October 12: Nothing to celebrate 2018

For those who defend the Earth and Human Rights

For the seventh consecutive year we are in Madrid, the Assembly Plaza de los Pueblos 15M and the Preparatory Assembly of ArtEvento “Descolonicémonos: October 12, Nothing to celebrate” to invite all assemblies, groups, organizations, cultural groups and people to join to this initiative.

This is a space for the recognition of the sovereignty and rights of all the peoples of the world that have been or continue to be colonized. We support the different actions that are carried out to demand the freedom of peoples, as well as respect for their history and culture. We make a determined call for the respect and preservation of diversity in all its forms and for the defense of life.

October 12 represents the beginning of a process of violent cultural, political and military imposition, which includes the extermination and slavery of millions of people. In Spain, the celebration of October 12 as a national holiday, has its origin in the Franco regime, and therefore must be revised, like any other symbol inherited from this painful stage of the history of this country. This commemoration is in itself an act of symbolic violence that hinders and diminishes the coexistence of diverse peoples inside and outside of Spanish territory, reinforcing an identity based on the imposition of a unique, Eurocentric culture, onto the great range of territories, peoples and communities colonized.

In the name of civilization, of the Catholic religion and of the Spanish crown, economic, political, social and cultural structures with racist, chauvinist, patriarchal and homophobic characteristics were established.  These are still maintained today and in many aspects, are the basis of inequalities, social conflicts, violations of human rights and the vulnerability of indigenous peoples.

The process of colonization is not a fact of the past, it is still maintained today, with different actors, including multinationals and the media. Under the deceptive alibi of an alleged “development”, based in reality on a failed model in financial, ecological, social justice and gender terms, the main sources of life on our planet are destroyed, generating extreme poverty and miserable working conditions.

Colonization is reinvented with discriminatory global policies that do not include the different ways of thinking and feeling of the original peoples, and that impede the circulation of people, especially those that come precisely from the colonized territories.

These new forms of colonization generate interference of all kinds against the sovereignty of the people: illegitimate debts, wars, apartheid, genocides, enslaving trade agreements, impositions of gender models, slavery and forced displacements, causing thousands of people to be forced to abandon their countries of origin, fleeing from death and hunger.

Racism is institutionalized, with immigration laws that violate human rights, and that consider migrants as “illegal” and without rights, persecuted by state security forces and imprisoned in Foreigners’ Detention Centers (CIE).

In America, as well as in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, the indigenous peoples continue in resistance defending life, communal good living or Sumak Qamaña, preserving ecological and cultural systems, their historical memory and their ancestral knowledge, reinforcing the bonds of solidarity and mutual support. The union between people and peoples is the only way to face the global crisis that brings only death and destruction.

From Madrid, capital of the Spanish State, we make an appeal to generate a real awareness. Remember the phrase: A people without memory is a people without a future. It is not possible to erase history or eliminate the ravages caused by colonization. However, it is possible to establish new views and analyzes on this historical moment, to support social justice and reparation for the damages caused, especially to prevent the repetition of the damage.

Those of us who live in Spain, citizens with full rights – regardless of our origin – we cannot continue accepting a celebration that was built on a reality of destruction and death. It is urgent that the institutions of the Spanish State and the peoples that make up this territory, assume our responsibility, for justice and for dignity.

We demand that the Spanish State repeal Law 18/1987, which establishes that the day of the National Holiday of Spain is October 12, because it reinforces the colonial, racist and military imagery interwoven in the social and political structures of Spain.

It is important that we continue to work on overcoming the current global political-economic system, which is based on colonization and the inequalities it generates. In this sense, we invite all people, groups, associations and institutions to participate in this active process of resignification on October 12, in defense of the original peoples and Mother Earth, Abya Ayala, Pachamama, Ñuke Mapu …

October 12 °. Nothing to celebrate! For those who defend the Earth and Human Rights Individuals, assemblies, groups and organizations that wish to adhere to the manifesto can sign here or write to plazadelospueblos@gmail.com

If you want more information and to participate in dialogues about Decolonization, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/1096632613738967/

 

Current accessions:

Asamblea Plaza de los Pueblos 15M

Asamblea Preparatoria del ArtEvento Descolonicémonos 12 de Octubre Nada que Celebrar

Asociación Cultural Brasileña Maloka

Paraguay Resiste en Madrid y Barcelona

Asociación Integrando

Coordinación de Apoyo al Pueblo Mapuche – Trawunche Madrid

Amigos de la Tierra

 

ESTADO ESPAÑOL

Movimiento Tierra y Libertad Madrid

Plataforma de Solidaridad con los Pueblos del Mediterráneo

Asociación Marroquí de Derechos Humanos

Feminismo Comunitario de Abya Yala Tejido España

Ongd AFRICANDO

Movimiento de Mujeres Palestinas Alkarama

Asociación Arena

Asociación ecuatoriana ”  Y A S U N Í ” – Valencia

Baladibabel

Revista La Comuna

Asociación de Mujeres de Guatemala AMG

Observatorio Ético Internacional – OBETI

Sodepaz

Asociación Iraní por los Derechos Humanos de España

América Latina Soberana

Comunidad hondureña en Madrid

CGT

Marea Granate

Asociación Cultural y Social Puentes No Muros

Espacio Ayllu / Migrantes transgerorxs (Reino de España)

CASTILLA

Izquierda Castellana

Yesca

CATALUÑA

Colectivo Trawun

Asociación Si amb Nosaltres

MADRID

Yayoflautas Madrid

Madrid Solidaria con Palestina

Tierra y Culturas, ONG

Latinoamericanxs OSP

Peruanxs en Madrid

Movimiento de Acción Política Antirracista MAPA 12N

Migrantes Transgresorxs

Rojava Azadi

Coletivo pelos Direitos no Beasil (Madrid)

Asamblea 15M Villa de Vallecas

Colectivo 26 de Julio

Asociación Pablo de la Torriente Brau de Alcobendas-San Sebastian de los Reyes

Partido Comunista de Madrid

Movimiento de Solidaridad con Venezuela de Madrid

Plataforma de Solidaridad con Nicaragua y el FSLN

Colectivo Sociocultural Soledad Barrett

CGT MCLMEX

VALENCIA

Asamblea de Solidaridad con México (País Valencià)

SOS NATURA (Marina Alta, Alicante)

GALICIA

Asociación Galego-Bolivariana Hugo Chávez

CANARIAS

Asociación Canaria Siembra

Alternativa Nacionalista Canaria

Intersindical Canaria

AMERICA LATINA Y EL CARIBE

Amigos de la Tierra América Latina y el Caribe -ATALC

CHILE

Colectivo Memoria PUC

PARAGUAY

Organización de Mujeres Campesinas e Indígenas Conamuri

VENEZUELA

La Casa del Costurero de Sueños Emancipatorios Eulogio Paredes

Red de Colectivos La Araña Feminista

ESTADOS UNIDOS

Skylight

ITALIA

Women in culture

Grupo de trabajo Terra Corpi Territori & Spazi Urbani, Non Una di Meno, Italia

SUIZA

Red Mapuche Suiza