(However it retains some historic value.)
Each Day the PGA moves towards the Right
On 1st October a set of minutes was posted on the http://www.pgaconference.org website.
In "Section 2: Relations between PGA and other political/activist organisations", these minutes state:
"In answer to the question about not being able to exclude members of fascist organisations, a fascist coming as an interested individual, respecting the hallmarks and whose behaviour during the conference was fine wouldn't be a problem."
and in case you haven't got the message:
"Somebody could refer to this and say 'you aren't allowed to exclude me'. And "not situated within PGA hallmarks" allows for a lot of different organisations.
Someone could say they agreed with the PGA hallmarks, but what if we didn't believe them? That's all taken care of in this proposal; we judge people by how they act in the PGA network and conferences."
So fascists are allowed in the PGA network and conferences - as long as they behave themselves and pay lip service to the hallmarks just aslong as everyone else.
Each day this is up on the website, sincere anti-racists and anti-fascists will turn away from the PGA in disgust.
Each day this is up on the website, those who do not see fascists as a problem, who would be happy break bread with them, to drink wine and socialise with them feel more comfortable with the PGA.
Each Day the PGA moves towards the Right
This has been going on for 56 days now.
. . . and as this drift to the right continues day by day, there are those in the PGA process who feel that "there are people currently using accusations of racism and fascism to pull PGA to pieces."
It is the PGA itself which boasts that its doors are open for fascists. It is this drift to the right which is creating tension in the PGA. And when people in the PGA process start making slurs on those who merely describe what is actually happening, then what hope is there for the PGA process.
Each Day the PGA moves towards the Right
When we raised the subject with the wombles, one of the London PGA infopoints, they were reluctant to yalk to us. However, eventually they told us that this was not the decision made at the spokescouncil. That a mistake had been made by someone who had limited english language skills. Nevertheless, minutes as circulated, discussed by the Europe process list and published on the website have been written out in very good and clear English. The wombles may believe that this is an adequate explanation. We do not. We would like to hear from others who do not.
What it reveals is more discrimination
So we are told that some of the people at the Spokescouncil were not able to take part in the discussion unless they had proficient English language skills. We are told that none of the proficient English speakers was available to take the minutes!
This is Anglophone Supremacism
This domination by people who speak English is an example of Western European/American cultural imperialism.
It is unknown how many people understood which decisions were being made, and how many were excluded because they do not speak good enough English. Yet the minutes ends up with the self-congratulatory comment "the spokes council has worked well this conference." Furthermore, even amongst good english speakers there is great confusion as to the decision. Yet none of those who dispute the decision have had the website altered or modified. All we have been told is that it will be discussed at the "winter meeting" in three months time.
and the website stays the same . . .
So
Each Day the PGA moves towards the Right =
Inspired by the PGA
West Essex Zapatista paki.tv(at)cyber-righst.net
AND IN RESPONSE TO WEZ - ANOTHER 'EACH DAY LEAFLET' FOR ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR:
Each Day "patronised by WEZ" leaflet for @narchist bookfair
Each Day the West Essex Zapatistas move towards being paid provocateurs.
From deep in the east London jungle, and starting long before the posting of the Belgrade conference report, the West Essex Zapatistas have been struggling to spread accusations that the PGA (Peoples Global Action) network is "racist, sexist, imperialist, bureaucratic, anglo-supremacist, bi-polar gender essentialist, and politically bankrupt" - to note just a few of their accusations . Now, no longer content with purging PGA of its' many oppressions, they also desire to save PGA from "flirting with fascism".
A leaflet to be distributed by WEZ at the Anarchist Bookfair (despite WEZ having said the bookfair is of "no positive political relevance" and that anarchism 'is complacent about racism and ready to blur left and right, a feature of fascism') repeats earlier email claims of a "decision" at the Belgrade PGA conference that "a fascist coming as an interested individual, respecting the hallmarks and whose behaviour during the conference was fine wouldn't be a problem."
The actual proposal that was agreed in Belgrade according to the report on www.pgaconference.org was:
"That PGA should not allow people to become isolated or excluded in the PGA process because they belong to certain organisations that may be less situated within PGA hallmarks, but put the emphasis on people's behaviour within the network and at conferences. However, people from such organisations can only participate as individuals, will not be allowed to promote their organisation through PGA, and must respect the PGA hallmarks when participating in PGA. Leaders and representatives of such organisations are not welcome in PGA, and PGA process meetings are only open to people who agree with the hallmarks."
The proposal was clearly referring to unions, ngo's and the like as it's in:
'Section 2: Relations between PGA and other political/activist organisations (eg NGOs, Trade Unions, Social Fora, Political Parties)'.
WEZ conveniently drop the eg part of this and seize upon a comment (and - to speculate in WEZ style - who knows, it could have even been a 'west essex zapatista' who made it, since 'they' were at the conference plenary also) that is under the subheading:
'We go back to small groups to discuss the proposal'
where a dozen or so comments are noted from the small groups discussions including:
"This came from a working group where a trade unionist wanted to feel able to bring people to PGA events. The criteria by which we tend to judge organisations can be too wide - eg there's a big difference between a trade union and a political party."
"PGA process meetings should only be open to people who agree with the hallmarks".
"It's good to encourage grassroots participation, but we propose that the individual, at least, must respect the PGA hallmarks."
Regardless of the wisdom of including such a condradictary 'allowing a fascist' comment in this section, it was a comment in a small group discussion, not a PGA 'answer' or agreement. There was no "decision" to allow fascists to participate in PGA activities as WEZ claim. No collective "boast that its doors are open for fascists". Nor was it "implied it will be those they recognise clearly as fascists", as WEZ and friends suggest, such as the National Anarchists, Scottish Separatist Group, etc that they 'promote' in their emails. There has been "little effort from those who are involved with or care about PGA to rescind the minutes" or to "openly challenge the line" which WEZ say is required, because there wasn't a line and allowing fascists to participate in PGA wasn't a "decision" in Belgrade.
Evidently the West Essex Zapatistas care deeply enough about the PGA network to disrupt meetings, accuse groups and individuals involved of every possible 'ism', manipulate and distort its' conference reports, and to spread lies that the PGA network is encouraging fascists to participate.
So each day the West Essex Zapatistas move towards being paid provocateurs...
WEZ are doing PGA a favour by pointing out that the minutes need clarifing. As soon as people verbally disputed the minutes WEZ added to copy put on this wiki "Some people do not see this as proper record of the discussion." and those peeople could have added their version. WEZ when they identify a problem and point it that is first move to finding a solution. WEZ would rather see problems tackled than left to fester.