The Dramatic Rise of Peer-to-Peer Communication

within the emancipatory movements

Reflections of an International Labour, Social Justice and
Cyber Activist
rsan enalp
Abstract
In the article I give a personal review on some of the important spaces of
convergence and mobilisations some of which took place in 2011 and 2012 and
others are currently being planned: like, 15O, oint !ocial "onferences, #ub
$eetings of Indignados, %lobal $ay, &gora '' and (lorence 10)10 among
others* I also deliver my observations on the dramatic rise of peer to peer
+,2,- communication as well as increasing involvement of new generation
activists in these spaces and mobilisations* !uch developments might allow
radical reformist and revolutionary forces to invent an upgraded
methodology for working together which might in return make it possible to
form transnationally connected and strong alliances between hori.ontal and
less vertical forms of agency, so called movement of movements*
Introduction
In 2011 the world witnessed the beginning of the first truly transnational and
global grass-roots uprising. Peer to peer self-organising, on-line connectivity,
horizontality, and commitment to non-violence have become the common
characteristics of the rising global movement. Progressive and revolutionary
civil society organisations and trade unions have played a crucial role in the
uprisings that too place in !unisia, "gypt, Iceland, #reece, $pain, Israel, %hile,
the &', the &$ as well as many other places.
!his constellation might e(plain why 2012 has begun as a year in which the
transnational capital and ruling elite have gathered around a consensus on
various types of authoritarian and neoliberal state capitalism. )ore and more
divorce between capitalism and democracy followed the maret failure
deepening in the *est. *hile imperial confrontations among the elite forces
1
taing the form of military conflicts, the common offensive against the poor and
woring classes structurally and strategically increased. !he violence has been
hardened against the peaceful social opposition almost everywhere. +ot only
austerity, fle(-slavery and proletarianisation have spread throughout the world,
peaceful public space occupations were violently evicted, militarisation,
surveillance and criminalisation captured all domains of social life, stries were
banned, and even as happened in )ariana tragedy in $outh -frica, tens of
striing worers have been massacred by the police forces in cold blood.
1

.n the other hand, 1/) and .ccupy movements have reached a sustainable
phase within 2012. -fter 1/., )ay 1 #eneral $trie and #lobal )ay0$pring
mobilisations a lot of e(perience has been gained.
2
$eptember 11, the first
anniversary of .ccupy *all $treet 2.*$3 and current autumn mobilisations
have proved the sustainability that the young movement has achieved.
4
- wee
before these lines are written #lobal +oise mobilisation too place maring, this
time, the first anniversary of the .ctober 1/ uprising. !here have been many
local and national mobilisations for various causes between .ctober 12 and 20.
.ctober 14 was the global day of action. !he #lobal +oise mobilisations were
organised in more than 40 countries and 240 cities around the world maing a
huge meaningful noise against the ruling class brutality. !here have been and
will be many other initiatives and mobilisations taing place during this autumn
and winter.
)eanwhile we have been observing the formation of larger alliances among
more traditional progressive forces. Important spaces and convergence
processes have been initiated, launched by radical democratic as well as
revolutionary alter-forces especially in "urope. -t the beginning of +ovember
1
http500www.amandlapublishers.co.za0home-page01/22-amandla-editorial-comment--a-
brutal-tragedy-that-should-never-have-happened
2
61/.5 http5001/october.net0 and http500map.1/october.net0 , 611.11.115
http500www.faceboo.com0events01171899:219428/0, 61)#$5 http500www.occupymay1st.org0
and http500maydaynyc.org0, 6#lobal )ay5 http500www.globalmay.org0en 26 sign refers to the
online aspects of the movement. 6 is a symbol used for tweet campaigns on !witter3
3
611$5 http500s11nyc.org0 , .*$5 http500occupywallst.org0
2
there are two events taing place5 -gora 77 in )adrid +ovember 1-: and 10;10
in <lorence Italy, +ovember 8-11.
:
!he ob=ective in these gatherings is enabling
constructive interaction between non-representational new movements and
progressive +#. networs and unions, and defining the common ground and
common mobilisations. >opefully much larger than the ones set for so far. .n
top of all these unions from #ree, $panish, and Portugal have declared that
they will set forth simultaneous general stries on +ovember 1:. !here is a
possibility that the unions from )alta and %yprus will also =oin in and turn it
into the first )editerranean #eneral $trie of the world history.
In the article I give a personal review on some of the important spaces of
convergence and mobilisations which too place in 2011 and 2012 and currently
being planned5 lie, 1/., ?oint $ocial %onferences, >ub )eetings of Indignados,
#lobal )ay, -gora 77 and <lorence 10;10 among others. I also deliver my
observations on the dramatic rise of peer to peer 2P2P3 communication as well
as increasing involvement of new generation activists and spreading of P2P
relational dynamics within in these spaces and mobilisations. $uch
developments might allow radical reformist and revolutionary forces to invent a
methodology for woring together which might in return mae it possible to
form transnationally connected and strong alliances between horizontal and less
vertical forms of agency, so called movement of movements.
eneral assemblies! transnational wor"in# #roups! and hub
meetin#s
$ince the $eattle and the first *orld $ocial <orum in Porto -legre, global
solidarity and =ustice activists have been intensively using email lists, $ype
meetings, video-sharing, websites and other software available in order to
organise alter- or anti-summits as well as reach out the public. >owever since
200:, with the arrival of high capacity servers and fibreglass cables that allows
4
-gora 775 http50077agora.net., <lorence 10;105 http500<lorence1010.eu , global+.I$"5
http500www.globalnoise.net
4
storing and transmitting of much larger amount of information, the available
online tools for activism have become more and more sophisticated, interactive
and accessible. !he new *eb 2*eb 2.03 has opened up the cyberspace for users@
participation, by producing content, self-publishing and sharing, without any
computer programming nowledge.
!he neoliberal offensive and the deepening of capitalist crisis has been
triggering radical politicisation of cyber-activism during the late 80s and 70s.
/
!he first generation participants of the P2P movement was leading an
underground fight against the commodification of the Internet, against the
intellectual property regime launched by #-!$ through the *!..
9
#-!$ was
providing the legal framewor for what has been called Athe second enclosureA of
cyberspace and allowing private capital to build the client-server model *eb
2*orld *ide *eb3 on top of the unprofitable distributed networ nown as the
Internet.
1
Part of this first generation P2P activism was transformed into the
<ree and .pen $ource $oftware and -ccess to <ree 'nowledge movements.
Barious groups has generated amazingly useful tools and pro=ects as result of
the struggle in this filed 2lie Cinu(, *iipedia, %opy Ceft, %reative %ommons,
!.D, !eleommunisten etc3.
!he cyber activism had to be performed on the terrain of capital, the *eb, in
order to mae an impact. -s radical left cyber-activists who were collaborating
in the globalisation of the Eapatista movement, fighting against the +-<!- 2and
#-!!3 also by utilizing the new *eb.
8
!his has allowed the reaching out to the
5
%yberpun movement5 http500en.wiipedia.org0wii0%yberpun, P2P movements5
http500p2pfoundation.net0%ategory5)ovements
6
'. )ilberry 220073 A#ees and #lobal ?ustice5 -nother 2%yber3*orld is PossibleA
http500geesandglobal=ustice.com0wp-content0)ilberry-Fissertation-for-Cibrary.pdf, +etwors
of Fissent5 - !ypology of $ocial )ovements in a #lobal -ge5
http500www.csudh.edu0dearhabermas0langmanb01.htm
7
). Gerlinguer 220103 A!he "ffects of the .pen $ource )ovement on the Fevelopment of
Politics and $ocietyA5 http500transform-networ.net0=ournal0issue-
0920100news0detail0?ournal0nowledge-is-a-common-good.html
8
#+&5 http500www.gnu.org, Cinu(5 http500en.wiipedia.org0wii0Cinu(, *iipedia5
http500en.wiipedia.org0wii0Cinu(, %opy Ceft5 http500www.gnu.org0copyleft0 , %reative
%ommons5 http500creativecommons.org0, !.D5 https500www.torpro=ect.org0,
!eleommunisten5 http500teleommunisten.net0
:
new activists, including non-cyber ones. !his emergent collaboration and cross-
fertilisation had been e(tended via $eattle and the *orld $ocial <orum yet it
remained limited because of the form of the *eb at the time. !his situation has
changed radically while the great anti-war movement of 2004 and $ocial <orum
movements were in decline during the second half of the 2000s. -fter the
arrival of the new *eb such interaction and cross-fertilisation among the cyber-
activists and social =ustice activists has brought about the newest social
movements 2lie the Pirates movement, hacer groups -nonymous and Culz$ec,
*iileas - =ust to mention the more widely nown ones3.
7

1/), widely nown as the Indignados, and .ccupy movements have created
transnational political spaces for closer collaboration among cyber, semi-cyber
and non cyber activists, those who involved in union and community
organising, issue campaigns, progressive +#. sector, previously non-active but
politicised independent individuals and small-scale new generation political
collectives. <ollowing the 2001 crisis, and most recently during the protests in
*isconsin, &$, and the student revolts in "urope in 2010, there was a rapid
increase in the interactions between these activisms, internet based media
activists and digital artists. <ollowing the dramatic events in !unisia and "gypt
last year these interactions had suddenly gave rise to deployment of both free
and open source software and new *eb based tool for the practice of
transnational organising, decision maing, visioning, strategy forming, reach
out and logistics.
!he actions of -nonymous and *iileas have reflected this connectivity and
solidarity between the newest movements and uprisings. *iileas released the
material that triggered the -rab spring and -nonymous attaced "gyptian
governments official sites, both stayed in solidarity with uprisings everywhere,
and the visual material shared with speed of light among thousands of activists.
-nonymous created massive media channels for its own net. It produced very
9
Pirate Parties International5 http500www.pp-international.net0, *iileas5
http500wiileas.org0, -nonymous %entral5 http500anoncentral.tumblr.com0
/
effective artistic video messages to declare support, mae a public statement,
call for action 2or what they call AoperationsA3.
10

*hen the protesters in *isconsin and !ahrir hailed each other, visuals of the
event were shared among millions on the *eb.
11
Cive video streaming channels
were on air and watched by tens of thousands of people across the world during
the mass occupations at Puerta Fel $ol $Huare in )adrid, messages shared
among -thens, Iceland, and Condon. !here were already online and real world
communication being established since then, between these spaces, groups and
rebels. "ven after most $panish city sHuares were occupied for several wees,
starting from )ay 1/, 2011, with e(plicit reference to the !ahrir $Huare, not
many would guess that these occupations and regular citizen assemblies -
comparable to previous Catin -merican e(periences - was actually being
systematically spread to many "uropean cities and beyond the -tlantic.
<ollowing the international assemblies organised in Cisbon and Paris, .ctober
1/ announced as the date of the I#lobal Devolution@ - a day of massive global
mobilisation. <irst ties were established in the &nited $tates and then were
formed the first truly international0transnational networs of online and offline
woring groups and committees. !hese networs were covering the
)editerranean, "uropean and -merican regions. -n IInternational Doad to
Fignity@ graphic was reflected the crucial points on the timetable.
12
!hese groups
gathered, shared, wored and discussed on a regular basis in order to build the
movement and organise the .ctober 1/ mobilisation. !hey have created a peer
to peer communication infrastructure for mobilisations and actions but also
developed the practice of Ireal democracy@ at the international level. -ssembly
protocols, methodologies, designs, signs, rules, etc. were formulated,
e(perimented, tested and improved across "uropean cities. !his nowledge and
e(perience crossed the -tlantic during the summer 2011. People@s assemblies
10
http500www.youtube.com0resultsJHKannymousL20operationMaHKfMsuge(pKchrome,mod
L4F0MumK1MieK&!<-8MsaK+MtabKw1MglK+C
11
https500sites.google.com0site0meydantahrirtowisconsin0
12
http500taethesHuare.net0tag0tahrir-puerta-del-sol0
9
started to pop up in -merican cities and &dbusters $aga.ine made the first call
to .ccupy *all $treet on the $eptember 11, 2011.
14
?ust before the *all $treet
occupation in $eptember 11, 2011, in Garcelona Indignados were holding a
transnational >ub )eeting to e(change information and ideas on local
situations and preparations, visions and future perspectives toward 1/. and
after.
.n the same day that *all $treet was occupied, the "uropean !rade &nion
%onfederation 2"!&%3 and "uropean trade unions organised a mass
mobilisation in Poland to protest the meeting of the "uropean finance
ministers.
1:
Net no connection was made between these two deeply connected
events that could have increased the impact of both. -s a result, that day and for
the following couple of wees, there was almost no media coverage of these two
big and related events. People around the world did not hear much about what
happened in *all $treet or Poland and could not see the connection. >owever,
after several wees of non-violent resistance by those occupying the Euccotti
Par in *all $treet, they were severely attaced by the police, mainstream
media could not ignore what was happening. !his eruption of unavoidable mass
media attention, coming mainly by international rivals of the GG% and the %++,
lie Dussia !oday 2D!3, the %hinese news channel %%!B, as well as -l ?azeera,
fed into the massive global mobilisations on the 1/th of .ctober, and
concomitant occupations of more than 1,000 central city sHuares in more than
70 countries across five continents.
1/
$utra#e! occupy! stri"e! bloc"upy
13
http500www.adbusters.org0blogs0adbusters-blog0occupywallstreet.html
14
http500www.etuc.org0a0887:
15
Interactive map5http500map.1/october.net0, Bideos5 http500roarmag.org020110100global-
revolution-mass-protests-in-1000-cities-in-videos0J
utmOsourceKfeedburnerMutmOmediumKfeedMutmOcampaignK<eedL4-;roarmag;
L28Deflections;on;a;DevolutionL27
1
!he wor and plans around the idea of a #lobal $pring mobilisations in 2012
began to crystallise towards the end of 2011.
19
<irst after the success of the
.aland #eneral $trie on +ovember 2. !his historical event not only prepared
the ground for the )ayday #eneral $trie plans but also made it possible for the
*est %oast docworers@ union 2IC*&3 to get a stronger position vis-P-vis the
company in dispute, and certainly played a role in the union winning the battle
under-way.
11
$ince ?anuary 2012, .ccupy #eneral -ssemblies 2#-s3 began organising the
first federal level #eneral $trie in &$ history, which too place on )ay 1,
international worer@s day, symbol of the 8-hour-day struggle and the unity of
subaltern classes. Indignados in "urope both encouraged and responded to this
call with a call to form popular worer0citisen assemblies that would gather on
)ayday beside or after the mobilisations organised by unions, in order to give
support to the labour movement struggle in general.
18
.n the other hand,
beginning Fecember 2011, the 1/) and .ccupy )ovements in "urope were
organising a day of global mobilisation on the )ay 12 2612)3, the anniversary
of the I$panish Devolution@ begun at Puerta del $ol sHuare in )adrid a year ago
on 1/ )ay.
17
-nother idea on an Iopen source@ and indefinite global transition
stries on 1/ )ay 261/)3 was also launched.
20
)any initiatives have been
undertaen to lin the dynamics of the new movement to organised groups -
lie resisting worers, unions, campaign groups and +#. networs - in order to
increase the magnitude of the spring mobilisations and the stries.
%onnecting to the 1), 12) and 1/) actions, many groups that were lined to or
acted in solidarity with the .ccupy and 1/) )ovements in "urope initiated the
16
http500snupro=ect.wordpress.com020110110100lets-begin-with-altering-the-system-
peacefully-by-=oining-social-mobilisations0
17
<or .aland $trie5 http500occupyoaland.org020110100general-strie-mass-day-of-action0 ,
http500www.guardian.co.u0world0blog020110nov0040occupy-oaland-general-strie-live
18
http500snupro=ect.wordpress.com0201200:0290indignados-=oin-calls-for-global-solidarity-
on-may-day0
19
http500www.faceboo.com0$panishDevolution
20
https500n-1.cc0pg0groups0101088401/m-global-strie0
8
"uropean mirror image of .*$5 !he Glocupy action, to tae place in #ermany
)ay 19-17.
21
)assive mobilisations were planned to protest, bloc and occupy
the <ranfurt <inancial %entre and the "uropean %entral Gan 2"%G3, which
were seen as the "uropean >ead .ffice of #oldman $achs. In the &$-, anti-#8
and anti-+-!. mobilisations were planned in %hicago for the )ay 1/-21 in
tandem with these preceding mobilisations.
22

- second hub meeting was held in )ilan on )arch 40-41 -pril 1, 2012. -ctivists
from many "uropean cities and camps at this meeting, shared information and
discussed strategies planned for )ay 2012.
24
In this second meeting #lobal
$pring0#lobal )ay woring group and Glocupy organisation gave updates and
a $ype call was made to a )ayday organiser from .*$. $ub=ects for analysis
discussed in the worshops were austerity policies, debt, privatisations, the anti-
democratic wave, the rise of the right wing. -nalyses were shared horizontally
and brought bac to local groups and collectives involved. $ince there was no
organisational representation, or aim at decision-maing during these meetings,
no irresolvable disputes arose coming from ideological, traditional, or cultural
diversity. !he assembly style of woring was adopted by all and participants
were individuals. !herefore it was easier and faster to wor and reach a
consensus. "verybody could =oin in spontaneous support, mentioning promising
initiatives about which they had information, and also raise points regarding the
methodology. $ince formal representation was not an issue, in practice the
meeting was mainly one of e(change and providing feedbac to the coming
initiatives. !he main impact of such organised networ meetings, however,
comes when interlined individuals bring bac the information and consensual
analyses to the local assemblies and groups. -t the end of the second >ub
)eeting, support for #lobal $pring, 12) and 1/) mobilisations was agreed with
full consensus. !here was a big support to )ayday in the &$ Glocupy, although
21
http500blocupy-franfurt.org0
22
http500occupyamerica.croosandliars.com0diane-sweet0chicagospring-occupy-nato-may-12-
21, http500occupywallst.org0archive0)ay-17-20120
23
>ub )eetings5 http500bcnhubmeeting.wordpress.com0, report from )ilan >ub )eeting5
http50011to17m.blogsport.eu0201200:00/0report-from-international-activist-hub-meeting-2-0-
in-milan0
7
there were concerns about the dedication to non-violence in <ranfurt,
horizontality in the planning of the mobilisation, and collaboration with vertical
organisations and groups.
!he successful organising of and global support given the .aland #eneral
$trie too the discontent in the +orth, which has been growing since the
$eattle 1777 and made a Huantum leap with the .*$, even a step further. It
underlined the historical roots of the current moment of the global uprising and
strengthened connectivity, communication and solidarity among various forces.
$ince around the free fall of Cehman Grothers in 2008, the general strie had
already made a spectacular return in "urope.
2:
>owever the )ayday #eneral
$trie in the &$ has actually awaened the legacy of ideas lie I.ne Gig &nion@,
I$horter *oring Fay@, IInternational $trie@ and highlighted the ties connecting
the old, new, newer and the newest progressive and revolutionary movements.
>undreds of millions marching around the world have given a strong echo to
this Ihappening@, and allowed us to visualise clear images of new generation of
actions and general stries that could start radical processes of social change.
2/

-lthough these ambiguous plans of the self-organised masses did not find a
strong resonance among a large part of the hierarchically Iorganised@ forces, for
the time being, the new generation of activists has gained an immense amount
of e(perience and confidence.
In <ranfurt municipal government had issued a strong ban on all the protests
in the whole of <ranfurt-am-)ain. Police repression was very heavy and the
issuing of such a ban for all protests had not happened since the +azis were in
power, indicating the depth of undemocratic rule dominating the old continent.
)eanwhile, in the &$, .bama was moving the venue of the #8 from his home
24
http500snupro=ect.wordpress.com020110110210boaventura-santos-return-of-the-general-
strie-english-and-spanish-via-peter-waterman0
25
http500en.wiipedia.org0wii01/O.ctoberO2011OglobalOprotests,
http500cryptome.org0info0ows-190ows-19.htm
10
town to %amp Favid. &nder such conditions the Glocupy managed to bloc the
"%G and to get a 40-thousand strong rally on the 17th.
29

!he above-mentioned mobilisations and actions were the international ones
directly organised by non-representational groups including .ccupy, 1/) and
those who collaborated with them as in Glocupy mobilisation. In order to
uncover the real number of the local, national and regional events, direct
actions, mobilisations and stries organised by these groups - and their impact -
we need an intensive and systematic study.
%uropean fellowship of the rin#&
- month before )ayday 2012, on )arch 28-27, the ne(t phase of an important
e(periment too place at the International !rade &nion Guilding in Grussels,
which hosts the established global union structures of the I!&%, the "!&% and
associated union internationals. -mong the participants of the 2nd $pring
$ocial %onference there were more than 1:0 representatives of around :0
progressive organisations, unions, and +#. networs based in "urope.
21
!he first edition of the %onference had been held at the same venue in )arch
2011 by participants in the I?oint $ocial %onference@ process. !he ?oint $ocial
%onference initiative was officially born out of the "uropean $ocial <orum in
)almQ in 2007. Net the roots of the process can be traced bac to the
foundation of the Cabour and #lobalisation +etwor 2CM#3 during the *orld
$ocial <orum in 2001.
28
CM# is a loose networ of labour and union activists
originally aimed at maing labour more visible within the social forum
26
http500snupro=ect.wordpress.com0201200/02:0blocupy-franfurt-fotos-video-report-and-
reflection-occupy-amsterdam0
27
?$%5 http500www.=ointsocialconference.eu0JlangKfr, "!&%5 http500www.etuc.org, I!&%5
http500ituc.org0
28
Bideo interview . with )arco Gerlinguer5 http500www.youtube.com0watchJvKFR#z/8($<h8,
P. *aterman on the CM# +etwor5 http500www.nottingham.ac.u0cssg=0documents0woring-
papers0wp008.pdf
11
processes. $ince the )almQ "$<, several social movements, +#. networs and
labour unions have become involved in the ?$% process, have developed mutual
trust and recognition, and have e(perimented with innovative ways of woring
together. !he first conference was a product of some years of wor, was not easy
to put together and establish outreach. It was a difficult e(periment of
collaboration in reaching concrete results, because of the differences in cultures,
ideologies, ways of woring and different interests. Gut lessons have been
learned and mutual trust and recognition gained. Gesides, the increasing
pressure of the crisis and mobilisations on the streets contributed to a much
more successful second edition.
Furing the 2nd $pring $ocial %onference many people, including the "!&%
#eneral $ecretary, repeated the need for a "urope-wide general strie and =oint
actions, in order to be able to resist capital and change the balance of power,
although stating that it would very hard to realise these. >owever, standing
closer to southern "uropean union positions, as well as the Indignados and
.ccupy movements@ actions, the #eneral $ecretary of the largest "uropean
union federation, the "uropean Public $ervices &nions 2"P$&3, declared that
even today such transnational stries are possible if we only bring e(isting
struggles together and lin the national general stries ongoing.
-t the end of the day, there was no direct support for a )ayday strie in the &$
or "urope, nor a call for mobilisation as proposed by 12) and 1/). Gut the
effort was relatively successful and a fairly strong final document, with e(citing
content, was produced.
27
Degardless of the difficulties and interest conflicts
2predictable with the combination of actors involved3 a common analysis,
resistance and mobilisations were identified.
-fter the end of the conference an inter-networ meeting gathered with the
29
Desisting <inancial Fictatorship S Declaiming Femocracy and $ocial DightsT
http500www.=ointsocialconference.eu0sites0www.=ointsocialconference.eu0I)#0pdf02012-04-
40O-O=scO-OenO-OfinalOpoliticalOdeclaration.pdf
12
same participants and others, to wor on a call for organising an -lter$ummit in
the foreseeable future.
40
!he call was made to build a "urope-wide social
movement, sharing a common ground of analysis, and defining collective
actions and alternatives against the austerity policies, deregulations,
privatisations and anti-democratic measures in "urope as well as globally. !he
cornerstones for building such a movement were identified as )ay /-9, 2012
!+I-%". conference that too in Grussels, 11-20 )ay Glocupy for #lobal
%hange mobilisation in <ranfurt, /-17 )ay $ubversive <orum in Eagreb and
<lorence 10;10 to be organised between +ovember 8-11, 2012.
41

Individual activists =oined the meeting and raised calls for support to the )1#$,
12) and 1/) global actions organised by the .ccupy and 1/) )ovements.
Participants from the Indignados and .ccupy movements reported on the
conference to the 2nd >ub )eeting gathering in )ilan mentioned before, right
after the event on )arch 40. -s I said, both the $pring $ocial %onference and
>ub )eeting participants endorsed and declared active support to the Glocupy
action, which was inspired by the .*$ and 1/) and organised by a wider
coalition of forces, including .ccupy groups in #ermany.
$ome of the participating networs, lie -!!-% and !ransform, +#.s lie %".
and !+I among others, have lined the outcomes of the conference to another
process launched in collaboration with political actors lie the "uropean Ceft,
that too place on the )arch 40-41.
42
.n / and 9 )ay 2012, following this
process of interaction, another important alliance-building event was organised
in Grussels, this time by %orporate "urope .bservatory 2%".3 and the
!ransnational Institute. -round 400 participants from across "urope came
together to see the possibilities of taing collaboration among activists, unions,
movements and networs one step further. !hey produced an inspiring
30
http500www.altersummit.eu0%all-for-an-alternative-summit,2.html
31

http500www.altersummit.eu0sites0www.altersummit.eu0I)#0pdf0D.-F)-PO-C!"DO$&))
I!O"ng.pdf
32
http500transform-networ.net0uploads0t(Onews0-lter-$ummitOprocess.pdf
14
statement calling for a halt to the "& -usterity !reaty.
44
!he two-day I"& in
%risis %onference@ mared %".@s 1/th anniversary. <ollowing two days of
discussion and debate, a new Pan-"uropean networ to fight against the "&@s
austerity policies, and support a fairer, greener, more democratic "urope, was
launched. !here were calls made to support the occupation of the "uropean
%entral Gan on the 11-20 )ay and the #lobal Fay of -ction on 12 )ay.
4:
!here
were also calls made to support the I+o@ campaign in the Irish Deferendum on
the -usterity !reaty that too place on 41 )ay 2012. $ignificant elements of the
transnational water =ustice movement were also at present in the conference.
!he valuable e(perience of these actors in terms of transnational alliance
building contributed to the convergence. - new campaign to challenge the push
for the privatisation of water services was launched, including support for the
campaign for a "uropean %itizens@ Initiative, stating that I*ater and sanitation
are human rightsT *ater is a public good, not a commodity.@
4/
.ther important
"uropean networs emerging and lining with this process of wider alignment
around similar issues were "uropean -lternatives and -nother Doad for
"urope.
49
Furing the !+I-%". event these networs engaged actively in the
-lter $ummit process and the <lorence 10;10 space. *hilst the "uropean
-lternative networ puts a strong emphasis on alternatives, commons and the
grass-roots, the -nother Doad for "urope networ consists of "uropean political
parties and research networs.
-fter the )ay mobilisations during the spring of 2012, a series of real world,
cyber evaluations and re-evaluations too place. !hese evaluations helped to
digest the e(periences of the )ay mobilisations and to draw lessons as well as to
re-energise for the autumn. Furing the spring and end of the summer in the
+orthern hemisphere many actions were organised, mainly in the &$ and
33
http500www.corporateeurope.org0blog0stop-eus-antidemocratic-austerity-policies-different-
europe
34
http500blocupy-franfurt.org0en0node07/0,
http500www.peoplesassemblies.org0201200/0may-12th-globalmay-statement
35
http500www.right2water.eu
36
"uropean -lternatives5 http500www.euroalter.com, -nother Doad for "urope5
http500www.anotherroadforeurope.org0inde(.php0en0the-appeal
1:
$pain. Gut maybe more importantly all evicted .ccupy camps have developed
their own online spaces and tools to eep in touch with local activists. $everal
important web portals were developed and launched.
41
Feveloping new
communication channels, local networs have built closer lins among the
previously-created spaces for international communication and coordination
among 1/) and .ccupy assemblies, camps, and networs in different
continents. Guilding on previous e(periences, new ideas for dates and content of
the global mobilisations were discussed, and an international worgroup was
formed - this time with even closer and wider international participation from
varying localities. - #lobal +oise action too place in a distributed way. - new
international road to dignity was drawn up for the rest of 2012 and 2014, lining
the cornerstones towards the aim of global change.
48

-t the end of -ugust participants of the almost all above mentioned
progressive, and less-horizontal networs, organised a preparatory meeting on
$ype in order to come up with a draft programme for the $eptember 1:-11
preparatory meeting and to wor on it in )ilan towards <lorence 10;10.
47
!he
)ilan meeting was relatively successful in terms of the convergence of ideas and
cultures. -n online per-convergence process - which is embedded in the
preparatory wor of five thematic groups established - and last group to wor on
the convergence. #roups and individual actors were ased to come up with
proposals for a common vision, strategy and action, in order to improve the
convergence at <lorence and move further on a shared concrete path.
:0
!he
)ilan meeting coincided with the anniversary of .ccupy *all $treet. Dight after
37
Interoccupy.net5 http500interoccupy.net0, .ccupy.net5 http500occupy.net0.
38
http500www.google.nl0urlJ
saKtMrctK=MHKMesrcKsMsourceKwebMcdK2MvedK0%%8U<=-GMurlKhttpL4-L2<
L2<interoccupy.netL2<ttsinternationalL2<minutesL2<minutes-of-aug-18th-
occupy1/mindigne-international-networ-meetingL2<MeiKeil:&Cm-
#'a*0URzo":MusgK-<U=%+<1cOrne'DI<$cbN&nU<w:P#)tN+gMsig2K-=c8f"(hHC>%>$
lu*r"N4U
39
)inutes of the $ype meeting5 http500snupro=ect.wordpress.com020120080210alter-forces-
are-converging-in-europe-to-fight-bac-against-the-1-=oin-in-the-struggle-for-=ustice-and-
solidarity0, -ctual Program5 http500<lorence1010.eu0images0docs04O)ilanoOprogramO1:-
19septO"+.pdf
40
.pen pad for proposals5 http500<lorence1010.titanpad.com04
1/
the opening session for the meeting, .ccupy and 1/) activists who were
participating provided individual inputs into the global+.I$" preparations, an
-gora77 meeting, and woring methods of the movement. Furing the following
days they made suggestions for the woring themes and the methodology for
<lorence 10;10, !hey wored on several possible ideas about how to involve
.ccupy 1/) networs in the space created in <lorence.
:1

.n the other hand, according to the decision taen by the transnational
assembly at the end of Glocupy action in <ranfurt, a worgroup was formed in
order to coordinate the organisation of a transnational and transversal meeting
in )adrid, called -gora 77. -gora 77 has been organised as an open meeting by
collectives and individuals taing part in 1/), .ccupy and Glocupy
movements. <lorence is an open space for organisations, unions, networs and
individual activists, whilst -gora77 is for political collectives, groups and
individuals =oining .ccupy and 1/) assemblies, mainly to wor on practical
issue. It is based on self-representation. -nd whilst <lorence focuses on "urope,
Febt, %ommons, Cabour and $ocial Dights, Femocracy, the themes of the -gora
77 gathering are Febt, %risis and Femocracy. $uggesting the P2P dynamics
behind the event some of the slogans on the banners are P2P Femocracy, P2P
-gora.
:2
*hile the )adrid event organisers made direct reference to P2P,
organisers of the <lorence event have opened the preparatory process to online
participation of individuals, networs and +#.s. !his is done by using open
pads ne(t to the email lists. !here are also ideas being mentioned, in relation to
<lorence, lie using the #erman PiratesA CiHuid Femocracy software which is
developed and used especially for P2P policy and decision maing.
:4

Conclusion
41
IndignadosA report55 http500titanpad.com0milano<lorence1/moccupy, .fficial report5
http500<lorence1010.eu0inde(.php0en0partecipate-20milan-international-seminar079-report-
of-the-milan-meeting, full video report5 http500openfsm.net0pro=ects0occupy1/m-
<lorence0oi<lorence-milano-videoreport
42
http50077agora.net0
43
http500techpresident.com0news0wegov0221/:0how-german-pirate-partys-liHuid-democracy-
wors
19
!he new methods and tools of communication and self-organising that have
been e(perimented with and developed by the new-generation activists in
creating a shared feeling and e(perience, strategy and tactics, public space and
political impact. Information-gathering and e(changes before maing proposals
to the local #eneral -ssemblies about the mobilisations, action or alternative
initiatives to be taen forward have been representing varying combinations of
direct democracy powered by P2P relational dynamics and tools, which were
developed and adopted by the previous and current generation activists,
including those active in -nonymous and Pirate party movements. -ctivist from
different movements need to reflected upon these new nowledge and
e(perience in order to strengthen international level practices in order to
contribute to most radical social change possible.
<ollowing the summer 2012, political momentum is rising again. &pcoming
elections in the &$, Israel, and the power transition in %hina, mae intra-class
conflicts more and more difficult to handle for the ruling elite, in global term.
!he coming months are potentially full of tension. !he increase in military
confrontations between %hina and ?apan, !urey and $yria, Israel M &$ vs.
Iran, reveal these fraternal conflicts. In most of the cases these hit hardest the
innocent civilians, the poor, children and elderly. Gut the hope is always there.
*hile I am maing the last corrections on the te(t, an International $trie for
+ovember 1: has been set to tae place in #reece, $pain and Portugal. !here are
important worshops planned for -gora 77 and <irenze 10;10 to interlin the
wor has been done, see for collaboration and possibility of larger
mobilizations, and start a discussion on building a transnational unionism.
-nother important unionist platforms +ew &nionism +etwor has launched a
discussion on how to build global unionism. !hese might be the signals of the
coming of stronger alliances between various types of actors. *ho nows may
be we can this time achieve to form a A<ellowship of the DingA, using !olienAs
11
fictive image as a metaphor. - force that can attract the eye of the )ordor,
murderous 1L in our case, to herself and e(pand from the )iddle "arth
2"urope3 towards the )editerranean, )iddle "ast, the -mericas and across the
world. %harge a glorious battle against the common enemy who declared
economic, social, political, cultural and military class war at the 77L and the
planet itself.
::

About the author
Vrsan Wenalp is an independent labour, social =ustice movement and cyber
2P2P3 activist and international political economist. In the past he involved in
left party politics, labour and consumer movements in !urey. >e also wored
for the +ational -ssembly as a political0international relations e(pert and
advisor. In the +etherlands he wored with !ransnational Institute and !I"-
+etherlands as freelance consultant and researcher. >e has taen part in
international movement-networ-union collaborations lie the *ater ?ustice
movement, ?oint $ocial %onference and -lter $ummit. In 2010, he launched the
$ocial +etwor &nionism Pro=ect and initiated the #lobal -lliance for
Immediate -lteration. $ince ?anuary 2011 he has been active in the 1/) and
.ccupy movements at the international and local levels. >e has taen part in
.ctober 2011 61/. &nited for #lobal %hange, 11 +ovember 2012 611.11.11
.ccupy the *orld, )ay 2012 6#lobal)ay for #lobal $pring, and .ctober 2012
614. 6global+.I$" for Deal Femocracy mobilisations.
:/
orsan1234 AT gmail.com
44
?.?.D. !olien5 500en.wiipedia.org0wii0?.OD.OD.O!olien,
http500en.wiipedia.org0wii0!heOCordOofOtheODings
45
TNI: http://.tni.org/! TI"#N$th$rlan%s: .ti$#n$th$rlan%s.nl! &'(:
http://www.jointsocialconference.eu, 'ocial N$tor) *nionism: http://sn+pro,$ct.or%pr$ss.com! -AIA:
https://n#1.cc/pg/gro+ps/943821/glo.al#allianc$#/or#imm$%iat$#alt$ration#gaia/! 0151:
http://15octo.$r.n$t/ an% http://map.15octo.$r.n$t/! 011.11.11:
http://./ac$.oo).com/$2$nts/179186642163285/! 0Global May: http://www.globalmay.org/en,
0glo.alN1I'": http://.glo.alnois$.n$t
18