Invitation to the “System Change” conference +++ 13 to 15 March in Marburg

Hundreds of thousands of us demonstrated, and went on strikes and
blockades for climate justice and climate protection last year. We
certainly see some positive results – but it is also becoming obvious
that we will not be able to achieve satisfactory solutions within the
existing system. Therefore, it is high time to make the slogan “System
Change not Climate Change” as a climate justice movement more concrete
together.

The upcoming conference is intended to contribute to this process: As a
one-off meeting, it would like to provide the space to bring together
discussions that have already taken place and to get to know some models
of system change. Of course, one weekend will not be enough to discuss
all existing approaches and clarify all questions. But we hope that an
intensive meeting as a format can enrich our debates.

Below you will find the preliminary programme so that you can assess
whether you are interested in the content and methods we have planned.
You will also find important organizational information, such as how to
register!
Please note that the conference will be held in German and that we
cannot provide professional translation. If you want to participate but
do not understand German, please contact us. See also below under the
keyword “Participation and registration”.

Best wishes, we are looking forward to an exciting weekend with you!
Your planning crew
system-change-konferenz@riseup.net

Schedule & topics

As the conference days build on each other in terms of content and
methods, we would like to recommend that you attend the entire conference.
Start: Friday, 13.03.2020, 19 h (arrival possible from 16 h, dinner at 18 h)
End: Sunday, 15.03.2020, 13:30 h

Friday, 13.03.

Based on the answers to our questions about System Change (see below!)
we will bring the experiences, goals and assessments from our groups
together. We will clarify similarities and differences in our previous
understanding and practice of System Change.
An exhibition (starting at 16h) presents a selection of models & opinions.

Saturday 14.03.

On Saturday we will look at different approaches to social change. Six
invited speakers will provide some input:
Simon Sutterlütti (Co-author of “Kapitalismus aufheben”), the
Freundinnen und Freunde der klassenlosen Gesellschaft / friends of a
society without class system (“Klasse Krise Weltcommune”), a
representative of the FAU/Freie Arbeiterinnen Union (inquired), Rebecca
Abena Kennedy-Asante and Imeh Ituen (BLACK EARTH- BIPoC Environmental &
ClimateJustice Kollektiv Berlin), activists of the Kurdish freedom
movement as well as Linda and Marieke (IL/Ende Gelände/Expropriate
Deutsche Wohnen & Co).
These speakers will each present their approach in a short lecture and
then develop and discuss the transferability and relevance for the
climate justice movement in workshops with us.
In the evening there will be a joint discussion and the opportunity to
end the day collectively.

Sunday 15.03.

We bring together our previous approaches, the inputs of the speakers
and the results of our discussions. We develop our own perspective on
system change.

The result of the conference should also be a detailed documentation,
including the answers to the questions in the run-up (presented on
Friday), as well as the presentations of the speakers on Saturday and
the discussions on Sunday.
This documentation should facilitate the further discussions in local
groups and next meetings/conferences/etc.

Sleeping, eating, accomodation

The conference will take place in a school in Marburg. We will send you
the address and travel information alongside the confirmation of your
registration.
We can sleep in the school with sleeping mats and sleeping bags, which
you should bring along. We cannot guarantee beds, but you can contact us
if you cannot sleep on a mattress at the school and we will try to find
a solution.
A cooking group from Marburg will cook vegan food for us. Please inform
us about allergies and intolerances when you register.
Unfortunately we will not be allowed to use the showers in the school.

Participation fee

There will be a donation recommendation at the conference. If the
running requests for financing will be approved, we will be able to fund
the conference without a contribution. If you need money to pay travel
expenses, you can let us know. We will then try to make it possible for
you to attend, but we cannot promise you anything.

Participation and registration

If you feel like you want to attend the conference, you can register now
until 16.02. at system-change-konferenz@riseup.net .
Please copy the following block into the mail and answer the questions:

1) What is your name, or how would you like to be named at the conference?
2) What city are you from?
3) Do you belong to a group? To which group? (We ask in order to allow
as many groups as possible to participate).
4) Would you like to eat at the conference: yes/no
Do you have allergies/intolerances? Which ones?
5) Is barrier-free access important for your participation? yes/no
6) Do you have sleeping needs that go beyond a collective accommodation
with sleeping mats?
7) Do you bring children with you to be looked after during the conference?
8) Do you need a translation into another language?
9) Can you translate into another language? Which one?
10) Can you support during the conference? For example with setting up
or cleaning up, childcare, awareness, support of the info point, kitchen…?
11) Do you have a car that you can provide for material transport during
the conference?
12) May your contact details be put through to other people from your
city for planning a joint journey? yes/no
13) Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

Please use the subject “Registration System Change Conference Marburg”
in your registration email. At the end of this post, you will find our PGP key.

Since we have limited places, there are a few things to consider:

  • Your registration is only valid if you receive a confirmation email
    from us after 16.02. If you register later, we will let you know if
    there are still free places available.
  • To all groups: Since our goal is to reach as many people as possible,
    we ask you to decide together who of you will go to the conference and
    bring the results and discussion back to your group. We will do our best
    to provide good documentation.

Please also pay attention to diversity when choosing your delegates. For
example, you could intentionally choose to send BIPoCs, FLINT*, LGBTIQ+
people, activists with disabilities or chronic illness, people without
high school diplomas or minors to the conference. Please inform us if
you have any special needs that we may not have on our radar yet!

A request from us to you! Please answer our questions!

In order to get to know the current state of discussion of the different
groups, we ask you to answer a few questions and send your answers back
to us. We want to use the feedback at the conference to start the topic
on Friday evening and make it available to the other participants.
Please send us your answers by 23.02., so that they can be included in
the preparation.

1) How do you understand the current societal situation and where do we
stand in it as a movement?
2) Do you have a picture of a (climate) just world?
3) Do you see ways – strategies with intermediate steps and
tactics/methods – how we can get there?
4) Do you plan your concrete practice, your actions accordingly? What
does System Change mean in your activism for climate justice?

PGP Key


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