I support free movement and equal rights for all. We as people should be tryng to promote unity between all.This is what a free society encompasses, the freedom of movement, including freedom of immigration and emigration. We should support the rights and dignity and respect of immigrants and refugees, and people forced to live without status.Many people are forced to live undocumented after having their applications for asylum refused, many esacaping persecution, war, fleeing in fear, escaping danger, in search of safety, a better future. Forced to live underground, hidden lives.
We all have the right to settle wherever we please, are we not according to the principle ' From each according to his ability, to each according to her need' entitled to equal access to the worlds land resources. Immigration laws are inherently racist, because their purpose is to exclude outsiders, and feed and legitimise racism, and in the process causes intolerable suffering to many people.
People of the world should all be entitled to the same universal social, political and economic rights and conditions, with or or without papers, with the same entitlement to the world's resources.We should recognise the many valuable contributions to society made by migrants, immigrants and refugees stretching back centuries. Every country in the world has it's richness and diversity because of the waves of immigration that have occurred. We should recognise the people who daily, risk everything, including their life, to leave their own country's, their family and friends, in search of a new and better life.
I see no contadiction in my support for the Palestinian people against their illegal apartheid wall, thewalls that have been created in open air prisons in Gaza, the West Bank, are the same as any other border wall strewn with barbed wire that bleed migrants, or walls that are erected as barriers to dignity and humanity, from Mexico, and the internment camps of Australia, to Fortress Europe.
Imagine a world free of borders, it's easy if you try, the sky has none, there is only one world. no borders are necessary, no one is illegal.
No Borders News
https://www.facebook.com/NoBordersNews
Serj Tankien
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I went through your blog some days ago and really apreciated it as it shows a strong engagement against social injustice. I am not commenting it on the Cellar Bards' site as it should concern only poetry and they seem quite "mild" about socialism there and even quite suspicious about what is coming from "the Continent". I am Italian and live in Italy and STILL believe in something called INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISM and in everything concerned with it, although nowadays it is no more in fashion to believe in such values! People generally see this as UTOPIA. I am older than you and lived the 1968 and 70's events in my youth in this complicated country where we had the most powerful communist party of western Europe. It had a great importance for my generation and for our cultural background, in order to open our minds and improve our power of criticism against what doesn't work in this world. Do you belong to any special british socialist organization ? Trade unions? other humanitarian ones? By the way I am in the Cellar site as my friend Dave Urwin is and I received interesting english poetry links through him. Franca Panizza
ReplyDeleteIn my younger days was a member of the Labour Party, which I subsequently left, when I realised they did not represent me, or the interests of social justice and fairness, when they started a withhunt against some of my comrades, and sought to exclude and expell them from their orgainisation.. I have remained non-aligned since, but support the principles of International Solidarity. I support any progressive that is trying to make a difference, a broad church I know. I get frustrated by the lefts divisions, but recognise the strength that each individual gives to the movement. I guess I support the old maxim that unity is strength. I guess the international flags that I follow are those of red, black and green.I am drawn to autonomous flavours. In a personal capacity I am also a member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Amnesty International. Ah I have noticed your posts on the Cellar site, always vey interesting, and for me a valuable contribution to the group. I do find that the cellar bards is not drawn to the political, but that also reflects the part of the world where we are based. I am also drawn to the abstract and the surreal, and am strongly indebted to the beats.The international poets breath also inspires, from Mahmoud Darwish, to Neruda and Lorca, to Italian's own Virgilia D' Andrea,some of it's magic I guess lost in translation. Anyway thanks for your cmmentsns hope my response has answered some of your questions. Warm regards.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply Dave. Once an Englishman told me " In UK our most leftist party is like your most Italian conservative one!". And I am not surprised about your comments about the Labour Party, as this is a similar problem in Italy. The leftists keep dividing themselves, quarrelling and argufying, so they loose power and no special leader appears. And if one appears is suddenly neutralized by somebody else in the party! In these circumstances it's very difficult that our left can defend the rights of the most feeble. So at the end this gives more power to the worst conservative parties. I often get angry about this but there is not too much to do. I keep believing that unity is strength, but nowadays it seems individualism is the most important value! I think I will join Amnesty Int ernational one day just to give help to something practical. The most important thing nowadays is to have the courage NOT TO KEEP SILENT when we see something wrong. And there are dangerous racist movements around all Europe. These racist ideas can take people very far along an irrational road. I started to read the American Beat poets in 1970 when I was 18 and they were transalted in Italian. They were very good in opening my mind against the general "brainwashing" that is done every day in our society by the strong economical powers through the media. About the Trade Unions, here like all over Europe they have lost 90% of their power. When I remember the struggles they did in the 60's and 70's to obtain better working conditions, and nowaday we are loosing almost everything. I always notice your posts in the Cellar site, but am surprised that nobody comments them in "a political way" as it should be done. Of course the site is for poetry and the British are very pragmatic! Sometimes I would like to post further comments but am a bit afraid to offed somebody or to write inadequate stuff. There would be also interesting things related to poetry in this country, but of course the different language is a gap.Virgilia D'Andrea was an anarchist writer. Important anarchist and socialist movements were born in this country in the last century, most situated in Central Italy. Back to the Cellar Bards I think they are a good group and those girls (Charlie, Charlotte and Jackie ) running it are surely great people. Most of you write good poetry too as I could read or listen in the Youtube films. Sometimes Dave Urwin talks me about the group. Hope one day to come up there to know you all. I visited UK sometimes many years ago, but never came to Wales and unluckily cannot move at the moment. Well, best luck for your progressive "social battles" for justice and peace. GO ON! Sorry for my poor English. Best regards from Italy (a country full of mess at the moment!)
DeleteFranca Panizza
sorry that your comments were not published earlier...No personal computer so am reliant on libraries. But your use of English much better than people that I know outside literal circles. You express yourself well and clear. The whole world unfortunately is in a mess, it has been for a while, but that does not stop determined voces demanding signifiigant change. Another world after is not impossible it is is inevitable,interenstingly I went on a demonstration an hour or so away fromhere in Aberteifi?Cardigan a couple of days ago in Carmarthen,we were protesting against government cuts, but mainly against a French company called ATOS, that assesses people with mental illness and disability what was really frustrating, was the disparate sectarian groups who made there presence obvious, with there newspapers and pamphlets,intent in only recruitment to there own cause, a group of them even went of to have a meeting about another meeting in the evening that they had planned, hope you get my drift.As I've said I am non-aligned, but will not serve any party that serves its own sef interests.The Cellar bards is a wonderful group, its diversity truly enriching, Jackies's work particularly shines through wiyh a social conscience, as do others, but in the mainstream I find littered with conservatism, poetry served up as regulated order, and has a slight drift to consensus, bowing its head too much to order, instead of emotion. Think I've said enough..... there a good bunch of people though...especially the organisers, if any of them read this I might be lynched. Anyway be free to add me, of to pass on messages on face thingy about global battles for justice , peace and change. Best regards and wishes...solidarity...heddwch/peace.
DeleteTried to join your blog but I cannot open a Google Account. Don't know why. Anyway I'll have a look every now and then. It seems you are really a Welsh passionate guy (a real Celtic!) and I understand your position about being not aligned. You need a lot of courage. They do many demonstrations in this country too for government cuts but there are NO results as it seems there is no money for anything. But they keep wasting money for useless things such as stupid TV programmes or to buy war airplanes. Another campaign that is useful to support is the one for Tibetan people. Some italian facebook friends of mine from Tuscany are starting something called "Let's fullfill Facebook with poetry". Everyone should post a poem in facebook and invite his friends to do the same. After some weeks ideally there should be millions of poems "around in the air". They started with some ancient italian poems of 1300. Wouldn't it be useful to suggest this to the Cellar bards? Of course it's a literary group and you cannot expect them to be social subverters! There are people of all kind and of all ages, so it must be somehow "moderate" to keep order and peace. I had a look at Jackie's blog too. She really writes good poetry and must be a clever woman. Will not refer to anybody your comments about the group being "conservative"!!! I'd rather say it's MILD and FORMAL compared with our italian temper and humour. That's the reason why I am always careful with what I write. But of course different countries, different way of life and different approach to ideas. It was good to get in touch with you and be aware of your social engagement. Should you happen to come down here sometimes just have a look. I live in northern Italy, 60 km. north of Milano, by the beautiful lake of Como. Best wishes to you too for everything.
DeleteBore dda/good morning.Thanks again... I think this idea has been tried, it's a good one, I try to fill my facebook page with poetry, and politival too...in a melting pot fuse of them both, I too am sometimes hesitant about what I say, but the power of inner conviction occasiobally sneaks out. I strongly support the Tibetans too, anyone really that is oppresses and suffering from great injustices.Yes Jackie's stuff is very good...most of my stuff arrives mid air so to speak, unedited, aas Charles Bukowski said ' Best thought, first thought.' Well I think he said that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments...off now...there is a new community bookshop opening, so going to lend my support...speak again, best wishes and regards.
I cannot write poems unluckily but am interested in reading other people's ones. I write very "rational stuff" about local history here, although less than in the past. I think once Dave Urwin told me something about you admiring so much Charles Bukowski. I read some of his tales and poems years ago, but don't go too crazy about him. I read as well in the Cellar site something about the new community bookshop in Cardigan. I was wondering one thing, are you maybe connected with some interesting website or blog for the Afghanian women? I would really like to get in touch with some of them. They are so unlucky living in such a country, treated like in the Middle Ages with no freedom for their body and for their mind. In two weeks it will be March 8th, the women's day, we should remember all these women treated like slaves!
ReplyDeleteBy the way are you a Welsh speaking? I think it is an impossible language, so hard even to pronounce for us foreigners but somehow fascinating. I am also very interested in Celtic traditions and music and in places where the Celts lived. So many things to learn in this world and not enough time... I am going to read something in your blog about the Allen Ginsberg project. Great poet!
Keep well and go on. Regards
I tty to write poetry, they are not always that successful. They arrive and I oftn release them unedited. Yes the new opened yesterday, it certainly seems to be an interesting new venture,and is certainly something I will support. Cannot get to involved though as I currently sort out books for a charity shop in my town, so leaves me a little conflicted. I agree with you about the Afghanistan women, and too will be remembering their plight on International womens day, and support anyone eneavoring to find some harmony and a sense of balance in their lifes. I personally have been learning Cymraeg/Welsh for the past 5 years now, I can get by in conversation, but my written Welsh is not good. But I keep on ploughing on, crossing the bridge/ Y Bont, improving with each passing day. I am fortunate to live in such a wonderful part of the world, where are old traditions still flourish. Allen Ginsberg superb. Thanks again, will try keep on going......keep well yourself, regards.
ReplyDeleteI call people like you "NOT HOMOLOGATED", that translates our italian "non omologato". Dont't know if it gives the idea of what I mean. Something like "not aligned", people who don't go with the main wave! That is very OK. Regards
Deletecheers.....I like the sound of that......regards.
ReplyDeletemine occasionally dims, flickers on and off......then gets up again and wanders.
ReplyDelete:)
That's the reason why it's not homologated!!!
Deleteha ha...... smiles.
ReplyDelete