Several hundred people have gathered for the Peoples Global Action 3rd Conference in Europe in Belgrade, ex-Yugoslavia. [report]. The worldwide anti-capitalist network PGA was founded in 1998 in Geneva, inspired by Zapatista ideas and the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico in 1994 against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
programme:July 26 | July 27 | July 28 | July 29
Audio-clip: [voices at the PGA conference (low quality) | G8 summit workshop | interview with activist from Moskau | interview with Rhythms of Resistance Sambaist | Samba training | Samba- training 2 ]
Video-clips: [recent history of Serbia, explained by anarcho-syndicalist | visit by Jugoremedija | demo in Belgrad ]
PGA started out as a network of grassroots movements mobilising against the World Trade Organisation (WTO). During the WTO anniversary meeting in Geneva in May 1998, there were actions in Geneva and a Global Action Day with actions in many different countries and continents.
Several Global Action Days followed, as well as caravans like the InterContinental Caravan (ICC) in 1999 to the G8 summit in Cologne. 400 farmers, mostly from India, and also Nepal, Mexico and other countries, participated in this caravan through several cities in Europe.
PGA is not an organisation, has no members and its organisational philosophy is based on decentralisation and autonomy.
The PGA network has hallmarks with a clear rejection of capitalism, of all forms and systems of domination and discrimination including, but not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious fundamentalism of all creeds.
The 3rd PGA conference in Europe is meeting in Jajinci, a suburban town south of Belgrade centre. An extremely remarkable meeting was organised on Sunday, when workers from seven factories in Serbia came together to co-ordinate joint action against privatisation in Serbia.
Activists from Greece and other countries shared experiences of workers struggles and resistance against privatisation. Andre Fontaine from Belgium presented an account of their struggle at Renault in Vilvoorde. The workers from the medicine factory Jugoremedija were especially impressive. A week ago, they occupied the Ministry of Privatisation in Belgrade. They have been occupying their factory for 6 months, since the director wanted to close it down. Women who have been working at Jugoremedija for up to 30 years told us how the workers organised a bulldozer to reopen the closed factory door. The women had to struggle with security men guarding the factory against the workers and kicked them. “We will never forget that fight for a lifetime�, the women told us happily, “but the security men will not forget it either�. Now the workers are protecting the factory with 24 hour shifts, even on Sunday.
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