Parties without discriminations, border crossing behaviour and assaults: How do we reach that?

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Open discussion event // Monday, 06.02.17, 7 pm // NewYorck im Bethanien, Mariannenplatz 2 a, Berlin-Kreuzberg

Mid December the radical, self-organized, anarchist, autonomous project space New Yorck in Bethanien decided, after a (reoccurring) grave incident of sexualized violence on a soli-party, to not provide the space for soli-parties anymore, until further notice.

 

New Yorck is not alone with the problem of incidents of sexualized violence and other assaults on soli-parties: most of the project spaces in Berlin can report on cases like this.

 

We don't want to accept this and think and hope, that it will also in the future be possible to enjoy soli-parties and other public events together and at the same time provide a space, where a lot of people in their diversity can meet without fear and move freely. But how do we reach that?

 

As a first step we decided to invite to an open discussion event. We want to cope with the following questions:

 

- Which experience do we have with discriminatory and border-crossing violence in non-commercial, leftist, alternative event-spaces in Berlin? Are there maybe typical situations and how do they look like?

 

- Why is the right handling with it so difficult for us? Which facts make it exhausting to find an appropiate and effective procedure here?

 

- Which means and procedures did we already try out, which were successful and which not? Which other approaches would be maybe worth to be tried out?

 

We would be happy about the participation of as many interested people as possible, people from the sourrounding of New Yorck in Bethanien, people from other projects and networks, who maybe have to cope with similar problems and all the other people who have an interest in relaxed party- and event-spaces without fear and want to realize this together.

 

This first event shall be for the common exchange of experiences – previous knowledge is not required. We can imagine that it could come to emotionally exhausting and/or stressing moments; therefore we will provide a retreat space with a contact person for support.

 

More events and meetings will (hopefully) follow. You can get in contact with the preparation group via the following adress: partywithoutfear@riseup.net

 

To this adress you can also write, if you are not able to attend the event but would like to get involved in improving the awareness structures (not only) in New Yorck in Bethanien or if you would like to tell us other things.