OK, after some looking and listening around, here is a text for you to react to as a start of the preamble work: Bracketed stuff I am a bit hesitative about.
The birth of a movement [for the future]
The early internet opened up a totally new global democratic meeting place for all. It became a tool for a unique exchange of knowledge and creative products, without involvement of money. Advanced computer programs for all needs, expositions of people’s favourite themes, debates, music, video and stories were shared freely. [We saw a possible tool for a new, open and shared world that even may be needed for us as a humanity to survive with quality and dignity]. [We saw a possible tool for a new, open and shared world with a new political development, overcoming top-down, one-way communication.]
However, this new freedom and shared creativity on a larger scale made existing power centres worried about what could be shared without control. At first global entertainment companies feared loss of copyright money, since people sometimes shared and used already recorded material. They called the exchange piracy (from copying material goods). Legislation against the free exchange was introduced, websites were outlawed and people were put in jail and had to pay heavy fines. Then governments on their side feared criminal behaviour, democratic critique, and in some cases even uprisings, when people freely shared their ideas. More restrictions and far reaching surveillance of citizens were introduced, with no care for people’s dignity and right to privacy.
Creativity and sharing had been encouraged as human virtues since long back; this crackdown on the Internet became a shock for all who had started to feel at home in the new, open and free global community. A global outcry emerged - a new movement was born. It took the name that its critics wanted to give them, The Pirate parties. It became a voice for support for sharing of knowledge, culture and experiences and the right to privacy and integrity. As such, apart from protecting the internet, reacting to the trends of the day, it grew naturally into promoting of all fundamental rights, democratization, political transparency and responsible self empowerment in all areas. And promoting creativity and sharing also outside the internet.
Since the old political parties seem unable to deal with topics such as the rapid and sometimes thoughtless digitalisation in general, the backsides of the present internet, the environmental problems and the social disruptions caused by increased polarisation, the Pirate parties see also these topics as important. Finding the reasons for and the solutions to war, inflation - including finding a new economy - and psychological distress, are tasks for the political future that may need new perspectives, and the pirate movement is ready to take them on. We are now around 50(?) Pirate parties established across the world, among them 20ish (+) in Europe
[are there other important triggers/values for pirate parties that should be mentioned? Or stuff that should be taken out?
To what degree do you agree with the contents? If you want a shorter version, how would that look?]
Something on the EU and pirate values could follow then. What do you think should be said about that? (I have an idea about the EU not being able to recognise the Internet as a place for the growth of a new global culture of creativity and sharing, due to its focus on money exchange (“the digital market” ) and its restricted formal means of acting on “cultural politics”. Comments on that?
One possible introductive description of the EU:
The European Union is a unique international project, based on policies laid down in in the Treaties, approved by all member states. In its first paragraph it pledges adherence to a process of European integration undertaken with the establishment of the European Communities in the 1950:s. The foundation is an economic integration, introducing commercial freedoms. At the same time there is a goal creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe. Political integration have been added, and as a new thing, A Charter of Fundamental Rights was included in 2009.
Critics in the present preamble:
It seems mainly to be about the imperfect democracy , and also the need for protecting of diversity. The need for informed citizens with influence on the decisions in an EU-wide debate is stressed.
Concrete subjects I see are the freedom of the Internet ( for political development, overcoming top-down, one-way communication ) and protection of Human Rights, specially against discrimination.
In Europe, we are x Pirate Parties that stand behind this program for the EU, to be pursued through the European Parliament and the ministers in the Council.
I think such a common presentation would be of great value even if we would not choose to include it here. I mean how did we start, what made some people in the different countries start a pirate party. Since I happen to be from Sweden I know how it started here, as the first one, but what made it spread? Maybe you have something in your respective programs on that, or some people who remember well. So what are your general reactions to this idea of including such a presentation? And what is your starting history-as a pirate party and why, in short?
I know this is not the case in some other countries, where “the barrier has broken” and we are relatively known. But maybe some additional info of this kind could be useful anyway?