The summer break is slowly coming to an end but whilst the summer heat cools off, political conflicts continue to burn up: the right-wing are still a strong force in Europe and the Ukrainian conflict rumbles on. Whilst the echoes of the bombs falling on Gaza are just starting to recede the situation in Iraq and Syria continues to get worse. As Nato meet in Wales the fundamentalist “Islamic State” is spreading its reactionary authority attracting jihadists from surrounding regions and European communities – further fuelling right wing forces in those countries.
Some of us have been lucky enough to find some time to relax and recharge but it’s time to start organising again. Beyond Europe continues it work this September!
As we write this, the “Festival for Direct Democracy”, co-organised by Beyond Europe’s Alpha Kappa, is coming to a close. This is an interesting and well-attended festival. Held just after the summer break it was an opportunity to (re)connect activists from numerous countries for political discussion and exchange. The festival also had a very large cultural programme of events. Topics this year included, social struggles in Greece and elsewhere, the term “(direct) democracy”, organizational successes and failures as well as transnational networking – with an extra workshop on Beyond Europe and an open assembly – and much more.
Next week, Beyond Europe’s UK member Plan C will be hosting their first festival.
“Fast Forward 2014: Demanding the Future?” in an idyllic site in the hills of the North of England. While the festival in Greece has been running since 2010 the English festival is a first for them and we hope it will be not be the last. The main topic of discussion will be the issue of demands and whether and how they can be used for the radical left.
Organization in the current crisis, social reproduction, migration in Europe and beyond will also be discussed. Beyond Europe will be on a panel alongside activists from Spain and Ireland.
The end of September used to be the main time for mobilizing for protests against the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt, Germany. Some weeks ago, it turned out that this event will not be happening until at least early 2015. Still, organizations and activists from different movements in Europe agreed, that a coming-together is necessary. This is why Blockupy – a European network which plans massive mobilisations against the opening of the ECB – is calling for an open assembly-weekend on 26th/27th September in Brussels. Some Beyond Europe members will be there to contribute our perspectives on the crisis, Europe, the right and capitalism.