish-English

- Moderation of the panel discussions: each panel will be moderated by two persons and should be kept aligned along a set of questions common to each panel

- Drivers to bring invited speakers to Leichlingen and back to their departure destination

- Camp build-up: on Monday and Tuesday, 09th and 10th of September

- Camp dismantling: on Monday, 16th of September

- Ad-hoc constructions of facilities for impaired persons, once desired

- Child care, once desired

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CONTACT

If you like to participate in the camp, then just give us a short note about how many people are coming, so that we keep the overview and can adjust the camp infrastructure if necessary: solidarity1803@riseup.net

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FAQ

What about a camp donation?

Organizing a camp consumes quite a bit of money. Even tough we try to organize the camp by borrowing equipment and infrastructure items from other projects, there are some costs we cannot get around (certain technical equipment, the rent for the Naturfreundehaus, etc).  Therefore we would like to ask every participant to donate for the camp so that we can cover our costs.

We will have full day food supply by the cooking collective die Maulwürfe. Please consider to donate roughly 5-10 Euros a day to die Maulwürfe.

If you do not have much or no money this is no problem. Then just donate what you can afford. Nobody should stay hungry at the camp.

What about child care?

Please tell us in advance via email how many children or babies would come along with you and what you/the children/babies need during the camp, so that we can prepare everything necessary.

How accessible is the camp?

In general we would like that every person can participate in the camp. In order to realise that, we need your support.

If you have special needs, tell us in advance or once you arrive at the Info-Point. We can then prepare/build necessary infrastructure during camp build-up or ad-hoc.

The access to the buildings of the Naturfreundehaus and it's facilities will be prepared for walking impaired persons. 

The camp itself is on grassland. It might be difficult to move (for example with wheelchairs or walking frame) but we can prepare the main paths on the camp to facilitate movement.

Food intolerances?

Please tell us in advance or once you arrive at the Info-Point or at the cooking-space, so that food can be prepared accordingly as well.

I do not have camping equipment...

... you get a place in a sleeping tent.

Please bring along a blanket/sleeping-bag in any case, as we might only have a few spare items to share.

Is the camp vegan only?

All food that is prepared by die Maulwürfe will be vegan. You can bring your own food as well.

If there are conflicts related to the usage of animal products (for example on a brought along grill), we would like to ask everybody to talk with each other in a respectful way to solve those conflicts.

Can I bring my dog?

Yes...

...but please respect the other camp participants and talk with each other if there are problems related to dogs.

Other questions?

....

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ADDITIONAL INFOS

- Invitation to the first trans-euopean meeting for practical solidarity in March 2018

- Events that have been organised in the spirit of transnational solidarity

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BACKGROUND READINGS

- soon more