From bfirat at uva.nl Mon Aug 20 01:47:59 2007 From: bfirat at uva.nl (begum ozden firat) Date: Mon Aug 20 01:48:21 2007 Subject: [CASA] volume on "cultural activism" Message-ID: <3E46BB96-4D96-4AC9-8A2A-55DDD8A70D9D@uva.nl> Dear CASA people, I am co-editing a book on "cultural activism." I believe that the call (see below and attached) will be of interest to most of you. i will be glad if you can distribute the call widely. Looking forward to receiving your contributions! best, begummmm Call for Papers Theorizing Cultural Activism: Practices, Dilemmas and Potentialities " Thamyris/Intersecting: Place, Sex, Race" invites articles for an upcoming volume in its series, titled Theorizing Cultural Activism: Practices, Dilemmas and Potentialities, which will focus on contemporary cultural activism that deals with issues of gender, race, queer, inter-cultural dialogue, political agency and societal transformation within the broader framework of contemporary anti-capitalist, anti-consumerist and alternative-globalization struggles with their particular forms, existing practices, and their further implications and potentialities. The Yes Men, the Guerilla Girls, Adbusters, Reclaim the Streets, Critical Art Ensemble, Genderpranks, the Rebel Clown Army, Reverend Billy, Bansky, the Space Hijackers, Yomango, ?TMark, Biotic Baking Brigade and Billboard Liberation Front are now as famous and inspiring as T. W. Adorno, Guy Debord, or Jean Baudrillard. The actions and campaigns of such groups have brought about alternative modes in which political activism can be innovative and destructive. Simultaneously they proved to be inspiring forms of political art that moves beyond its institutional boundaries as well as beyond the dichotomy between autonomous and committed art. These contemporary practices, all of which are directed towards disturbing and reorienting the cultural and political sphere by attacking the narratives of truth in the society in one way or another can be summed up under the notion of a cultural activism that involves different tactics, such as culture jamming, sousveillance, media hoaxing, adbusting, subvertising, flash mobs, street art, hacktivism, billboard liberation, and urban guerilla, to name but a few. While theoretical and historical roots of these cultural practices can be found in the avant-garde art movements of the past ?from Dada and Surrealism to Situationist International? the socio-cultural contexts in which these actions take place differ greatly from that of the historical avant-guards and hence deserve to be theorized in their contemporary specificity. Therefore, we invite scholars and activists to think together to provide various responses and establish a productive dialogue between the theorizations of the intricacies of our times and activist/subversive practices that deal with them. The encounter between the insights of political, social and critical theory and activist visions, suggestions and actions is both urgent and appealing. We aim to explore this confrontational collaboration, its limits and productiveness, both in theory and in practice. An important concern is to contextualize practices both in their specificity and in a broader framework, by considering their predecessors, their temporal and theoretical neighbors, and allied or hostile relatives. By doing so, the various manifestations of activist practices in different localities and their transnational qualities can be elucidated. Activist practices are situated at the juncture of power, desire, identity, political practice, political agency and the dialectic of subversion and recuperation. Contributions should try to engage with these coordinates so as to generate various suggestions about the present and future, subjects and politics, as well as the formation and reformation of images, spaces, meanings and everyday life. Contributions are expected to be concerned with rethinking and exploring theoretical concepts and tools through practice, and comprehend and develop political practice by the help of theories, both for a better understanding of theory and practice, and more importantly, for new practical transformatory critical suggestions for our times. Contacts Aylin Kuryel - aylinkuryel@gmail.com Beg?m ?zden F?rat - B.O.Firat@uva.nl Deadline for the articles December 2007 Publication of the book April 2008 ? -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/mixed From kriss at sch0ll.de Mon Aug 20 04:52:51 2007 From: kriss at sch0ll.de (Kriss Sol) Date: Mon Aug 20 04:45:43 2007 Subject: [CASA] International Protest Over Berlin Sociologist's Arrest References: <0FB9DBB5922C2042814860CD5E13B48B8D60BF@EX01.fmg.uva.nl> Message-ID: <482F6D01-401C-4C89-A07E-3EBF77B3E481@sch0ll.de> > Dear all, > > On 31st July 2007 the flats and workplaces of Dr. Andrej Holm and > Dr. Matthias B., as well as of two other persons, were searched by > the police. Dr. Andrej Holm was arrested, flown by helicopter to > the German Federal Court in Karlsruhe and brought before the > custodial judge. Since then he has been held in pretrial > confinement in a Berlin jail. All four people have been charged > with "membership in a terrorist association according to ァ > 129a StGB" (German Penal Code, section 7 on 'Crimes against Public > Order'). They are alleged to be members of a so-called "militante > gruppe" (mg). The text of the search warrant revealed that > preliminary proceedings against these four people have been going > on since September 2006 and that the four had since been under > constant surveillance. > > All four accused are critical social scientists and they do exactly > what sociologists and political scientists should be doing. > > To read more about this situation, please visit: > http://einstellung.so36.net/en/openletter. > > Newspaper article about those accused: > "International Protest Over Berlin Sociologist's Arrest" > http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2742395,00.html > > You can sign a petition at: > http://www.policing-crowds.org/petition.html > > From art.news at shintai-z.com Mon Aug 20 06:04:37 2007 From: art.news at shintai-z.com (Art News @ Shintai | Zweck) Date: Mon Aug 20 06:05:17 2007 Subject: [CASA] FW: [transform] Criminalization of critical academic research and political engagement Message-ID: <200708201305.l7KD4owW017226@ss94.shared.server-system.net> Dear CASA people, In case you have not already seen this, I wanted to pass it on since so many of us are involved in critical research about politics and alternative economics. All the best to you, Milena > -----Original Message----- > From: Aileen Derieg [mailto:a.derieg@eliot.at] > Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2007 6:24 AM > To: transform-list@eipcp.net > Subject: [transform] Criminalization of critical academic research and > political engagement > > Please sign this petition before August 24th: > http://einstellung.so36.net/en/openletter > > Message from Anna: > > > On July 31 my home was raided by German federal police and my partner > Andrej Holm was arrested. Our children had to endure a dozen armed > cops waking them, and us. Andrej is in prison in Berlin-Moabit since. > There are a number of initiatives protesting against this, including > two open letters to the federal prosecutor by critical researchers. > I'm still not able to write a lot, but there is information available, > most of it on the website of a group trying to support all who are > concerned: http://einstellung.so36.net/en > > A summary: Three people were arrested while alledgedly trying to > set fire to four army vehicles. Four other people are assumed to be > members of a terrorist organisation called 'militant group' and were > observed since last September at least - Andrej being one of them > (this included tapping of phones also of family members and friends, > email observation of everybody close etc etc). Since he met one of the > other three twice this year in so-called conspiratory cirsumstances > all seven are now suspected to be 'terrorists' - even though it is > unclear why they met and what was talked about. Current state is that > the three who are said to have set fire to the army vehicles and > Andrej are imprisoned. The reasons given by the federal prosecutor > why Andrej and the three others are suspected to be 'terrorists' are > extremely incredible: researching gentrification, access to libraries > and intellectual ability are explicitely mentioned as reasons in the > arrest warrant. Their treatment in prison is considered similar to > treatment of members of RAF in the dark ages of the 70s, according to > the lawyers. > > The open letters have already been signed by many international and > German academics and activists. I'll paste the text below. Please > consider signing and/or raising public awareness in any possible way. > A new lawyer's decision about the continuation of imprisonment is > expected for August 24th, so anything that raises attention before > that date may be helpful. > > Anna > > I'm at the moment away from computers most of the time. You can contact > einstellung[at]so36.net for more information. > > ============== > > http://einstellung.so36.net/en/openletter > > > Open letter to the Generalbundesanwaltschaft against the criminalization > of > critical academic research and political engagement > > On 31st July 2007 the flats and workplaces of Dr. Andrej Holm and > Dr. Matthias B., as well as of two other persons, were searched by > the police. Dr. Andrej Holm was arrested, flown by helicopter to the > German Federal Court in Karlsruhe and brought before the custodial > judge. Since then he has been held in pretrial confinement in a > Berlin jail. All four people have been charged with membership in a > terrorist association according to 129a StGB (German Penal Code, > section 7 on Crimes against Public Order). They are alleged to be > members of a so-called militante gruppe (mg). The text of the search > warrant revealed that preliminary proceedings against these four > people have been going on since September 2006 and that the four had > since been under constant surveillance. > > A few hours before the house searches, Florian L., Oliver R. und Axel > H. were arrested in the Brandenburg region and accused of attempted > arson on four vehicles of the German Federal Army. Andrej Holm is > alleged to have met one of these three persons on two occasions in the > first half of 2007 in supposedly conspiratorial circumstances. > > The Federal Prosecutor (Bundesanwaltschaft) therefore assumes that > the four above mentioned persons as well as the three individuals > arrested in Brandenburg are members of a militant group, and is > thus investigating all seven on account of suspected membership in > a terrorist association according to 129a StGB. According to the > arrest warrant against Andrej Holm, the charge made against the above > mentioned four individuals is presently justified on the following > grounds, in the order that the federal prosecutor has listed them: > > - Dr. Matthias B. is alleged to have used, in his academic publications, > phrases and key words which are also used by the militante gruppe; > - As political scientist holding a PhD, Matthias B. is seen to be > intellectually > capable to author the sophisticated texts of the militante gruppe (mg). > Additionally, as employee in a research institute he has access to > libraries > which he can use inconspicuously in order to do the research necessary to > the > drafting of texts of the militante gruppe?; > - Another accused individual is said to have met with suspects in a > conspiratorial manner: meetings were regularly arranged without, however, > mentioning place, time and content of the meetings; furthermore, he is > said to > have been active in the extreme left-wing scene; > - In the case of a third accused individual, an address book was found > which > included the names and addresses of the other three accused; > - Dr. Andrej H., who works as urban sociologist, is claimed to have close > contacts with all three individuals who have been charged but still remain > free; > - Dr. Andrej H. is alleged to have been active in the resistance mounted > by the > extreme left-wing scene against the World Economic Summit of 2007 in > Heiligendamm; > - The fact that he allegedly intentionally -- did not take his mobile > phone > with him to a meeting is considered as conspiratorial behavior. > > Andrej H., as well as Florian L., Oliver R. und Axel H., are detained > since 1st August 2007 in Berlin-Moabit under very strict conditions: > they are locked in solitary confinement 23 hours a day and are allowed > only one hour of courtyard walk. Visits are limited to a total of half > an hour every two weeks. Contacts, including contacts with lawyers, > are allowed only through separation panes, including contact with > their lawyers. The mail of the defense is checked. > > The charges described in the arrest warrants reveal a construct > based on very dubious reasoning by analogy. The reasoning involves > four basic hypotheses, none of which the Federal High Court could > substantiate with any concrete evidence, but through their combination > they are to leave the impression of a terrorist association. The > social scientists, because of their academic research activity, their > intellectual capacities and their access to libraries, are said to be > the brains of the alleged terrorist organization. > > For, according to the Federal prosecutor, an association called > militante gruppe is said to use the same concepts as the accused > social scientists. As evidence for this reasoning, the concept of > gentrification is named - one of the key research themes of Andrej > Holm und Matthias B. in past years, about which they have published > internationally. They have not limited their research findings to an > ivory tower, but have made their expertise available to citizens > initiatives and tenants organizations. This is how critical social > scientists are constructed as intellectual gang leaders. > > Since Andrej Holm has friends, relatives and colleagues, they now also > are suspect to be terrorists, because they know Andrej. Another > accused individual was blamed for having the names of Andrej Holm and > of two others charged (but not jailed) in his address book. Since the > latter are also deemed to be terrorists this is how guilt by > association is established. > > Paragraph 129a, introduced in Germany in 1976, makes it possible > for our colleagues to be criminalized as terrorists. This is how, > through 129a, the existence of a terrorist group is claimed. > > Through these constructs, every academic research activity and > political work is presented as potentially criminal in particular > when politically engaged colleagues who intervene in social struggles > are concerned. This is how critical research, in particular research > linked with political engagement, is turned into ideological ring > leadership and terrorism. > > We demand that the Federal Prosecutor (Bundesanwaltschaft) immediately > suspend the 129a-proceedings against all parties concerned and to > release Andrej Holm and the other imprisoned from jail at once. We > strongly reject the outrageous accusation that the academic research > activities and the political engagement of Andrej Holm are to be > viewed as complicity in an alleged terrorist association. No arrest > warrant can be deduced from the academic research and political work > of Andrej Holm. The Federal Prosecutor, through applying Article > 129, is threatening the freedom of research and teaching as well as > social-political engagement. > > Initial signatures by: > > Dr. Manuel Aalbers (Columbia University, New York), Prof. Dr. Rowland > Atkinson > (University of Tasmania, Australien), Prof. Dr. Lawrence D. Berg (Canada > Research Chair in Human Rights, Diversity & Identity, University of > British > Columbia), Prof. Dr. Neil Brenner (New York University, Sociology), Prof. > Dr. > Craig Calhoun (President, Social Science Research Council, and University > Professor, Sociology, NYU), Prof. Dr. Mike Davis (Prof. of Urban History, > Irvine/USA), Dr. Michael Dear (Professor of Geography at the University of > Southern California/Los Angeles), Prof. Dr. Michael Edwards (The Bartlett > Centre for Architecture and Planning, UCL, London), Prof. Dr. Geoff Ely > (University of Michigan, Karl Pohrt Distinguished University Professor), > Prof. > Dr. John Friedmann (University of California, Los Angeles), Prof. Dr. > Herbert > Gans (Columbia University, New York), Prof. Dr. Alan Harding (University > of > Salford, UK), Prof. Dr. Michael Harloe (University of Salford, Vice- > President), > Prof. Dr. David Harvey (Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Graduate > Center > of the City University of New York, New York), Prof. Dr. Andreas Huyssen > (Villard Professor of German and Comparative Literature at Columbia > University), Prof. Dr. Martin Jay (Sidney Hellman Ehrman Professor of > History, > University of California Berkeley), Prof. Dr. Bob Jessop (Lancaster > Universtiy), Prof. Dr. Roger Keil (York University, Toronto, Canada), > Prof. Dr. > Rianne Mahon (Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada), Prof. Dr. Peter > Marcuse > (Columbia University, New York), Prof. Dr. Margit Mayer (Freie Universitt > Berlin), Prof. Dr. Frances Fox Piven (President of the American > Sociological > Association, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Sociology, > City > University New York), Prof. Dr. Andrew Ross (New York University, New > York), > Prof. Dr. Saskia Sassen (Columbia University, New York, and London School > of > Economics) Prof. Dr. Andrew Sayer (Lancaster University, Sociology), Prof. > Dr. > Richard Sennett (Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics, > Bemis Professor of Social Sciences at MIT, Professor of the Humanities at > New > York University), Prof. Dr. William Sewell (The Frank P. Hixon > Distinguished > Service Professor of Political Science and History Emeritus, University of > Chicago), Prof. Dr. Neil Smith (Distinguished Professor of Anthropology > and > Geography, Director of the Center for Place Culture and Politics, Graduate > Center of the City University of New York), Prof. Dr. Michael Storper > (Centennial Professor of Economic Geography, London School of Economics, > and > Professor of Economic Sociology, Science Po, Paris), Prof. Dr. Erik > Swyngedouw > (University of Manchester, UK), , Prof. Dr. Peter J. Taylor (Loughborough > University, UK), Prof. Dr. John Urry (Lancaster University, Sociology), > Dr. > Jennifer Wolch (Professor of Geography at the University of Southern > California/Los Angeles). > > Sihn here: > http://www.policing-crowds.org/petition.html > > ========================== > > > http://www.freeandrej.net.ms/ > > To Monika Harms > Federal Prosecutor of the Federal Court of Justice > > Brauerstrae 30 > > 76135 Karlsruhe > > On August 1, 2007, the socially committed Berlin sociologist, Dr. > Andrej H., was detained upon the order of the office of the federal > prosecutor. The order followed a police search of his residence and > the residences of three other academics. All three are suspected of > being members of an organization called "militante gruppe" ("militant > group"/mg), which is being investigated by the federal prosecutor's > office in accordance with 129a StGB on suspicion of the formation of > a terrorist association. The arrest warrant issued for Dr. Andrej H. > is justified by two "conspiratorial meetings he is said to have had > several months ago with an individual taken custody during an arson > attempt on federal armed forces vehicles in "Brandenburg an der Havel" > in late July. > > We strictly oppose the use of violence as endorsed and practiced by > the "militant group." At the same time, however, we strongly object > to the notion of intellectual complicity adopted by the federal > prosecutor's office in its investigation. According to Dr. Andrej > H.'s legal representative, accusations concerning his membership in a > terrorist organization have been made on the following grounds: > > - the office of the federal prosecutor possesses no information > concerning the nature of Dr. Andrej H.'s meeting with the suspected > arsonists; their suspected participation in the "militant group" is > based on the fact of the meetings alone; > > - according to the federal prosecutor's office, Dr. Andrej H.'s > involvement in the terrorist group can be deduced from his > intellectual engagement in subjects broached in the writings of the > "mg"; a 1998 publication of Dr. Andrej H. contained various "key > words and phrases" also found in the texts of the "militant group" > (including, for example, the term "gentrification" widely used in > urban sociology), > > - the suspect, with a doctoral degree in political science and, as > an employee of a research institute, had access to libraries where he > could inconspicuously do the research required for the founding of a > militant group". > > Such arguments allow any piece of academic writing to be potentially > incriminating. The rationale followed by the federal prosecutor's > office is a direct threat to all those who pursue and publicly defend > critical studies in the sciences, humanities, arts, and media. > Critical research, even in combination with social and political > activism, cannot be labeled terrorist activity. > > We hereby petition the office of the federal prosecutor to drop the > charge that Dr. Andrej H.'s academic writings constituted intellectual > participation in a terrorist organization. Nothing in Dr. Andrej H.'s > scholarly work justifies an arrest warrant. This line of reasoning > represents a fundamental threat to intellectual and academic freedom. > > Likewise, we hereby petition for an immediate cease in the > investigation of Dr. Andrej H. in accordance with 129a StGB, which > calls for an especially harsh detention and restrictions in legal > defense. > > August 9, 2007 > > > Sign here: > http://www.gatdesign.de/andrej/petitionlist_e.php > No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.0/961 - Release Date: 8/19/2007 7:27 AM From ldavis at oceanfree.net Tue Aug 21 05:05:43 2007 From: ldavis at oceanfree.net (Laurence Davis) Date: Tue Aug 21 05:17:42 2007 Subject: [CASA] Climate Camp 2007 Message-ID: <010c01c7e3eb$9a3c47d0$0201a8c0@home6yks5fkixn> link to photos/news from Climate Camp 2007 (Heathrow, 14-21 August): http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/08/379196.html Laurence -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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