From 9 – 12 April 2015 PAX and NAHNOO will organize a new version of the Activist Academy, a place where activists from different countries exchange, interact and work together for more effective and concrete action. The topic of this academy is going to be PUBLIC SPACE. Why is this an important topic to work on?
Coen Veerman (intern at the Activist Hive) has reviewed different sources of information regarding public space. For the whole article, see below.
Extremely interesting and important read, made by CANVAS: nonviolent struggle, 50 crucial points.
The co-author of this document, Srdja Popovic, is also cofounder and key figure of the Serbian resistance movement “Otpor!”. Otpor had a huge contribution to helping topple dictator Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia in 2000. Popovic became member of the Serbian National Assembly for three years until CANVAS was created (Centre for Applied Nonviolent Actions and Strategies). With a transfer of strategic knowledge and tips on nonviolent resistance, in the form of books and workshops, Popovic and CANVAS support democratic nonviolent movements worldwide. Popovic also translated literature about nonviolent resistance, amongst others Gene Sharp’s work “From Dictatorship to Democracy”.
CANVAS has worked with the movement of the 6th April in Egypt and also with other nonviolent revolutionary movements in the Middle East. This manual, “Nonviolent Struggle, 50 Crucial Points”, has been translated into 16 languages and has been downloaded about 17.000 times during the protests in Iran in 2009.
for more information check www.everydayrebellion.net & http://www.canvasopedia.org/.
[article originally found on :]
http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/14710/public-spaces-and-spatial-practices_claims-from-be
Public space seems to be back in vogue these days, especially in relation to social protests taking place in city squares and along major streets, occupying and claiming spaces, often violently. Why do public spaces matter in cities? Is the absence or presence of public spaces in cities related to the rise of political and social movements? Can protests happen in cities that lack public spaces? Do public spaces lead to radical spatial politics? Are public spaces a means for political and social change?
Read more
A new and fresh version of the Activist Academy is coming up! In April, together with Lebanese NGO NAHNOO, PAX will bring together activists to learn, connect and act on a very topical issue for activists: PUBLIC SPACE.
During the Activist Academy issues around the topic of public space will serve as a starting point for an exchange between activists from different countries. The goal is to work on concrete action, strengthen an international network of activists, foster inspiration and connection and learn about new tools and tactics for better and improved activism.
Stay updated to learn about our program (that is being developed as we speak). In the next weeks, a database with interesting articles and information will be made for activists interested in this subject.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates and don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Non-Violent resistance works….better than violent resistance! To some people it might seem odd, but non violent action is proven to be a more effective way to counter repressive regimes and achieve social change. Writing about it is one thing so just watch this lecture and LEARN!
Tuesday, the 9th of December, marks the first anniversary of the abduction of the four human rights activists, Razan Zaitouneh, Samira al-Khalil, Wael Hamadeh and Nazem Hammadi.
YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! PUT UP THE FACEBOOK AND TWITTER COVER PHOTOS AND USE TWITTER TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE ISLAMIC BRIGADE THAT CAPTURED THEM! Read more
On October 30th PAX organized a public action to ask attention for the violence against Syrian citizens. More than 200 000 Syrians are killed in the last few years. Right in front of the parliament in The Hague, we set up a commemoration service together with a silent protest to remember all Syrian victims. Dark clothing, white roses, the crown, the obituaries, and the grey weather made the memorial powerful and purposeful, while being sober at the same time.
Strong, creative and clear, caught in one picture! Here are some of the best campaign poster we could find.
Standing at the arrivals at the airport I am looking around holding a paper in my hand with ‘MARCELL’ written on it. Making sure the sign is visible, I am getting impatient – it takes more than forty-five minutes already and I don’t know what this Marcell looks like. Suddenly I almost get hit by a trolly with three suit cases on top, and a woman behind it calling: ‘Are you Irma? Than I am supposed to go with you!’, and then, slightly grumpy: ‘I need food’. Meet Marcell Shehwaro, a thirty-year old blogger and activist from Aleppo, the biggest city in Syria. She is visiting the Netherlands as a part of her trip to different European cities – the next stops are Brussels and Berlin. Her goal is to raise awareness about the wrong display of reality here in Europe – the message we receive (mainly through media) does not represent the true situation in Syria.