AUT: Report of 3rd Prep. Seminar for 2nd American Encounter, Belem

["Harry M. Cleaver" <hmcleave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Folks:
Here, finally, is the English version of the 3rd Preparatory meeting held
in Brazil to arrange the 2nd American Encounter in Belem, Dec 6-11, 1999.
It contains more details about the plans than any document yet obtained.
It can be found in English and Spanish on the US 2nd Encounter webpage:
http://www.eco.utexas.edu:80/Homepages/Faculty/Cleaver/2ndencounter.html
H.

                          Third Preparatory Seminar
                                     For
    the Second American Encuentro For Humanity and Against Neoliberalism

                    Rio de Janeiro - June 19 and 20, 1999

Report

The seminar, convened by the Committee in Solidarity with the Zapatista
Communities of Rio, included close to 50 compañeros. In addition to the
committee members, representatives and activists from the following groups,
organizations and entities participated:

SEPE (education professionals), CCP Center of Proletarian Culture, SINFA
(civil servants from the armed forces), PT, PCB, Workers Pastoral, MAP (Punk
Anarchist Movement), Asduerj (Uerj professors), Stress group, representative
of Senator Geraldo Candido, LQB (Fourth Internationalist League of Brazil),
DCE/Ufrj, Committee Against the War, CUT7RJ, nucleos del pre-vestibular para
negros y carentes, student compañeros, professors, workers, etcetera. Also
present were compañeros from Sao Paulo from the Committee in Solidarity with
the Zapatista Communities, from the Sintusp (USP workers) and from MAP.

On the first day there was discussion about the world situation, beginning
with the presentation by compañeros Ina Merirelles and Magno de Carvalho,
concerning their experiences and contacts with the zapatista communities of
Chiapas, Mexico. The discussion emphasized the importance of base and
internationalist movements as a form of resistance and alternative to
neoliberalism, and, thus, the importance of the Second American Encuentro
for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism, to be held in Belem at the end of
the year.

Discussions during the second day concerned preparations for the Encuentro
in Belem, from an international and national perspective, as well as in
relation to specific questions concerning Rio de Janeiro. The national
discussion was based on the results of the Second Seminar, held in May in
Belem. The decisions/recommendations that were adopted are noted below.
Several of them refer to the report of the Belem seminar, which was widely
distributed and is available at newsgroup encontro.belem, newsserver
news2.alternex.com.br.

1) Themes of the Encuentro Tables

For reference purposes, we are including here the themes of the tables, in
accordance with the Belem seminar proposal:

  1. The crisis of the process of the left and of the crisis;
  2. Union resistance and their confusion in the face of capital;
  3. The biosphere with no tomorrow: The unbreathable environment of 21st
     century capitalism;
       1. Sustainable development in the Amazon
  4. How to break the spell of globalized capitalism
       1. Crisis and alternatives
       2. What socialism do we want;
  5. What to do about World War IV?
       1. Pacifism in the face of the UN's "just" wars
       2. Coexistence with missiles
  6. The wretched of the earth: Campesinos, students and unemployed, young
     people on the periphery, women, indigenous movement, black movement,
     imprisoned and disappeared, the uneasy future: children
  7. Culture: Live as one struggles, and struggle as one lives.

1.1) Proposals Agreed Upon at Rio Seminar

  a. Contributions for modifications, inclusions and withdrawals of themes
     should be directed to the National Organization Commission until the
     end of July, 1999. This time frame is also applicable to compañeros
     from other countries. These contributions should be directed not only
     to the National Commission, but also to the various state and national
     delegations which are being organized, preferably through public access
     mechanisms, such as the newsgroup already in operation and the
     Encuentro's home-page, whenever possible.
  b. The National Organization Commission, based on the proposals received,
     should define the final guidelines during the first week of August, and
     disseminate them to all the delegations and to the public, so that the
     delegations that are being formed in each country (and in each state in
     Brazil) can discuss the themes beforehand in seminars, preparatory
     encuentros, etcetera.
  c. Tables 1 and 4 should be combined into a single table. Improve the
     wording in the title of Table 1.
  d. Include in Table 6, among the "wretched of the earth": homosexuals,
     special needs providers and old persons.
  e. It should be remembered that, in the Belem seminar, it was agreed that
     all the tables should have the same standardized question: How to build
     the revolution? This question should be responded to by the
     participants at all the tables, regardless of their specific theme, but
     taking its specific nature into account. The idea is to raise the
     question of unity in the struggle against neoliberalism of all the
     specific movements that will be at the Encuentro. This aspect was not
     considered in the report on the Belem seminar.
  f. Include the question of education in the themes. The method of its
     inclusion was not agreed upon.
  g. Include the question: "Automation and robotics: how to confront this
     challenge?" The method of its inclusion was not agreed upon.
  h. Change question 4.2 of Table 4 to: "What society do we want for
     humanity?"
  i. Delete from the Belem seminar report the part: "Recognizing the
     fundamental role of political vanguards, the Second Encuentro
     nonetheless also recognizes the importance of the motto that says:
     'Govern obeying'." The Rio seminar understands that this question is to
     be an issue of discussion at the Encuentro, and should not be stated a
     priori.

1.2) Proposals Presented and Not Agreed Upon

  a. The issue of education should be included as an independent table
       1. The issue of education should be included in the sub-theme of
          Table 6: the uneasy future.
       2. The issue of education should be included as a sub-theme of Table
          7 (culture).
  b. b) The "Automation and robotics" issue should be a sub-theme of Table 2
       1. The "Automation and robotics" issue should be a sub-theme of the
          combined tables 1 and 4.
  c. The unifying question for all the tables should be changed to: How to
     build the revolution and the International of Hope?
       1. The standardized question for all the tables should be changed to:
          What human society do we need?
  d. A compañera from the Sao Paulo committee presented an entire
     alternative proposal for the guidelines:
       1. Struggles and alternatives on the continent
            1. Campesinos, agrarian reform and struggles in the countryside;
               production alternatives in the countryside
            2. Struggles against unemployment and against the selling of
               countries to the US; privatizations
            3. Slavery on the continent: resistance and organization of
               black movements
            4. Crisis and alternatives for the continent
       2. The biosphere with no tomorrow: The unbreathable environment of
          21st century capitalism
            1. Sustainable development in the Amazon
            2. Indian statutes: respect for their lands
       3. Education and culture
            1. Globalization and the privatization of education; student
               struggles on the continent
            2. Rights of children; struggles against child labor
            3. Cultures; respect for language and cultures
       4. The wretched of the earth
            1. Struggles of women and recognition
            2. Homophobia and struggles for the recognition of the rights of
               homosexuals
            3. Young persons of the periphery.

2) International/National Organization of the Encuentro

  1. National Organization Commission

     Contrary to what is stated in the report from the Belem summary, the
     National Organizing Commission of the Second American Encuentro for
     Humanity and Against Neoliberalism was not elected at that seminar. It
     was established based on the previously approved proposal at the Sao
     Paulo seminar: one representative per state where delegations are being
     established; with the incorporation of other delegates from Para, one
     representative from the MST/PA, and one from the CUT national
     executive. Other entities and organizations structured at the national
     level (for example, the Unified Black Movement) can be incorporated.

  2. State Committees

     For the organizing of delegations to the Encuentro, unified state
     committees should be established, and, wherever possible, municipal,
     regional, and others tied to the state committees. The committees
     should be broad and with widely publicized meetings. Wherever it is
     possible, encuentros (or seminars) should be established by state,
     envisioning a collective preparation of the delegation for the American
     Encuentro.

     Various Recommendations for the Committees' Work:

       a. Constant participation and searching for space in the media,
          particularly in the popular and union press, community radio
          programs, etc. - publicize the Encuentro's proposal, current news,
          organize debates, etc.
       b. Committees should actively participate in popular protest
          movements, public acts and marches, popular forums, etc.
       c. They should be present at encuentros, congresses and plenaries
          (state and national) of national and state organizations and
          movements: MST, CUT, UNE, MNU, political parties, etc. (the Rio
          Committee is responsible for publicizing the Encuentro in the
          Congress of the UNE in July). Enlist and designate persons to be
          responsible for carrying out these tasks.
       d. If it is possible, subdivide the committees into groups by sector:
          popular, union, student, women, young people, etc.

  3. Delegates and Observers

     Participants in the Second Encuentro should be in one of two
     categories:

       i. Delegates: all those participants tied to a group, community,
          organization, entity, movement or collective in general, who have
          participated in their country, state or city, in the preparatory
          activities of the delegation.
      ii. Observers: all the other compañeros who come to the Encuentro,
          including individually

  4. The Delegations' Trips

     In order to carry out what was approved at the Belem seminar - that the
     delegations' trips themselves should serve as a means of discussing of
     the Encuentro's themes and its manifesto - the Rio seminar approved a
     series of recommendations:
       a. Each committee should designate the number of delegates who can
          make this more lengthy, preparatory trip, and who should,
          consequently, depart early from their states/countries. The
          delegates who, for reasons of time, are unable to do so, will
          depart later. In any regard, they should try to synchronize their
          departures so that their arrival in Belem (or at an intermediate
          meeting point, such as Brasilia for the delegations of the
          Center/South) will be simultaneous.
       b. Each part of the delegations that depart early should be organized
          and equipped for the joint work with the communities throughout
          the trip: taking videocassette recorders and TV's, printed
          materials, performing theatrical sketches, etc.
       c. Prepare the route ahead of time, selecting the locations where
          stops will be made for activities.
       d. Draw up a standardized questionnaire to be used by all the
          delegations of all the countries, in order to hold popular
          consultas throughout the trip, whose results will be taken to, and
          released in, Belem. The committees and participants should propose
          questions for this consulta up until the end of August, and the
          National Organization Committee should define its final form
          around the middle of September.

     The seminar is also proposing that the committees of each country/state
     send the National Organization Committee an estimate of the total
     number of delegates planned by the end of October, in order to direct
     the organization of the Encuentro in Belem.

     The seminar is suggesting that the National Organization Commission
     contact the committees of the countries in Europe, the US and Canada,
     so that they might contribute financially for the travel and lodging of
     the Latin American and Caribbean delegations. To this end, a bank
     account should now be established for the National Organization
     Commission.

  5. Finances

       a. Seek to spread ,at a national level, the Sao Paulo committee's
          proposal that each delegate should attempt to finance their own
          trip though the sale of standardized materials that will be
          produced by the committees (T-shirts, posters, buttons, video and
          audio tapes, CD's, etc.). For each unit sold, a portion will be
          retained in order to cover the costs and allow for more
          reproductions. Another portion will be kept by each committee, and
          the remainder shall be counted as a "credit" for the delegate, to
          be used for the individual cost of each trip, etc. The
          standardized materials should be ready as soon as possible, in
          order to make this proposal viable. The Sao Paulo committee will
          prepare the design of the T-shirts, buttons and a poster to be
          sold. The cost of the reproduction will be born initially by the
          Rio and SP committees.
       b. The committees should organize shows in order to collect funds for
          the delegations. The show in Rio should be held around October.
       c. Two fiestas should also be organized in Rio, one in August and the
          other in November, in order to gather funds.
       d. The Rio committee will evaluate the possibility of using the same
          transportation plan that is now being used in Sao Paulo, along
          with compañeros from transportation cooperatives in that state.
          The same suggestion applies for other delegations of the
          Center/South.

  6. Various Questions

       a. Give the Belem compañeros a deadline of one week following the
          release of this report to put up the home-page, which is almost
          ready. After that time period, already existing materials should
          become the responsibility of the Encuentro web page.
       b. Follow through as quickly as possible with the Encuentro publicity
          poster, which will be the responsibility of the Belem compañeros.
       c. The Rio and SP committees will assign specific compañeros with the
          task of translating into Spanish and other languages the various
          texts that will be produced by the Brazil committees, as well as
          translating into Portuguese contributions from other countries. We
          remind the Sao Paulo compañeros to publicize, through the
          newsgroup and in other media, the already existing versions of the
          Convocation to the Encuentro in English, French and Spanish.
       d. The Rio seminar is proposing to the EZLN that they prepare the
          "Response of the Selva" to the Convocation to the Second American
          Encuentro sent by the Brazilians. This document from the EZLN is,
          as far as we are concerned, fundamental as an instrument for
          publicizing, and an incentive for participating in, the Second
          Encuentro.

3. Proposals, Reports and Various Motions

  a. The Rio and SP committees will participate in the act convened for 6/20
     by the Work, Land and Citizens Forum in Rio, which will coincide with
     the holding of the "Summit" of the chiefs of state, hoping to give it
     an internationalist character under the motto, "Against Neoliberalism
     and For Humanity," denouncing in particular the presence of genocidal
     killers and assassins such as Ernesto Zedillo and Alberto Fujimori,
     among others.
  b. In the spirit of the proposal already approved in previous seminars, of
     uniting the preparations for the Second Encuentro with the
     counter-campaign of the "500 Years of Brazil," the seminar is proposing
     that all the committees try to participate in the organizing in every
     state of the "Shout of the Excluded" on September 7, proposing in
     particular that the activities for that day include a protest in front
     of the famous "clocks of the Earth," with the release of a manifesto
     for the removal of this clock, and, if possible, with an "artistic
     improvement" on the existing clocks (decorating them with posters,
     etc., that paint the true reality of the 500 years of oppression and
     Indigenous, Black and Popular resistance), and even the setting up of
     alternative clocks.
  c. Solidarity with the Argentine political prisoners and the Sin Tierra
     Movement. For the immediate extradition of the Argentines, for the
     release of those sin tierra and the withdrawal of the charges against
     them.
  d. Solidarity with the compañeros of the Punk movement of Bahia who are
     trying to build a Solidarity Committee with the Zapatista Communities
     for the Second Encuentro. e. The compañera from the SEPE/RJ who was
     present, reported that they will include in the National March of
     Education, that will finish in October in Brasilia, mobilization for
     the Second American Encuentro.

Rio de Janeiro
June 27, 1999.

_____________________
Translated by irlandesa

............................................................................
Harry Cleaver
Department of Economics
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas 78712-1173  USA
Phone Numbers: (hm)  (512) 442-5036
               (off) (512) 475-8535   Fax:(512) 471-3510
E-mail: hmcleave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cleaver homepage:
http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/index2.html
Chiapas95 homepage:
http://www.eco.utexas.edu/faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html
Accion Zapatista homepage:
http://www.utexas.edu/students/nave/
............................................................................



     --- from list aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---