nl_e17

Report part 2
This Too Is Love web site
Good idea. Books, sites and shows with true stories told by people are quite popular. People tell
their story or narrative, others recognize it. The NAMBLA booklet "Boys Speak Out" was quite
popular and had to be reprinted. Providers accept true stories. Such a web site already exists,
but this is more or less pornographic, which we do not want. The webmaster will make contact
with Jay Baskins. He will ask Jay to start on the content, Ipce's web master will manage the
technical side of the job.
Turn the tables, use the media
Indeed, there is much hypocrisy in society, and there are a lot of groups and sites that expose
this, especially anti-conservative groups expose the hypocrisy of the conservatives. They attack
their enemies by exposing their actual activities.
"Enemy", "war" ... For some of us this means a change in our way of thinking. We are not used
to these concepts, and some members protest against this way of thinking, because one should
not do the same as one's opponents. Can you combat fire with fire? Others say "Don’t be willing
to offer the other cheek." For example, from the UK was said: "It is war in Britain!". If I am
attacked, I will fight back.
But "war" and "enemy" are metaphors. The 'enemies' are not concrete people, such as
policemen, but a mindset: ideas, trends, feelings, laws, practices, political power - that factually
can destroy the lives of people. Do not attack people, but ideas. Do not attack society as a
whole, because we are also part of the same society. Attack certain ideas.
Assert, for example, that curtailing free expression of thoughts does not, in fact, protect any
child. Describe what is really happening in the so-called treatment centres for offenders - people
do not know about this; they are frightened if they hear it. Tell people what the state does not
do for the welfare of children, and what states do in practice against that welfare. Talk about the
lack of prenatal care for the poor. Make data bases of all this, ready to use them if needed.
OK, another member said, good ideas, but now the action! Who're gonna do this? We discuss a
lot of details here; we hear and say a lot of words, but we need action! However, another said,
for good action one needs to discuss all details.
Further, Ipce is not an action group but only a forum. People might be inspired by ideas and
take action themselves or in their own groups. An appeal for action has been heard at several
Ipce meetings, especially by the young people. But Ipce meetings have inspired people to
undertake their own actions themselves. This is especially said about the Berlin Meeting in
2001. The same might happen now, albeit difficult times now. The German and Dutch people
http://www.ipce.info/newsletters/e_17/report_2.htm (13 of 14) [6/5/2005 8:28:10 PM]