Connecting the Dots Working Group Workshop
Connecting the Dots (CTD) är ett nytt Stockholmsbaserat gräsrotinitiativ och en arbetsgrupp med syfte att fungera som tankesmedja, organisatör och initiativtagare. Vi vill bjuda in er till en workshop. Våra medlemmar är aktiva inom den breda vänstern och inom gröna, feministiska, antimilitaristiska och antirasistiska rörelser som aktivister, akademiker, konstnärer och organisatörer. Vår utgångspunkt är att koppla ihop problem och utmaningar inom områden så som militarism, miljöfrågor, migration, rasism, sexism och strukturella ojämlikheter av ekonomi och makt. Vår ambition är att kartlägga varje områdes historia för att kunna belysa de bakomliggande orsakerna till problemen och därmed synliggöra långsiktiga lösningar. Vi avser att ”connect the dots” mellan olika problem med målet att utveckla förslag på konkreta (re)konstruktioner av alternativ och även länka samman relevanta rörelser, grupper och personer.
DAY AND TIME: Stockholm, 29 November, 2015, 9:00-12:15
LOCATION: Announced to those to register (location changed)
EMAIL FOR MORE INFORMATION: connectingthedots@riseup.net
NOTE: IN ORDER TO COME TO THE WORKSHOP YOU MUST USE THE REGISTRATION FORM & THEN BE CONFIRMED.
Brief Overview by Jonathan M. Feldman
The goal of the Connect the Dots Working Group is to promote a discussion and solutions related to a host of problems now confronting Sweden in matters related to social inclusion, foreign policy and the need to create a sustainable and democratic economy. By “Connecting the Dots” we mean a system that allows us to not only connect different kinds of issues, but also connect to the processes that allow us to comprehensively address different problems. Sweden currently faces significant challenges in three key areas: (a) the need for improved ethnic integration related to systematic ethnic exclusion and the new challenges related to a growing number of refugees; (b) a growing conflict with Russia and militarized foreign policy leading to arms exports, a buildup up in military budgets and push to NATO; and (c) ongoing challenges to address problems in energy supply, ecological sustainability and full employment linked to quality jobs.
Not only are comprehensive solutions rarely advanced to address these problems, but they are also addressed “serially,” i.e. as separate issues. In contrast, addressing any one of these key problems becomes exceeding difficult without showing their linkages. For example, problem (a) requires new resources, but many resources are devoted to (b) a military economy and arms exports, such exports go to conflict zones that potentially generate refugees. Problem (c) is focused on external threats, yet a distorted view of the Russian Federation’s intentions has put less emphasis on significant environmental threats. Resources devoted to (b) military budgets and technology, comes at the potential expense of (c) mass transit and alternative energy investments necessary for addressing the employment and ecological crises. The refugee crisis (a) is based on wars and climate change, yet (b) arms exports contribute to refugees and (c) underinvestment in a green economy worsens climate change. These general problems (a), (b) and (c) are like the “dots” which we must connect. Connecting the dots is a kind of “horizontal integration,” i.e. a way to link up issues.
In contrast, the media and politicians are often separating these issues. Therefore, we must put pressure on the media and politicians. Two ways to do this are first to critically analyze and pressure the media and second to mobilize large numbers of persons in a public demonstration of support for both comprehensive policies and “connecting the dots.” The aim of our workshop will be to explain this general problematic and address various solutions to it. We will do this by providing a set of general ideas about the problems and potential solutions and involve the attendees of the workshop to help us design the plans necessary for the solutions. We are focused on four separate action areas related to politics, media and culture which are explained below. The conference is not simply an “academic discussion session,” but an action planning meeting to design and plan action scenarios which the group attached to the workshop will carry out in the future. The idea is to promote “vertical integration” by linking critical ideas to a mass audience, e.g. ideas related to not just anti-racism, but also extending power to marginalized groups; not just opposing weapons exports rhetorically but decreasing the incentive system behind them; not just advocating clean energy, but promoting socially or cooperatively controlled energy utilities.
Our general approach is that we need to develop new kinds of political interventions which can help address both comprehensive policies internal to each thematic area as well as help connect these policies. Our primary focus will be on four key kinds of interventions. These include: a) creating a media accountability organization and network; b) using the internet and other media to promote mass mobilizations of local citizens which involve local face-to-face meetings as well as an interactive media component; c) study-action circles which provide research on solutions and help organize directed actions; and d) various artistic interventions which can link political meetings and various spaces in the radio, museums, galleries, the universities and other spaces.
Please read more about the workshop here: Connecting the Dots Workshop, 29 NOVEMBER 2015 C
***
For a critical analysis of the Swedish media, read the following articles about: SVT and Dagens Nyheter as well as this analysis.
