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 VIDEO 1h40mn 

 

Gala Pin, Councilor for Participation, Barcelona City Council

http://fearlesscities.com/public-panel-debate-democracy-bottom-up/

1h32mn gala pin - thank you everyone - showing the potential and difficulties of the local - let us not lose the link to proximity now - starting again the video  - 0mn video  - there will be  a march   joan subirat  political science inspirer of  bcnencmu then bookin -  richie  newyork  -  diego coruna sister city - hiscima mohamde de rojava 15mn for each

we live crises of nation state crisis of the representative political system  we live the 15M movements  - which generated a climate that allowed municipalist candidacies in city   and opportunities  the rise of far right or personalities  - joan says that we are in change of time - i suggest we explain bcnencomu to point to difficulties - appeared in the heat of 15M - need to assault  the institution  and break the glass ceiling for civil society - bcnencmu  take form the movement experience  put the objectives before the political  logos - common objectives  - cities and  alliance of cities - from this initiative  joined by parties   -  this Is how that what looked impossible became possible - when you get in the public government you see the possibilities and also the size of the free market  in the housing - how we move from representative to participative forms - i believe is that we come to represent and not substitute  - need to find other form of government with citizenship   - propose new models of economy of safety of building the world we live in

Joan Subirats, Professor of Political Science University of Barcelona

1h27m joan - try to locate the debate in relation to global issues - the impact of this seminar  indicated that municipalism  trigger hope  against  states that are captured by austerity neoliberalism  debt pression of investment funds - importance  and limits - we are facing the situation - conference of financiarization of cities  raquel romnik UN commission for right to housing a few week ago - Vancouver Barcelona Londres   this process of building big assets  - converting - the asset “root goods” in  anonymous shares disconnected from the use :  a factor o new colonization economical and cultural - This is  important -  we speak of Polanyi of the great transformation merchandiszing of life -   generate need for protection  -book written in 1944

 Now we are in a double process - we do no speak of people  but of investment funds  - Blackstone -  able to sway on people life without state and people able to react-it is a bolstering move to market society - Relationship  based on indebtment and the technological changes of internet is a contributing   GAFA : in this sense need for protection is in the center of political changes : generate anti globaliz dynamics  links to movement of people and goods . it is Strange that in the corbyn election  - there was many year labour party did not speak of nationalization  - and  it appears  that rooting the election on people need was relevant

gala speak of the 2014 - till 2015 election - there was a common basis throughout Spain  it was reclaim the city, put forward the people need to politicize everyday life, reclaim the transformative strength ot the mobilized people. this included also politics the technological change  - "smart cities"   discussing it who are the winner and looser - it is obvious that cities appeared in 2015 as a hopeful perspective

Cooperative of works that maintain  the housing public ownership  in Copenhagen was 50 now 33%  - same as Vienna  - here are limits in the ability of local government -  when the mayor says :  what impacts us is much bigger than our capacity of action – in Spain when Franco  state 88% and cities 12% now   51%  states 36% region 12% cities  we have raised 1% since Franco

We can claim : experience of PAH show it is possible - Experience of these limits is on the debate of today - It possible so progress towards  belter condition without closing  the societies   keeping them open- Study show Relation of labour vote  in England is high when the diversity of passport is higher - Nancy frazer – we need the movement of emancipation autonomy and respect to diversity

Gala : David booKchin  - writing of municipalism  when the morale is low

Debbie Bookchin, Journalist and Writer  

 ( from Spanish translation)- Thanks to the entire fearlesscities  community  put together this extraordinary conference  - I come as the daughter of two long time municipalists   - 30^th anniversary of my mother   who ran city council  in Burlington on Vermont  in 87  in an explicit platform  with citizen  assemblies that contest the power of nation state  she did not win,  but pave the way - They have change the nature of politics in Burlington - Keep learning  - Also in Barcelona with the radical past  ( starts translation)  - heritage of anarchy in Barcelona  - a perfect place to young communist educated in Marxist theory   - his person trajectory is an example   as Trotskyist  was concerned by reductionism to economy -  was willing to get free of all forms  of oppression –

I realize the ecological  crisis in the 70s  opposing nuclear energy  - social ecology  starting from the premises that all ecological problem are social  and we cannot solve them if we do not take into a account the social relationship  - for him the important was how make a new egalitarian city  - when we think about this form organization the city converts in a logical city – he started studying cities and seeing how people could gather regardless of class – what is called  libertarian municipalism  was a third option between Marxism and capitalisms   he said that anarchist would bring our claims to the street  - without success at that time – the one who carry the claim  should realize that there always wil be power – in the man of who  or state level or local level -  while  we think on the impact of climate change  -  and the  heroin epidemic in the US  -  impoverishment of many people  -  we wll never  get a deep social change only through vote  - social change will not occur  voting  - this will not transform society -  progressively we are transformed in simple, voters for the minimal evil – we play this game  - we hear what we like and support the state structure that oppress us – while municipalism gives opportunity to have accountable delegates – we have  a rich history of self-government  Greece   - Paris commune  and Rojava  -  a municipalist model we need to support

It is important  that politics is more than having a municipal agenda – municipalism must give politics its original  turn a claim for liberty -  a decentralized  - vision – give back power to everyday citizen  politics is the contrary of parliamentarian politics -  transparent  - instead of closed room decision -  local assembles  transform and be transformed -  the simple act of doing politics  makes us builder of alternative to capitalism   - the consumerism want to reduce us  - this is  an alternative   that allows o orgnise  in ecological  and anti state way - What is being a human ben living in liberty how do we organize and promote cooperation and care

There is an ethical imperative to live in agreement with environment   -  we are face to the threat of the planet -  also the simplification of human spirit- we take the idea of  freedom  and give full potential -   politics  acknowledgment women  are those who need to be leaders – it is a thirst for freedom for a non hierarchical society -   give each full potential for suggestion -   education  for global citizen  in  assembly and forum like this  - 2/create platform  guides for  create minima program  - stop destabilization and gentrification  -   caring economy -     what the capitalist did at municipal level -  schools  - commissions  - we need to develop program caring about national and international  themes –

It is at local level that big issues  are solved everyday  - authority confedearl sending delegates to assemblies  - create political institutions  that be responsible in front of assembly -  that represent  - and give voice to aspiration   - this is the unique hope to general change  this si our time in the whole world  people don’t want to survive but live  - transition form decades for neoliberalism to a new rational society  we need to build  fearless population  and cities 

Gala : We are going to crate the debit fan clus

Ritchie Torres, Deputy Leader, New York City Council

 ( from Spanish translation)-

Honor to be here –am the last speaker  - my presiot is more modest  want to share ma experience of NYC council -  as a elected  - how we get municipaeism  in the trump world  a government that is dismantling the whole system -    how do we build  progressive  politics in  bipartisan system – sometimes in NYC practically is a unique party  - democrat do not mean about the convictions  -  there are democrats who do not support women or gays   and do not protest death penalty in Uganda -  how do we create an insurgency in a party that exists -   in the municipalities we have the insurgence from 2009  - is now in the center of politics – 2013 we had unions  new generation   that gathered and for fist time in history said they would elect the representatives  not the parties  - in 2015 the first speaker of nyc assembly  with a participatory budget  20 people - - I was  involved in the development of social housing after sandy  -  had to build  houses  - we had an audition to testimony   - with a person  exposed to CO2  the senator  offered to help , and we got 3000 million of $ - - the closing of X island prison  - penal system  very cruel –  a man stole a bag -  was tortured and  isolated committed suicide -  famous story in US  - corruption of penal system -  offer a timely suit -  closing  the  X island  prison was gained  incredible  - the best from te mayo was the new concept of municipalism -  notion of municipalist government  is here -  my own concept of what the city council should be   -  a vehicle for orientation of community many limitant  - right wing activist – defeating progressive legislative initiative -   need to focus on possibilities   radicalism – I feel as a progressive  that is in the garden of neoliberalism  -  we need to renew the new political reality  -  pragmatism  and radicalism in me can be combined   - instead of separating  progressive movement and state why not integrate them

Sinam Mohamad  Foreign envoy to Rojava Administration North Syria

Good afternoon everybody   it is a pleasure to be here and honor to represent our autonomous region north of Syria   thanks   to Barcelona en cum for organizing this meeting – we are talking about fearless cities which means a lot -  we have to make effort to build those  - fearless cities means coexisting  in peace  social justice  gender equality  – when I hope of fearless cities  I remember my region  -  kobane city  which has a very difficult situation when ISIS attacked -  everyone  fears those groups – and about rojava in the north o Syria we live a difficult situation when Turks bombed our cities  childre were terrified -  tht are meiotn  difficult  we lived them but we could struggle to get peace – we have built our own democratic administration  not only with Kurds it is a mosaic   arabs  assyrion  syriaques  Christians sunis   alauis  etc … all this people agree with us to coexist in this  area -  this people get together un agreement first time in the history of Syria –we can talk kurd which was prohibited under a assad regime -   we call it revolution  of the women who had the biggest roles – we need well organized movement  - free women means free society  win rojava  we have gender equality the in constitution   50 /50  co presidency  we mr and mrs presidency  - we practice the fear when ISIS  attacked fear means you cannot be active – you cannot move  during the assad regime  we had fear in our bodies – and for this we lived this we can acknowledge the importance  of fearless cities in the world  when people have fear – women were converted in sexual slaves  and sold on a market – we are in XXI century  - depending of Arab national  o a language denying other nation and language  this has made our country very poor – when we have equality of rights  administering our zone in rojava we have this successful  with any challenges   we have chauvinist mentality  -  unity in diversity  - we have radical Islamists – our fighters are  now  in rakka  and in the near future we can hear that ISIS have been defeated   -  so when am talking about this decentralized system  -  in rojava we have made municipalism  in a difficult context  attack chauvinist and racist mentality  despite tall this we created 130 municipalities  - the first in 2014 were attacked by terrorists – they don’t want  this they what all power - - we have 70 that are not very active because of the situation I mention -  Turks  assad etc    five  hundred thousand of refugees are welcome  - very little support of UNO because of political situation and hostility of Turkey -   in Afrin Kobane very much need support  we need support of you all  -  fearless cities not only in Syria just all the world  Iraq Tunisia Yemen  are burning  - Syrians against Syrians this is the result of nation states that bringing  confusion and conflicts to keep authority on people  -  I remember that  Assad regime said  to us kurds beware  of  Arabs and Christian  and  they were saying the same to other -  create a bad situation between groups -  looking at each other in disbelief – and now we work together  - we sho the world that only us the people can build a bettr life need to have support  -  (She stands up  and everyone stands up  and applause) Thanks so much

Gala Xinam you can count on our support

Iago Martínez, Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office, A Coruña City Council 

28mn  1h12mn Man -   after Xinam intervention  it is costly to bring to our local problems and feel a bit frivolous    acknowledging the mareas of  yesterday as sharing  in  the first meeting  that we felt it was necessity to make this  fearless cities meeting  - this has been  two exhausting years and  self referenced in Spain’s state  and it is good to hear voices from afar -  wont speak about my book rather on the one of john subire   - the idea of proximity  -  an idea that help exciting what we done  in three way - Won’t extend in the “marea atlantica”  ( atlantica tide) what gala said about irruption  -  the proximity was an hypothesis then  urgency and  then a power  - someone from “coruna proxima” in Galicia

1/ in the moment when we decide take advance  the break of regime to erupt   we decided to make tin at city scale and not other scales  it was possible to imagine  space  where to put in common micro politics of everyday life that were not socialized  -   virus of total delegation of comn ling since 68  -    a critique of representation and delegation – when we won we discover  proximity as urgent tool

When we govern which does not mean have power  - we go into first aid institution  -   example in la coruna we came after a right wing government e  in 4 years hos the poverty has  increased 50% -  two years after having start  a social rent – that allow  people to a dignified life  - mutioicarnd help so cocncial  -  food service in schools  -  example  -  hoy coruna  is deflating the poverty  bubble we have speeded   we had un solidarity institution and we started having  proximity institutions - 

3/ power  proximate   form poimty  we can innovate politics  we can imagine  other institutions  through proximity  we name “coruna proxima” we can develop a city model   ecosystem urban  in social politics   participation and production of social sovereignty -  in valu en public space  - develop a proximity model city   -  this give us capacity to answer challenges and doing so we give fear to the other -  we are in the war with  order party   all those that want to stabilize the change  - and evict us and coopt us the new political subject  - Struggle of cities against the power that be two struggles unnoticed   :  two sovereignties    social sovereignty  -  capacity to go beyond revenue transfer and  articulate an social autnomy and empower  and  reclaim institution sovereignty  - we said before entering institution  that  democracy was kidnapped  and now we know it , we cannot hire people ,   they have changed  135 y 140 article . it is a war of institutions against cities - Gala asked that we speak of difficulties   there are many commons to us  - the big media  and collusion with power that be – unloyalty   -  by wanting to oppose the mareas they end up opposing the  city – we cant to cahge into avefn and feeway  -   we have entered with certain weakness in municipalities and forces that supported us have not been always persistent in 5 vital question  normative permanent  -  the collapse of our organizations created in six months  that ween need to irrupt in a space   - organization that now we are rethinking to face the challenge and the 2019 – we have a scale problem- desde aprsi commun we know that alone we cannot - we know we need to mutualize  our means  -we know it works    disposition 27  on refugee city it works  let us make it in other areas –

 yesterday  in the opening meeting a companera from Rosario argentina  saying what is built e from top down  will be destroyed  top down – it kept in my head : tattoo this consign in our software and turning 90 degrees and put in horizontal and proximity - the meters conquered in the political spring of proximity twe need to keep - this cycle is doomed and will not leave us at rest  - we are responsiaibiltit to face  scale leap  : who do we loose on the way , which assets do we leave,  what we failed  - what discover we leave behind when we face a scale leap - let us not abandon proximity one minute

galapin - chair  -there will no be debate for lack of time or may be now someone from Portland

Chloe Eudaly, Commissioner, Portland City Council oregon USA  i had never experienced the moist of Barcelona reading books of anarchist i converted into activist from my bored life  i was not feeling comfortable, then i discovered municipalism and feel confortable - will speak  of my personal experience of outsider candidate in Strange time in my country  am an independent bookseller not an high income job. my personal activism  give space inmya community where events can be made with debate - in my adult life i was twice evicted from my apartment  and ended up in a 950$ month house  i say if this is a future of housing in Portland  - i am single mother and with a handicapped child   - i started a Facebook group " a blasphemic name  " the shet ? people  rent the house there are several issue group people we had intereseteing debate then people started to stimualte me to enter the political  arena through internet - i have no credentials for that - a group of friends kepts stimulating me - so i started i lost 5 to 1 -?  ( am trying to translate back from spanish translation :-)) showing her book  "rent/crisis" - one of the person with us - the pettiness of uor problems compared to situation in Syria  - but the rent crisis what  a big problem  - forcing people out of the city  am proud of this book in november one of the best time in my life -  discovered i was elected and trump too  - i had no idea of the struggle ahead -w a daily controversy  in wasthington  -   protect the tenants and just the other day after trump announced the pull out ofo paris agreement  - we manage to pass a ?  - we are having a participatory budget scheme 500K$ first experience