Following member chosen priorities related to relationship building, continuity and sustainability, in the recent period May First has been involved in numerous movement building gatherings and activities based on criteria we developed this past year, focusing our work intentionally to reflect our priorities and mission.
Members participated for example in the “Challenging Capitalism” conference in Bogota, Colombia https://desafiando.net/; the Resist and Build gathering of solidarity economy formations in the United States; Peace Summit, Mexico City https://peacesummit2023.org/ ; Rising Majority https://therisingmajority.com/; Internet Governance Forum https://www.intgovforum.org/en: Kyoto (online); Social and Solidarity Economy and the Commons, Lisbon and others.
We organized three webinars:
In this work we raised the importance of autonomous technology and collaborated with movement organizations to deepen our collective understanding of the current political moment.
Following a member led proposal, the Board voted to declare May First Movement Technology an Apartheid Free Zone. https://outreach.mayfirst.org/civicrm/mailing/view?id=1333&reset=1 This came out of discussions and practical exercises during a series of Nextcloud workshops facilitated by members.
Through collective discussion and effort, we compiled, designed and distributed a Zine: The politics and practices of an autonomous technology: Voices of the members of May First (https://mayfirst.coop/en/post/2023/autonomous-technology). This led to several follow up activities such as for the Great Transition Initiative’s discussion of “Experiments in Movement Unity” https://www.greattransition.org/gti-forum/experiments-movement-unity.
Overall we made significant advancements in developing deeper relationships with US and globally based formations, building strength and connections in the important work of our times related to technology and our collective future.