These minutes are
organised in the following sections:
- Events {see events page on this blog}
- Petitions {see petitions and
campaigns page on this blog}
- Resources {see resources page on this
blog}
- Actions list (includes actions for
the next forums, examples from actions that are currently being
undertaken, and calls to join others’ actions) (some of the actions are in
question format to encourage thinking on these issues until the next
forum)
- General discussion notes
- The next forum
Within each
section, individual items are noted in the order they’ve been talked in. The
order does not signify priority. The exception is events, which are listed in
chronological order.
ACTIONS:
Moris Farhi,
Murat Kavur and about 50 other authors will be publishing an open letter to the
PM Erdogan in The Times
**
In Trafalgar
Square, protesters used art: examples of chalk drawings at Trafalgar
communicating information / caricatures / jewish and pakistani persons added /
we didn’t have any material to give to people / talked to them in person we
will do this every weekend, hopefully, with other painters too.
**
Write to people
such as Mark Thomas, Stefan Fure – European Commissioner, Occupy London.
**
Occupy London
said they will help finding secure ways of using the internet. For example,
there is a RISE UP email service which needs referral to be joined.
**
We can learn from
Occupy London on how to run meetings to integrate opposing views. We can invite
them to one of our forums. This is being actioned.
**
Communicate this
with the British society as a whole and other immigrant groups. We should also
be involved in the political movements in Britain, e.g. standing against the
EDL.
**
We should all
attend all forums, wherever we are allowed to speak we should go
**
We can show films
of togetherness as part of these forums. An example given was the film
“Ekumenopolis”
**
Two participants
who met at the forum will be editing two short films from the footage they have
from the streets and from the Turkish media.
**
Two other
participants announced their project on preparing a theatre play using
interviews with people, which can also link to Brazil and the UK. They called
for others interested in the project to be in touch with them.
**
We should
organise workshops on understanding and counteracting discrimination. Need to
explore who can provide such a workshop and when.
**
Read more and
base our argument and discussions on a more scientific basis. For example,
recommended readings: Stephanos Yarasimos “Turkiye’de az gelismislik
sureci”…Richard Sennett “Together”.
**
How can we put
these things together and help them? Is the page in The Guardian most
important? It’s a huge amount of money / instead shall we help some people hire
lawyers?
**
How can we ensure
that the forums are open to everyone and everyone can feel they can come and
contribute (not only those with higher education)?
**
How can we make
more imaginative use of all sorts of arts? (something new, interesting, carries
on the Gezi spirit)
**
Get advice on how
to communicate with AKP supporters in the UK. Then why not invite some AKP
supporters to these forums? Let’s ask them do they really mind that much if
couples sit on each other’s laps or kiss in public?
GENERAL NOTES
The platform
was introduced: questions
what’s happening / can we help / what would be most effective / connect what’s
happening in Turkey and the UK / weekly here at Arcola or elsewhere / voices to
be heard / there are many forums here. this one is open to and has the
potential to include everybody as no political background / organisation /
aiming to develop the capability in acting in a faster way and get to know each
other face to face to deepen our relationships / these platforms are chaotic,
inclusive, creative
One of the
participants gave a personal account from Gezi: I was there from day 1, start was May 1, Taksim
pedestrianized, march not allowed, 500 people who couldn’t march…throughout
May, many interventions by the government. At first, there were about 200
people in Taksim, similar number who protested the demolition of Emek Cinema.
Those were mostly actors and artists. Shop keepers were complaining not
realising that cinema brought 2000 people into the area every day. So, I didn’t
want to get involved in Gezi. But by 4-5 am police gassed Gezi Park (31 May),
so I spent 48 hours resisting around Nisantasi…never seen such a crowds…50000
people…in the morning i spoke to the police, i said we will go into the park,
even crossing barricade….48 hours in the streets, over the barricades…eventually
entered the park…after the first few days PM left the country on his North
African trip…President and head of the parliament asked police to leave the
square…park became like a Paris commune….but then PM decided to retaliate as a
show of strength. Protests by young people who are not affiliated to politics,
would have finished by now if PM had not retaliated. Then it became an issue of
honour….Brazilians were marching with Turkish flags, not having a leader is
better, because if you lose leader the movement will finish…79 cities in Turkey
it’s continuing….the end will be as surprising as the beginning.
A participant
asked the following question: Interested in connection (of resistance in Turkey) with austerity movement
in the UK: agendas are different and if the agenda is too wide, connection will
dissipate the issue?
The discussions
that followed (as you’ll see from the action points) have argued that
connection with the UK politics is important to raise global awareness of
what’s happening in Turkey and also to learn from the experiences here (union
movement, people’s assemblies that are happening now).
A participant
read the Gezi Solidarity demands. Taksim’s demands are universal which have correspondence in the UK.
There was a
discussion about the situation of different groups within the Turkish
speaking community in the UK. Whether or not they should all be brought
under the same umbrella and the pros and cons and practicality of this was
discussed. While there was no voting / concensus building, the general tone of
the discussion ended on the following points:
- There are
different groups
- Everyone needs
to respect others
- Variety is a
good thing as was seen in Gezi: this adds variety / creativity / we create an
initiative, different kind of togetherness which melts into one – even the
supporters of different football teams can continue to support their own teams
but work together
- Different
forums and other activities are fine, feedback between them needs to be
established to avoid inefficiency / duplication of effort / mixed messages etc.
A participant
reminded us that the following has been key at Gezi: sharing, resistance,
and wit. In London there is no violence to bring us together, but we still
need to work together. The same participant also said that the creativity of
the resisters is being imitated (omuz omuza slogani). Finally, this participant
added ‘the solidarity that we saw in Gezi and elsewhere recently, was first
seen during the Tekel strike/resistance in 2009-2010. This had lasted
for 78 days and different people came together.
A participant who
only recently moved to London said: we need to learn new ways to campaign.
The old ways like petitions are not sufficient. This is a period of
peace-making as well as resistance. So we are learning to accept each other’s
differences. Therefore, communication about Gezi movement should go beyond the
Turkish speakers and usual political sides but should include everyone.
A participant
said this is a new process and a period for all of us to get to know each
other, and also be involved in the politics in Britain, and focus on what we
can do from here.
A participant
said we need to learn from the young people in Gezi. They don’t have
long-standing ties with the past / established parties etc. this gives them
freedom. We must get feedback from the young people in Gezi on our forums
and actions.
Gezi created real
people’s democracy – not just about electing their representatives…to ensure
the movement is sustainable, without moulding people into one type, separate local
forums should continue.
Instead of doing
brochures that show violence, use art. There are many brochures with
violence on it, what can we do to make Taksim different. People in Taksim are
already achieving this we need to learn from them.
A participant
said: I am so glad to be here today…my life has stopped, been on laptop.
i’ve learnt how to tweet. We need to stress: 1. police attacks were very
brutal. 2. legal system is lost – they took lawyers from the courthouse 3. they
arrested doctors for helping protesters (even as late as yesterday because they
carry stuff that they can help people with) and 4. media – no coverage
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