INTERSQUAT – Festival i Berlin i september

INTERSQUAT – Festival in Berlin from 10th until 19th of September 2010

Let’s come together to provide a base for discussions, introducing different thoughts, initiating meetings, linking each other, developing new perspectives and creating a self-determined and autonomous free space from 10th until 19th of September 2010 at the Berlin INTERSQUAT Festival.

Being inspired by other INTERSQUAT-Festivals, which took place at different locations all over the world, we want to develop our utopian ideas at the INTERSQUAT festival in Berlin with you together. The possibilities to live a self-determined life are gradually being restricted. Many of the existing structures of squats and autonomous spaces are strongly threatened to become extinct. As a result more and more spaces disappear and with them the attached chance to organize ourselves, to discuss, to exchange experiences and to develop alternatives to given structures, go also.

From our point of view, it is necessary to criticise capitalism, leadership and the ruling structures in an all-embracing way. Hence we want to discuss about alternatives, experience the exchange and reflect on counter-structures against discrimination of living beings. Free spaces are spaces where all creatures can live without being discriminated because of gender, skin colour, sexuality preferences, money or other inequalities created by society. Since all kinds of repression are present in our daily life, it is important to create and preserve spaces where such constructed inequalitites are not only accepted, but are discussed and reflected. Those spaces should enable us to live and act out our own identity and make it possible to freely evolve our ways of life. We try to live by detaching ourselves from those repressions and social constructions, making people aware of them and sensitive to them.

The so called gentrification will catch up with all of us if we don’t make a stand against it. The process of “upgrading” cities does not just force squats and autonomous spaces all over the world to give way to profit-making projects. New houses are built and old buildings glance in a gleam of light after being profitably refurbished, rents are rising as a consequence. As a result, people with low wages and those who are discriminated by the structure of society are being moved to the outskirts. Movements working against this social injustice are often criminalized. Moreover through repressive measures their possibilities to act is muted. The festival provides space to link and solidarise with each other and to be able to act against repressive measures in a more effective way.

Within a diverse and powerful frame the festival offers enough space for self-organized actions, discussions, workshops, information events, exhibitions, music and art as one way to protest and develop ideas. There will also be a free flea market which is supposed to make a breakthrough the capitalistic understanding of money values and prices.

Topics to be talked about could be: How does gentrification show up in different cities? Whats the situation of squats and autonomous spaces all over the world? How can we network in a more efficient way? How can we reach stronger solidarity with our forms of protest and actions?

Since the discussion about free spaces is extremely complex and often includes a variety of subtopics, the festival will provide space for discussing these subtopics as a matter of course, e.g. anti-sexism and the negotiation of leadership.

Of course sexism, racism, all other kinds of discrimination, and the transfiguration of hierarchical structures are neither tolerated nor accepted on the festival!!!

Let us share our ideas and imagination of a free and wild life. The festival grows with you! If you want to do a workshop or an information meeting, initiate a discussion, show your music, art or if you have some ideas or topics for the festival, write to us at: intersquat-berlin@riseup.net

Bring your tents, ideas and your unstoppable wild passion!