This pamphlet has been made to share with you what the 2.Dh5 festival is, and why if you enjoy the Global Uprisings conference you should definitely join us at the upcoming edition in The Hague from January 31 to February 2.
The central theme of the festival is the importance of history for current movements. “Everything has to be re-invented” – solutions have to be new and fresh, is often said these days. Movements from the past are easily denounced as obsolete and outdated. But can we write them off so easily?
To find out we will take a closer look at movements thruout history and the solutions that they proposed not so long ago, and investigate the value for current movements. Can we easily dismiss the history of political struggles, or is it better to acknowledge its value and see our movements as a continuation of those struggles?
Programme
A whole series of workshops and debates are being planned. To name a few in random order:
- The heritage of the Stonewall Riots
- The history of the debate around organisation
- Activism and the law
- Anarcho-syndicalism
- Resisting militarism and war
- Activists and (their) history
- The use of archives for militant activities
- Parliament and radical movements
- Activist camps
- Utopian thinking and acting
- No Border activism
- Refugee/migrant struggles
- The coming NSS-summit (in The Hague)
- Urban struggle and the Spuiforum-project
- Blockupy 2014
- How to destroy Amazon.com
- Precarious work
- Reformist NGO-campaigns
Holland in context
Unique to the political situation in the Netherlands is that radical activism is in quite a crisis. After periods of huge turmoil in the 1980’s, with a vibrant squatting movement; strong feminist organisations; a very large peace movement; international solidarity movements; and environmental organisations, the scene is now very different. Right-wing populist parties have become strong, socialist movements and trade unions have become extremely moderate and repression against activism has attained an almost surreal level. These are the circumstances that activists are being confronted with these days. They seem to be quite illustrative for the situation in most Northern-European countries, but pose a specific challenge to those who want to be politically active nowadays.
About the 2.Dh5 festival
~ The name, 2.Dh5, stems from a ferocious opening move in Chess, that is often suicidal but also the quickest path to victory. ~
The first edition of the festival was held in the city of Utrecht in January 2006 to discuss tactics and strategies and to inspire. The radical left has always been good in describing the problems that we face, but seldom in proposing concrete alternatives and solutions. The focus of the festival has therefore primarily been: finding solutions. Furthermore we provide a space for cross-pollination between the serious political activism and cultural aspects of struggle, and between theory and practice.
So far we have organised eight editions in five different cities. We aim to make the festival accessible for people who are not (yet) radical activists, but are interested in the subjects and themes of the program. Over the years we have organised hundreds of workshops, debates and concerts, on subjects as diverse as affinity-groups; biopolitics; NGO’s, trade unions and academics; migrant struggles; media-activism; radical local struggles; anti-repression; anti-fascism and much more. We have also always had a proper program of what we call ‘practical-workshops’; from how to organise blockades and pimp up a lock-on, to clown armies, and ‘how to enter difficult buildings’ or make banners and T-shirts. And a fair share of culture (films, bands, performances, exhibitions).
Practical information
We ask a fee of 5 Euro to attend the whole festival, but are flexible on that count. We provide translation for those who don’t speak Dutch; good food at ridiculously low prices and sleeping places for those coming from far. For all additional information visit our website at ww.2dh5.nl You can also find many of us behind the stand of bookshop De Rooie Rat in De Balie.
2.Dh5 this weekend: Blockupy Frankfurt 2014
~ Info on Blockupy mobilisation and refugee struggles ~
One of the workshops planned at the 2.Dh5, was about the perspectives of the Blockupy Frankfurt protests in Frankfurt against the European Central Bank that is being organised for the third consecutive year in 2014. Blockupy is in an interesting contrast to spontaneous uprisings being discussed this weekend. It is being planned and debated within a broad coalition, which surely will have disadvantages, but also offers some very interesting opportunities, like a clear anti-capitalist positioning, an even clear commitment to effective direct action, with migrant/refugee struggles as one of its focal points.
We want to present and discuss this project on Saturday November 16 at 4pm @ Bollox/Binnenpret, Eerste Schinkelsraat 14-16, Amsterdam.