EYFA – the European Youth For Action Network (one of the radical roots of the european environmental movement and key node in providing resources for social movements in Europe) is celebrating 25th years. Folks are collecting memories and anecdotes, here is mind, Mayo

EYFA = Happiness + Love + Friendship + Gratitude + School of political maturity skills + Accumulative knowledge + Resilience

If someone would ask me which has been the more complete and positive (even if sometime difficult) experience in my life, EYFA would came to my mind and subsequently an smile would appear in my fase.

EYFA has been a very important and significant for my formation, both on a personal and political perspective.

In 2001-02, I was involved in the Movement of Global Resistance of Catalunya; we also as part of People Global Action network, were involved in promoting a Social European Consulta (inspired by the Zapatist Consulta); in order to promote its internationally I though to ask EYFA to host me in the office for some months and help me to spread the project though EYFA network, and EYFA said yes!. I went to live to Amsterdam. The office was in a transitional period, a bit in a loose mode, but a series of coincidence of new people and projects arriving creates a very dynamic working group, I enjoyed so much that I finally stayed for almost two years. Even if I believed “in principle” before, in EYFA I fully understand and experience my self that principles such as consensus decision making, horizontal structures, community projects, radical action … are not incompatible with large scale international networks and with persistence over time, with going beyond moments of mobilization and develop more consolidated infrastructure. I learned many skills (fundraising, international sustainable camps organizing etc.), but importantly I learn to work and do with others under principles of equality, collective driven, personal being politics, that being in community (Viva Ecotopia!!!!) could be very magic, and love. EYFA gave me the context where to met and learn from people who afterward has became part of my best friends and which I keep connected and in periods doing projects together since them: Mariel, Albi, Irina, Amaranta (even if from ASEED office), Sonia, Natasha, Kevin and a long etc. etc. etc. etc. But EYFA is also a lesson of hope in terms of being able to hold, this, my experience, but also to build a line and to be a container of accumulative learning and knowledge – when I was in EYFA I could understand how “my” EYFA (what I was learning and the tools and resources I could and could enjoy building upon) was the result of the sum and building upon the many EYFAs of the people who was there before with your same radical principles, able to keep the fighter over time – and you can feel and notice that. Now EYFA is doing 25 years – and it keeps me transmitting me so much happiness that this process of learning and accumulation of savvy for radical action keeps alive and continue, keep connecting us – I can not feel more than a very deep gratitude for so much!. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who has ever contribute to it!

Hola! Hello! Ciao!

On Tuesday, November 22, 2011 12:30 pm I did a presentation at the Berkman Center Luncheon Series on The Spanish Revolution & the Internet: From free culture to meta-politics. I enjoyed the discussion. If you would like to see or take an idea of it here below there is the audio-video recording, tweets exchange and notes (thanks to Berkman tech team and Sasha Costanza-Chock).
Comments welcome! Mayo

+ Video and audio recording: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/events/luncheon/2011/11/morell

+ Liveblogged Notes by Sasha Costanza-Chock: http://civic.mit.edu/blog/schock/the-spanish-revolution-the-internet-from-free-culture-to-meta-politics
Summary:
From Berkman Center webpage: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2011/11/morell

In the context of multiple crises – ecological, political, financial and geopolitical restructuring – there are emerging forms of social cooperation.

In the Spanish case, we have seen some of the largest demonstrations since the country made its transition to democracy in the 70s with massive occupations of public squares, attempts to prevent parliaments’ functioning and citizen assemblies of thousands of people taking place in spring and autumn 2011. Large mobilizations are also taking place in other countries (such as Arab countries, Iceland, Greece, and more recently the United States). In the Spanish case, the Free Culture and Digital Commons Movement played an important role in the rising and shaping of the mobilization. The campaign against “Sinde Law” (on restrictive Internet regulation) in December 2010 and its afterworld meta-political derivation into “Don’t vote them” campaign (meaning do not vote for the parties which approved Sinde law) are considered a starting point and one of the trajectories that most contributed to the generation of the “Indignate”/15th of May mobilization cycle for a “True Democracy Now”. Additionally, the Free Culture and Digital Commons Movement has influenced the organizational logic of the “Indignate” mobilization (particularly in terms of new technologies usage for the collective achievement of common goals); however, in turn, the “Indignate” mobilization has also stressed a split between two sectors in the Free Culture and Digital Commons Movement itself (the performative one focusing on building commons keeping a political ambivalence and the campaigning sector aiming to mobilize citizens and intervene in the institutional politics arena).

In sum, Mayo Fuster Morell will first present the role of the Free Culture and Digital Commons Movement in the genealogy of the “Indignate” Movement in Spanish State. Then, she will analyze the commonalities and differences between both emerging forms of social cooperation (contrasting “digital commons” initiatives such as Wikipedia and “society commons” initiatives such as Square Occupations) that together suggest a shift to a more active role of civic society in the network society.

The presentation will be based on the results of previous/ongoing qualitative and quantitative research on the Free Culture and Digital Commons Movement and the “Indignate” Movement, and develop a political analysis.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
International Sociological Association (ISA)
ISA RC47 – Research Committee Social Classes and Social Movements
ISA RC48 – Research Committee Social Movements, Collective Action and Social Change

FROM SOCIAL TO POLITICAL. NEW FORMS OF MOBILIZATION AND DEMOCRATIZATION
9th – 10th February 2012, Bilbao – Spain
University of the Basque Country (Paraninfo)

CALL FOR PAPERS
OBJETIVES AND THEME
In the recent evolution of contemporary social movements three phases can be
identified.
The first phase is marked both by the labour movement and the systemic
importance attributed to the labour conflict in industrial society. A conflict
interpreted by Emile Durkheim as a shortcoming of social integration, by Max
Weber as a rational conflict by entrepreneurs and workers interests, and a
central class struggle for society transformation by the view of Karl Marx.
The second phase of development of social movements takes on new social
movements of the sixties and seventies of the XX century, such as students,
women and environmentalists movements of post-industrial society. Actions
whose sense and meaning are explained mainly by two new analytical
perspectives: resource mobilization theory (McAdam and Tilly) that focuses on
the study of rational attitudes of these actions and conflicts; and actionalist
sociology, which aims to identify new central actors of the conflicts in the post-
industrial society, as labour movement was in industrial society.
The third phase emerges in a world framed by the ascendancy of markets,
the prominent role of financial capital flows, communitarian closure and
fundamentalism, and refers to movements of affirmation of human rights and
democracy as alternatives to global domination and systemic conditioning of
individual and groups.
The objective of this conference is to foster theoretical reflections and to
present empirical evidences regarding some of the recent mobilizations that
took place in the Mediterranean area and that have two very clearly
distinguished threads. On the one hand, there are the mobilizations that reveal
the need to open space to democracy by asking for political reforms and
democratization processes in countries such as Tunez, Egypt, Morocco, Libya
and Syria, among other. On the other hand, numerous discontent displays
regarding the political management of economical crisis and the shrinking of the
Welfare State in South Europe triggered mobilizations such as 15-M in Spain,
“Indignate-vous” in France, Italy and Greece and other protests organized by
young people and students in England, Israel and Belgium.
Bringing together different networks and orientations around social
movements, expressed by the two ISA Research Committees 47 and 48, this
conference offers the opportunity to debate around the changes and the
meanings of social movements of the twenty-first century. In special, we are
interested in analysing the antecedents, the influence of social and political
conditions, the movement’s nature regarding organization, forms of protest,
claims, causes, protagonists, role of social media and to spot the meaning of
these relatively new forms of protest beyond the action repertoire.

ORGANIZATION
The general structure of the Conference has provided different ways for
participation. One of them is the organization of academic sessions. Each
thematic session will consist of the presentation of a guest lecturer for 20
minutes, four oral communications for 15 minutes each, and five
communications presented in poster format.
The final constitution of these thematic sessions will be a posteriori, when
all communications are received and the Scientific Committee has made the
selection of oral communications and posters. All communications will have the
same status for the issuance of participation certificates. A prerequisite for
presenting a communication is to be properly enrolled in the Conference.
Regarding a possible publication –still in consideration- of the full papers
participants must adapt the texts to a model that will be sent later.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
The abstracts of communications should be sent to the organization of the
Congress based on the following criteria:
• Length: Maximum 1000 words. It is considered that a minimum of 700 words
is required to provide enough information to evaluate the proposal.
• Languages: Communications must be submitted only in English.
• Contents: All abstracts must have the following information:
a) Communication information.
– Title.
b) Author’s information.
– Surname, first name.
– Email address.
– Affiliation.
c) Work content.
– Kind of work: describe briefly if it is a theoretical reflection, an
qualitative/quantitative empirical research, a case study or a comparative
analysis;
– 3 key words;
– Description of the object and/or main subject of the work;
– Methodology;
– Main findings, conclusions and/or contributions;
– References; bibliography.
d) Other elements which are considered of interest: e.g. if the proposal is framed
in a competitive research project or international research project.

PARALELL ACTIVITIES
We are opening the possibility to organise a parallel exhibition of graphic
material related to the congress. Formats admitted are:
– Photos of manifestations: in case you have been involved or had the
chance to observe these movements in person we would appreciate if
you could share your materials, like photos, leaflets picked in locus,
posters, etc. Send us your links to Flickr, Facebook, or any other social
network in which your photos are posted.
– Videos of mobilizations that can be posted in Social Networks like
Youtube, Vimeo, etc.;
– Recordings of interviews, direct testimonies (in mp3, mp4) or posted in
Social Media Platforms;
– Interesting websites (webography related to these movements that can
be consulted during the conference; like bloggs, movements websites,
etc.).
If you have any other ideas relating contents for these parallel activities please
feel free to contact us and we will evaluate the possibility of including them.
Please send abstracts before 30th November 2011 to the Conference Coordinators:
Benjamín Tejerina – University of the Basque Country (b.tejerina@ehu.es)
Antimo L. Farro – “Sapienza” University of Rome (antimoluigi.farro@uniroma1.it)