[WSF-Discuss] Against Neoliberal Urban Transformation

[CACIM]

*Monday, September 08, 2008*

*Against Neoliberal Urban Transformation *

@
http://tanpelin.blogspot.com/2008/09/against-neoliberal-urban-transformation.html



We are meeting together in European Social Forum at Malmö to discuss urban
social movements and the future of concrete urban actions and collaboration.

Seminar: RECLAIMING THE
CITY<http://www.reclaiming-spaces.org/events/archives/6#more-6>
Resisting evictions, demolitions, gentrification, privatization,
speculation…

* Seminar at ESF Malmö, Rosengård Värner Rydénskolan
* Thursday, Sept. 18 2008, 9:30-12:30


Neo-liberal policies, financial globalization and global city competition
heavily affect urban life and struggles. Millions of people from lower
classes get pushed out of their neighborhoods and houses. Based on an
exchange of recent experiences with struggles against neo-liberal urban
transformations in Istanbul, Germany, and Russia we want to discuss options
for internationalized resistance.


The financial market driven globalization as well as the globalized
competition between places and regions heavily affect urban development,
urban life and urban struggles across Europe . As a consequence millions of
people from the lower classes get pushed out of their original neighborhoods
and houses. Among the reasons are post-fordistic urban transformations and
renewal projects in favor of the wealthy, rocketing rents and reduced
subventions for housing costs of unemployed, gentrifications and the
cleansing of "slums", privatizations and real estate speculation, mega
projects, tourism and big events, racist exclusions, the control of informal
forms of work and housing, the disciplination of unconformity…

>From our experiences with struggles against these processes many questions
arise:

How can local struggles against the consequences of these processes develop
effective international networking, advocacy and targeted campaigning? How
to achieve the RIGHT TO HOUSING in an Europe of workfare and privatization,
of house demolition and social exclusion, of speculation and real estate
violence? Which role does the EU play or should it play? How to link
alter-globalization with community organization in the neighborhood? Which
solidarity vision for the relations between territories and regions? Which
role can urban issues and local movements play within a rescaling of
anti-hegemonial struggles? What can be common claims among urban struggelers
related to the global financial sector? How to build land/housing rights and
urban campaigns targeted at trans-national financial investors, banks,
institutions? How to internationalize our struggles?

Based on an exchange of recent experiences with struggles against
neo-liberal urban transformations we want to try to discuss some of these
questions.

ASSEMBLY OF URBAN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

* Saturday, Sept. 20 2008, 9:30-12:30at Enskifteshagen, Tält 2

This ASSEMBLY, open to all activists for urban/housing/land rights, will
discuss concrete steps for improved international cooperation on urgent
action, campaigns and reflection. It should try to fix the implementation of
agreements built during ESF meetings. Let's develop effective, targeted and
transparent international networking! Let's build a roadmap for unity of
urban social movements !
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