Complexity and Social Movements: Multitudes at the Edge of Chaos ...

Prefiguration and emergence 29
commitment present within the network of networks which we deal with in
more detail later in this book (see Chapter 6). In terms of our account of
CMC and reflexive framing we would emphasise that e-mails such as this
one illustrate the process of information circulation constitutive of plateau
activities. This one proved particularly potent in identifying the 1999
Seattle trade round as a potential point of intervention.
The ambition of this proposal in terms of the breadth and depth of
envisaged initiative is particularly marked. The text also illustrates how this
network actor situated their call within the interstices of established events
which, in this case, provided a convenient future meeting point. Given the
membership crossovers between NGOs, SMO and network actors, such
interstitial points maximise the availability of actors, from within such
organisations.
The document declares itself as a consultative discussion piece and formalises
both an active agenda and background principles emphasising bottom-up
approaches and the importance of not replicating ‘post-colonialism’ within
the movement milieu.
These instances empirically demonstrate the active negotiation of meaning
and common goals which takes place in what Melucci (1989, 1996a) terms
‘latency periods’. During such periods movement activity is almost indiscernible
in the public sphere limiting academic accounts based on scrutiny
of mainstream media accounts (Rootes 1992). This underlines the methodological
importance of longitudinal, qualitative engagement within the
movement milieu, particularly during periods of apparent quietude.
Discussion document
1 Motivation and objectives
2 Lines of action
3 Responsibilities and participation
4 Finances
5 Possibilities for the future
6 Proposal for the discussion process.
1 Motivation and objectives
The campaign we propose, according to its motivation, would try to
achieve two kinds of objectives: (a) the denunciation of globalisation
and neo-liberalism, and (b) a better knowledge and a change of the
perception of each other between people’s movements and solidarity/
environmental organisations. ...we believe that if we want to involve
organisations of such different character in a joint political work