You are invited to join a new email list for discussion of activist "violence" and "nonviolence" at the current large mobilizations (J18, S26, J20, etc). All perspectives are welcome.

[keywords: gathering, convergence, a15, a16, a20, n30, quebec, anti-capitalism, anti-capitalist, anti-globalization, wto, imf, world bank, nafta, ftaa, inauguration]

Fellow activists:

You are invited to join a new email list for discussion of activist "violence" and "nonviolence" at the current large mobilizations (J18, S26, J20, etc). All perspectives are welcome.

You can subscribe by sending a blank email to

v-nv...@egroups.com

or by visiting

http://www.egroups.com/group/v-nv-mobilize

(Do not "Reply" to join the list. Also, eGroups has been bought by Yahoo, so don't be confused when you see the other name.)

GENERAL INFO
WHY THIS NEW LIST?
SECURITY
FORWARDING THIS INVITATION

GENERAL INFO

The goal of v-nv-mobilize is to facilitate a respectful, international dialog on activist "violence"/"nonviolence", in which people of differing views can learn from one another, and people of similar views can discuss how to act on them. (Quotation marks are used here for the sake of openness, to recognize the many uses of these words. This is not a convention others need follow.)

This invitation is being sent to over 400 people, lists, and organizations, representing a wide range of:
* geographical locations
* issues of primary focus
* political views
* positions on "violence"/"nonviolence"
* types of involvement in the mobilizations.

(The initial invitations for v-nv-mobilize were sent on 17 Jan 01. If you visit the webpage or subscribe soon thereafter, there will not be much going on yet. Join the list, post your reflections, and help start the conversation!)

The list is unmoderated -- which means self-moderated -- with an open subscription policy. Its primary language is English.

v-nv-mobilize is for examination of activist "violence"/"nonviolence" as a movement issue, across different mobilizations. Practical applications will hopefully be discussed, but this is not the primary organizing list for any mobilization.

v-nv-mobilize focuses on the "violence" and "nonviolence" of activists, because it is a list for activists (in the broadest sense), and aims to help us direct our own movement. The "violence" or "nonviolence" of police and the prisons are uncontroversial among activists, and are widely addressed on the internet. The same is not the case with our own behavior.

WHY THIS NEW LIST?

There have been all kinds of activist "violence" and "nonviolence" at the mobilizations of the past two years. v-nv-mobilize was inspired by -- but is not limited to! -- some of the events at S26 Prague: activist/independent media reports were that a small minority of activists threw cobblestones and Molotov cocktails at police, and similarly attacked delegates, injuring tens of people, at least two seriously.

Research for this list turned up numerous accounts of and reactions to these events, but hardly any extended discussion, especially of activist "violence"/"nonviolence" as a general issue for the movement.

During that research, another example of "violence" occurred at N30 (2000) Nice, where activist/independent sources reported that some activists started a fire at a bank, and then drove off firefighters by throwing rocks.

Note: v-nv-mobilize is not concerned only with these potentially lethal actions; they serve as dramatic examples to argue that we activists should be talking more about the whole spectrum of our "violence"/"nonviolence" at the mobilizations.

And to repeat, the goal of v-nv-mobilize is to bring all sides together, not to advance one view of the issue. All perspectives on activist "violence"/"nonviolence" deserve public discussion in depth, due to their significance in:
* movement strategy and tactics
* mobilization organizing
* media and other outreach
* (for some people) morality and spirituality.

(By the way, if you are aware of such a dialog already occurring online, please post its location to v-nv-mobilize.)

So why are these matters not more talked about? To be sure, each mobilization is different, and where there is less likelihood of serious "violence", it is understandable that there is less attention paid to the issue. But these mobilizations are part of a common movement, however it is understood: what happens in Prague affects what happens in Washington DC and vice versa, on the streets and in the conference rooms.

Three other reasons to avoid this challenging topic come up often:
1) "Let's not divide ourselves."
2) "Let's focus on the practicalities of organizing, not on abstractions."
3) "Our view on "violence"/"nonviolence" is settled. There's no need for dialog with other groups."

Each of these points may be valid for some people and some forums. But v-nv-mobilize is a list for people who feel differently.

SECURITY
v-nv-mobilize is essentially public, as is its archive. Eddresses will be concealed in the archive and the members list, but not in the "From" field of postings. This will hopefully prevent people's eddresses from being "harvested", but it will not provide real "security". Bear this in mind at all times.

The lack of security does favor people of the "nonviolent" view, especially among those who live under more repressive states, because they may feel more free to express themselves. But the research for this invitation turned up many groups whose websites or lists approve of or advocate revolutionary "violence", so hopefully these people will feel just as free to express themselves on this list.

FORWARDING THIS INVITATION
Please forward this invitation to anyone you think would be interested. But many people, lists and organizations have already received it. So you will minimize cross-postings by forwarding only to the following: people you know personally; organizations or lists you're involved with which have not received the invitation; organizations which have no website.

Thank you for reading.

May this list serve us well -- and the movement.

alyosha Witness
listworker