PGA Belgrade set off despite difficulties
The People's Global Action network helds its yearly meeting in Jajinci, Belgrade, Serbia; July 23-29. After the previous meetings in countries of Western Europe, now the PGA is opening up for Eastern European countries.
tents
After an incident with the radically drunken right-wing neightbours the PGA office in Belgrade had to be evacuated and shut down. Moreover, the conference site itself had to be trasferred from the original town to another one nearby due to an unforeseen fork in the organisation process. On the other hand, contact had been established with the townfolk and they are mingling with the PGA attendants talking, sharing cigarettes and playing volleyball. Local children come about to enjoy the atmosphere and to play games on the infopoint computers.
Some 300 people gathered today in Jajinci, and fed by two collaborating kitchens organised by the Food Working Group. The majority of the food supply is provided by RAD, a self-managed cooking group of radical elder cantene ladies and gentleman with a glorious past in the Tito era, supplemented by an autonomous kitchen based on volunteer contributions. PGA is aiding RAD in their struggle to maintain the last of a network of 5 kitchens that once fed as many as 150 workers. There is also a kindergarden at the site, commited to involve the children in the process, as well as offering workshops and organising the activities the small folk are asking for.
The focus of the conference is stressedly gender-related, despite - or rather because - of the local homophobic attitutes. A Queer Space is set up and maintained, and there is special attention to counter gender-related cultural imprints that are supposed to be in operation in the decision making process.
Indymedia and Undercurrents are doing business as usual, aided by the 1Mbit line which was offered by local computer geeks at the last moments. Cultural programes are on at the evenings, Saturday sporting a Samba workshop and a Brass band, as well as a Women's Pub. All the people are having fun and preparing in spirit for the events of tomorrow: the meeting with 1500 workers from 14-15 struggling factories: courageous people in a dire strait.
[article.email.prefix]:
maxigas@zpok.hu [article.homepage.prefix]: 
http://www.indymedia.hu
Some 300 people gathered today in Jajinci, and fed by two collaborating kitchens organised by the Food Working Group. The majority of the food supply is provided by RAD, a self-managed cooking group of radical elder cantene ladies and gentleman with a glorious past in the Tito era, supplemented by an autonomous kitchen based on volunteer contributions. PGA is aiding RAD in their struggle to maintain the last of a network of 5 kitchens that once fed as many as 150 workers. There is also a kindergarden at the site, commited to involve the children in the process, as well as offering workshops and organising the activities the small folk are asking for.
The focus of the conference is stressedly gender-related, despite - or rather because - of the local homophobic attitutes. A Queer Space is set up and maintained, and there is special attention to counter gender-related cultural imprints that are supposed to be in operation in the decision making process.
Indymedia and Undercurrents are doing business as usual, aided by the 1Mbit line which was offered by local computer geeks at the last moments. Cultural programes are on at the evenings, Saturday sporting a Samba workshop and a Brass band, as well as a Women's Pub. All the people are having fun and preparing in spirit for the events of tomorrow: the meeting with 1500 workers from 14-15 struggling factories: courageous people in a dire strait.
[article.email.prefix]:
maxigas@zpok.hu [article.homepage.prefix]: http://www.indymedia.hu
maxigas@zpok.hu |
http://indymedia.hu |