A small round up of call outs for campaigns, actions and events during the fall of 2012.
Please send us info <eyfaATeyfa.org> if you have news to be spread.
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*Contents
*1. Guide for conflict resolution in non-hierarchical groups
*2. Call For Participation: an online survey about young people’s attitudes and experience of online hate speechs
*3. Join online action: stop Croatian railways cross-border cuts
*4. Good food march follow up. CAP policy must protect nature and people s
*5. Zrenjanin Antifascist Festival (October 5-6, Serbia)
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*1. Guide for conflict resolution in non-hierarchical groups
There are immense benefits to understanding and working through our conflicts. Groups with a healthy approach to conflict will be better prepared to go the long haul together, and are better able to effectively bring about social change. “Every group and relationship experiences conflict, regardless of whether we are trying to bring about an anarchist revolution or play dominoes on the street.” This is the kick off of the guide “Working on conflict in our groups” that you can download here:
admin.eyfa.org/content/download/1570/6238/version/1/file/Working_with_conflict_in_groups.pdf.
This publication written by Seeds for change (http://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/) and produce by EYFA aims to develop an understanding of conflict and how to deal with it for people and groups working for social change. There are sections on what conflict is, the benefits of addressing it, and tools to work though conflict and maintain healthy and effective social change groups.
This guide was made possible with the support of the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe in the year of its 40th anniversary.
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*2.Call For Participation: an online survey about young people’s attitudes and experience of online hate speech.
EYFA is taking part in a project run by Council of Europe called Young People Combating Hate Speech On-line. It aims to fight racism and discrimination on the Internet. We are calling on young people, 30 years and under, old, from all over Europe to fill in the online survey, and spread it, as soon as possible. The survey will close on 4th October 2012.
The outcome of this survey will shape the project, therefore at EYFA we consider it of high interest that young people working on topics of anti-fascism, anti-racism, gender equality and queer issues have the chance to provide input on this early stage.
Follow the links:
English: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/hatespeech
French: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/hatespeechfr
The results of the survey will be publish on the website www.coe.int/youth from 12th October onwards. A link to the Russian version should be publish soon on the link mentioned before.
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*3. Join online action: stop croatian railways cross-border cuts
Every year, thousands of people come from other European countries to Croatia’s beautiful coast for holidays by train or use the train to visit their relatives and friends. But as of December this year, cross-border train travel to and from Croatia is about to get a whole lot more difficult: Croatian Railways has announced http://www.hznet.hr/medunarodni-prijevoz that it is to cut 44 out of 56 daily international services, and even two of the remaining ones would run in summer only.
http://www.change.org/petitions/croatian-railways-reconsider-planned-cuts-to-international-passenger-rail-services
Rail is the most environmentally acceptable mode of long-distance transport, with relatively low pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In Europe many people also consider it a pleasant and comfortable way to travel. It is therefore not surprising that the European Union – which Croatia is joining next year – has a transport policy stipulating that by 2050 most medium-distance passenger travel should be by rail. It is ironic that, at a time when Croatia is joining the EU, its rail policy is going in the other direction.
This makes rail travel drastically more inconvenient. It also makes ordinary people pay for mistakes that have been made by Croatian Railways and the Croatian government. For years the Croatian government has put many more resources into motorway construction than into investing in rail, and the result is that many people use cars on routes where they could go by train. Likewise Croatian Railways has for too long avoided making improvements in service and efficiency, and has failed to sufficiently advertise its services.
Join us in calling on Croatian Railways and the Croatian Government to reconsider their decision to cut cross-border rail services. And don’t forget to add a comment: Do you come to Croatia by rail on holiday? Or have you been planning to? Do you regularly visit friends and relatives in neighbouring countries by train? Are you maybe a cyclist who likes to travel some of the route by rail and for whom buses are not a viable alternative?
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*4. Good food march follow up. CAP policy must protect nature and people
Dear friends and fans of good food and sustainable agriculture!
As you may know, the EU-wide “Good Food March 2012” took place this August and September. Calling for a real reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), it saw citizens, young people and farmers set out on bike journeys to Brussels from Austria, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium and the UK. Diverse and colourful events also took place in countries such as Poland, Finland, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria and Spain. The aim was to raise awareness of the current CAP reform process, and enable citizens to send their demands for the future policy directly to the decision makers in Brussels.
Throughout the Good Food March, people were invited to send a photo message about the future of food and farming they want to see. The initiative was a huge success with over 1000 photos collected in just a few weeks.
During the grand finale in Brussels on September 19th, these photos were presented to EU representatives including MEPs and Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Cioloş, in a book of citizen testimonials. The book provides a snapshot of all those who want Europe’s food and farming policy to change for better. It also sends a strong and unified message to decision makers as they debate the future of the CAP for the next seven years: The policy must protect nature, animals and people; recognise the wonderful culinary and rural traditions of all European regions; and support old, new and small-scale farmers across Europe. After all, without them, good food and good farming is not possible. Take a look at what your fellow citizens have to say here:
http://www.goodfoodmarch.eu/photo-action.html
The first edition of the book has proven very popular, with citizens and politicians alike, and is already sold out. On 24th September, during the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting, 27 copies were presented to the Agriculture Ministers from each Member State by Commissioner Cioloş.
The good news is that there will soon be a new edition, scheduled to be printed in time for the international Terra Madre festival in mid-October, organised by Slow Food. This second edition, which we hope may contain over 2000 images, will also be available to buy – perhaps as Christmas present, or to use in your work.
If you would like to be in the next edition, please send your photo message to photo@goodfoodmarch.eu by Sunday 7th October.
As the future of Europe’s food and farming policy continues to be deliberated in Brussels, and in national capitals, now is your chance to have your say!
Looking forward reading your message soon!
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*5. Zrenjanin Antifascist Festival
The 5th Zrenjanin Antifascist Festival (ZAF) will be held on 5th and 6th of October 2012 in the Cultural Center of Zrenjanin (Zrenjanin, Serbia). During the second day of the festival, as a part of the program of ZAF, an anarchist bookfair will be held.
Besides the bookfair this years program of the festival will consist of a concert, discussions, workshops, exhibition etc.
If you have any questions or suggestions you can contact us at: antifazrenjanin at yahoo dot com
If you are interested in attending the festival, or participating in the program, especially if you need accommodation in Zrenjanin, please let us know that you are coming in advance. Our capacities to accommodate guests are very limited, so you should bring your sleeping bags. There will be a possibility of a hostel type accommodation (the price will be about 10 e per night) – if you are interested in this kind of accommodation please let us know that you are coming in advance.
We see ZAF mainly as an opportunity to confirm local and strengthen Balkan antiauthoritarian relations. Although the festival is largely oriented towards the Balkans, with the bookfair segment that is the offspring of the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair, ZAF is open for all antiauthoritarians interested in cooperation based on solidarity and mutual aid.
Festival program and more info on the website: http://zaf.anarhija.org