Autonomy creating spaces for freedom

“How many peoples in the worlds that make up the world can say question was asked of a utopian community in England, as we do, that they are doing what they want to? We think and it is just as relevant today as it was then: “How do you there are many, that the worlds of the world are filled with get to a place where people live in harmony, and manage crazy and foolish people each planting their trees for each of without money – by railway or rainbow?” By dreaming or their tomorrows, and that the day will come when this doing? There are many answers and plenty of examples, mountainside of the universe that some people call Planet some of which arise in this chapter, some of which are Earth will be filled with trees of all colours, and there will be woven through the book, and some of which you have so many birds and comforts... Yes, it is likely no one will seen, thought of, imagined or fantasized about. remember the first ones, because all the yesterdays which vex We call these experiments in autonomy, though others us today will be no more than an old page in the old book of might prefer freedom, liberation, or self-organization. The the old history.” – Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos, Our Word appeal of autonomy spans the entire political spectrum. is Our Weapon, Seven Stories Press, 2001 Originally coming from the Greek and meaning ‘self’ plus ‘law’, it is at the core of the liberal democratic theory of Autonomy is our means and our end. It is both the act of justice and values such as freedom of speech and planting our ‘tree of tomorrow’, and that tomorrow of movement. Understood radically, however, it has been the many different hues: rich, diverse, complex and colourful. terrain upon which revolutionary social movements have Autonomy is freedom and connectedness, necessarily encountered each other throughout Europe; ‘autonomy at collective and powerfully intuitive, an irrepressible desire the base’, from the grassroots, is the core organizational that stalls every attempt to crush the will to freedom. As principle of the influential social movement known as the politics of escape attempts from capitalism in the Autonomia in Italy. Globally it has been a refrain of North and the experience of liberated realities in the countless uprisings, struggles, rebellions, and resistance South, it is a global theme. The movements against movements from the Zapatistas in Chiapas to the Organisasi capitalism have once again brought it to the fore, vibrant, Papua Merdeka (the Free Papua Movement) in West Papua, a alive and urgently needed. colony of Indonesia. From the Cauca people of Colombia to In the middle of the nineteenth century, a simple the communities of Kerala in southwestern India and on to

107 Autonomy marketplace, whereourbank balancedetermines ourlevel we mustexercise ourautonomyasconsumersin the free,the ‘free’ themythologygoes, market.Forusto be autonomyas akeymechanismof of capitalismportrays desire.Theculture to seduceandlullintosleepthat very lives,however,everyday enemydisguised hasapowerful Our desiretoinfluence thedecisionsthataffect our Keepyourhead.Gowith Standapart. “Break therules. – William H.Vanderbilt, 1879 the “The publicbedamned!Iworkformystockholders.” A gravity for communitiestheworldover. many reaffirmedasthecentreof instances,arebeing areemergingfrom themarginsand,in direct democracy f limitedtoasimplevoteevery decision-making shouldbe have toquestion theideathatourinvolvement begun in of usintoapathyandcynicism.Moreprofoundly some anddelivernothinghasledmanywho promiseeverything bythose hasrunout.Theconsistentbetrayal democracy have wheretrust in representative reachedthepoint indifferingrooted conceptsof autonomy. forms andsocial people worldwidearedevelopingpolitical 108 ew years. Participation, deliberation, consensus,and deliberation, ew years.Participation, utonomy appropriated your heart.” your heart.” What is the appeal of autonomy today? WeWhat istheappealofautonomytoday? seemto asamblistas and – TVcommercial forVanderbilt 1994 perfume, piqueteros of theArgentineanuprisings, tomorrow thatourmovements areplanting today. Our f development ofour self-interestaswellthemechanism themselves’. Themarketispresented asthelogical the ideathatindividualsareactually a‘lawunto it backtous.From‘self’plus‘law’, theyhave fashioned capitalist project–tocapturethe ideaoffreedom andsell ofthe autonomy by‘free’ marketersisattheheart Thecorruptionof have anetworkof care andsupport. intheworldandto others –requiresthefreedom tobe through therespectandrecognitionofautonomy dream, andtorealizeone’sownautonomy produce, f understandingoffreedom ofapositive asa the root trade. Butthosebasicrightsprovidethesecuritythatisat however, bought, than somethingtobe isabarrierto Insistingonthemasbasicrightsrather commodities. w atwill.Insucha‘free’ world,food, flow aroundtheglobe –thefreedomtaxation, bansonchildlabour) ofmoneyto environmental standards,tradeunionrights, corporate regulation’and‘barrierstotrade’(suchas ‘unnecessary b Fund,andtheWorldInternational Monetary Bank consumers, whereonedollarequalsvote. –inotherwords,wearefree as of participation or itsfulfilment. reedom to do or to be. reedom todoorbe. ecome advocates of‘freedom’. Freedom,that is,fromecome advocates ater, shelter, education,andhealthcarearealltrackable We trulyfree –tocreate, co-operate, For inordertobe By thissamelogic,theWorld Trade Organization,the

refute thisnotion ofautonomy. Itisnotthetreeof understanding of autonomy includes community owned remain within these boundaries, we are perfectly ‘free’ to Autonomy and run healthcare, education, and social support; direct go about life according to the paths offered to us by democracy in zones liberated by the people who live in governments and corporations. In short, we are free to them – not as enclaves or places to withdraw to – but as choose anything, as long as it doesn’t defy the logic of outward looking and connected communities of affinity, capitalism. When we defy that logic, we soon discover the engaged in mutual co-operation, collective learning, and true limits of our ‘freedom’. unmediated interaction. This is the reason for our The relationship between those with power and those impassioned defence of the mechanisms and support under their command lies at the foundation of capitalism. structures that have been fought for and won, the hard Our capacity to create and to produce is separated from toil of movements who have struggled for hundreds of that which is produced – the ‘product’, so instead of years – indigenous, revolutionary, and democratic. deciding together the best ways we can meet our own needs, while respecting the needs of others and the Autonomy and capitalism planet, our energies are appropriated to produce for the Autonomy is always in process. But autonomy is often profit of others. Consequently, we are alienated from the mistaken for individual independence which most of us very fruits of our work and work itself becomes something understand as growing up, leaving home, finding work, tedious, imposed, and suffered, rather than something earning money, making our own decisions: where to live, imagined, anticipated, and creatively experienced. The what to eat, what to wear, buy, and so on. But even where creation of value and its concentration in things, or these decisions can be made (and in most of the world this products, is then confirmed through their exchange in a fiction of independence is impossible), these choices are, market. This value invested in things means they quickly in reality, entirely dependent upon the actions of others. come to own us, rather than us owning them. That is, dependent upon the labour, transport, Of course, most of us are not slaves. We can refuse, distribution, and exchange involved in the production of walk away, desert, quit, but where should we go and what the food, clothes, house and so forth from which we gain should we do? This is the question and the challenge at our experience of ‘independence’. Our lives are the core of our consideration of autonomy. Refusal is only manufactured for us, instead of being the outcome of our a real weapon if it is collective, with the combined choices and desires. Not only are we produced by this creativity and strength that implies. Autonomy can never system, we in turn reproduce it by acting within its be about simple individualism, as we have been established parameters and boundaries and as long as we encouraged to believe. Autonomy is not about ‘consumer

109 Autonomy we areoffered in exchangethemost meaninglesslevel of the wilfulappropriation ofcreativityandenergyfor which to overwhelmed, and ageneralstateofapathyinresponse complexity oflife, asenseofhelplessness, afeeling ofbeing with asenseofincredulityatthepaceand respond Under thesecircumstancesitisno wonderthatmanyofus allelse. above capital andtheelevationofcommodity culture–allare tainted bythelogicof the realinpopular thesimulatedand to theerosionofany distinctionbetween from fashionexperiences ineverything tocinemaandart, rights; from thesimulation ofdissenttosellcultural ofintellectualproperty and education,totheassertion f basic needssuchaswater, tothepatentingofgenetypes; f canbe logic surroundsusandpenetratestheeveryday have allchanged.However, evidencethatthispowerful are allchangingand what wemightthinkofasproducts and thenatureofproduction, The meansofproducing, complex for easyexplanationstoholdupfor long. very andtheworldisfarcomplicated setofprocesses too Of course,thisisasimpleway ofdescribing avery Y A retreat insideourselveswillallowustomakethejump. ‘ethical consumerism’,self-help,noamountoftherapy, no bus.Noamountof todriveanSUVorabiodiesel choosing choice’, whetherwearingbrandsorboycotting them, 110 ound in every sphereoflife:ound inevery from themarketizationof rom the opening of markets in healthcare, social services, rom theopeningofmarketsinhealthcare,social ou arenotalone utonomy isnecessarilycollective. about or advocating afew oradvocating about journeysofindependence; desireandare capableofautonomytoo others both thatcomesthroughrecognition that and reciprocity This isthecruxofautonomy, anethicofresponsibility act withregardfor others,tofeel for responsibility others. act inany way –alawuntooneself butto onechooses communication. To aloneorto autonomous isnottobe be to others,throughinteraction,negotiation, and towards autonomy. We realize itthroughourconnections leads simultaneouslytowards freedom andconnectedness, which ofbecoming we embarkonajourney–process consume,die. –produce, participation “WE'VE So when we talk about autonomy,So whenwetalk about wearenottalking despitetheseconstraints, But onceweactpurposefully - RaúlGatica,indigenouscommunityactivistfromOaxaca,Mexico CONTRADICTIONS THIS OUR WORD ONLY THEORY ANYTHING DEVELOPMENT.”

BEEN

NEED

AS JUST FOR

BUT WE

OUT LIVING IT. FOR DISCOVERED

GO A

WE

THERE

PRACTICE CHANGE

IN ALONG.

AUTONOMY, COULDN'T

IT.

THAT

IT'S

THERE'S THERE'S SO IN

NOT

FIND

ANSWERED WE BUT

A CREATE

A LOTS WE'VE

OF much less a withdrawal from the world into a kind of Italy – autonomy at the base Autonomy retreat. Something else entirely is happening, something “Political autonomy is the desire to allow differences to deepen at rooted in this concept of autonomy as freedom and the base without trying to synthesize them from above, to connectedness. A dynamic geometry of social struggle is stress similar attitudes without imposing a ‘general line’, to emerging, fractal-like, where local autonomy is repeated allow parts to co-exist side by side in their singularity.” and magnified within networks that overflow – Sylvere Lotringer & Christian Marazzi, ‘The Return of Politics’ geographical, cultural, and political borders. On the in Italy: Autonomia, Post-Political Writings, Semiotext(e), 1980 horizon is an exodus – thousands of escape attempts, a mass breakout that is taking place globally. People are “Autonomy at the base” was the core principle of Potere passing around the keys, exchanging tunnelling Operaio (Workers’ Power) the influential group and techniques, tearing down the fences, climbing the walls… magazine that was at the heart of social unrest in Italy learning to fly. during the late 1960s and early 1970s, dissolving itself in What follows are a few of the branches of the 1973 to become part of a broader movement known as complex tree of tomorrow that is autonomy. Through Autonomia (Autonomia Operaio). Autonomia as a movement these stories, we hope to move beyond the idea that never unified; as a series of fluid organizations and autonomy is ‘just’ about deciding things with others of shifting alliances, it refused to separate economics from like mind in ‘ideal’ communities that are often very politics and politics from everyday existence. This different from those we usually experience in the approach led ultimately to the idea of refusing waged everyday. Like stars on the horizon, some of these labour and to the extension of struggle from the factory examples have burned themselves into our collective (occupations, sabotage and strikes were commonplace) to consciousness, while others are now faded distress the city (20,000 buildings were squatted between 1969 and signals echoing across other realities, re-visioned, 1975) and on in to the lives of what was termed the transformed, and partially renewed in forms that may ‘socialized worker’. The state finally crushed Autonomia as not even be recognizable to their founders and catalysts. an active political force beginning with the 7 April 1979 None are perfect, and none are offered as ‘blueprints’. arrests. Over 1,500 intellectuals and militants were All have in common an experimental quality, openness to imprisoned within a year. possibility and contingency, and an intoxicating blend of But how does this relate to us today? In many ways, creativity and courage which resonates across ideological Italy remains something of a political and cultural barriers and national borders. experiment in the possibilities and potentials of

111 Autonomy civil war: theneedlessdescent into its ownterms.It clearlyopposes violence,or engaginginabattlewiththestate on further restraint, for to resistancetothetemptation ofresorting manner allowsfor confrontation whilecallingfor onthefrontand nonviolence. lineinthis Puttingbodies violence dramatizes thefutilityofendless debateabout need for anobstacle; italso presence,thedesiretobe as barricadeandbludgeonduring actionsepitomizesthe can encountereachother. Tute Bianche’suseofthebody groups andterrainsonwhichdiversesocial democracy local celebrate themargins,experimentwithboth inthecity!” nothing morethanghostswandering about The mayorremarked,“Fromnowon,squatterswillbe together.workers, immigrants,students,andneighbours discussionbrought cultural events,free meals,andpolitical community spaceinwhich centrein1994,apopular social of theMayorMilan’scommentsonevictiona p armour madeoffoam paddingandbubblewraptoward off wearing whiteoveralls(orcoveralls)anddeployingbody Prague protestsagainsttheWorld BankandIMFfor renownedduringthe strategy ofconfrontation thatbecame emerged from the w centres andautonomousgroupingsthathasgrowninthe the in autonomous forms currently embodied andprocesses, 112 olice batons.Theirwhiteoverallsareanironiccelebration ake oftheG8protestsinGenoa,2001.The These ‘whiteghosts’soughtavisibilityfrom whichto Disobbedienti (Disobedients), thenetworkofsocial (Disobedients), T ute Bianche , a movement tool and , amovementtool Disobbedienti “…we do not have to turn thisspaceofrevolt intoawarzone. “…we donothavetoturn ascertain, and thosewhowould rather‘we’didn’t win ascertain, never clear, whatwinningmeansisalways difficultto Inreality, opposition. a simplebinary who‘we’areis that ouraspirations andtacticsareoncemorereduced to “wearewinning”ornot,is the Seattleslogansuggested) a generationofItalianactivistsindicates. action; thestakesareincredibly high astheexperienceof established bythestateisapre-requisite ofautonomous Refusal toengageinaconfrontation whoserulesare instrumental inteachingthe ended withhundredsinprisonthe1970s,was and grave. which TheItalianlegacyofarmedstruggle, an escalationthroughviolencethatleadstotheprisoncell The deepestdesireofthestateinsuchcircumstancesisfor by EzequielMarcos Siddigin bullets andthe and wedecidednotto,becauseitdoesworkagainstthe movement. We molotovs couldhavegonetoGenoacarrying andrethinking the experimentation, opentotransformation ‘disobedience’, conflictandconsensus,anactionalwaysopento We We wants: fortheconflicttobecomeawar.” in order nottobedraggedintoacivilwar. Thatiswhatpower after theyshotatus.Butweare alwaysholdingourselvesback – LucaCaserini,aspokespersonforthe The dangerofcelebratingconfrontation whether(as

also hadtoconfront thepoliceforce. We builtbarricades have tothinkoftheconflictinadifferent way. We callit Carabinieri’s Z Magazine Disobbedienti trucks thatchasedemonstrators. trucks Disobbedienti, this lesson. interviewed often take a far longer or broader perspective. As the art, and publishing projects, and many other local and Autonomy Disobbedienti argue, strategy is crucially important, as is often unsung alternatives. All form a self-organized communication, adaptability, knowledge, and willingness matrix dedicated to the construction of alternative social to listen and change. Where confrontation is necessary – relationships. These are the support structures for our and it is always likely to be necessary – an autonomous collective escape attempts. strategy requires us to be free both from the constraints of Some of the most interesting are coordinating through rules established by the powerful and from our own networks of communication and information exchange. expectations that resistance requires us to always meet Some are shaped by specific issues, or are clustered force with force. True autonomy means new and variable around social divisions such as race, class, gender, tactics, learning patience in order to flow around and disability, sexuality, or age. Others are unique because of above obstacles, learning to retreat, disperse, and then re- particular cultural traditions or sensibilities, or because group to swarm and surround. It requires us to educate of geographical location, or perhaps their courage in the and communicate, and to be grounded in and to nurture face of overwhelming opposition. And for some autonomy support within constituencies beyond narrow is a whole way of being, living in communities that are communities of activism. All of this is essential to the liberated, directly democratic, and self-organizing, practice of radical social change and all of it is essential to communities of struggle where the politics of autonomy the idea of autonomy as freedom and connectedness. have been realized in the social practices and day-to-day existence of alternative realities. Wild autonomy: local inspirations and global visions A journey off the beaten track that highlights fascinating Autonomous communities examples of autonomous initiatives could take us The Kuna people live on a series of 50 tiny islands in an anywhere in the world – for they are numerous, and archipelago of 360 known as Comarca Kuna Yala, situated often include people, organizations, or activities that we in the Pacific Ocean and straddling the Colombia-Panama might not suspect of being subversive to the status quo. border. They gained autonomy after a bloody struggle Think, for example, of those forms of mutual aid that with colonial police in 1925. Today 70,000 Kuna manage provide the webs of support on which huge numbers of their day-to-day affairs through an elaborate system of people already rely: community education and health direct democracy that federates 500 different autonomous care, food and housing co-ops, social centres and info- communities within the Kuna General Congress, which shops, shared transport initiatives, independent media, meets once every six months. Each community and each

113 Autonomy different ideologies,coloursornationalities. as fightingisnecessary, withoutdistinguishingbetween andtofighttogether,“Our organization wishestostruggle which hasheavily militarized theregion.AsIbéputsit: theColombian, US,andEUgovernments project between A andregionalgroups withinPeoples’Global with local b trans-Atlantic fibreopticcablefor improvedweb links rights totheirterritorialwaters for oflaying thepurposes ornaive:theyhavelocalist independentlynegotiated a naval baseinKunaterritory. AndtheKuna areneither Equally, theGovernmentwas refusedpermissiontoinstall that permissionwas revokedbytheKuna. territory mining company licensetoexploreandexploitKuna When thePanamanianGovernmentgrantedaCanadian the formal buttokenisticrecognitionofindigenousrights. Congress hastomakethedecision–itlastword.” totheCongress,and subordinate Congress. Ithastobe kind ofprojectwithintheregionithastoconsultour outany(ie: thePanamanianGovernment)wants to carry outinaninterview:“IftheGovernment activist points decisions onissues thatrelatetoallKuna. AsIbé,aKuna andtofacilitatecongress inordertoenablecoordination others; theonlyobligationistosendfour delegatestothe regulations, andiscompletelyautonomousfrom the inhabited islandhastheirowninternalrulesand 114 etween SouthAmericaandEurope. Theyarealsoactive ction inresistanceagainstPlanColombia –ajoint The practical effects ofglobalization for PGAaffect all Their autonomyisnotamatterofmeretheory, orof of generalrulesor normsofbehaviour. settle differences for themselves, withouttheimposition affairsof theEZLNhas allowed themtoadvancelocal and peoples ofChiapas–combinedwith thecollectiveproject –sofamiliar directdemocracy totheindigenous upon communities inChiapas,Mexico. TheZapatistas’emphasis experiments inautonomousorganization istheZapatista Of course,themostgloballyinfluential ofrecent Now weareawake the diversityofallpeoplewholiveonplanet.” respect for diversity ofculture,diversityopinions,and syndicates arealsooppressed.Butweshouldactwith people areoppressed:blacks,peasants,unionsand oppressed people,andnotonlytheKunaorindigenous “IT Ecuadoran organization,CONAIE

Networks suchastheZapatista-inspired National INDIGENOUS WORLD REMAINING PROTECTED.” ENVIRONMENT, FOR HAVE IS

NO

THE

PUT

DESTROYS ACCIDENT

LAST

US

– LuisMacas, NATURAL LAND.

THEN ON, PIECES

THAT THEIR THE FIRST

THEY RESOURCES spokesperson forindigenous

OF

EARTH MOST

OWN

THE COME LAND

OF WHITE WE

THEY ASKING

THE ARE HAVE

ON Indigenous Congress show that far from a retreat to constitutional reforms that would have in effect begun Autonomy localism, the organizational dynamic of the EZLN has the process of dismantling the existent power structure of always been towards regional, national, and Mexican society. This was only realized by the government international collaboration. Autonomy as practiced by after their representatives and negotiators had reached the Zapatistas is about inclusion and connection, about the final stage of the peace accords – and it is a major projects and actions that form a whole, over and above reason why the Mexican Government failed to implement the capacity of any group or individual to determine or those accords. impose a particular direction or outcome. The Zapatistas also bypassed the state through the Zapatismo is therefore the emergent philosophy of a organization of a consulta: a programme of popular constellation of essentially autonomous projects. From education involving 5,000 Zapatistas travelling the length the indigenous women’s initiative which specified a and breadth of Mexico followed by a plebiscite on the San series of women’s rights contrary to the patriarchal Andrés peace agreement. As a result, over three million culture that surrounded them, to the autonomous Mexicans voted for its ratification. “You came and found Zapatista National Liberation Front (the unarmed civil us sleeping, but now we are awake,” said one old man society branch of the Zapatistas), to the national and from Morelos who took part. Participation, deliberation, international gatherings known as encuentros that transparency, and democracy are at the forefront, subsequently led to the founding of Peoples’ Global Action essential to the transformative power of autonomy. and had a significant influence on the development of Examples such as these are found globally, and the world and regional Social Forum movement. everywhere the refrain is the same. In Indonesia, a All these examples of autonomy challenge the basic system of regional autonomy introduced in 1999 as a tenets of state power and the continuance of government means of responding to global market pressures for in anything like its present form. In a similar way to the productive flexibility has instead led to incredible Kuna, the Zapatista revolution in thinking and practice innovation amongst civil society, as well as a qualitatively did not taken place in a vacuum, but is rooted in an different way of doing politics in some areas. In the analysis of the national and international context within Mentawai Islands, the ideal of replacing government with which they find themselves. Consequently, while a lagai, a consultative and deliberative body is gaining negotiating for indigenous autonomy and civil rights momentum as, they suggest: “the functioning of during peace talks in San Andrés Sakamchíén, the mainstream politics contradicts the ideals of dialogue in Zapatistas were simultaneously pushing for profound pursuit of a generally acceptable lagai-based consensus”.

115 Autonomy f and practicesare one.Elsewhere,autonomyismore zoneswhereideas existenceinliberated through everyday indeedisgivenmeaning, of autonomythat isrooted, precariously,able tomaketheleap,albeit towards aform There aremany examplesofcommunitiesthathave been Networking: newsocialspaces andoldsocialrealities which arealsotherhythmsofresistance. simultaneously echoingtherhythms oftheeveryday, ofdefiance, heart autonomy isthebeating unforgettably sweet.Inmany communitiesofstruggle, f out,fordifficult toroot likeMendha’shoney, thetasteof is is rich,diverse,andcomplexonceembedded officials fear totread. taking similarsteps.Inthesevillages,government 1,500 suchvillagesacrossruralIndiahave recorded been andself-organization.Upto democracy participatory realizedthroughtheirsystemof honey production w government, theydevelopedasystemofforest and subsequently defeated. Indefianceofcentral into theirforests byBallarpurPaperMills,whichthey totheincursions withtheiropposition autonomy began mawa Raj Maharashtra State,inIndiathesloganis“ 116 ragmented and incomplete. It can be theexperience of ragmented andincomplete. Itcanbe reedom andtheinspirationofconnectednessare atershed management, as well as new methods of atershed management,aswellnewmethods The everyday realityofautonomythen,isonewhich The everyday In thevillageofMendhainGadchirolidistrict ,” (inourvillagewearethegovernment).This Mawa mate, of vitalservices. joining agroupof peopleagitatingfor community control growing yourown food, organizingaco-operative, or trustandrespect,orthekick of decisions basedupon working inanaffinitygroupand makingconsensus “BECAUSE I NETWORKS ELECTRONIC Information Age:economy, societyandculture, – ManuelCastells,‘TheRiseoftheNetwork Society’, SO ALLEYS SOCIAL SOCIETY, BANNERS, HISTORY CONFRONTED HALLS OF PERVASIVENESS MULTIFORM

HAVE

SYMBOLS USED

OF CHANGE, OUR

OF SENSED

LABOURED BY

TO

POWER. AND

OF SOCIETY,

NETWORKS,

NETWORKS

THE HISTORICAL WITH

PROCESSED ORDERLY

COMMUNAL

SCRIPTED

OF THE WE

POWER

IT

THE

IN

INCREMENTAL

WHETHER ARE IS EMBRYOS

BATTALIONS,

AWAY THE

OR SUBTLE

IN

VISION

OF AT THROUGH

PROCLAMATIONS RESISTANCE,

IN

THESE

FIELDS

IDENTITY.” A

FROM

IN GRASSROOTED

LOSS OF V HAS

olume 1,1996

ALTERNATIVE CHANGES

BACK A OF COLOURFUL THE

BECOME WHEN The NEW

THAT

OF

It is educating your child, occupying a building, independently – autonomously. We also need a level of Autonomy refusing a job, working for satisfaction rather than coordination to increase communication flows between money, and achieving everything. These escape attempts, ourselves, and to ensure that participation at regional and though small and often unseen, coalesce in cycles, and global levels is participatory and democratic. Network sometimes they grow and spread exponentially. Previously forms of organization, such as Peoples’ Global Action have they were easily co-opted, their threat neutralized, been crucial to the development of global resistance and because they were isolated attempts – from brief the coordination of autonomous projects within a broader transgressions to large mobilizations, they often signified framework which itself seeks to be autonomous. singularity rather than solidarity. Other spaces of coordination reflect the emphasis on In contrast, the movement of movements against popular processes of deliberation, discussion, and capitalism is composed of groups, (dis)organizations, education that are such a feature of the liberated zones of networks, and constellations of networks that are linked the Kuna, the Zapatistas, and others. In 2000 in Spain, for to each other through struggle. There is nothing new in example, activists facilitated a social consulta on the this except that most of those active within these question of abolishing external debt. Over 10,000 people movements are now vibrantly aware of these links – the got involved in 500 neighbourhood assemblies, and strategies, forms of action, modes of decision-making, ultimately over one million people voted by 97.5 per cent and of course, the common enemies. Previously, episodes to abolish the external debt. This process was of resistance such as the rise of Zapatismo would have subsequently made unlawful by the state judicial been a footnote in the history of indigenous rebellions, a authorities. Fourteen countries across Latin America have brief flare on the horizon; now they are the digital conducted social consultas on the Free Trade Area of the archive of a global revolutionary consciousness, a whole Americas – in Brazil ten million voted against it in a civil vista set alight. These links are fostered by society referendum in September 2002. A European social communication technologies, travel, and gatherings consulta, is now being organized, seeking popular where people can meet, interact, learn, teach, and involvement catalyzed by autonomous promoter groups struggle together. These spaces have been and continue to working in their own localities. be crucial to the vitality and the continued expansion of In Los Angeles, the Bus Riders’ Union is a trilingual this global cycle of resistance. organization composed of the urban poor who are Keeping these spaces open is essential, as is retaining a dependent upon public transport for work, education, and balance between the need and desire of groups to operate leisure. Militant and carnivalesque strategies of

117 Autonomy difference protest,or advocacy, –notsymbolic but where itcanmakea requires activeresistance atthepoint communities. The caseworkinvolves that aprocess lifeto thequalityof everyday experiencedbyoppressed fo government. Thisinvolves ‘directactioncase-work’, employed bythestateornational policies neoliberal direct actionaimedatobstructing theapplicationof w alliancesforgedbased upon divisions.OCAP acrosssocial (OCAP) isanotherexampleofautonomousorganizing have sprungupinmany largecities. America,andnewBusRiders’Unions others acrossNorth internal democracy, thisorganization hasresonatedwith and operatingwithahighdegreeofautonomy parties Organizedindependentlyofpolitical transport. po grows amongsttheblackandethnicminority, female, and asconfidence ultimately increasedpassengernumbers and diesel buseswithnewercompressedgasmodels, helped keepfares low, ledtothereplacementofolder a vibrantandmassivelyeffective campaignthathas disability, andtheenvironment have highlightedin been an incrediblydiversecoalition.Race,class,gender, A and organizershasforced Transit theMetropolitan teach-insthroughbus-basededucators skits, andonboard confrontation, includingnon-paymentoffares, theatre 118 uthority and the courts torecognizethemasthevoiceof uthority andthecourts as founded in1990andintervenesusinginstrumental cusing onissues andeventswhicharedirectlyrelevant or communitiesthataresoinneedofdecentpublic In Canada,theOntarioCoalitionAgainstPoverty colour, andtheEarth.” people,peopleof continue toescalatetheirattackson poor protest, governments andprofit-seeking regimeswill oflimited long asmovementsremaintrapped inmethods prepared tofight.AsOCAPorganizer JeffShantzsays,“as w backgrounds, andhave shown clearlythattoorganizeina from differentattracted members ethnicandclass organization notalliedtoany party, political theyhave power.and corporate Asanavowedly anticapitalist p autonomy ofthosecommunitiestoself-organize. andrespectingthe building communitiesofstruggle AND “THE overty, harassment,privatization,deportations, police ay whichcanmakeadifference oftenmeansbeing It iseasy tocallfor afightandeasier stilltolose one, OCAP hashadsuccessworkingagainsthomelessness, CAPITALISM CRAZY, TO CRAZY DESTROYS POISONS forced towithdrawfromtheirlandin2002 – The U'wapeopleinColombia,afteroilcorporationOxywas

TO MONEY EXIST

THE

IF BUT

THE

ON IT KING

EVERYTHING. U'WA,

IS WE

MEANS

OUR WATER

BLIND

WANT IS IT

DEAR SAYS ONLY

WE

AND AND TO

CAN MOTHER

AN THAT

CONTINUE THE BARBARIC.

ILLUSION. CONTINUE

WE AIR.

EARTH.”

ARE IT BEING

IT but it is very difficult to sustain a serious defence against outcome of participatory democracy. We have sketched out Autonomy the ever-more regressive and brutal tactics of the state. the bare bones of what this might mean: liberated zones, However, OCAP’s autonomy and vitality has enabled them networked social spaces for organizations, coordinating to mount such opposition. For their strength lies in the across geographic and cultural barriers, and the tough roots of their organization – rather than being content to resolve required to organize autonomously in the shadow mirror the liberal call to “tolerate diversity”, they of the state across difference and division. Yet it will practice an actual unity in diversity, and this means they always be difficult to do justice to autonomy. For as theory draw upon a wider constituency than many similar and practice it is the life-blood of the movements against activist organizations. capitalism: as freedom and connectedness, as unity in As Thomas Walkom wrote in the Toronto Star, OCAP is: diversity, as recognition of the other. “An eclectic band that includes not only poor people, but The politics of autonomy encourage us to push for and students, retirees and the odd university professor, OCAP take, to refuse, to be prepared to fight, and to escape, exit. doesn’t play by the usual rules. It is direct, in your face For to exit is also to take, to take ourselves out of the and occasionally rude. Where other protest groups try to context within which we are ensnared, to choose make their points by holding demonstrations in authorized differently, to reinvent our circumstances, and to decide public spaces such as Nathan Phillips Square, OCAP tends what it is we should, or need, to do. Autonomy is a key to take the fight right to where its enemies live.” demand of a complex movement, a tree of tomorrow In OCAP, we have an example of how ‘new’ strategies of whose deep roots were planted in yesterday and today and direct action have reinvigorated campaigns around are spreading everywhere. perennial social realities of poverty and inequality. Similarly, in the new networked spaces of PGA and the Notes from Nowhere myriad processes of consultation, we have a model for how everyday social realities might come to inform each other while retaining the autonomy each prizes so highly.

The tree of tomorrow The nature of autonomy is necessarily different in different locations; both political philosophy and grounded practice, an aim of self-organization and the

119