International Brigades Pyrenees Walk 2012

Watch these highlights of the 2012 Pyrenees commemorative walk,  as a small group of people retrace the path of the thousands of volunteers who crossed the Pyrenees into Spain to fight the Nationalist forces led by Franco in the Spanish Civil War.

On this long journey a memorial is held for the most recent members of the International Brigaders who died and many members of the group give a reading.

If you are interested in this topic, see Spectacle’s interview with the International Brigader, Bosco Jones, focusing discussion on history of the Spanish Civil War.

MUME website is http://www.museuexili.cat/

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Mark Saunders talks at INURA 2012

 

 

Check out a recording of Mark Saunders talking at the 2012 conference for International Network for Urban Research and Action (INURA).

In the presentation Mark, describes strategies of running an independent media company with an agenda for social justice and human rights.

He also discusses his methods of participatory media, people involved in a story being behind a camera and how this technique was particularly effective in his film ‘The Truth Lies in Rostock‘. Mark references his other projects as well as the documentary he is currently working on called ‘Bookchin on Bookchin‘. A clip of this film is shown at the end, with Murray Bookchin an American social ecologist, philosopher and anarchist describing his thoughts about society.

http://inura2012tallinn.wordpress.com/programme/

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Battersea Power Station Estimated Construction Facts

The Malaysian consortium, the new owners of Battersea Power Station,  has announced in a press release that the regeneration of Battersea Power Station is estimated to cost £6-8bn. This news has spread across the media as the project is set to create 20,000 construction jobs as well as 13,000 permanent jobs. Also it is announced that the project will create 3,500 homes.

On the surface this announcement sounds like a good deal, but  how many of the homes will actually be ‘affordable’, the London plan requires 50%, and for how long will the 20,000 construction workers be employed? It is possible that some of these jobs will only last a few weeks.

Local people have heard this all before.

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PA STĀVU LIESMU DEBESĪS

 

 

Šis pētījums par mazzināmu mūsu vēstures lappusi — latviešu anarhistiem un dažādu it kā nesaistītu notikumu brīžiem dīvainajām kopsakarībām, kas lielā mērā noteica 19. gs. beigu — 20. gs. sākuma situāciju gan Latvijā, gan Eiropā, — savu pirmizdevumu 2012. gada augustā piedzīvo tulkojumā latviešu valodā. Par šo darbu jāpateicas ne tikai autora pētnieka dzinulim un viņa sievai Irēnai, bet arī visiem daudzajiem cilvēkiem Latvijā un pasaulē, kuri kopš 80. gadu beigām palīdzēja “dzīt pēdas” vienam no slavenākajiem gadsimta sākuma Londonas biediem — Pēterim Mālderim.
“Aizraujošā sāga par nenotveramā latviešu anarhista gaitām veido vien stāsta virskārtu. Zem tās — skaudras atklāsmes par politiskās varas un vardarbības ciešo saikni, par līdzekļiem, kuru izvēle pazudina viscēlākos mērķus, par pelniem, uz kuriem piedzima Latvijas valsts.”
Vents Zvaigzne, žurnāls “Ilustrētā Zinātne”

Grāmatas autors Filips Rufs dzimis 1952. gadā Birmingemā. Vēstures pētīšanai pievērsies jau 70. un 80. gados, darbojoties starptautiskajā kustībā “Anarhistu Melnais krusts”, kas savā ziņā ir ietekmējis autora skatījumu uz “Pētera Māldera” un latviešu anarhistu darbības motīviem. Autors savulaik darbojies vairākos anarhistu izdevumos (Black Flag, Z-Revue, The Cienfuegos Press Anarchist Review, Anarchy Magazine), vēlāk strādājis labdarības organizācijā, kas nodrošina pakalpojumus veciem cilvēkiem. Anarhisma tēmai veltīti arī iepriekšējie Filipa Rufa publicētie darbi.

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Heavy rain puts the Pringle to the test..

 

‘The pringle’, the nickname for the new London velodrome where Olympic cyclists race this summer, has sprung into the headlines for having “minor leaks” in its roof due to the “heavy rain” England has been experiencing these past weeks, as confirmed by a London 2012 spokesman.

This announcement leads us to question the quality of the Olympic ‘legacy’.

In the end, what we really need to be grateful for, is that it rarely rains in England…

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Free Talha Ahsan – Evening of Music, Comedy and Enlightenment

 

Talha Ahsan was arrested from his house in Tooting on 19th July 2006. Ever since that day he has remained in prison despite never having been charged. For the past six years his friends and family have been protesting tirelessly for his release. Ahsan is now awaiting extradition to the US.

Please join an evening of music, comedy and enlightenment as support for the campaign to free Talha Ahsan.

Date: Saturday September 8th
Venue: Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, E1
Entrance Fee: Minimal (check website)

For more info please visit
http://www.freetalha.org/

For more information on a similar story of injustice, check out the links below which show Shaker Aamer‘s story and fight to be released from Guantánamo.

Here is a link to view Spectacle’s film ‘Shaker Aamer: A Decade of Injustice‘ or you can buy the film here.

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Book launch of Ruff’s new book; A Towering Flame: The Life & Times of ‘Peter the Painter’

The Latvian version of Philip Ruff’s new book, A Towering Flame: The Life & Times of ‘Peter the Painter’, will be launched on the 16th August at Dienas Gramata. Phil’s book is the basis for Spectacle’s English/Latvian co-production project. ‘Siege

 

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