The Left Berlin News & Comment

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Category: Campaign of the week

German Solidarity with Myanmar Democracy e. V.

People living in Germany who support a free, democratic and inclusive Myanmar


04/08/2022

We, the association German Solidarity with Myanmar Democracy e. V., are a group of people who mainly live in Germany and support a free, democratic and inclusive Myanmar. Many of us have lived in Myanmar for years and worked in development cooperation, business or the cultural scene.

We strongly oppose the recent illegal coup by the Burmese military, also known as Tatmadaw.

We want to show our support, love and solidarity with friends, partners and family members in Myanmar. They are not alone. We are watching. We are listening. We act to support them.

What we do

We support the democracy movement in Myanmar from Germany with various activities that show our solidarity and demand concrete changes in politics and the economy. We are in constant exchange with many people in Myanmar in order to be able to take concrete action.

We inform journalists and politicians, work against German companies that have business relations with the military junta, organise and support protest actions and vigils throughout the country, have launched a petition to expel the military attaché in Germany, mediate when people from Myanmar also feel threatened here on the ground and support fundraising campaigns that we are familiar with.

Demands / Claims

We are committed to a free, democratic and self-determined Myanmar. In doing so, we recognise that the domestic political situation in Myanmar is complex and multi-layered. Myanmar is a multicultural, multiethnic state and has a colonial past. The country’s future can only be shaped sustainably from within. Our hopes lie in the steady development of the country towards peace, federalism and democracy. With the military coup of 1 February 2021, the ruling military elites have finally discarded their self-portrayal as the protective power of democratic development. We therefore fully support the demands of the peaceful protest movement for a new, liberal and modern constitution. The future of the country lies in universal respect for human rights, a modern and tolerant education and health system and a responsible and sustainable domestic economy for all citizens.

In view of the current situation and the information available to us, we advocate for:

  • the release of political prisoners in Myanmar
  • the recognition of the democratically elected people’s representatives of the Hluttaw as the government-forming institution of the country
  • the recognition of the peaceful CDM movement as a justifiable form of resistance to the illegal military take-over of power
  • international sanctions against the Tatmadaw military leadership
  • the immediate termination of all international economic relations with the Myanmar military and its corporations
  • international companies to fully comply with their own standards of corporate responsibility in their business relations with Myanmar companies.

 

Refugee Voices Tours

Experience Berlin from the perspective of people who living with refugee status


28/07/2022

Refugee Voices was founded in October 2015 by activists and refugees who met on Oranienplatz and the Gerhard-Hauptmann-Schule, when both places were occupied by people trying to change the unfair situation for many people with refugee status in Europe.

The idea of our initiative is to give a voice to people who are often talked about in the media, but who are rarely given a chance to speak for themselves and explain their own stories. We aim to break down the stigma of the word ‘refugee’ by people who are themselves refugees speaking about their experiences, we hope this will open people’s eyes to the challenges that refugees face in Europe but most importantly we hope it will change people’s attitudes towards the current situation.

Our walking tours and workshops seek to inform the public about why so many people have been forced to flee their countries and seek refuge in Europe. We draw parallels between Europe’s own history of revolutions, wars and migration to create a relatable dialogue around what it means to be a refugee in 21st Century Europe and what issues lie at the heart of one of the most contentious topics of our time.

Since 2015 we have offered tours and workshops to thousands of people from all across the world, from all age groups and all walks of life. Our community of guides continues to grow across Europe and most recently we have made it possible for the public to attend our tours online.

On Saturday, 30th July, Refugee Voices is offering a new tour Afghanistan: caught between occupation and oppression, raising awareness of the situation Afghans are facing today and explaining this very complex history in a way that is both understandable and interactive.

The walking tour begins at the tourist information centre at the Brandenburg Gate and ends at Potsdamer Platz and will last around 2 hours. If you wish to attend the tour, please message us either via our FB page or send an email to contact@refugeevoicestours.org to secure your spot!

Lieferando Workers Collective (LWC) Berlin

Independent workers of Lieferando organizing


21/07/2022

It’s election season for Berlin workers. From August 2nd to August 8th, Lieferando couriers in Berlin will elect a workers council (Betriebsrat) at their company. Forcing this election is the latest achievement of a years-long organizing push within Lieferando, spearheaded by the Lieferando Workers Collective (LWC).

The LWC has fought for, and won: unlimited contracts for couriers, the right to stop work (and be paid) in bad weather conditions, and proper compensation around using one‘s own phone, data, and bike. The LWC helps their colleagues know their rights and assert them.

Both these accomplishments and the self-organized structure of the LWC challenge business-as-usual at companies like Lieferando. The courier business model relies upon atomization, isolation, and increasingly precarious work conditions; if couriers don’t know their rights, Lieferando profits.

It’s no surprise, then, that the LWC (and the Election Council) have faced sabotage from management, ranging from individual harassment to arbitrary lawsuits.

The Lieferando Workers Collective is an integral part of the current wave of worker self-organization in Berlin. Their members were instrumental in supporting the Gorillas Workers Collective last year and the Flink Workers Collective this year.

There are several support actions planned for the run-up to the election. If you’re interested in supporting, message @mokuh on Telegram.

For links to LWC social media, and updates for the latest support actions, visit this page. Expect some news from around 8pm this evening (Friday, 22nd July) about planned actions this week-end.

Corner Späti

Weekly discussions of a deteriorating world all from the comfort of your local smoke-filled Spätkauf


14/07/2022

Corner Späti is a weekly political comedy podcast about Europe based out of Berlin hosted by comedians, researchers, historians and journalists Ciarán, Nick, Julia, Uma and Rob. You may remember them from the 2021 election night show in Donau115. The podcast discusses news, history and movements from a left wing perspective while laughing at an absurd world and system that demands to be taken seriously.

The podcast has been going since 2019 covering a wide range of topics such as more serious discussions of Deutsche Wohnen & Co Enteignen, Palestine in German Media and revolutions in the post-Soviet world to less serious and more comedic discussions of Bulgaria’s richest man attempting to start a political party in exile or Georgia’s ruling party being named after the richest man’s son’s hit rap song. You can browse the full range of topics discussed here. Hopefully there’s an episode here that’s interesting and will make you laugh.

On Sunday July 17th at 18:30, Corner Späti will be doing a live show in noisy Rooms, Revaler str. 99 as a part of Podfest Berlin 2022. Podfest Berlin is a festival that brings together various podcasts in this city, in German, English, French, Arabic etc to conduct live recordings with an audience. Tickets are available here  and you can use the code COMMUNITY-DEAL-EINS to get 20% off a single ticket or COMMUNITY-DEAL-22 to get 20% off the weekend ticket. Here’s a facebook event for those who need it. The Podcasts range from comedy to serious, news to story telling, so there should be something for everyone.

Die LINKE Neukölln AG Straße

Fighting homelessness in Neukölln


23/06/2022

The number of homeless people and people affected by poverty is very high in the district of Neukölln. Due to the austerity policy of the senate towards homelessness and the ever worsening gentrification of the district, services have been cut in recent years and funds for socially vulnerable people have been reduced.

The AG Straße was founded to draw attention to and address the political and social needs of homeless and socially vulnerable people. Through our work, we hope to identify failures in and solutions to the current social care infrastructure and pass these up within Die Linke party to achieve changes in policy. The AG Straße sees itself as a voluntary and donation-based working group of the Left Party in Neukölln. In order to understand the needs of those affected, it is essential to talk to people and to address their needs.

To this end, a focal point of our working group is that we cook and serve a warm meal on the streets of Neukölln once a month, normally on the last Sunday of the month. Through this we hope to become visible and reliable points of contact for people affected by homelessness. 

Behind the scenes, we are working on projects and campaigns to draw attention to the problems that homeless people face and to bring about political improvements in the provision of services for vulnerable and socially disadvantaged people in Berlin.

In the long term, we want to contribute to ensuring that all people in the district of Neukölln have access to adequate care infrastructure.

We are committed to alternative forms of housing and want to enable everyone to live a self-determined life with the support they need.

During the Zeit der Solidarität (Time of Solidarity) we have been carrying out interviews with homeless people and those in precarious living situations in Neukölln, and will conclude the week with a Kiezfest on Hermannplatz this Sunday, 26th of June, between 14:00-18:00. Come along and bring your friends, there will be music, speeches and food for all on a pay as you can basis! If you would like to find out more to get involved with the monthly meal distribution or our upcoming campaigns and projects, please get in touch at agstrasse.linke-nk@posteo.de.