Project outline
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General guidelines of the project
The political contents of the project are (in order of importance):
- Global policy-making (with particular emphasis on the push for "free" trade
and economic globalisation), with actions at G8 meeting, EU summit, WTO HQ, EU commission,
several national parliaments, etc.
- TNCs and transnational capital, with actions at several TNC HQ, at corporate lobbies
(European Roundtable of Industialists, Europabio, International Chamber of Commerce, World
Economic Forum), and at financial centers (stock exchange markets, big banks, Central
European Bank, etc).
- Agribusiness, Green Revolution, Biotechnology, and Patents on Life, with actions at the
Food and Agriculture Organisation, the European Parliament and Commission, Europabio,
Cargill, Monsanto, Novartis, Nestle, etc.
- 3rd World Debt, with actions at the G8 meeting, private banks (eg the United Bank of
Switzerland), and public institutions (like national parliaments).
- Militarism and nuclear issues, with actions at the NATO European HQ and the monument to
nuclear energy in Brussels.
For all these issues, common positions, based on the PGA manifesto, will be developed
by the activists involved in the programme. There will be at least two separate statements
for the Caravan-one from Indian activists, and one from European activists. The discussion
process should be finished by the end of the year.
The main objectives and guidelines of the project are:
- Bringing the political contents close to people's lives in all the places where actions
will take place
- Encouraging as many as possible to get actively involved in the preparation and
realisation of the actions and to remain active in confrontational non-violent action in
these issues after the project. In order to have as much direct contact with the local
population and groups as possible, local hosts are encouraged to organise public events,
of the kind that they like (speeches, picnics, parties, etc). Also, meetings with local
organisations are an essential part of the Caravan, in order to take contact and get to
know what is being done at the different cities.
- Promoting more contact and co-operation between all the organisations (from Europe and
other continents) involved in the project.
- Attracting local, national and international media attention on the political contents
of the programme. Strengthening and building up new autonomous media. Preparing press
conferences everywhere is highly encouraged as well as inviting the media to all actions.
There should be local press offices and a central press office, during the Caravan itself,
in permanent contact with the local press offices and the media spokespersons in the
Caravan. We will invite journalists to join the programme.
- Preparing the field (in Europe and everywhere else) for the PGA days of action against
the WTO during the third Ministerial Conference in fall 1999.
- Promoting non-violent direct action and civil disobedience as tools for political
change. ) All actions have to be non-violent, and respect public property and small
businesses. The actions should also not put foreign activists at risk of being arrested
(unless they want to be).
Logististics and funding
- The travel within Europe will be in restored buses that have been renovated by activists
sympathetic to the aims of the Caravan. All labour will be voluntary, including the
drivers of the buses. Not all of the participants will be in the same place at the same
time. There will be side trips, involving smaller numbers, which run in parallel to the
main route of the tour. This way the participation is broadened throughout Europe.
- The accommodation can take place in squatted houses, private houses, sports halls,
churches, farms and similar places. If it takes place in big rooms (e.g. basketball courts
or churches) the rooms should be separated by sex.
- The food will be provided by the local hosts in co-operation with amobile kitchen
collective. Most of the Indian participants are vegetarian, and they will bring their own
spices and be in the position to cook their food if some basic raw materials (rice,
lentils, etc) and pots and pans are provided locally.
- The travel expenses to Europe are borne by the organisations or activists from other
continents (or by funders that they might find). There will not be a travel fund in Europe
for this purpose, since a major effort will be needed in Europe to finance the rest of the
costs.
- All the expenses during the caravan itself will be paid for from Europe for the 600
invited activists from the South and Central and Eastern European countries. Participants
from Western Europe, North America and other rich countries are encouraged to participate,
but will have to arrange and pay for all their own accommodation, transport, and food.
- The funding for the costs during the caravan will be raised both by the European
co-ordinating group, which is based in Leiden, Netherlands, and also in a decentralised
manner by local groups involved in the Caravan. All involved local groups in Europe will
make efforts to raise money to cover their local costs (eg food, accommodation, publicity
etc), and will also be expected to make an effort to contribute to the central costs:
costs of buses, European Co-ordination office, and media work, although this will also be
the task of the European coordination office.
top, general
guidelines, process and participation, draft
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Process and Participation
The idea for the Caravan originated in India, but has been discussed, and approved as a
PGA action, by the Convenors Committee of the PGA. The Convenors' Committee is made up of
the following organisations: Proceso de Communidades Negras (Columbia), CETERA
(Argentina), Redes de Amigos de Tierra (Uruguay), National Alliance of Peoples' Movements
(India), Canadian Union of Postal Workers (Canada), Pensylvania Consumer Action Network
(USA), ORAM (Mozambique), Reclaim the Streets (UK), Social and Ecological Union (CIS
countries), Rainbow Keepers (Ukraine). Foundation For Independent Anlysis (New Zealand)
Also in Europe there is a large endorsement
of people and organisations.
For the groups and persons who live in the cities that are part of the schedule, being
involved in this project means to organise:
- accommodation and food (see above),
- local actions and meetings and other activities.
- local press work in co-ordination with the other press offices (see above).
- fudraising
Since all these tasks are a big burden for one single local organisation, local
welcoming committees with different organisations, collectives and individuals are being
formed all across Europe.
Groups and persons from places which are not in the draft schedule can also participate
in the programme, no matter whether they live in Europe or other continents, and their
participation is very much encouraged. There are several forms of participation that are
possible:
- Spreading information about the project.
- Encouraging local people to join the programme at least during some time. Food,
accomodation, and transport costs for Europeans will have to be borne by themselves, since
it is unrealistic to arrange these things.
- Inviting a part of the group to visit your town for some days (even if there are no
major centres of power to do actions at).
- Organising fundraising events for the project (parties, etc) and spreading the call for
donations. Especially this is important during the G8 meeting (18-20 June 1999), which is
the highest point of the programme (G8 Discussion List: j18discussion@gn.apc.org To join
this discussion list, send an email with SUBSCRIBE and your name in the SUBJECT box, and
also in the main body of the message.)
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Draft program of the project
This itinerary was developed in a participatory manner in the meeting in Leiden, The
Netherlands. Further details, including specific actions and meetings, will be finalised
by the end of February. Link to the
program window
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guidelines, process and participation, draft
program, draft list of actions
Draft list of actions
There may still be substantial changes
- Shell Headquarters (Netherlands)
- European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) (Belgium)
- EU Commission (Belgium)
- Europa Bio (Belgium)
- Monsanto Headquarters (Belgium)
- NATO (Belgium)
- Monument to Nuclear Power (Belgium)
- Food and Agriculture Organization (Italy)
- Milan Stock Exchange (Italy)
- World Trade Organization (Switzerland)
- World Economic Forum Headquarters (Switzerland)
- Cargill Headquarters (Switzerland)
- Nestle Headquarters (Switzerland)
- Novartis Headquarters (Switzerland)
- United Bank of Switzerland (Switzerland)
- Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (France)
- International Chamber of Commerce (France)
- European Union Summit (Germany)
- G8 Summit (Germany)
- European Central Bank (Germany)
This list of actions is still only a framework to work with. The definitive list
will be put together in dialogue with the local welcoming committees that are going to
prepare the actions and organise food and lodging. All actions have to be in line with the
objectives, political contents and positions of the project.

You can find a lot of information about corporations (from the list above and others)
at Corporate
Watch.
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