# Meeting log: 1st July

## 1. Agenda
check in
note taker: 
Finances for coordination - contributions for hiring someone for coordination
Text for websites about the Global Dialogue Process - Vasna to share a draft
Focus on COP26 (main part of the meeting)
Ask each of the groups what they are planning and what they see as the potential engagement with COP26 aligned events on climate justice.
Put forward a proposal on organising around COP26 (Pierre to take the lead)
For reference: Discussion paper here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-bHEnUu8O7PqFVlvyiof3AUeB1_ybqK3/view?usp=sharing
Spreadsheet of original survey responses here:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tD75H6-6e7G6st4XI02AiPS5ECXCwYGFPMcl2z35uLk/edit?usp=sharing

## 2. Finances

For someone to support with coordination part time. Asked groups for £1000. Positive responses from GTA and GDSC, but no one else yet. Would be good to go ahead with this asap. Potential cantidates have been identified. Beyond development needs to check. Multiconvergence doesnn't have funds. G2G doesn't just now and has been contributing in kind - may change soon. WE can start with what we have and the person themselves can help with raising addtional funds. Pierre - no one has money. Eva - we could do a more conscious process around funds in the future Vasna - and can raise funds hopefully Franco: we could talk with EDGE, since they already manifested interest in this. They are willing to participate in one of this meetings and to know the plans of this process.

## 3. Website text

Franco and Vasna volunteered for this but it has been delayed.

## 4. Working groups

Dialogue space: Eva and Hamouda meeting on Friday - will report back next time Action space: Pierre and Leo volunteered to hold that space - keeping track of what's going on and convening action planning.

Leo: Promoting this on the International Council and Mexican faclitating group. Some other opportunities - disarmanent in Barcelona, debt, distribution of medicines, Palestine,etc. Need to consider how we approach these issues as a group.

Eva: Can't do everything so need to find the areas which make the most sense. Perhaps we can use the work plan put forward as a template for future initiatives.


## 5. COP26 and work plan

Pierre presents the draft work plan that was put forward by the coordinating team. Our group is very diverse so we have to open up to integrate these discussions but at the same time we have to be able to concentrate our efforts on some issues.
COP26 is one of the important ones and for pragmatic reasons, it is a place to start. There is also a methodological imperative - if we find concrete issues to work on together, this will keep our impetus growing.

COP26 Coalition is in place and there is already a lot of discussion taking place. Concerns about the value of the COP26 itself. Preliminary idea is a week of decentralised action around the world.

Can we coordinate to make an impact during this week?

What initiatives do groups have in place for COP26?

Eva mentioned the results of the survey that G2G, GTA, GGND and GDSC have activities planned. Marcos mentioned that Agora of the Earth Inhabitants and are already planning action already through virtual means. Multiconvergence will be involved.

Ashish: One issue is that there should be a focus on making the UN and nation states accountable but we can use this to strengthen people's movements on the ground in resistance and alternatives.Its an additional emphasis to targeting the government's and their commitment.

GTA hasn't yet made earthy plans but we could do several things. Uncertainty about physical presence but could be an opportunity to convene a meeting of endorsing organisations.

Justin: COP has been very successful to stop real action so putting pressure on it doesn't necessarily help. As G2G bringing communities together and using COP as a potent moment for system change. Bringing together communities not movements. Interested in the week of action on collaborating for alternatives and from a positive place. Prefiguring. Is there a way for us to create an Assembly of people from across the world really considering and making decisions about the climate?

Vasna: COP coalition and 350.org - putting forward positive and more realistic solutions is what they're thinking about too.

Ashish: Exciting to think about an opportunity to do our own thing. Alternatives but also to build alliances with resistance movements. One could be a physical assembly but since many people won't be able to get there could do a series of regional events online or in physical space which talk about what are the types of resistance and alternatives from different parts of the world.

*What are our visions of what the world could look like with earthy examples of how transformation is already taking place.

Can we steal some of the thunder from the official COP26 process? What are the citizens of the world actually going to do?

Daniel: From GGND see it as a moment to hijack the mainstream discussion. Very keen to get involved in this. GGND is hosted and funded by WoW so we can very much facilitate this interaction.

**If we want to join the COP26 Coalition as a convergence space - GGND can facilitate this!

Pierre: Thank everyone for the contributions. Experience is a creative combination of protest and proposal.Perhaps we need to have two groups working on the two fronts?

Franco: A proposal for COP26 based on the previous shared ideas: We could start working to prepare a joint statement, but not to present it as text but as a visual statement under a "viral media style/strategy"

Maduresh: I like what is being said but its also a noisy and extremely packed event with everyone trying to get the attention. And as many said that COP is high jacked then not sure how our efforts can be more fruitfully used. I m wondering if using our meagre resources there would be most useful. Perhaps that’s the reason that many of us at least in Indian movements have been much agnostic about COP.

At NNAPM level we have tended to ignore these events and not always at some point this moment have been used to say in joint statement with other movements what we feel and believe. Beyond that we have joined local assemblies otherwise its round the year we build our movements, as Vikalp Sangam, GTA and others are doing.

Eva: Love the idea of the showcase of alternatives, especially place-based and community-led.Really interested in prefiguring how we shift power to power, to movements and communities. How to deliver an assembly process online? Great to consider how something like this might play out.

Maduresh: Should COP be given so much weight by movement groups? Its not like WSF and we should leave this space to governments and international NGOs.

Ashish: GTA and VS have never really engaged with the Climate COPs but just wondering as to whether and if there are going to be lots of civil society orgs there whether it is an opportunity for this parallel process of convening?

Justin: Need for different approaches and not opposed to either. In this space, focused on building something different. Need to support the hijacking of the climate justice movement to create the processes we need.

Leo: Have a meeting with the eastern Europeans soon talking about the COP. Interpreting the different interventions - either we join some of the organisations which are mobilising already (e.g. the Agora or we are trying to propose an assembly of our own? Need a decision in this conversation.

Pierre: Two things: In the last discussions around the COP26 Coalition there is a growing consensus that we have nothing to hope for from COP26.The spirit is not to engage with COP26 but use the occassion to talk to masses of people. The Pan-Amazonian forum was something similar with 15000 participants and GDSC was involved. A lot of action and resistance came from it so there is not much obstacle by being locked in by COP26 - its to use it for a strong, decentralised intervention.

Eva: Should we convene another meeting to tak more in depth about this?

Marcos: Forum for Climate Change and the Agora have focused on water privatision.

Eva: Do we have a special meeting

Ashish: Those who are engaging with the COP26 Coalition should report back and we can have another meeting on this topic. Need to decide on crucial foci.

COP26 coalition - do our processes want to sign up to this - and/or as Adelante?

Pierre: Think its a good idea to participate. The objective comes out from the discussion that we just had and this makes a good reason to participate as Adelante and not just our individual processes.

Ashish: Agree and being there as Adelante would also give us a bit of visibility.

Eva: proposal that we sign up in some way to COP26 Coalition as Adelante, a dialogue of global processes. Daniel to take this forward.

## 6. Moving forward with the work plan

Pierre Outlined the work plan that was shared with everyone.

Ashish: Nov-Jan also have to do planning for the WSF in Mexico. Also need to think of picking up specific topics and building common positions on those. For example on disarmament. Also water (against privatisation etc, for community water sovereignty, rights of rivers etc); Disaarmament and peace; Democracy/governance/autonomy alternatives

Franco: The work plan is a good start. Some elements to add on communication. Important not only to show off what we are also share on the limitations, doubts and questions we have - collecting the memory of this process is really valuable. Need to be open and transparent and document all we do in an open way. Make it easy for others to understand what we are doing and our agreements/disagreements. In terms of communication and media, I also suggest we avoid creating another "digital marketing trademark", but more a humble open and honest process

Shrishtee: Looks fantastic and a bit overwhelming for me. One feedback - the composition of this group itself should be looked at. How to make it more dynamic and representative of the diversity we are representing and its important to have these diverse perspectives in our steering group.

Daniel: Very happy to collaborate and will take forward the process with the COP26 Coalition.

Frederic: Very good being here and how professional everyone is being. We can all learn from this. At Multiconvergence not directly involved in COP planning but our networks are and we can bring them on board for different activities.

Marcos: Happy with the plan. One thing that should be stressed is to make explicit connections between the global issues and local communities and movements.

Justin: Really appreciate how this is being held and transparency is important. Like this structure of the general and then the specific. Inclusion also raises questions of funding for people to take part in these meetings. Strong sense is that we are here to encourage each other. What are you focused on and how can we support each other in what we are doing. Also involves the meetings being vibrant and alive and more honest with each other where we take a risk in saying what we really want to say.

Eva: Last action for the meeting - is there a small group of people who would be willing to make sure that this action plan stays alive and continues to develop?

Pierre: Thing its a good idea to re-mandate so that a small group is taking this forward and will prepare the next meeting based on what we have discussed.

Pierre, Eva and Vasna continue and others can join as they wish.

Ashish: Keep the same group for awhile and then rotate it.

Next meeting: 29 July at 14:00 GMT