Tipping Points #10 is over - and with it the first time we've been back to a city where Tipping Points has already taken place: the first time for the second time in Graz!
Above all, we would like to thank everyone who came along - whether to the workshops or the supporting programme - and all those who actively helped out. As a speaker, in the kitchen, as a helping hand or simply by talking about Tipping Points in their group or supporting our project financially. THANK YOU.
For now, we have some visual impressions for you here. There will be more to read soon, as well as all the documents and documentation we receive from the workshops:
Sonst möchten wir euch alle herzlich auch zur Sommerakademie der Sozialen Bewegungen einladen – die Anmeldung ist schon offen! Besucht dort auch unsere Workshops im „Skills Strang“ zu Bewegungsaufbau und vernetzt euch mit anderen.
The weekend was very diverse and inspiring. The program was really exciting. Highlights of the workshops were, on the one hand, "Critical process observation as a political tool" by prozess.report. Observing court cases from the left is an important task. It allows you to keep an eye on repression and legal changes in times of a shift to the right. On the other hand, "WE // NOW // HERE - a radical rescue package for the LEFT". In this workshop, two activists talked about their attempt to motivate left-wing radical autonomous groups to join the LEFT in Germany.
The super election year played a role in the choice of the main topic this time. We have observed that even groups that are less connected to political parties have recently been more concerned with the question of whether and to what extent they should support the election campaigns of certain parties. The recent successes of the KPÖ, the possible reorganization of the Left Party in Germany and Lena Schilling's candidacy for the Greens are of course exciting cases.
As a team and speakers, we are also taking some thoughts from the weekend with us. In our opinion, the relationship between movements and parties depends largely on which party it is and how similar the content is. Thanks to the debate with the KPÖ, the skepticism of social movements towards parties may be slowly diminishing. At least for the first time in a long time, the KPÖ represents a serious, electable alternative for many people.
If parties gain trust and votes from social movements, they must also deliver something in return. This step is often not taken and destroys trust. Parties need structures in which this is anchored so that it does not depend on individuals. In this context, it would also be important to think less in terms of "either-or" and more in terms of "both-and". This would also be helpful in breaking down barriers and working together. The salary cap, as institutionalized in the KPÖ and at least announced by Lena Schilling, can be an exciting instrument. It keeps politics closer to the real lives of people (and social movements).
W ir haben aber auch über Eurozentrismus gesprochen und was weiße Aktivist*innen und Parteigenoss*innen von der zapatistischen Bewegung, von Rojava, indigenen Gemeinschaften in Südamerika und afrikanischen Ländern lernen können und müssen. Deutlich wurde auch – für Parteien und Bewegungen: Wir brauchen ein neues kollektives Verständnis von Verantwortung für uns selbst und den Menschen um uns herum. Wenn sich jede Person in einer Gruppe für jede andere Person in der Gruppe und das, was in der Gruppe passiert, verantwortlich fühlt, haben wir automatisch ein anderes Kollektiv, eine andere Achtsamkeit/Awareness und eine andere Form von Leitung.
The feedback we have received from participants has been very positive in the past. Clear exceptions have been comments from BIPoC activists who have experienced microaggressions and who point out to us how difficult it is to feel comfortable in white, activist spaces. We take this criticism very seriously. Because we don't just want to talk about diversity, we also want to live and promote it. For several months now, we have been in an explicit process of reflecting on and improving tipping points in terms of inclusion, discrimination and access. I was pleased to receive positive feedback this time in Graz: on the barrier-free location, the simultaneous translation in the plenary session, the multilingual workshops, the FLINAT-only and BIPoC-only workshops, the awareness room and the interesting mix of participants. In terms of thematic diversity, we have also made a big leap this time. So far, there has been a large majority of climate (justice) activists among the participants. We have been trying for some time to reach other bubbles as well.
We would especially like to thank everyone who came along - whether to the workshops or the supporting program - and all those who actively helped. As speakers, in the kitchen, as a helping hand or simply by talking to their group about tipping points or by supporting our project financially.
English 
German