From 13th to 22th August 2024, I took part in the Trip for Redistribution. This was the name of the maritime adventure on the German sailing ship Lovis, which took place from Aarhus, Denmark to Göteborg, Sweden. Together with thirty other people from Germany, Denmark, Sweden and even Morocco or Sudan.
The climate crisis, the energy transition, resource scarcity, the rent madness... With all this, the question always arises: Who benefits? Who is profiting? Who gives? Many things are so difficult to change because they are based on questions of redistribution. All these crises are part of the crisis of how we treat each other, how we do business, how we allocate scarce resources. The richest 10% of the population cause 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions. You can hardly say climate protection without thinking about fairer distribution, because it could be as simple as this: public welfare for all instead of private luxury for a few.
Go, Forest, go
Because I wasn't sure I could make the cruise due to some unexpected trouble, I ended up going quite last minute. But the bus trip with one change in Hamburg worked out well in the end, and I arrived in the Danish city of Aarhus a little before 9am. And it was just in time, because twenty minutes after my arrival it was time to set sail.
The first day was very pleasant. Learning the different commands when sailing, learning when it is comfortable for us to sail with the wind and when to cruise against it. We also each got to try out our position on the boat. I was with four other people and in charge of the "klau" or foot of the mainsail at the mast. The cruise was a great relaxation and the Kattegat Sea was again a welcome change from the steamy Central European summer. Average speed 4 knots, maximum 8 knots. A few people have even gotten seasick.
Me, an activist - or am I?
Am I being an activist if I am just trying to change the place I live in for the better, but not chaining myself to gas stations?
It takes a village to change people in power.
When is the right time to take power from the other people, to overrule them?
Is solidarity an effective way to of a redistribution? What would I give then, when I will end up with nothing? Does a good deed counts?
We spent the night in the harbour of Grenaa. It is famous for the local shipwreck, which is clearly visible on the left side when one arrives. All the boats that are no longer in service are temporarily stored there, but other sailors can come and pick up the bits and pieces that would be useful for repairing their barge. And the Lovis is no exception - it too is made up of parts from here. We went to bed early in the evening, as the first day at sea had tired everyone out and we needed to get an early start in the morning.
Anholt Island
The cruise on the second day was long. From the Danish coastal town of Grenaa to an island midway between Denmark and Sweden, called Anholt. It was a sunny day and we passed a field full of wind turbines in the sea on the way. It was interesting to see this reservoir of wind energy in action. Several people were battling seasickness on this day, despite the fact that the average cruising speed was 5 knots and the last two hours had to be motoring as there was no wind.
Heather and sand
The island of Anholt, halfway between Denmark and Sweden, is a picturesque but tiny place. The whole thing can be crossed on foot in less than two hours, and its entire western half is a desert full of flowering heather. And on the eastern side, apart from the harbour, there is only one village and a lighthouse. It has been interesting to see how many German tourists have come to this unknown piece of land on their yachts, and how much it has changed the prices of refreshments at the marina compared to the village. We also visited a local church dedicated to the happy sailing of all those setting sail. In the evening we also touched together for the first time on the theme of redistribution (redistribution) to which the cruise is dedicated.
How do we understand the need to redistribute the world for a better future?
Sharing
Using public places for more pleasant purposes (picnic in the parking lot)
Shifting power and respect
Shifting goods and services
A feminist perspective
Influence of colonialism
Sustainable bicycle touring and other initiatives
It's raining
On the fourth day of the cruise, we went to sea as early as six o'clock in the morning to catch the favourable wind. In the end, the wind even threw us rain, which was not very pleasant. One group even managed to rip one of the three bow sails while "tacking" (turning the boat in a crosswind). So we spent most of the morning below deck, despite the fact that it's definitely not the best place to be on a boat in bigger waves. But at least we had the opportunity to discuss the anti-activist workshop.
Why anti-activism?
We don't want to keep repeating the same actions that don't lead to any change, i.e. don't work.
We need to combine hope and action in activism.
Activism can be both rebellious or it can also help to change politics.
Why have all the big groups advocating green activism stagnated or even lost power in recent months?
But in the afternoon, the weather cooperated, and we did a workshop in the basement on a positive vision for the future of the planet. We were divided into three groups, with each group having to come up with the best possible future for how they imagined human life in 2050. We heard interesting suggestions ranging from more time for micro-farming, to shared transport and community living. Towards evening we arrived in the Swedish town of Varberg.
Varberg and the painting of the banner
The morning was like painting the sky blue, so it was the perfect time not only for a tour of Varberg, but also for a banner painting and a workshop on reducing working hours. However, we had a small mishap when bouncing off the pier when one of the timbers holding the large ropes anchoring the boat to the shore snapped. Fortunately no one was hurt, but we have since stopped using them and put metal poles in instead. In the afternoon there was also a workshop on anti-colonialism on board the ship.
Anti-colonialism and what do we know about it?
For this discussion, we tried to take a position of critical whiteness
Anti-colonialism is the concept of returning land to those to whom it originally belonged. It seeks to dismantle the original logic of colonization, involving private property, etc.
Colonialism is a European concept that continues to hold a lot of power, separating man from nature, using a model of anthropocentrism (the "white" man stands at the center of the understanding of the hierarchy of the world and other creatures and nature are secondary)
Otherness - a concept describing the understanding of one's own group and those of others (the weird, the different), leading to the degradation of their status and eventually racism.
Colonialism means an imperial way of life
Colonial subjectivity is how one understands oneself in the context of colonialism and post-colonialism.
We spent the night at anchor somewhere off the Swedish coast. And it was a magical late afternoon with a sunset swim and a delicious dinner below deck. If you wanted, you could have a security watch overnight.
Öckerö and Donsö
The next day we sailed to the island of Öckerö. The maximum speed was 9.7 knots. Apart from the wind, we caught some nice current, so we were carried along quickly and without much hull roll. Öckerö is an interesting place that is connected by a bridge to two neighboring islands. And a surprisingly large number of people live here. We even had a public cinema on the sail that evening.
Reflecting on the state of the times and the sustainability of resources
Is a solution for shorter working hours the unemployment? Who will secure the food, sanitary, health care, if we all would do that?
Is exploiting the system a way to shift the future to a positive, sustainable one?
Many companies and government are using money from future depths anyway (as well as during Covid, as well as now). Could we invest those into sustainable solutions, since the depth itself is unsustainable anyway? Like we did for example to solar panels.
After lunch the next day we headed south, past the "islands of the rich". That's what the locals here like to call villas with well-kept lawns all year round, despite only being used as summer homes for one month of the year. We put on a bit of a show while sailing there, singing a song composed by us and putting up painted banners. We spent the night and the next morning on the island of Donsö, where they had a beautiful little nature park with a white lighthouse at the end, and from there we just headed to our final destination, Göteborg.
Göteborg
Göteborgis the second largest city in Sweden. In the morning we walked around it in quite a heavy rain, seeing both the local sights and places important for changing local politics to a more green and sustainable one. And we spent the afternoon planning a public event. During it, people could enjoy a free dinner, listen to the story of the Lovis ship or test their knowledge of re-distribution in a quiz. Finally, there was still a movie being shown on one of the sails. About fifty people came, both local and international students and immigrants, which was a very nice group of people.
The return home went fine, only the heat in the Czech Republic didn't seem too great for the end of August. The climate is changing and it is noticeable.
What shall we do with the upper classes
(sing as a Drunken sailor)
What shall we do with the upper classes x3
For redistribution
Refrain:
Way hey the people rise up x3
For a better future
Board their yachts and take their riches x3
For a better future
Make them live on minimum wages ×3
For a better future
Send their kids to the public highschool x3
For a better future
Make them cook in community kitchens x3
For a better future
Plough their lawns and grow potatoes x3
For a better future
Send them (off) to mars one a one way ticket ×3
For a better future
Open up the house let the homeless move in x3
For a better future