2011-06-08 #Acampadasol ends and #Spanishrevolution prepares for the Post-camping Era

Packing tents

The M-15 movement in Madrid has decided tonight, after a four hour long general assembly that it will end its occupation of ‘La Puerta de Sol’ (main square in Madrid) on Sunday the 12th of June. The way in which this process will be carried out will continue to be debated and it is likely that a small permanent information office will remain. The movement will also continue to hold daily general assemblies in the square and it acknowledged that some people may decide to continue the occupation as individuals.

The reasons given for ending the occupation are varied. It is partly to address the growing problems associated with the camp, in regards to security and hygiene. However, more importantly it is part of strategy for decentralizing expanding the movement. This has already began, with a national day of action planned for the 19th of June and the creation of popular assemblies in hundreds of suburbs and communities all over Spain. The occupation was in its 24th day and the M-15 movement has vowed to continue its struggle for participatory democracy and social justice.

A new era

The member associations of 15-M now prepare for the post-camping era. Leading up to the temporary eviction of Barcelona and Lleida, they experienced a gradual decrease in the number of participants and media attention. After this episode, in spite of the present upturn, they know they will again lose supporters. However, they believe that the movement has to continue and they are already preparing the strategy: they propose a European mobilization at the end of June, the creation of a wikiparliament to formalize proposals, the development of Democracy 4.0 and the extension of the movement in networks through the suburbs and smaller cities.

The political intervention in Catalonia has revived the protests. This already happened in Granada at the beginning of the election campaign. The greater the political presence, the more protesters in the camps. Yet the members of 15-M are conscious that the near future will hold a decrease in demonstrators until the dissolution of the camps. Nevertheless, they don’t want the lack of presence in the streets to mean the end of this unprecedented movement.

The Laboratory of Political Ideas and Practice of the Pablo de Olavide University in Seville has welcomed the movement because, according to professor of Philosophy of Law Rafael Rodríguez, it is necessary to “create links and synergies” to facilitate the elaboration of proposals for social transformation. In the setting of this laboratory, Law graduate Francisco Jurado, member of 15-M and one of the founders of coordinating committee of Democracia Real Ya (Real Democracy Now), has explained how they are planning the future.

Wikiparliament. The methodology for decision-making in this assembly setting is still in debate. One of the ideas being considered is to create a wiki-type platform of proposals on the Internet, a page that will be cultivated with voluntary contributions. This system would permit the revision of proposals and for all to continue refining and contributing their knowledge and experience.

They reject the presentation of proposals without certain “minimum requirements”. So they consider that this wikicongress would permit any idea to be proposed, amended and developed with reasonable contributions. Once there is a consensus on these proposals, they will be initiated.

Amongst the short-term objectives, is that mortgages be settled in the case of non-payment. In the long-term, they aim for a revision of the separation of powers, social monitoring of executive actions and the reform of the channels of participation. As they reject links to any political party, the tradition parliamentary channel is unlikely and proposing popular legislative initiatives is limited. “We would be pleased if a political party took up our proposals,” Jurado affirms.

Democracy 4.0.This is the title used by a member of the university laboratory of ideas. It’s based in the existence of sufficient technology and legal precedents – there are measures that authorize Members of Parliament to vote without being physically in Parliament – in order to guarantee citizen participation beyond every four years in the ballot box. An online system of voting would facilitate citizens to express their opinions.

To this point they add many others that would facilitate the channels of social participation in the parliaments, without the need for citizens to direct their proposals through political groups.

Territorial reorganization. The first action is to extend the movement and disassociate it from the central plazas. They are aware that the camps have been fundamental, a “lesson in practical politics”, Jurado asserts. The camps have been a grouping by common interests and objectives that have generated an “identity”, but 15-M cannot limit itself to Sol, the Plaza of Catalunya or “las setas”, as they call the Plaza of La Encarnación in Seville.

The objective is to disperse this movement with teaching through “local settings”, like neighbourhoods and small villages. By maintaining the global character of the movement, the creation of an international platform can be simultaneously promoted. In this way, they aim to generate a network that will produce support systems, proposals and followers.

Education. This is another key plan of 15-M. They aim to promote initiatives, like those of the Seville Pablo de Olavide University, in order to create a society that is committed and prepared to take a more active position in the management and monitoring of government administration.

In this sense, Jurado explains, they imagine the university as a centre for investigation and knowledge, grounded in social reality.