<div dir="ltr">dear Kevin,<div><br></div><div>could we serialize this overview on our blog, as you did for the urban commons thing ?</div><div><br></div><div>at the end oriana or her students could then offer an update on the firenze experience, which his not mentioned here,</div><div><br></div><div>Michel</div><div><br></div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">peter waterman</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:peterwaterman1936@gmail.com">peterwaterman1936@gmail.com</a>></span><br>Date: Wed, Apr 1, 2015 at 8:59 AM<br>Subject: [NetworkedLabour] Fwd: University protests around the world: a fight against commercialisation<br>To: "<<a href="mailto:networkedlabour@lists.contrast.org">networkedlabour@lists.contrast.org</a>>" <<a href="mailto:networkedlabour@lists.contrast.org">networkedlabour@lists.contrast.org</a>>, WSFDiscuss List <<a href="mailto:WorldSocialForum-Discuss@openspaceforum.net">WorldSocialForum-Discuss@openspaceforum.net</a>><br><br><br><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:small"><br clear="all"></div><div><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><ol><li><a rel="nofollow" href="http://snuproject.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/1987-e-reader-ed-by-peter-waterman-on-labour-social-movements-and-internationalism-the-old-internationalism-and-the-new/" target="_blank"></font></font></span></span></span></span></font></span></span></font></span></font></font></span><font color="#ff0000"><font size="1"><span style="background-color:rgb(246,178,107)"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font color="#ff0000">2014. From Coldwar Communism to the Global Justice <span>Movement: Itinerary of a Long-Distance Internationalis<span>t. <span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"> </a><font size="1"><font color="#0000ff"><a href="http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/from_coldwar_communism_to_the_global_emancipatory_movement/" target="_blank">http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/from_coldwar_communism _to_the_global_emancipatory_movement/</a><font color="#0000ff"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#ff0000"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">(Free). </span><br></font></span></span></span></font></font></font></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#ff0000"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font color="#ff0000">2014. </font>Interface Journal Special (Co-Editor), December 2014.</span> <a href="http://www.interfacejournal.net/current/" target="_blank">'Social Movement Internationalisms'. (Free).</a></font></span></span></span></font></span></font></font></span><b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#ff0000"><a href="http://www.interfacejournal.net/current/" target="_blank"><br></a></font></span></span></span></font></span></font></font></span></b></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#ff0000">2014. <font color="#000000">'The Networked Internationalism of Labour's Others', in Jai Sen (ed), Peter Waterman (co-ed), <a href="http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/the_movements_of_movements/" target="_blank"></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">The Movement of Movements: </a></font></font></span></span></span></font></span></font></font></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><a href="http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/the_movements_of_movements/" target="_blank"></font></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">Struggles for Other Worlds <font color="#000000">(Part I).</a><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)"> (10 Euros).</span></font></font></span></span></span></font></span></font></font></span><b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><font color="#0000ff"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#ff0000"><font color="#000000"><br></font></font></span></span></span></font></span></font></font></span></b></li><li><div style="text-align:left"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><span><span><font color="#ff0000">2012. </font>EBook:</span> <a href="http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/recovering_internationalism/" target="_blank">Recovering
Internationalism</a>. <span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)"> </span></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">[A compilation of papers from the new millenium. Now free in two download formats]</span></font></span><b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><span><span></span></span></font></span></b></div></li><li><div style="text-align:left"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><span><span><font color="#ff0000">2013. </font>EBook (co-editor), February 2013: World Social Forum: Critical Explorations <a href="http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/world_social_forum/" target="_blank">http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/world_social_forum/</a></span></span><span><span></span></span><span></span></font></span></div></li><li><div style="text-align:left"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><span><font color="#ff0000">2012. </font>Interface
Journal<span> Special (co-editor), November 2012:</span></span><span> </span><span style="font-weight:normal"></span></font></span><b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><span style="font-weight:normal"><a href="http://www.interfacejournal.net/current/" target="_blank">For the Global Emancipation of Labour </a></span><span lang="NL"></span></font></span></b></div></li><li><div style="text-align:left"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#ff0000" size="1"><a href="http://interfacejournal.nuim.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Interface-1-2-pp255-262-Waterman.pdf" target="_blank"></font></font><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000">2005-?</a></font></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font size="1"><span lang="NL"><font color="#ff0000"> Ongoing. </font>Blog:</span><span lang="NL"> <a href="http://www.unionbook.org/profile/peterwaterman." target="_blank">http://www.unionbook.org/profile/peterwaterman.</a></span></font></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"></span><span></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#ff0000" size="1"><a href="http://interfacejournal.nuim.ie/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Interface-1-2-pp255-262-Waterman.pdf" target="_blank"></font></span></font></span></font><font color="#000000"><font color="#ff0000">???. Needed: a Global Labour Charter Movement<span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)"><font color="#000000"> <span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">(2005-Now!)</a></font></span></div></li><li><div style="text-align:left"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><font color="#ff0000" size="1"><font color="#000000"><a href="http://www.into-ebooks.com/book/under-against-beyond/" target="_blank"></font><font color="red"><b>MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "www.into-ebooks.com" claiming to be</b></font> <font color="#ff0000">2011. Under, Against, Beyond: Labour and Social Movements Confront a Globalised, Informatised Capitalism </a>(2011) <span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">(c. 1,000 pages of Working Papers, free, from the <a href="tel:1980" value="+661980" target="_blank">1980</a>'s-90's).</span></font></font></span></div></li></ol></div><div><table cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr></tr></tbody></table><font size="1">
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<br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Sid Shniad</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:shniad@gmail.com" target="_blank">shniad@gmail.com</a>></span><br>Date: Tue, Mar 31, 2015 at 8:18 PM<br>Subject: University protests around the world: a fight against commercialisation<br>To: <br><br><br><div dir="ltr"><b><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2015/mar/25/university-protests-around-the-world-a-fight-against-commercialisation" target="_blank">http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2015/mar/25/university-protests-around-the-world-a-fight-against-commercialisation</a><br><br>The Guardian 25 March 2015<br><font size="4"><br>University protests around the world: a fight against commercialisation</font><br><br>Academics and students in Canada, the Netherlands and the UK explain why they are taking a stand against their institutions<br><br>Rebecca Ratcliffe</b><p>Students at University of the Arts, London, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/mar/24/students-occupy-central-st-martins-in-protest-against-cuts" target="_blank">took over their university’s reception area last Thursday</a>
to protest against proposed cuts to some of its course programmes. This
makes UAL one of the latest institutions around the world to be hit by
occupations and strikes by staff and students. The causes of such
protests vary: some are concerned about working conditions facing
graduate students, others point to a lack of transparency about how
universities are run. A key issue is the commercialisation of higher
education, which many feel has led university leaders to prioritise
financial goals over the needs of staff and students. <br></p>
<p>We speak to academics and students in Canada, the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/netherlands" target="_blank">Netherlands</a> and the UK to find out why they’re taking a stand.<br></p>
‘Graduate students should be guaranteed a minimum amount of funding that
sits above the poverty line.’ Photograph: Lennart Maschmeyer
<h2>University of Toronto, Canada<br></h2>
<p><b>What’s happening?</b> Graduate students at the University of Toronto have been on strike for three weeks.</p>
<p><b>What prompted the strike? </b>Graduate and teaching
assistants are essential to the University of Toronto’s teaching. But
they are paid a minimum financial package of C$15,000 – far less than is
needed to meet the cost of living.<b><br></b></p>
<blockquote>
<div>
<p>The basic graduate student funding package has not seen any increase
in more than seven years, leaving graduate students doing teaching and
research to live more than C$8,000 below the poverty line. Sessional
faculty, course instructors and teaching assistants do more than 60% of
the teaching at the University of Toronto, but only 3.5% of the
university’s budget is allocated to them. </p>
<p>To address this, graduate students should be guaranteed a minimum
amount of funding that sits above the poverty line and increases as
inflation and the cost of living rises.<br>Instead, management have
sought to increase undergraduate and graduate student enrolment –
particularly international students – in order to increase profits to
the university. Rather than addressing the serious financial needs of
its students, the university administration team spent weeks refusing to
return to the negotiating table. A recent offer failed to address the
negative impacts of precarious work in academia that have allowed for
the exploitation of lower level and non-tenured academic staff.</p>
<p>To prevent further labour action and disruption for all students
across university campuses in Canada, university administrators will
have to address these serious structural deficiencies that have decayed
the quality of education and research at public universities in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/canada" target="_blank">Canada</a> and across North America.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<ul><li><i>Omar Sirri is a PhD student studying political science at the University of Toronto.</i></li></ul>
<span></span>
‘LSE is the epitome of the neoliberal university. It is managed and
organised around corporate interests, which promote elitism and
perpetuate inequality.’ Photograph: Alex Kurunis
<h2><b>London School of Economics and Political Science, UK<br></b></h2>
<p><b>What’s happening?</b> A central administration room has been occupied by students since 18 March.</p>
<p><b>What caused the protest?</b> The occupation is a reaction against the marketisation of education.<br></p>
<blockquote>
<div>
<p>LSE is the epitome of the neoliberal university. It is managed and
organised around corporate interests, which promote elitism and
perpetuate inequality. OccupyLSE proposes that students, lecturers and
workers should run a university – and we have named this project the
Free University of London.</p>
<p>We are occupying the main administrative meeting room to symbolically
disrupt the management of the school, which is responsible for the
neoliberalisation of our education. We have used the space to reclaim
our education and encourage political participation by teaching and
learning from each other. This is a rejection of the commercialisation
of education – we are learning for free and we are learning freely. <br></p>
<p>The space and workshops are being used to focus and refine the
demands we are making as a movement on issues of free education,
workers’ rights, university democracy and governance, liberation and
ethics. The power of occupations is that they create a domino effect:
this is only the beginning. </p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<ul><li><i>Natalie Fiennes is an MSc student studying political sociology
and Ellen Lees is an undergraduate student studying social anthropology
at LSE.<br></i></li></ul>
<span></span>
‘As PhD candidates... we pay for the “privilege” of our precarious jobs.’ Photograph: Alex Felipe
<h2>York University, Canada</h2>
<p><b>What’s happening?</b> Teaching assistants, graduate assistants and contract faculty at York University have been on strike since 3 March.</p>
<p><b>What prompted the strike?</b> Staff and students
participating in the strike have a number of demands including: more
funding for graduate and research assistants and better employment
rights for LGBTQ workers. They also want to “strengthen the tuition
indexation language”, which means that any rises in tuition for graduate
students will be met with a rise in their funding.</p>
<blockquote>
<div>
<p>Once considered a radical institution, York now pursues aggressive
divide-and-conquer strike-breaking tactics. On March 9, the university
made a ‘final offer’ that largely appealed to senior contract faculty, a
clear attempt to split the union. Teaching assistants and graduate
assistants rejected the offer and remain on legal strike.</p>
<p> York is now reconvening courses despite the strike, putting students
in a position to cross increasingly tense picket lines to get to class,
and has even invited striking workers to scab. Despite these moves,
both faculty and undergraduate solidarity is growing, with many
exercising their right not to cross pickets.</p>
<p>As PhD candidates, we are not only tuition-paying students, but also
frontline teachers. In short, we pay for the ‘privilege’ of our
precarious jobs. We couldn’t pursue our careers without full funding. </p>
<p>What does this mean for student-workers? One international student
recently tweeted a Kafkaesque image of a pay cheque from the university
for C$0.00, all that remained of their funding after paying
international tuition. At the university, we call this “getting York’d”.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<ul><li><i>Jessica Lee is a fourth-year PhD student in the humanities and
Darren Patrick is a fourth-year PhD student in environmental studies and
the York University.<br></i></li></ul>
<span></span>
<div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgu.com%2Fp%2F46p9t%2Fsfb%23img-3&ref=responsive" target="_blank"></span> <span></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?description=University+protests+around+the+world%3A+a+fight+against+commercialisation&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fhigher-education-network%2F2015%2Fmar%2F25%2Funiversity-protests-around-the-world-a-fight-against-commercialisation&media=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.guim.co.uk%2Fsys-images%2FGuardian%2FPix%2Fpictures%2F2015%2F3%2F25%2F1427280329831%2Fb6925c8f-d512-4190-bef0-68f619d45f04-2060x1545.jpeg" target="_blank"></span><span><br> </a>
</div>
‘We have joined with our students on a weekly basis to think through the
effects of managerialism and financialisation.’ Photograph: Julie
McBrien
<h2>University of Amsterdam, Netherlands</h2>
<div>
<div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<h1><a>Dutch student protests ignite movement against management of universities</a></h1>
</div>
<div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Read more
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p><b>What’s happening?</b> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/students" target="_blank">Students</a> are occupying Maagdenhuis, the university’s main administrative building, calling for a democrastisation of the institution.<br></p>
<p><b>What prompted the protest?</b> Protesters want to
increase the transparency and accountability of the university
decision-making processes and to pause and reconsider its programme of
restructuring, cuts and sell-offs.</p>
<blockquote>
<div>
<p>How do you protest bureaucracy? How do you work against the
financialisation and managerialism that has seeped into the university,
forcing us to prioritise ‘rendement’ (efficiency), harmonisation, and
profit, rather than creativity, education, and critical thinking? </p>
<p>In Amsterdam we started by occupying symbolic university buildings ,
organising public rallies and taking to the streets en masse. We wrote
articles, appeared on television and the radio and published open
letters. </p>
<p>But resistance takes many forms. As a mode of critique and change we
have taken back our workspace. We have marked the very corporate-like
environment we work in – all straight lines, uniform spaces,
impenetrable concrete, unbending steel – with signs of alternative
voices, thoughts-in-the-making and issues up for debate.</p>
<p> We have joined with our students on a weekly basis to think through
the effects of managerialism and financialisation and how, when there is
no other way, we can disobey in everyday acts of resistance. </p>
<p>In resonance with Bertold Brecht’s famous phrase ‘Stell dir vor, es
ist Krieg, und keiner geht hin’ (just imagine, there is a war and nobody
joins), we imagine what comes of bureaucracy when nobody fills out the
forms. When we refuse to cooperate with the system that has hijacked our
university, we make a step towards reclaiming and recreating the
university. It’s not visible to most, but these forms of protest play a
part in recreating the university as a space for learning and discovery.<i><br></i></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<ul><li><i>Julie McBrien is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Amsterdam.</i></li></ul><br></div>
</div><br></div>
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<br></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div>Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: <a href="http://commonstransition.org" target="_blank">http://commonstransition.org</a> </div><div><br></div>P2P Foundation: <a href="http://p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://p2pfoundation.net</a> - <a href="http://blog.p2pfoundation.net" target="_blank">http://blog.p2pfoundation.net</a> <br><br><a href="http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation" target="_blank"></a>Updates: <a href="http://twitter.com/mbauwens" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/mbauwens</a>; <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens</a><br><br>#82 on the (En)Rich list: <a href="http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/" target="_blank">http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/</a> <br></div></div></div></div>
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