My email is working again, and to celebrate I’m posting.
Stuff.
Alpine Anarchist Productions
Alpine Anarchist Productions is a site maintained by some troublemakers — who really should know better. Anyways, one troublemaker, Gabriel Kuhn, is in town to talk. On Monday, November 16, he’ll be speaking on the subject of ‘Anarchism, White Supremacy, and Anti-Racist Action’; on Wednesday, November 18, on ‘(The State and the Future of) Radical Publishing’. Both events are being held @ Loophole Community Centre (670–672 High St, Thornbury), from 7–9pm.
[Viola/Gee]
Amadeu Casellas
Amadeu Casellas, an anarchist prisoner in Spain, ended his hunger strike — begun on July 15 — on October 21. This followed the decision by a Spanish magistrate to authorise his forced feeding. Amadeu is in a very poor state of health, but his family, friends and comrades remain determined to free him.
[Martita]
Kulon Progo : Peasant Resistance
‘Kulon Progo Regency’ is one of the four regencies of the ‘Yogyakarta Special Region’ (Indonesia). Coastal farmers in that part of the world are fighting against mining company ‘PT Jogja Magasa Mining’. The company, in conjunction with Indo Mines Limited (the Australian-based company formerly known as ‘Australian Kimberley Diamonds’), is planning on establishing an iron mine, one which will displace local farmers. Thus:
Indo Mines Limited owns a 70% interest in the Jogjakarta Pig Iron Project located approximately 30 kilometres from the major city of Jogjakarta, Indonesia. In November 2008 Indo Mines signed a Contract of Work with the Indonesian Government to develop the Project. The Company is now in the process of completing the Bankable Feasibility Study and arranging finance. The Project has a JORC compliant mineral resource of 605 million tonnes and the initial focus is to mine and process the 273 million tonne surface sand unit down to a maximum depth of 9 metres.
Peasant resistance to the mine, and the organisation of that resistance through the umbrella organisation PPLP (‘Paguyaban Petani Lahan Pantai’ or ‘Association of Shoreline Farmers’) is documented in a blog : Bertani atau Mati – Tolak Tambang Besi. Of the PPLP, the author(s) note that:
The organisation had an unusual structure. Aside from a chair, secretary and treasurer and their deputies, they also appointed older farmers as advisors. There is also a field coordinator in each village, who acts as a delegate, uniquely this coordinator is only ever one person, and they often rotate in a quite flexible way. Each village also has an autonomous PPLP unit, each with its own structure. What is clear is that there is no-one that holds authority in the PPLP structure. The whole coastal community are members of PPLP and their feelings about new information in the mining plan is always discussed at the meetings of each PPLP unit as well as the umbrella meetings. One more unique feature is that there is no office for either the umbrella organisation or for each PPLP unit, as each household along the coast is a space for coordination.
The PPLP has also been active in organising protests. Here is footage of a protest held on October 20, 2009:
[Jurnal Anarki]
Noam Chomsky
Dunno why, but for some reason the ABC’s ‘Background Briefing’ has broadcast an interview with Uncle Noam. Who’s Uncle Noam?
He’s over 80 and has written or contributed to 95 books. At one time he was the most cited living academic, a Vietnam activist and a thorn in the side of Reagan. Today he is also critical of ‘the left’ with dire warnings. Noam Chomsky is as astute and interesting as ever. Producer, Kirsten Garrett.
[dj/Viola]
Bonus!
McShit has been expelled from Iceland! This just goes to show that every global financial crisis has a silver lining…
Huzzah!
REYKJAVIK (Reuters) – Thousands of Icelanders lined up at McDonald’s restaurants to order their last Big Macs before the U.S. fast-food chain abandons the crisis-hit island at midnight Saturday due to soaring costs.The world’s largest fast-food company said earlier this week that all three of its restaurants in Iceland, operated by franchisee Jon Ogmundsson, would shut down October 31. Iceland has been reeling from the effects of the financial crisis since October 2008, when its banks collapsed in the space of a week under the weight of billions of dollars in debt. The fall of the banks sapped confidence in Iceland’s economy and sent its currency, the crown, into freefall. McDonald’s said the crown’s weakness was part of the reason for its withdrawal, along with the high cost of importing food from abroad. McDonald’s said it would not seek to come back to Iceland. In a nearby stationary store, Thora Sigurdardottir, a 35-year old nursing assistant, said she had no intention of going for a final McDonald’s meal. “Good riddance,” she said.
Onya Thora!
