Every campaign season, political parties publish platforms detailing their promises plank by plank.
These platforms are not binding—politicians rarely fulfill their promises, and it’s often worse when they do—but they do offer an outline of the vision each party claims to represent.
Anarchists take a different approach: rather than offering a prefabricated blueprint, we propose to work things out together, dynamically, according to the principles of self-determination, horizontality, mutual aid, and solidarity.
Still, whenever people encounter anarchist ideas for the first time, there is a certain kind of person who always demands to see a clear template.
In response, one of our contributors has put together an example of an anarchist program—a set of proposals that could be put into effect in the course of a revolution—as an imaginative exercise, to make it easier to picture what sort of practical changes anarchists might aim to implement.
To be clear, this program does not represent our collective as a whole, nor the international anarchist movement.
There should be as many such programs as there are anarchists.
As you read this, reflect on what resonates and what does not; think about what changes you want to make in the world and what means of change are consistent with your values and desires.
How to Use this Program
What follows is the opposite of an ordinary political program. It is not written in stone; it does not pretend to represent a general will, the public, the people, or any such abstraction.
Anarchists understand freedom as arising from an ongoing process; it is something we create individually and communally every day of our lives. In our view, it cannot be defined via a piece of paper or granted to us by a powerful institution; each of these practices actually destroys freedom. We also believe that defining and obtaining freedom for ourselves is the best way to guarantee our well-being.
Anarchist analyses of capitalism, the state, patriarchy, and colonialism have proven useful in countless social struggles over the past several decades, as have our critiques of reformism, authoritarian revolution, and the institutional left—and perhaps most importantly, our practices of mutual aid and self-organization. Anarchist forms of struggle have also proven compatible with a number of other struggles that have left their mark on the world, as well as influencing and informing anarchism as a living concept.
Now you can enjoy ecological vegetables from supermarkets all over Europe, but you may be eating a healthier and tastier tomato that still costs too much in fuel consumption, plastic pollution and worker exploitation.
Almeria is a semi arid province in the SE of Andalucia, Spanish State, which is famous for its sea of plastic greenhouses producing vegetables year round for the European market, using mainly immigrant labour working in terrible conditions for low pay.
Little by little things are improving, due to fierce competition from Morocco and other countries many farmers are turning to organic ecological production.
It seems like a contradiction to talk of sustainability. The plastic is made from oil products. It doesn’t last more than 4 years and ends up polluting everything, though much more controlled than before.
Water is still a huge problem, competing with the locals, the tourist industry, and the now decimated local ecology for scarce resources. Also your eco tomato may be grown with desalinated water, again produced with a lot of fossil fuels.
Climate Change is another huge threat, with desertification spreading north from the gigantic man made climate disaster of the Sahara. Almeria may not have the perfect climate for long, mini hurricanes now form in the Mediterranean, and the melting Arctic could plunge all Europe into deep freeze winters by cutting ocean currents.
Once the Almerian pioneer farmers have perfected the techniques they will be bought up by Big Agriculture who will transfer production across the channel to North Africa, where the authoritarian muslim regimes can escape the EU controls of the waning authoritarian catholic Spain.
Despite all these problems the change is happening, and fast, and the below Foco Sur article and interview details how its being done, without discussing the big sustainability threats. The Eco greenhouse boom has taken off, ferrying fresh healthy vegetables by motorway to Paris in just 24 hours
By: Elio Henriquezby , corresponsal | jueves, 29 oct
San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas
Members of organizations, collectives, and individuals, adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandón Jungle, traveled this Thursday to the communities of Moíses Gandhi and Nuevo San Gregorio in the autonomous municipality of Lucio Cabañas, in order to bring humanitarian aid, conduct human rights observation activities and “document the recent aggressions, threats and harrassment perpetrated by armed groups opposing the support bases of the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN).”
The caravan made up of different vehicles left at 6 AM, with various products suchs as corn, beans, salt, sugar, coffee, oil, pasta, and soap, among others.
Created with GIMP
The participating groups reported in a communique that “since the previous year, these autonomous communities, located in the official municipality of Ocosingo — a couple of hours in a vehicle from San Cristóbal — “have suffered constant attacks on their lands, crops, houses and workers.”
Appearance of one of the autochthonous murals in the Zapatista winery in Cuxuljá, Chiapas, which was set on fire by transporters affiliated with the ORCAO. Photo Hermann Bellinghausen
They added that what happened previously “is added to by the events that took place the 22nd of August 2020 when autonomous facilities were burned, like the Arcoiris (Rainbow) store, the Compañera Lucha cafeteria, and the coffee warehouses, that represent a guarantee of their food and sustenance, as well as attacks against the community with firearms.”
They reiterated that their position “is in favor of peace,” while demanding respect for the right to Zapatista autonomy and self-determination where the recuperated lands are located that are part of their territory, as well as respect for and guarantee of the integrity, security and life of the bases of support of the EZLN.”
Zapatistas support the National Strike Day against violence against women
They said that they asked the International Service for Peace (Sipaz) to accompany the caravan to conduct international observation activities during the tour, work that the Fray Bartolomé Center of Human Rights (Frayba) will also do.
The caravan was made up of members of the Chiapas Center for the Rights of Women; Civil Association for the Economic and Social Development of Indigenous Mexicans (DESMI); Space of Struggle Against Neglect and Repression (ELCOR); Doctors of the World, Switzerland-Mexico; Living Memory, ProMedios Community Communications; Ajmaq Network of Rebellion and Resistance; Community Health and Development; Digna Ochoa Center for Human Rights; and other collectives, organizations, and adherents to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandón Jungle.
San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chis. Integrantes de organizaciones, colectivos y personas a titulo individual, adherentes a la Sexta Declaración de la Selva Lacandona, se trasladaron este jueves a las comunidades de Moisés Gandhi y Nuevo San Gregorio, municipio autónomo de Lucio Cabañas, para entregar ayuda humanitaria, realizar actividades de observación de derechos humanos y “documentar las recientes agresiones, amenazas y hostigamientos perpetradas por grupos armados en contra de bases de apoyo del Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN)”.
Caracol Madre de los Caracoles de Nuestros Sueños. JBG Hacia la Esperanza. La Realidad. / Caracol Colectivo el corazón de Semillas Rebeldes…
La caravana conformada por varios vehículos partió a las 6:00 horas, aproximadamente, con diversos productos como maíz, frijol, arroz, sal, azúcar, café, aceite, pastas y jabón, entre otros.
Las agrupaciones participantes informaron en un comunicado que “desde el año pasado estas comunidades autónomas, que se ubican en el municipio oficial de Ocosingo —a unas dos horas en vehículo desde San Cristóbal— “han sufrido ataques constantes a sus tierras, cultivos, casas y trabajadores”.
Añadieron que a lo anterior “se suman los hechos ocurridos el 22 de agosto de 2020 cuando fueron quemadas instalaciones autónomas como la tienda Arcoíris, el comedor Compañera Lucha y las bodegas de café, que representan una garantía de su alimentación y sustento de vida, además de ataques con armas de fuego a la comunidad”.
Reiteraron que su postura “es a favor de la paz”, al tiempo que exigieron “respeto al derecho a la autonomía y libre autodeterminación zapatista en donde están las tierras recuperadas, que son parte de su territorio, así como respeto y garantía a la integridad, seguridad y la vida de las bases de apoyo del EZLN”.
Dijeron que pidieron al Servicio Internacional para la Paz (Sipaz) que acompañara a la caravana y realice actividades de observación internacional durante el recorrido, labor que hará también el Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (Frayba).
La caravana se integró con miembros del Centro de Derechos de la Mujer Chiapas; Desarrollo Económico y Social de los Mexicanos Indígenas, A.C. (DESMI); Espacio de Lucha Contra el Olvido y la Represión (ELCOR); Médicos del Mundo, Suiza-México; Memoria Viva, Promedios de Comunicación Comunitaria; Red de Rebeldía y Resistencia Ajmaq; Salud y Desarrollo Comunitario; Centro de Derechos Humanos Digna Ochoa y otros colectivos, organizaciones y personas adherentes a la Sexta Declaración de la Selva Lacandona.
Exponen actos vandálicos y retorno de “Paz y Justicia” a Tila La pugna entre dos grupos se entrevera con posiciones políticas encontradas que datan de la guerra contrainsurgente de Zedillo en la región chol, cuando el Ejército y paramiltares generaron violencia armada contra la resistencia zapatista. Ubicado en 2020 / 08 / 26
Repudian ataque contra bases de apoyo del EZLN El Concejo Indígena de Gobierno y el CNI reprobaron la agresión por parte de integrantes de la Organización Regional de Cafeticultores de Ocosingo. Ubicado en 2020 / 08 / 25
Reportan graves ataques armados en Aldama, Altos de Chiapas Las agresiones proceden de Santa Martha y otros poblados del municipio también tzotzil de Chenalhó, con el cual existe una disputa territorial por 60 hectáreas en su colindancia común. Ubicado en 2020 / 08 / 17
A report released by the Stop the Murder of Women Platform shows that 21 women in Turkey were victims of fatal domestic violence in October.
According to the report the reasons for the murder of 12 of the women were unknown, while nine of them were killed by men in retribution for requesting a divorce, for refusing to engage in a romantic relationship, for rejecting a marriage proposal or for failing to reconcile with their former partners.
Election Day has officially stretched into Election Week, with the presidencyhinging on five statesthat are still wrapping up their ballot counts.
Key swing states Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania and are still tallying votes on Friday.
Joe Bidenedged out President Trumpin the Keystone State early Friday by 5,587 votes — cutting down Trump’s initial haul of 600,000 votes thanks to mail-in ballots that are still trickling…
This November 5th OffG heartily recommends V for Vendetta. Its themes are newly relevant, and its message could not be more timely.
available rapidly on Bit Torrent
“OffG Recommends” is a new series we’ll be putting out intermittently commenting on books, film, television or other arts and entertainment.
Unfortunately – or maybe deliberately – all most people remember of V for Vendetta is the now infamous Guy Fawkes mask. It became the symbol of Anonymous, and then it became a joke. But the film deserves more than that.
Released in 2005 – bizarrely, a time we can now look back on as much more politically aware – it is an adaptation of an Alan Moore graphic novel set in a dystopian alternative Britain.
I darkly suspect that the UK is entering a long winter of discontent and widespread upheaval, which will likely end with the replacement of the hapless opportunist Boris Johnson by someone even worse: the hardcore, inhumane, hard-right true believer Michael Gove, with the equally inhumane, sinister crank Dom Cummings still running the show. (Cummings, remember, has long been Gove’s man, not Johnson’s.) Together they will use the chaos and suffering to keep pushing their brutal agenda of “disruption” and “reform” to destroy the ability of government to act for the greater common good. Instead they will continue turning over its functions to cronies in the private sector, who will drain the Treasury in corrupt deals while providing degraded services – or none at all – as we have seen in almost every case of “privatisation” over the past decades and especially during the pandemic.
The Free 