Call to Participate

Dear all,

As you might be aware already, an idea emerged in early 2005 to organize a Babels International Meeting that would be dedicated to the issue of languages and the role of Babels volunteers as political partners within the social forums.

This 3-day meeting will be held on May 6-7-8, 2006 in Paris, France.

It will be an opportunity for Babelit@s to collectively review the purpose of our action as it fits into the social forum processes, to share our experience as activists and direct players in these forums, and to further explore the language and cultural issues –and that of the related technical means– as opportunities to create political spaces, putting into practice certain experimental approaches as an integral part of alterglobalist action.

While the International Meeting should bring together some 200 participants, among whom representatives of organizations and individuals participating in the forums, it should also support a broad debate before, during and after the event, from which the network should come out stronger and energized. While the network intends to play an active role in creating political spaces by means of languages, the need to consider diverse technical solutions depending on the circumstances of each forum is a basic requirement. This reflects the willingness of the network to engage, within the forums, in a comprehensive experiential approach of alterglobalist practices.

The idea is acted upon by a group of some 15 volunteers on 3 continents. The format is gradually being outlined and the needs and requirements are being identified, but LOTS REMAIN TO BE DONE and we need TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE INVOLVED.

If you have some time to spare, If you want to embark in a concrete collective project,

YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROJECT AS FOLLOWS :

 Become a relay person for the Budget group in your country or region by identifying sources of funding and assistance

 Become a relay person for the Logistics group in your country or region by putting forward material and logistics solutions for the International Meeting

 Participate in developing the program by engaging in the discussions which are being initiated in the Babels Forum

 Participate in the physical meeting of the Logistics working group (for the Parisian Babelit@s) to be held in Paris on November 19, 2:00-6:00 pm, in salle Serrer, at 3 rue du Chateau d’Eau, Paris 18e to expand the group in charge of the logistics issues

HOW ?

 1 – respond to this email and indicate if you want to relay the action of either Budget and Logistics groups (which both need correspondents wherever there are babelit@s involved in the project)

 2 – Participate in building this project via the Babels website forum :
— by engaging in the discussions conducted as part of the various « project groups » (on the Babels forum, under the International Meeting section, under the Logistics/Budget/Program or Participants group sub-section) by tracking project advancement in the Communication/Information section (on the Babels forum, under the International Meeting section, under the Communication/Information sub-section) : regular reports/updates for each group and a general newsletter