An answer to the strike declaration by the World Extension Group from Sol

The World Extension Team (WET) from Sol has declared an activities strike. They have gone on unlimited-active reflection time.

In their text, it is verified that our movement has lost visibility and participation, it is wondered whether it will be more useful to stop the scattered activites of “hundreds of factions” to join back together. This statement by WET has the capacity of raisinga necessary question, though, they are wrong in their conclusion, from my point of view.

Last week, in my neighborhood –Tetuán, in Madrid-, we had this talk about Basic income, another one about squatting, we had a meeting to create a group for responsible consumption (this is the second one) and we did another barter market, this time, with kids as protagonists. Furthermore, the third number of a thicker and thicker paper has just come out. We also were moved with the words of Tati Almeida, a mother of the Plaza de Mayo, who was so kind as to come and visit us, and we finished the assembly wildly dancing.

Every single activity is a tiny step, but totally necessary to make a better Tetuán, and therefore, a better world. Every single activity is a particle of encouragementcheering us up to keep the struggle and gets to tighten the fibres of a growing community.

Plus, these actions are possible thanks to the work done during the week by people in comissions, at bars, which are our headquarters in winter, or even on the web. Without this -activist- commitment these steps are impossible. We would not have had the chance to dance without the work of our friends in Dynamization.

Personally, my biggest concern about this text is that it shows up the small (or big) tragedy of our movement, which is our mind dependance to the mass.  That is what the smartest critics call movementism or emotionality. Nonetheless, the mass can be smart and infammatory in unexpected vortex like the one of M15, and whilst we get ready (better than expected), we need to keep creating spaces which, despite not being massive, are quite colective.

I am pretty sure we will have another 19th October, a massive, clever and well cared meeting. And we will meet there with old friends who do not have the time or strength to join us every week, or are moving forward somewhere else. Swarms, drops of water and free electrons. I, myself, have tried to commit, and got tired to the end of this year, although when looking at the soles of my shoes, I can proudly smile at their wear.

If this text is right on something is on the need of being inclusive with that 99% OWS talks about, but the way should be receiving the diversity, assuming there are many kinds of this same movement and we keep on searching for that subject whichmight define anything we have in common. We cannot just stop so we will not expel anyone, we must join people together. We need a famboyant 99% not a skinny one.

I agree with them when they talk about stopping to take perspective and reflection, but I am afraid that not in the same way I understand the authors try to. Where they talk about stopping the work in comissions and assemblies, I think of stopping moving as if a chicken without a head in dozens of demonstrations which aim seems to be seen rather than creating and proposing. Le’ts create community while demanding public institutions.