Loesje International Bulletin December 2010

I n t e r n a t i o n a l b u l l e t i n

O c t o b e r

2 0 1 0

D e c e m b e r

2 0 1 0I n t e r n a t I o n a l

b u l l e t I n

K

K

P.O. Box 910138 12413 Berlin Germany www.loesje.org [email protected]

MY COUNTRY

BECAME SO RIGHT

I LEFT

It’s been an eventful month. Two weeks ago we found out that Evan wouldn’t be able to come back to work for Loesje. However, during the two months that we’ve been waiting for him to come back, he has always been present at the office; holding important theme-based text-writing workshops, having lunch with us, stealing cookies and hijacking facebook-statuses. The space around his desk feels empty rather than spacey, and we still call his computer “Evan’s computer”. Those left at the office dread the same feeling will occur as we say goodbye to Hranush and Tara at the end of this month. We expect nothing less than the invention of teleportation to feel better about it all. Meanwhile, it will have to go with transportation…

Somehow, big holidays like summer and Christmas, bring about changes. They make way for renewal, and sometimes it means the loss of something. More currently than ever, it is important for the four of us left at the office to remember that Loesje consists of all active in Loesje, to not feel lonely when we go from a whole to a half in January.

There are however exciting times coming up. Looking in the rear-view mirror makes us sure that the road ahead lies clear and we can steer towards new cool projects. One is the renewal of this very Bulletin, the further integration of Loesje International with the web, the participation in the Memefest and Oddstream events and much more.So, a big up to our former colleagues and a shout out to all ye faithful Loesje-ers; both categories making sure racism, sexism, capitalism and all other intersecting bad –isms perishes!

Beaming to you and back to Berlin, Your InternatIonal loesje team

InDex

4. Hello anD gooDbYe

7.loesje nerHerlanDs

8.belgIum: onlIne textwrItIng

tHrougH skYpe 10.

loesje went to HumbolDt unIversItY

12.to wake up anD be awake

15.just stream It

17.HappY bIrtHDaY to You!

18.agenDa

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I can't believe that I am writing this good bye article. It feels like I have only been in Berlin for about 2 months! I guess that is a sign of a GREAT time. Looking back on the year so much has happened in this seemingly short space of time. When I first arrived we were finishing off and launching the passport project 'What Borders Do You Cross To Be Free?' It was great to be involved in such an exciting project, and it was brilliant that the European Commission also recognised it and recently gave it recognition for 'All Round Excellence'. After that we were busy with different projects 'What Music is Playing on your Stereotype?' and "Find the Beauty within yourself' Both of these projects were certainly an education on learning how to plan and implement youth in action projects which have lead myself and Liisa to apply for funds for a follow up to "What music is playing on your stereotype?', to take place in Georgia next year on the subject of gender equality. We are currently awaiting reply from the Council of Europe, so cross your fingers for us! This year I also managed to squeeze my way into the Masta crew, working on Masta #5 and #6 and also attending the STREAM IT! training held in Berlin recently. Jasna and I are giving masta a design overhaul, so watch out for it. Aside from these things, I have learnt a great deal and gained many skills. I would like to give a major shouting thanks to everyone I have worked with during the past year not only because i have had the pleasure of working with you but also because you have made my year pure dead brilliant! Keep up the amazing work! tara.

Yes, now the end is near...in one week my EVS will be officially over! To be honest I still can`t realize or maybe I don`t want ?!?! However, the year I spent in Berlin and in Loesje office was just unique and life changing for me...full of new experiences, understandings, feelings, amazing people around, etc. Now I have this Loesje "virus" in my veins, will continue my journey just to see what life will bring me, meanwhile spreading Loesje spirit in Armenia or wherever I`ll end up. Thanks to my dearest Rola, Evan, Artur and girls; thank you for your support, openness, understanding and making this experience so productive and unforgettable for me! Love you all... HranusH. P.S. I could cry now....ohhhhh :((

HELLO AND GOODBYE

TaraHranush

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Between eating pepparkakor and dreaming of snowmen I’m continuing the search for funding for next year, doing evaluations as well as future planning. I’m also doing book keeping, distribution of our printed material, and keeping an eye on the rest of the things happening these last weeks before the winter closing of the office. See you next year, or around x-mas if you happen to be in the Netherlands! rola.

In January we are continuing the work on the new, great Loesje online shop. We can already tell you, that you’re going to it! Unfortunately L we didn’t manage to complete this task in December, so it’s going to premiere at the dawn of 2011. I am working also on making the voting on the text proposals easier and more accessible, so decided to integrate that part of the loesje.org site into the Loesje International facebook profile as a tab. Another new tab will also be revealed that will help you in the distribution our publications. Of course there are some cool plans for the next year, and you will hear more about them in the next issue. artur.

Rola

Artur

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December, thanks for time off and keeping the snow fresh. I’m excited about the coming year too. We are planning a soli-party, Loesje Club. It will take place the 21st of January at Glühlampe. I hope Berlin-based supporters of Loesje comes to shake some booty with us that night. All in all there are cool stuff going on, especially Loesje’s progressive web-integration. I however absolutely do not look forward to the leaving of Tara and Hranush. And the not working with Evan. Somebody help my aching heart! We will be four brave survivors after this. Despite the absence of three great work mates, I believe Loesje has a bright future of activist awareness work the next year. Together with the engagement and commitment of active members, anything is possible! safaa.

Safaa

December, a strange month. Being in pain again, competing with various tasks, too many good byes ... time for a saviour. petra

LOESJE, the NETHERLANDSFinally! We've opened the long promised little shop in our new office! We're exhausted, glad and content with the achievement; a lot of people came to have a look-around and the press chased us around the whole place to get to know more background information about the organisation.

It's always big fun to invent new whereabouts of Loesje; currently she is doing voluntary work in South America, for those who didn't know yet. ;) Furthermore we've done loads of writing for the new outcoming book about the broad topic work, for the scholar's agenda, about moving to a new place, about the shortening on cultural provisions, about the non-shopping-day and about St. Nicholas. Plenty workshops have been given as well, members and friends of Loesje travelled all across the country to have writing sessions with people of youth institutions, hospitals and informal care organisations. We're very pleased with the results and we've been sticking too - in Den Bosch and in our hometown. And of course we celebrated Loesje's birthday! It was a pity that she couldn't attend the party herself but we had a lot of fun nevertheless.

Moreover a new era of textwriting has started – we're about to launch loesje-skypesessions on creating one-liners. We might have to figure out some more details, but soon we'll be able to have nice transnational online meetings to write. So as you see, it's been a crazy, crazy month. You'll hear more from us soon again. Until then – keep it up and kick some! susanne.

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Together with some Belgian Loesje members we have done an experiment with online Loesje textwriting through a Skype group chat. Skype is a free programme for free phone calls, but you can also use it for chatting. Because it does not always easily work to set a date for ‘real life’ text writing sessions, we thought online textwriting could be a good alternative. We wrote for about one and a half hours with 6 people. This resulted in 7 pages of text proposals. 7 new Loesje posters came out of it.Here are some tips how to do it:

1. BiscuitsNo Loesje textwriting without biscuits and tea. Invite people who might want to join your online textwriting by sending them an invitation by post. Add some biscuits and a tea bag to the envelope. This will help them get in the creative Loesje mood.

Note: this especially gets funny when you accidentally send the invitation to a wrong address (who knows this leads to new Loesje activists?;)

belgIum: onlIne textwrItIng

tHrougH skYpe

2. Set a moderator The moderator has the overview of who will join the online text writing and makes sure everyone knows this Skype account.The moderator opens the different chat windows and adds all participants to each window.Some days before the textwriting, the moderator sends the topics to all participants. Preferably with a short explanation and possibly some links to interesting articles.

3. TopicsDecide on the topics you want to write on, before the actual textwriting. While chatting you easily lose concentration, so don’t waste time on this.Choose about 5 topics. For each topic you can open a new chat window and invite all the textwriters to each window. You can give every chat window a title (=topic). So when you compare it to a “normal” textwriting, instead of 1 paper for each topic, you now have 1 chat window for each topic. You can tile 5 chat windows so they fit on your computer screen. Everyone can simultaneously type text proposals in any chat window they like. First start with 5 topics. After a half an hour you can close these and start 5 new topics. Better not to take more than 5 at once because then you will go crazy with all the windows and all these people typing simultaneously in all these windows.

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4. Practical tips+Keep one window as an off-topic window where people can talk bullshit or respond to text proposals. Don’t go joking around in the chat windows, because this will make it hard to separate text proposals from nonsense.+Make sure that all the participants are gathered in one chat window before opening other chat windows (the topics) and starting the writing session. Someone that drops in later won’t be able to see what you have written before.+At the end of the textwriting, copy + paste all text proposals to a document, so the text proposals don’t get lost (although Skype keeps them in your chat history, better don’t take the risk of losing them...)+If someone joins the Loesje textwriting for the first time you could copy + paste Loesje’s writing methods in a separate chat window or you can explain some things in a private chat window (or call them), so the others are not disturbed.+Probably it’s better not to have too many participants. I’d say 8 is the max to still make it work.

5. Advantages of online text writing+You don’t have to be in the same physical place.You can put on your favorite music or have silence during textwriting.+You can have private ‘talks’ (chats) without disturbing the other textwriters.+You can go to the toilet anytime you want, nobody will notice :-)You can directly respond to text proposals, you don’t have to wait until the paper reaches you. You get inspired faster and more easily by the other textwriters.+When you need more information on a topic, you can immediately look it up online.When you think someone is not concentrated you can give them a Skype call and tell them to stay focused :D

6. Disadvantages of online text writing+Typing takes less effort than writing by hand. Also, it’s hard to stay focused, because you see new text proposals popping up all the time. We noticed, that we thought less about a text before writing it down. As result we had a lot of associative texts, but only a small percentage was really good and ready for a poster. Therefore, a strong final editing team is needed afterwards to fine-tune the texts to good Loesje posters.+On Skype your text proposals are not anonymous. juDItH.

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SUCHE

SELBSTVERTEIDIGUNGS-

WORKSHOP

GEGEN DISKRIMINIERENDE

WERBUNG

[email protected]

www.loesje.org

P.O. Box 910138

12413 Berlin Germany

[email protected]

www.loesje.org

P.O. Box 910138


AUCH OHNE

HAARVERBESSERUNGS-

PRODUKTE

IST ER

EIN TOLLER MENSCH

The Humboldt University in Berlin was founded in 1809 and has had numerous famous scientists and Nobel Prize winners among its staff: Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Robert Koch… Today a majority, 58%, of the over 35.000 students are women and about 16% are foreign students, according to the University’s own statistics. How is that reflected on campus and its surroundings?

The University is intersected by several normal streets, with cars, taxis and buses, and the students and staff are in the middle of central Berlin when they are on campus. This means that public space and University space merges, and the advertisements that come at us from all sides, are also very prevalent in the students everyday lives. The University itself also communicates on campus in many ways, with sculptures, portraits, commercials, art works, pin boards, posters, magazines and its shop.

Loesje met up with the newly starting student group “Feministische Vernetzung” (Feminist networking or interconnectedness) who had made an open call for students to join in. We were about 15 people of all genders (and one dog) that for two days together formed a creative intervention by sharing experiences, inspecting the campus, creating texts reflecting on the University campus and its surroundings by Loesje text writing and placing the posters there.

Loesje went toHumboldt University

"Also without hair improvement products / he is a nice person"

"Wanted / self-defence workshop against discriminating advertisements"

"Who carries the noble prices / and where"

11

ALS ICH DIE RIESIN


VOM WERBEPLAKAT

[email protected]

ANGESPROCHEN HABE

www.loesje.org

P.O. Box 910138

HAT SIE MIR

GEANTWORTET

WIE DU BIST

P.O. Box 910138 12413 Berlin Germany [email protected]

www.loesje.org

MEDIA

MARKT

SEI SO

SEXISTISCH

Since it was mine and Petra’s first time on campus, it was very interesting to make a tour around the area and consciously watch the sculptures, the long rows of portraits of former head masters and Nobel Prize winners (all male), and the separate row of important female scientists who had also taught at Humboldt, the live-size images representing (really?) students and faculty and the pompous stone halls.

With this as inspiration, as well as a warm up exercise with images from magazines and postcards that we had prepared before, everyone was eager to find out how a creative text writing workshop actually works.* Themes that the students found important were the Mensa tent (temporarily built in the middle of the normally open common grounds and covered with before mentioned all-white, all-healthy, all identical-body-shape pictures of students and staff); how the female part of Humboldt’s history at best was added as something extra; sexist commercials; the Grimm centre for books; accessibility; the Nobel Prize; the lack of representation of foreign students in the communications from the University, and monuments, to mention some.

We wrote on all this and more and afterwards made two final editing’s, one for the Loesje posters and one for texts to use just on campus. The next day we gathered again, with posters fresh from the copy machine and discussed where to put them up. We divided into three groups who all had different experiences afterwards: one was chased away by security after a mistakenly triggered alarm, whereas another had spread the posters in peace and quiet around the campus. We rounded it all up with evaluation and ideas for future gatherings. One idea was to spice the Humboldt shop up with some Loesje t-shirts! The students will meet again for sure, and maybe Loesje will join them another time, maybe in spring. rola

*If you are still wondering, join us another time!

"Media markt / be as sexist / as you are"

"As I started to speak to the giant on the billboard / she replied"

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The world economy runs on oil. The oil industry exacerbates climate change and exploits people. Time for a Crude Awakening?!

On the 16th of October, as part of the global network Climate Justice Action, 500 people blocked the UK’s biggest oil refinery in Essex for 7 hours, disrupting the flow of oil to Central London. At the same time, a group of students in Edinburgh decided that the more direct actions, the cruder the awakening. So, instead of travelling down to London, they put together a Scottish version and Loesje was there.

A day of direct action was prepared in 3 weeks. E-mails were sent and posters put up to engage as many people around Edinburgh as possible, both students and non-students. 30 people turned up at the first planning meeting and exciting plans bounced around. Through (slow) consensus decision-making everyone was given equal ownership of the action and in smaller follow-up meetings, the plans were further developed.

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We then made our way through the busiest shopping streets of Edinburgh, handing out flyers and singing slogans like “1,2,3,4 oil ain’t the thing no more, 5,6,7,8, saving the world just won’t wait”. We danced another ceilidh on a central square and then moved on to the head office of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

By now, the police had been warned and was guarding the gates, but did not hinder us from staging two “die-ins” in front of the building. First, the bankers killed the clowns while exclaiming things like “oil!” and “greed!” through the megaphones. But the clowns were resurrected when “renewable energy” was shouted. We attracted a big crowd and must have been visible to the RBS office workers. The Crude Awakening ended at a Shell station, where we danced and sang before dispersing in search of food and water.

The Loesje Edinburgh group - we started in March of this year - brought lots of cardboard banners with enlarged posters from the Loesje archive: “Let’s fill the oil pipelines with water to solve the drought”, “The next climate meeting will be even warmer”, “Private gain, public loss”.

Armed with banners, bikes and microphones we headed to the first target: a BP petrol station. There we took out instruments and danced a Scottish ceilidh on “Oily Gaga” songs, while blocking one of the car entrances of the pump.

Next was a local Tesco, which we tried to clean with sponges, confusing shoppers but making the children in the queue smile. We also danced an “Oily-Poiley” (à la the Hokey-Pokey) in front of the entrance until the manager asked us to leave.

Decided was to highlight the corrupt and unsustainable practices of four international corporations present in Edinburgh- BP, Tesco, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Shell.

So this is what we did: on the early Saturday morning we all met in the middle of the Meadown park - more than 30 people dressed as either “fat-cat” bankers or colourful clowns.

Armed with banners, bikes and microphones

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So why not turning on alarm clocks in many places that cannot be switched off but will only get louder, playing invigorating tunes that make everyone wánt to get up (and change the world).No more can being awake be the same as not to sleep.

olga bloemen

[email protected]

Connect:www.crudeawakening.org.uk/www.climate-justice-action.org/http://loesje-edinburgh.blogspot.com/

For me, the action highlighted a couple of things. Creative protest -including costumes, songs, dancing, street theatre- attracts positive responses from people passing by: it might thus be more effective in raising awareness than conventional “anti-marches”. Of course, creative attention-grabbers are only a means of spreading your message. Having enough flyers that both explain the reasons for protesting and suggest how people can take individual or collective action, is essential - as is talking to everyone you meet along the way. Loesje banners can definitively help to make the message more visible and provoking.

There is too little time to wait for change, and too many vested interests slowing it down. I think we need more wake-up calls. They can be crude, or, better still, creative. Actions like the Crude Awakening Edinburgh are not difficult to put together - and a lot of fun.

There is too little time to wait for change

and too many vested interests slowing it down.

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In the beginning of Novermber Spanish, Scottish, Italians as well as Latvian, German and Dutch friends of MASTA magazine came together in the home of Kulturlabor Trial & Error to brainstorm, learn, teach and realize creative actions in training STREAM IT! Social Inclusion through New Media.

STREAM IT! was an International gathering of people concerned about our world, who want to learn and exchange knowledge about creative activism, new methods of media and how to utilise them. Based in Berlin and taking place over nine days the project makes workshops, lectures and actions, to equip participants with skills for inciting change.

During the days new energy to MASTA project was injected as well - editorial meetings, brainstormings about making MASTA blog were held, plans on how to conquer underground Europe with distribution were made.

alIse, latvIa:So, for me it was an amazing experience - because I already knew, that I have no problems with communication, cultural-barriers or differently thinking people. But i never knew, that I can feel so comfortable with 45 total strangers around me. why? because they weren't strangers - even before the training we were breathing same air, thinking same thoughts and trying to reach the same goals.. Now I know that out there is tons and tons of my soul-sisters and brothers. Best time with the Best group :)

just ... stream It!

“Masta stands for creative freedom to transcend dreams into action in order to aid innovative solutions. We call it creative activism.”

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fleur, tHe netHerlanDs:This is an ode to you, my MASTA-mirrors, in which I can recognize my own reflection.I admire you, my qualities mirror in each one of you, because each one of you has the same qualities and together we make them shine brighter.I respect you, my failures mirror in each one of you and each one of you made me grow personally and professionally.4ever true, 4ever brave, 4ever kindEternal glory of our transcending mindsI cheer to you, my fellow's in the battle of the mind!

P.S. Wanna contribute?Apply for distribution of 6th issue NO THEME - [email protected] (Mery),or submit Your articles or visuals for the 7th issue GROWTH until 10th of January - [email protected] (Ruta)!More info - www.mastazine.net!

sIlvIa, spaIn/germanY:Besides the diverse technical/theoretical new things I’ve learnt during the different activities, the nice memories I keep from the people and the personal significance it can could have for me... One of the most significant things is that in this kind of trainings/international exchanges/workshops you realize that there’s much people around concerned about problems similar to the ones you see in your daily life, aware of the same glitches you perceive in the current society, or dissatisfied as you are with a faulty media system which proclaims itself to be a democratic and global communication platform but does nothing but further deepen the social-cultural-economical fractures that already exist.

That ‘s why we need to work in finding new ways of making our (and the other’s) voices present. And I’ve found here a bunch of people with whom I can do so. [Among other things] STREAMiT has been a fix of realism, energy and encouragement for keep believing that something different is possible, a break in a mainstream-inized routine, and an energizing dose for reactivating numb senses.

“stream It! - wHen You Don’t notIce tHe process, You are tHe process¨

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Loesje has been active in Germany for 20 years. Since five years her International foundation has had its office in Berlin. This we celebrated for four, yet intense, hours. The DJ (read me) found it extremely hard to turn off the music at 10 PM and needed to remember that the concept of neighbours is normally good. We prepared an exhibition with former Loesje projects like the board game of the “Which borders do you cross to be free?” On the wall we projected a selection of pictures. And naturally, the walls were decorated with posters. The bar was crowded. Artur’s lethal vodka-experiment made people go wild. Halma, our new office mates, made delicious salads and hummus. We gave Loesje a birthday cake, Rola held a breath-taking speech and with collective air we blew the candles out. Our around 70 guests all got nicely wrapped presents to take back home and those strong enough to keep on after 22 went to the bar across the street. It was viel Spass, and now we have the Loesje Club to look forward to in January. safaa.

HappY bIrtHDaY to You!Loesje giving away presents.

Evan eating the last piece of cake.

Good friends.

Good food.

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a g e n D a3rD of januarY

InternatIonal loesje offIce opens for tHe

season

10tH of januarY

DeaDlIne, contrIbutIons to masta #7 growtH

15tH of januarY

DeaDlIne, contrIbutIons to InternatIonal bulletn

20tH of januarY

DeaDlIne, contrIbutIons to memefest

frIenDlY competItIon love:conflIct:ImagInatIon

21st of januarY

loesje club, berlIn

25th-28th of March Board meeting &

Assembly, Brussels, Belgium

Loesje international Summercamp 2011

22/7-2/8 in Tarsi Talu, Estonia

http://www.hot.ee/tarsi/

Photos from birthday party

Loesje [email protected]




Loesje Belgiumwww.loesje.org/[email protected]

Loesje in [email protected]





Loesje Francewww.loesje.org/[email protected]


Loesje Georgiawww.loesje.ge








Loesje the [email protected]


Loesje [email protected]@loesje.plwww.loesje.pl

Loesje Portugalwww.loesje.org/[email protected]



colofon

loesje

vIsItor’s aDDress:karl-kunger-strasse 55,

berlIn alt-treptow

post aDDress:p.o. box 910138

12413 berlIn, germanY

tel: +49-30-97882577

www.loesje.org

[email protected]

logIn: memberpassworD: IntMem#&

InternatIonal contact lIst






DAYDREAMING

AN ENTIRELY

UNDERESTIMATED

FORCE OF PRODUCTION

P.O. Box 910138


www.loesje.org

[email protected]. Box 910138 12413 Berlin Germany www.loesje.org [email protected]

PREEMPTIVE POLICY

THIS POLITICIAN

LOOKS SUSPICIOUS

TO ME P

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@lo

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SELF-DEFENCE

WORKSHOP

AGAINST

DISCRIMINATING

ADVERTISEMENTS

W

ANTED

WIKILEAKS

A SMALL LEAK

CAN PLUG BIG HOLES

P.O. Box 910138

12413 Berlin Germanywww.loesje.org

[email protected]

التضامنبتدريس أقوم الن

لميع العربية

الشارع سكان

P.O. Box 910138


www.loesje.org

[email protected]

P.O

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Berl

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@lo

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SOLIDARITY

I TEACH

THE WHOLE STREET

ARABIC NOW

WIKILEAKS

AFTER

HUNDREDS OF YEARS

THEY STILL WANT TO

SHOOT

THE MESSENGER



MY COUNTRY

BECAME SO RIGHT

I LEFT

Documents

Loesje International Bulletin December 2010