Here is the part of the editorial in #1 explaining the project's purpose (2/2005):

This is the first issue of the Prol-position Newsletter. The newsletter is an open project discussing and circulating articles from different regions, translated from different languages, and reporting on different spheres of exploitation and proletarian struggle around the world.

Why such a project now?

Today, many struggles have an international dimension. The people involved face a social and international context mediated by capital which is turned against them. Capital and workers themselves move faster than their struggles spread:

* Workers in older core-industries are put under pressure by (threatened) relocation or closure,

* Workers in new factories and development areas are threatened by flexible work-rules and unemployment,

* The unemployed see themselves forced into more intense flexibility and into undermining work standards,

* Workers in many production units are being played off against each other by intensive transportion and new communication technologies...

If we want to understand these trends and support the struggles taking place under these circumstances, we have to acknowlege and analyse their international dimension - and organize an international debate about them.

Unions and other forms of workers’ representation clearly remain an obstacle for further development of struggles. By narrowly focusing on the interests of single companies, professions, nationalities etc., unions can do nothing but widen the divisions within the class. They need to stick to forms of representation and delegation to negotiate, and therefore have to suppress tendencies towards self-organisation and autonomy within the struggles. They do this, for instance, by retaining and manipulating information or by releasing reports merely glorifying struggles (whether lost or won).

There is also growing potential for links between the so-called social movements, the new forms of organizing they develop and the direct action of proletarian struggles. Some of these trends we could see within the so-called antiglobalization movement. We want to circulate reports about experiences of self-organisation within these conflicts, understand their material conditions, and acknowledge their potentials and difficulties.

Several projects, newspapers, etc. now operate on a regional or countrywide level, engaging in struggles and writing about them. Most only write in their own language. So far cross-national exchange on these experiences beyond one country is limited by language barriers or takes place individually between those who speak a couple languages and thus is rarely coordinated or has few practical consequences. Despite international meetings, the internet, etc., information on struggles in many countries is hard to get. We don’t expect to solve these problems merely by translating more articles into a more widely spoken language (English), but we think this newsletter can help by spreading inside views on some struggles and facilitating debates around them.

What will be the newsletter‘s content?

We will translate and write articles on struggles in different regions of the world. For the newsletter itself we will focus on reports on proletarian struggles analysing their material conditions, experiences and difficulties - rather than just announcing the mere existance of the conflict. Background information and other usefull material will be published in the archive section of the website (www.prol-position.net).

We want to collect enough material to publish the newsletter on a bi-monthly basis and in-between when necessary. We will hold an editorial meeting before each edition to discuss the proposed articles and the political issues, the class situation etc.

How can you get involved?

You can send us articles, interviews, reports. We wrote a rough questionaire on struggles which can (!) be used as a guideline (also on www.prol-position.net). We are also interested in background information relating to the conflicts, which we will archive or use for the introduction.

You can also help us by translating and proofreading material. Most of us aren’t native English-speakers (and we can only speak a couple of languages), so it would be great if people could volunteer to help with these tasks.

You can forward the newsletter-link to other people, and you can print out and photocopy the newsletter and give copies to friends, co-workers, strikers, and other workers. Or you can take copies to bookstores, hand them out on meetings and conferences...

Finally, you can take part in the discussion and exchange via Email. The newsletter will be our main focus for now, but if people feel the need to discuss and share material through an email list, we will consider setting another one up. Till then you can email us at:

[ppnews@prol-position.net]