TURMEL: The "No Choice" TOES 99 People's Summit
John Turmel
For: we...@weedbonn.org ("WEED ") Peter Waldow
JCT: Recap: I had posted a question to the j18discussion group
and the toes97 listserv titled "Why there was no Local Currency Panel
at TOES 99?" after receiving the following responses from TOES 99
organizer Peter Waldow, (we...@weedbonn.org), to my request for a panel
to make a presentation on LETS local currency.
>Date: Tue May 25 03:27:36 1999
>From: we...@weedbonn.org ("WEED ") Peter Waldow
>Subject: Re: TURMEL: TOES LETS Mathematics Presentation?
>There is no panel, where you can present LETS, but we offer you to
>book a "table" during the Summit, where you can present your ideas.
>Date: Fri Jun 4 04:40:45 1999
>From: we...@weedbonn.org ("WEED ")
>Subject: Re: TURMEL: LETS Mathematics Presentation
>there is no room for your presentation
>You are free to organise one somewhere in Cologne.
JCT: Then I heard that censoring presentations has not been an
isolated incident:
>Date: Sun Jun 6 15:19:00 1999
>From: tsch...@WARWICK.NET (Trent Schroyer)
>Subject: Should Counter G-8 Conferences be Open Programs?
>To: TOE...@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
>In response to the "Why no local currencies panel at TOES99?" i would
>like to add another case of rejection of program from TOES'99 and
>open up the general question - Should Counter G-8 Conferences be Open
>Programs?
>My understanding of the German strategy is that they know enough
>informed people to put together a program that results in a powerful
>message to the official summit and they do not want to be bothered
>with facilitating additional points of view...
>Trent Schroyer, Professor of Sociology-Philosophy
>School of Theoretical and Applied Science
>Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, N.J. 07430, 201-529-7740
JCT: WEED answered him:
>>There will be a big alternative summit conference organised by a
>>broad alliance of German NGOs and initiatives. WEED is coordinating
>>the project. The issues you are proposing will be covered there.
>>I believe, that the best would be if TOES US joins one or several of
>>these initiatives rather than to organise an event of its own.
>>name omitted...
JCT: Mr. Schroyer continued:
>Over the last four months I have tried to communicate with the
>organizers of the Counter-summit in Cologne on June 18th and have
>been systematically discouraged: - I proposed a very exciting panel
>on "working alternatives" in north america but we were told that our
>topics were already covered in the program!
>-Later I suggested that at least (name omitted) (who is known world
>wide in NGO circles) be included - and that was ignored!
>Am i missing something here? We are paying for our own expenses and
>want to participate and it feels like we are being excluded.
>I assume that all counter-summits are open events.
>Soon after that some of the key U.S. people who had indicated that
>they would go got disinterested. I too decided not to go.
>As a program co-ordinator for the 1990 (Houston) and 1997 (Denver)
>events we facilitated over 70 panels and accepted all critiques of
>the G-7 policy or advocates of alternative practices...
JCT: This is the structure of the agenda for TOES 99:
June 17:
10:00-10:30: Plenary Forum1
10:30-12:30: Panel1 Forum1 Forum2 Forum3
14:00-16:00: Panel2 Forum1 Forum2 Forum3
16:30-18:30: Panel2 Forum1 Forum2 Forum3
20:00-21:30 Plenary Forum1
June 18
09:30-10:30: Plenary Forum 1
10:30-12:30: Panel1 Forum 1
14:00-16:00: Panel2 Forum 1
17:30-19:00: Panel3 Forum 1
20:00-21:30: Plenary Forum 1
JCT: Trent managed 70 panels in two conferences, close to 40 in
Denver 97, and Cologne has only managed to permit 12? Notice that
TOES99 has the rooms for Forum2 and Forum3 empty for all three time
panels on June 18 while everyone is given "no choice" but to attend in
Forum1. We can call TOES99 the "No Choice" TOES.
So there was room for 6 other panels.
There was room for the US contingent's panel;
There was room for a LETS local currency panel. I therefore want
TOES99 to reserve a 10:30 Panel1 in the non-utilized Forum2 or Forum3
on June 18 for a presentation on international LETS local currency
developments where local currency advocates can meet to discuss recent
developments around the world.
JCT: Trent asked:
>Is this strategy an elitist closed process?
JCT: It certainly has seemed to be that way this year. What else
could one call the reducing of the number of panels from 40 two years
ago to 12 this year if not to focus on those speakers WEED has chosen
as the elite speakers in their opinion. Mostly Phds, no farmers.
Peter, I think that the organizers of this year's TOES99 should
be ashamed of the censorship activities which have dissuaded
contingents of people from attending. Somehow, I think that with Mr.
Schroyer's input to the Japan 2000 organizers, this kind of deplorable
conduct will not occur again.
But I see no reason why you should deny local currency advocates
one of their empty rooms for a LETS panel now that we've found some
empty rooms and panels.
Copy to: j18dis...@gn.apc.org, toe...@listserv.syr.edu
--
John C. "The Engineer" Turmel, Founder, Abolitionist Party of Canada
915-2045 Carling Ave., Ottawa, K2A 1G5, Tel/Fax: 613-728-2196
LETS Abolish Interest Rates http://www.cyberclass.net/turmel
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