Free Shop & Infoshop. An E-mail
Hello everybody!
Today we had a global meeting at Tüzrakter, where we discussed the strategy and future of the activities around and within the Free Shop and the Infoshop. There were 9 people, 1 dog and 1 kid (Nadja, the super model promoting the Free Shop on the posters).
During the meeting we discussed one -shop after another, therefore, let me start with the Free Shop (because it's already there and it's already functioning).
Free Shop:
1. First Steps
The space is already functioning well, people usually come and go, take and bring clothes. Some people come to the room to have a free dinner from some Turkish place at 8 in the evening almost every day (I met them on Nov. 21). Some people come there to learn how to play the guitar (I met them on Nov. 26). Some Christian sects also come there to put their posters on the wall. As a result, Maxigas was deleting these 'evil' posters, but they were stick on the walls with such strong sticky tape, that during the process of deletion some tiles were also taken away from the wall.
2. The Team
We agreed to meet weekly on Wednesdays at 4 in the afternoon to clean up and arrange the Free Shop, to discuss things and to socialize. At the same time
3. Public Relations (PR)
The further idea for the Free Shop was to promote it and get more clothes for it.
3.1. Maxigas told that on Nov. 28, this Friday "there is a "csere-bere" (exchange) event organised very near to the Base (our flat)
by Green Youth (Zold Fiatalok) NGO. I try to communicate with them and arrange a place for the freeshop there, to take a part of the freeshop to that place and promote it. Their concept is similar to ours but differs on two points:
a. it is an event (read "spectacle" or representation or awareness-raising) and not an infrastructure, initiative or institution like the freeshop. strategically, we can sort of hack this event saying that people interested in a similar kind of exchange can come to our shop all the time in the future.
b. it is capitalist because it is based on exchange value. you take your things there, get "points" and buy things with those points. therefore it makes rich people richer, not facilitating a restructuring of the economy to fulfill the needs of all people. the freeshop is
anticapitalist because there is no exchange-value, a relation between what you put in and what you can take. strategically, then, we are against each other but we can still cooperate and radicalise the structure". [end of quote] :)
So far, as nobody of those who were present during the meeting could not be there on Friday to represent and to promote the Free Shop, we decided to skip it this time and to try next time. Anyway, networking with "Green Youth" is a good idea for the future.
3.2. Promotion is needed in different places, such as universities, libraries, clothes shops, pubs, clubs, streets... For this we agreed to modify the posters and to add more information to them about the time and the place of the Free Shop, as well as the contacts (web-site, telephone). Flyers are also needed.
The means: contact student unions to promote the Free Shop among student community of CEU, ELTE, Corvinus and other universities. E.g., I am planning to involve HRSI of CEU.
Other possible means: stencils/graffiti in front of the clothes shops and putting little flyers in clothes in the clothes shops and
"turkalo"-s (used-clothes shops).
3.3. A website. Maxigas is working on a website of the Free Shop. He is going to gather all the blog posts, pictures and posters linked together in one place. When it'll be ready it can be linked back from blogs, from indymedia, and from some NGO websites. It could later be expanded and incorporated into a website about free living including squatting, Infoshop, hitchhiking, flat-sharing, etc.
4. Fundraising (FR)
4.1. As there is a monthly rent for the place, we are going to apply for the Visegrad fund and possibly Youth in Action grant. For the Visegrad we are currently looking for a Polish partner, if you know any NGO that can be interested in the Free Shop or Infoshop, just let us know. If somebody has an experience in successful application for YiA, your help is welcomed!
4.2. We need clothes and shelves. So, it would be great to fundraise either some money or in-kind products (at second-hand shops, furniture factories, charity organizations).
4.3. As we need more clothes and money, Maxigas agreed to ask some friend who owns a second-hand shop to help.
4.4. We need A BIG MIRROR. There is one in the office of Tüzrakter, but if somebody has one unneeded mirror, just feel free to bring it to Tüzrakter!
Infoshop
1. First Steps
There is a shoebox room which needs some repair. We need to paint the walls (WE NEED PAINT!) and also shelves for the books (FR!) + chairs for the guests (FR!) If you have something of these or know people who might have these things, just tell us!!! As soon as we have material stuff, we can start working!
2. General idea
Infoshop is not only a library, but also a place for some wider activities. So, we agreed that at the Infoshop...
- everybody can develop his/her arts talents and creativity;
- everybody can learn/teach something useful (a weekly workshop on Linux or language courses);
- we can develop a platform for discussions and ideas sharing ("3-dimensional indymedia, an open space for ideas and opinions")...
...and the Infoshop itself is...
- a shelter for foreign activists who visit Budapest;
- advice / help / information centre.
3. Films (a Dessert!)
We would like to continue with a good tradition of film screening, as we used to do this before - with discussion, guest speakers and so on. The only thing that we should discuss in this regard is the choice of the films and the 'representative group' who will have the right to do so. Still, this is a subject to a discussion. Overall, we agreed to avoid screening of politically biased movies.
Everything finished with a game: Maxigas asked everybody to close the eyes for 10 sec. and then to catch him if we like what he'll have in his hand after we open our eyes. Well, nobody was tempted with a bottle of Bosordi beer. Sorry, Maxigas, it was not hot wine this time.
Therefore, if you have further ideas, comments, remarks, contacts, materials, clothes etc.... TELL US!
P.S. The best way to tell us is to leave your comment after this post.
Today we had a global meeting at Tüzrakter, where we discussed the strategy and future of the activities around and within the Free Shop and the Infoshop. There were 9 people, 1 dog and 1 kid (Nadja, the super model promoting the Free Shop on the posters).
During the meeting we discussed one -shop after another, therefore, let me start with the Free Shop (because it's already there and it's already functioning).
Free Shop:
1. First Steps
The space is already functioning well, people usually come and go, take and bring clothes. Some people come to the room to have a free dinner from some Turkish place at 8 in the evening almost every day (I met them on Nov. 21). Some people come there to learn how to play the guitar (I met them on Nov. 26). Some Christian sects also come there to put their posters on the wall. As a result, Maxigas was deleting these 'evil' posters, but they were stick on the walls with such strong sticky tape, that during the process of deletion some tiles were also taken away from the wall.
2. The Team
We agreed to meet weekly on Wednesdays at 4 in the afternoon to clean up and arrange the Free Shop, to discuss things and to socialize. At the same time
3. Public Relations (PR)
The further idea for the Free Shop was to promote it and get more clothes for it.
3.1. Maxigas told that on Nov. 28, this Friday "there is a "csere-bere" (exchange) event organised very near to the Base (our flat)
by Green Youth (Zold Fiatalok) NGO. I try to communicate with them and arrange a place for the freeshop there, to take a part of the freeshop to that place and promote it. Their concept is similar to ours but differs on two points:
a. it is an event (read "spectacle" or representation or awareness-raising) and not an infrastructure, initiative or institution like the freeshop. strategically, we can sort of hack this event saying that people interested in a similar kind of exchange can come to our shop all the time in the future.
b. it is capitalist because it is based on exchange value. you take your things there, get "points" and buy things with those points. therefore it makes rich people richer, not facilitating a restructuring of the economy to fulfill the needs of all people. the freeshop is
anticapitalist because there is no exchange-value, a relation between what you put in and what you can take. strategically, then, we are against each other but we can still cooperate and radicalise the structure". [end of quote] :)
So far, as nobody of those who were present during the meeting could not be there on Friday to represent and to promote the Free Shop, we decided to skip it this time and to try next time. Anyway, networking with "Green Youth" is a good idea for the future.
3.2. Promotion is needed in different places, such as universities, libraries, clothes shops, pubs, clubs, streets... For this we agreed to modify the posters and to add more information to them about the time and the place of the Free Shop, as well as the contacts (web-site, telephone). Flyers are also needed.
The means: contact student unions to promote the Free Shop among student community of CEU, ELTE, Corvinus and other universities. E.g., I am planning to involve HRSI of CEU.
Other possible means: stencils/graffiti in front of the clothes shops and putting little flyers in clothes in the clothes shops and
"turkalo"-s (used-clothes shops).
3.3. A website. Maxigas is working on a website of the Free Shop. He is going to gather all the blog posts, pictures and posters linked together in one place. When it'll be ready it can be linked back from blogs, from indymedia, and from some NGO websites. It could later be expanded and incorporated into a website about free living including squatting, Infoshop, hitchhiking, flat-sharing, etc.
4. Fundraising (FR)
4.1. As there is a monthly rent for the place, we are going to apply for the Visegrad fund and possibly Youth in Action grant. For the Visegrad we are currently looking for a Polish partner, if you know any NGO that can be interested in the Free Shop or Infoshop, just let us know. If somebody has an experience in successful application for YiA, your help is welcomed!
4.2. We need clothes and shelves. So, it would be great to fundraise either some money or in-kind products (at second-hand shops, furniture factories, charity organizations).
4.3. As we need more clothes and money, Maxigas agreed to ask some friend who owns a second-hand shop to help.
4.4. We need A BIG MIRROR. There is one in the office of Tüzrakter, but if somebody has one unneeded mirror, just feel free to bring it to Tüzrakter!
Infoshop
1. First Steps
There is a shoebox room which needs some repair. We need to paint the walls (WE NEED PAINT!) and also shelves for the books (FR!) + chairs for the guests (FR!) If you have something of these or know people who might have these things, just tell us!!! As soon as we have material stuff, we can start working!
2. General idea
Infoshop is not only a library, but also a place for some wider activities. So, we agreed that at the Infoshop...
- everybody can develop his/her arts talents and creativity;
- everybody can learn/teach something useful (a weekly workshop on Linux or language courses);
- we can develop a platform for discussions and ideas sharing ("3-dimensional indymedia, an open space for ideas and opinions")...
...and the Infoshop itself is...
- a shelter for foreign activists who visit Budapest;
- advice / help / information centre.
3. Films (a Dessert!)
We would like to continue with a good tradition of film screening, as we used to do this before - with discussion, guest speakers and so on. The only thing that we should discuss in this regard is the choice of the films and the 'representative group' who will have the right to do so. Still, this is a subject to a discussion. Overall, we agreed to avoid screening of politically biased movies.
Everything finished with a game: Maxigas asked everybody to close the eyes for 10 sec. and then to catch him if we like what he'll have in his hand after we open our eyes. Well, nobody was tempted with a bottle of Bosordi beer. Sorry, Maxigas, it was not hot wine this time.
Therefore, if you have further ideas, comments, remarks, contacts, materials, clothes etc.... TELL US!
P.S. The best way to tell us is to leave your comment after this post.