The Zone To Defend!

The ZAD (Zone A Défendre) is a 4000-acre land occupation near Nantes, France conveniently located where the state and multinational construction company VINCI had previously intended to build a "green" mega-airport.

Since 2009, this massive swath of ancient farmland, abandoned houses, barns, forests, and swamps in western rural France have been occupied by local farmers and environmentalists in an attempt to prevent the construction of an airport that will greatly exacerbate the release of carbon dioxide and destroy many farmers' way of life. This constellation of squatted buildings and fields has come to be known at The Zone-To-Defend or La ZAD, and has lived up to its name every step of the way. The military police have attempted to violently evict the lands several times since its inception, but every time the ZADists come back stronger, more numerous, and with more creative Permaculture techniques to re-occupy the land and rebuild their makeshift straw-bale cabins, treehouses, kitchens, theater spaces, bike workshops, pirate radio station, brewery, and bakery.

Currently the anti-airport movement has generalized to become extremely large and diverse, and has taken root even in mainstream French consciousness. The airport project is now politically in limbo, and the occupation, though dealing with heavy repression, has become a terrain for social experimentation, a place where there are no police, and the laws of the state don't apply.

On October 27th, Alex, who has lived at the ZAD and written and spoken extensively about the anti-airport struggle, will be visiting Collins Living-Learning Center at Indiana University to discuss the history of the land occupation, the present state of affairs on the ground, the role of Permaculture and local farmers in sustaining the struggle, and what to expect in the coming months. Her talk will be followed by an open discussion about the history of Midwestern resistance to destructive development projects and how these struggles are connected even across international borders.

This is a completely free, public event and we would like to specifically welcome members of the local growers and Permaculture community to join us for the evening. The talk will be held in the main courtyard of Collins LLC at 10th and Woodlawn. The weather looks like it will unseasonably warm (around 60 degrees at 8pm), but please come dressed prepared to sit outside for over an hour. Please bring a blanket to sit on/share if possible too.

Alex will also be giving another talk and showing a short film at Boxcar Books, which we are still finalizing the date of.

For more details on the current state of La ZAD:
http://zad.nadir.org/?lang=en

FNB Report: October 3, 2015

Last night was a crazy gig, kids are dancing like hell on the stage. the sound of the hardcore bands was monotonous, tug tug tugudugdug!, (the mist reminds me of stephen king movie) weird. There are bands from Laguna and also from Naga. Some nasty drunk girls throw bottles in the streets, police arrived, but no arrest happen. Funny. We have beers, soup & sandwiches in the entrance of the venue. Matt is drunk like hell, Alfie was drunk too, tired and decided to go home. I was talking with bunch of drunk friends( paolo banares with local punk band the class). Kids passed by with empty beer on their hands. Beautiful girls roaming around like there's a pageant. I decided to go home with the silly electric bike with a side car (FNB mobile soup kitchen). It was a cold trip, thankfully pao lend me his amazing jacket. Going home to pacol while raining was a bad thing. Home at last with wet shorts and a headache. The night was chaotic yet fun and funny.

FOOD NOT BOMBS (because food is a right not a privilege)

FOOD NOT BOMBS
(because food is a right and not a privilege)

-Girle Gaile Prado

Over the weekend, I had the chance to get involved and personally witness the actual operation of Food Not Bombs at Plaza Rizal in Naga City, through the invitation of my friend Noel Regachuelo. The project caught my attention a few months ago because of its advocacy and the process by which it services its beneficiaries.

Although primarily FNB addresses the issue on hunger, the food program usually coincides with a film showing and the distribution of literary materials, therefore not only feeding the body but likewise nourishing the soul and the mind, in the hope to raise awareness for social transformation.

I know that most people do not agree with the dole out system of assistance to the less fortunate members of the society, as it is considered to be a temporary relief for a persistent problem on poverty, and promotes a culture of dependency and complacency. However, there is far more beyond giving a cup of soup and a piece of bread to a hungry child to survive another night of miserable lack.

The more significant part of FNB I believe, is its call for action upon those who can share their time, energy and resources to at least make a difference even in a single life. Here is an opportunity to inspire people to look outside of themselves, and live their lives for the greater good. The more people become aware of their higher purpose, the more we can ensure the perpetuation of life on this planet.

Given this, it is worth mentioning that the food being served in the program would usually come from donations from the market vendors, who opt to give out some of their products, rather than letting them go bad or get wasted in the shelves.

Like Noel, I share the same thought that there is no scarcity of food in the world but only that they are held by very few hands. Part of the vision of FNB therefore, is for food resources to find their way to more people, because it is a basic human right, not a privilege.

May this be an encouragement to everyone not only to support FNB, but all other endeavors seeking to make this a better world for all forms of life.

heart emoticon

‪#‎foodnotbombsnagacity‬
‪#‎nourishingtheheartmindbodyandsoul‬
‪#‎insolidarity‬

Sept 26, 2015 / Food not Bombs & Film Screening

Memoir of Memes: Anarchist Book Project

There are millions of memes in the internet but there are few significant memes that are worth collecting. My book project "Memoir of memes" is a collection of dissident memes in the internet. Civil unrest, demonstration, revolution, graffiti, revolts are some topics of the book, i think it is important to have an archive of memes thru a book. Since "meme" is an idea, behaviour, style or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture, meme is the mirror of our generation, it reflects the situation of our culture, politics, art and everyday life.

I hope you can help me promote my book project to other people and raise the publishing expenses. The goal fund of the project is $1000 or 46,535 in Philippine Peso. The amount will be used for production costs for publishing, printing and promotion. I will also send some PDF format of the book for anyone who will donate, if had an opportunity i can also send you a physical copy of the book. If i didn't meet the goal of fund, ill try to self publish it like a fanzine.

Since is its a collection of memes, is also for entertainment and educational purposes. its also an assemblage of ideas, philosophies, aphorism, photos, drawings, graphics, illustrations, statements, etc.. I think it is an important book project because it will give us new information, perspective and ideas. The book is also COPYLEFT. Ill be giving a free copy of the book to those who helped me and supported my endeavors. 

Here is the link if you want to support:

https://www.indiegogo.com/campaigns/memoir-of-memes/edit/#/story

http://insurrectionnewsworldwide.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/philippines-anarchist-book-project.html

Help us build the mobile infoshop

After several years of Greenhouse Infoshop Project’s existence we have decided to go on transition. Paying rent and bills is miserable. Compounded with far-away and non strategic location, this slows us down. It is really keeping our potentials at bay, therefore stunting our direct actions and projectualities. At the moment, we are conceptualizing the design of "the mobile infoshop", this vehicle will provide us permanent shelter and infoshop, liberated from rent and bills. Becoming nomadic, deterritorialization is a way to fight capitalism and its imposed ideologies in a new terrain. We are optimistic about this project and i hope you could help us build the mobile infoshop.
In Solidarity!

If you want to donate:

Account number: 890311373 
Account holder: Noel C. Regachuelo
Address: Blk.6 Lt.14 Gladiola Street, Grandview Heights Subd. 
Pacol Naga City Philippines 4400
Bank Name & Address: BDO Banco De Oro, San francisco branch Naga City
Swiftcode: BNORPHMM

Food Not Bombs Solidarity Action (A)

Food Not Bombs Solidarity Action!
Free West Papua! Free Marco Camenish!
In Solidarity to (A)ll Political Prisoners!
June 27, Saturday / 4pm @ Plaza Rizal Naga City
"Food is a right not a Privilege"
 For Mutual Aid & Autonomy!