the 22 October document

A few days ago we received a letter from Giovanni Pandolfini, who is already a WWOOF Italia host and a passionate militant of the peasant movement and particularly of Genuino Clandestino. On the following page, which we reproduce in its entirety, Giovanni presents the document that was created on the occasion of the Giornata di Convergenza which took place in Bologna on Saturday the 22nd. Too late to officially join the event, the Board of WWOOF Italia, however, approved the signing of the document, committing itself, through the direct participation of some members, to monitor and support the Convergence process that remains open, with the intent of bringing a proposal for formal adhesion to the next general assembly.

Giovanni’s letter

Hello, everyone,

The Emilian network for food sovereignty. which, as you know, is a promoter together with the the GKN factory council.in Firenze and many other environmental realities of the of the rally which took place on October 22 . 

Those who were present at the Genuino Clandestino event in Firenze last week were witness to the involvement in this meeting. .

From the Emilian network there also arrived the request to test , on the occasion of the demonstration on the 22nd , a shared document of adhesion. Participating in the drafting of this document, in addition to some of the regulars of GC , were other people belonging to peasant realities throughout Italy, such as ARI and Fuorimercato and many others, who at the moment I don’t know but they will be clearly visible as signatories of the document. 

We are well aware of how these other realities which have crossed paths with GC over all these years have generated an enormous diversity of situations.

Sometimes bonds and community sharing were created, sometimes also very different visions on the peasant question and self-determination of territories and sometimes outright ruptures with substantial differences (I am reminded of the milan expo) from those practiced by GC . 

Today they have undertaken to draft a set of principles, an initial political blueprint and some claims that constitute this document/appeal which I enclose.

I , not representing but sharing the Florentine network, as well as Carlo and Germana ofCampi Aperti have participated in drafting the contents of this appeal.

This is a commitment to maintain and safeguard the diversity of all formal and informal networks and groups involved in agroecological peasant agriculture in a framework of convergence precisely with a part of the labor movement at the moment represented by the GKN in Firenze and many other environmentalist realities such as the thousand committees in defense of their territories.

It is probable that this appeal/document for the October 22 demonstration in Bologna could be the beginning of many other rallies and the basis for a common project that could sustain the anti-systemic uses of a substantial part of our anthropogenic consortium. I’ll just stop here.

Naturally, networks wishing to subscribe to this appeal (even after the 22nd, we know our time frame is long) are welcome.

A big hug to each and every one and a big thank you to those who were in Firenze, we still haven’t recovered from the blow, but we were very happy with what we experienced both in the convulsive days of mondeggi and on the day in front of the factory gates with our usual market.

The following is a communiqué from the GKN factory council, which I find very interesting.

Baci Giovanni from Firenze 

What is in your utility bill?

Then there is Finance, which turns every product, good, price rise into a financial and speculative mechanism.

Privatisation of energy companies has been going on for years.

C’è the failed ecological transition that capitalism does not know, cannot and will not do. Other than in words.

There is political alternation without an alternative. There are governments that change in full political continuity. Parties that pretend to quarrel when in truth they are part of interlocking system compatibilities.

There is a war, generated by the war for energy resources, which in turn generates a war for energy resources.

The capitalist value chains have gone mad, opening, closing, speeding up, demanding overtime, looking for workers, firing workers, demanding precarious workers, wanting lay-offs, wanting public money, not wanting to pay taxes, they can do anything, want anything and give nothing.

There are trillions of euros of easy liquidity flowing in from banks and states to support private capital, which now fuel the inflationary spiral. First they received the money as a gift, now they raise the rates on your debts: the mortgage noose tightens.

In your utility bill, there is the hefty cost of the world collapsing around you. Skepticism and apathy towards politics or individualism is a luxury we cannot afford.

There is a need to rebel, unite and come out of solitude in order not to pay. Not to pay for all the economic crisis they have caused.

#insorgiamo This is not a date, it is a trial.

That will take place from 22 October in Bologna, from 5 November in Naples. And from any struggle, trade union, social, political, environmental, transfeminist, against the high cost of living that, like us, feels the urgent need for change here and now .