Our current world and society is very much influenced by a rapidly advancing climate change and the exploitation of humans and nature. Additionally there are wars about resources and proxy wars. Inhuman border- and deportation-politics go hand in hand with the rise of the right-wing movements. Racist and fascist violence against people is rising as well as attacks against refugee shelters and leftist projects. Furthermore anti-feminist, homophobic and diversity-hostile movements are getting stronger. Discrimination and sexist, trans-antagonistic assaults are happening every day.
The complexity and entanglement of these repressive mechanisms and ruling systems is difficult to grasp. Especially for people that are not experiencing them. Therefore it is even more important for us that many people from different social struggles and movements with divers backgrounds come together.
The climate change and the interconnected ecological and social consequences are not solvable within a patriarchal, capitalist social system, which is based on exploitation, competition, oppression, and exclusion of people.
Also self-organized political groups with an authority-critical perspective in their work are not free from social power structures. We are not free from sexism, racism, classism etc. and we have internalized the inherent power structures/habits. Privileges which express themselves in conventional norms and habits are rooted deep inside of each of us. With the ways we act we perpetuate the social exclusion mechanisms in our climate groups, climate camps and direct actions.
When we talk about “we” we are right now speaking from a white privileged perspective. In our opinion it needs a lot of openness, strength and trust to confront oneself with ones personal privileges again and again. It takes space, time and the will to deal with them – a system change will not happen without it.
The text of the BPoC group from last year has shown us, how important this is and how far away we are from an anti-racist climate camp. The text is also a big starting point for this call.
We think it is impossible to be sensitive to power-structures and supportive with each other within our struggles and to not reproduce repressive mechanisms and exclusion without a (self-)critical examination of privileges.
Therefore it is a matter of great importance for us to bring amongst others anti-sexist, anti-racist, anti-fascist, class-sensitive and queer struggles and topics to the climate camp 2019.
Above all this is also a step to respond to the suggestions for improvement and the demands of the BPoC group.
We think it is important to not get stuck in a quagmire of guilt, helplessness and overstress, but to deal with them in a supportive and constructive manner. That way we can confront, question, critique, empower ourselves and each other to move forward on an individual as well as a collective level.
We want to open up different spaces, where an honest and open exchange is possible. Spaces in which marginalized groups/people can network, organize, empower themselves, feel safe(r), discuss, etc. Spaces in which privileged people meet to deal with power structures and to question and understand their own positioning and privileges. And to investigate how these privileges can be used not against, but for others. Spaces in which mistakes are allowed and where we can learn from them. Spaces in which we look collectively towards emancipatory, revolutionary places and movements, that can inspire us right here.
We believe that an intersectional, broad access is important to try to understand social relations of oppression in their complexity and to work in the here and now on the utopia of tomorrow. Because a system change, social revolution is a long process which starts right here and right now.
On the climate camp this year there will be two tents with an organized program, where we invited different speakers in advance. The workshops will deal with topics across movements. Furthermore there will be three more tents to retreat. One for women*lesbian*trans*inter*non-binary*, one for Black People and People of Color and another one where people can meet, who are looking for a safer space for certain topics /concerns.
We want political camps to be used to bring people from diverse movements and topics together.
Write us an email, if you are interested in presenting your group/struggle, offer a workshop, or if you have a question that you want to discuss with others etc., to: Barriocamp@riseup.net
We are looking forward to content-related exchange as well as critique about our call!
Lets build networks, form gangs and become partners in crime!
