As a part of the mobilization against the G8 summit (June 6th to 8th in Heiligendamm) the Convergence Space Berlin starts on May 21st.
Convergence means to come closer: the aim of CS is to provide space for activists and population to approach each other, converge, interchange and create action.

Space means to recover space: CS is not supposed to be a sealed-off room, but one that is accessible to everyone. This space will be the district of 'Kreuzberg 36' which is everything within a radius of approx 1.5 km aroung Kottbusser Tor. To see a map of the area go to map and type "Berlin" and "Kottbusser Tor"

First contact point for everyone are the infopoints. At the infopoints, you will be able to learn about food and accomodation, legal help, the latest news. You'll get diverse information, flyers, information about berlin - and you will be able meet all the other activists.
You are the Convergence Space! Organize workshops, information meeting, actions...

Mobilization overview: What's going on against the G8 summit?

dissent
gipfelsoli

Home Sweet Home

Call for convergence

Role and purpose of Convergence Centers

* Convergence Centers (CC) are part of the infrastructure and logistics for the anti-summit protests
* The CCs are available befor the G8 summit starts as basis for international activists to find and gather useful information. They are offering places to sleep for early arrivals and people who travelled a long way
* In these spaces there will be the option to figure out the local situation and to get first contacts
* The space of the CCs will offer a platform for discussion, information, coordination and action. They should function as a tool for international exchange and networking beyond the protests.
* There will be workshops about the politics of the g8 and their influence - racism and war against migrants - global agriculture and GMO - policy of war - global privatisation - energy ressources and ecology - policy of education - local political issues in different regions of the world
* In the CCs you should get information about actions, places, dates or tips for finding affinity groups, etc.
* There will also be practical orientated workshops, f.e.: infos about situation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - Infoworkshops about german laws - Repression - Trauma - actionworkshops and trainings - communication methods in complex situations - find decisions in huge groups as well as first aid especially during demonstrations

the plan

As you may have noticed, the different working groups to organize the CCs to support protests against the G8-summit in 2007 have started to work. There are three CCs in different cities:

* Berlin° 21.5. -16.6.2007
* Hamburg° 25.5. - 10.6.2007, in the social centre „Rote Flora“
* Rostock 25.5. - 2.6.2007

° We think it is helpful to have CCs ready before the big protests are starting and also after the actions in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. By that, we will have contact points, rooms to prepare and also for retirement to other bigger cities nearby. For this reason the CCs in Hamburg and Berlin will stay open also during the protests near Heiligendamm.

We need support to support you!

How can you contribute?

It is important, that the local working groups on the CCs get help and support also in the months before the protests from groups of other cities and interested people, which are responsibly caring for different parts such as:

* organizing and coordinating the kitchens and translators
* enquire, do and coordinate the workshop programm
* build up of the technical infrastructure et. al. electrical equipment, Computer-Pool with Internet
* traffic, transport and logistic, that means organisation of materials and activists
* collecting material such as bikes and other things to go to or do actions and manage the distribution of it
* contacts and communication between infopoints, camps, legal team structures etc.
* giving first information to newly arrived activist
* security of the CCs against police and nazi attacks
* and of course – money! At the moment there is a financing gap of several thousand Euros. That means that every Euro, that you can donate now, is helping a lot to build up a useful infrastructure for the protests.

A special call goes to all of the international activists to put forth their ideas, creativity and ideas for the CCs before and during the actions.

What else can you do:

* Hosting soliparties and –festivals - Celebrating against G8 and for the resistance
* collecting donations at events and presentations, infotables, parties etc.
* Merchandising – T-Shirt, Badges, Broschures - d.i.y. or (just) selling them
* If you are well served with money as a political group or know groups that are, show them the CC concept and ask for financial support or if they can provide material.

Donations to the Convergence Center

To:

Netzwerk Selbsthilfe e.V.

Berliner Volksbank

IMPORTANT: Reason : Convergence Center

IBAN: DE 13 10090000 7403 8870 00

BIC/SWIFT: BEVODEBB

contact via mail

* Berlin: mail.cc_berlin[AT]nostate.net
* Hamburg: convergence-hh[AT]nadir.org
* Rostock: cc-rostock[AT]riseup.net
* to all of the three Convergence-Centern: convergence-center-g8-2007[AT]mail.nadir.org

Local action for global resistance!