ALLWARSAREAGAINSTUS WEARE AGAINST .BHB[JOFPG*"'/Pb ALLWARS JOTJEF SFQSFTTJPOJO CFMBSVT CSJUJTI BGFE QBSJTSJPUT UJFSSBZMJCFSUBE QFSNBOFOUXBS BOEIVNBOJUBSJBO JOUFSWFOUJPO BOENVDINPSF PRESENTATION You have in your hands the first number of the magazine of the International of Anarchist Federations. Lots of people around the world will be reading these same lines, in many different languages. Though each member federation translates and edits the magazine, they do so with the same content. In the following pages you will find information on the situation of a big part of the anarchist movement. When reading these lines, bear in mind that comrades write from their own language and experiences. From the threat of repression, as in Belarus, to the unstopable hope of starting something new, as in the german speaking group. You should also avoid assuming that federations correspond to countries. As anar- chists we do not recognise borders or states. The federations group together people who share either a common language (AFed, FAF, FdA...) or a similar culture (Ibe- rian FAI, CSAF...) and often go beyond national limitations. This magazine that you are reading now has been possible thanks to the effort of many around many countries. It is truly a communal effort, breaking down borders and boundaries. It fills us with hope of how much we can achieve thanks to interna- tional solidarity. For freedom and solidarity! Long life the International! CONTENTS 03. IAF 06. VII CONGRESS 08. CONGRESS DOCUMENTS 15. AFED, THOUGHT & STRUGGLE 23. CSAF, CZECH AND SLOVAK FED. 26. FAB, BELARUS FED. 32. FdA, GERMAN SPEAKERS FED. 33. FLA, ARGENTINIAN FED. 34. ORIGINS OF FLA 41. FAF, FRENCH SPEAKING FED. 44. DECROISSANCE, SKETCH FOR A DEBATE 48. RIOTS IN PARIS 50. FAI, IBERIAN ANARCHIST FED. International of Anarchist Federations Striving for a global anarchist movement in thought and action. The IAF fights for: - The abolition of all forms of authority whether economic, political, social, religious, cultural or sexual. - The construction of a free society, without classes, states or borders, founded on anarchist federalism and mutual aid. (from the Statement of Principles of the International Anarchist Federation founded in 1968 in Carrara, Italy). The above statement of principles sets out bringing anarchists from different countries clearly what the IAF hopes to achieve- an more in contact with each other. ambitious programme, but the only one that Internationalism was also the only way to can achieve the goals of freedom, peace and deal with the continual nationalist conflicts justice that humans have struggled for, in in Europe, culminating in the two world different ways, since the beginning of our wars. Though a test for many anarchists, an existence as a species. Though not calling internationalism that supported no State was themselves anarchists, people with anarchist a vision that they had to cling to. Anarchism aims and practices have always existed in also spread outside Europe as a result of the every part of the world. However, it is only waves of immigration in the late 19th and in the 19th century that organised, early 20th century. In the ‘New World’ theoretically-explicit anarchism emerged workers of every nationality had to band with the founding of the first International together in order to organise against horrific Federation of Anarchists in St. Imier in working and living conditions. The 1871. It was founded by both workers (many capitalists relied on the fact that there would from the watchmakers in St. Imier itself) and be language and cultural barriers between international anarchist activists such as different national groups as a way of Kropotkin who had had enough of the ensuring that they wouldn’t organise against authoritarian nature of the Marxist their treatment. An international approach international. It is significant that even was therefore crucial to the success of any though anarchists formed a relatively small workers’ organisation. The Spanish movement in each country, they Revolution also required international immediately sought to organise on an support, both during the struggle itself and international level. The IAF considers itself afterwards when many anarchists were the heirs of this tradition. killed, imprisoned or exiled. Early anarchism had an international aspect Today, the need for international solidarity for many reasons. With repression in and co-operation amongst anarchists is as different countries at different times, vital as ever. Ever aspect of our lives is anarchists often found themselves forced woven into a global system of economic, into exile. Though obviously not something political and cultural domination. This can they wanted, it did have the effect of lead to a feeling of helplessness as our anger www.iaf-ifa.org 3 cannot be vented directly against those newspapers and magazines as well as making decisions affecting our lives. The finance campaigns. Also, travelling to other people of Afghanistan and Iraq are thrown countries for political purposes can be as into turmoil as a result of the interference of great a burden on an unemployed British both the US military intervention and Saudi comrade as it can be on someone from Arabian- imported Islam. GM crops are Eastern Europe or Latin America. In imposed on reluctant farmers from Brazil to addition, power may appear to lie in the Poland. Islands in the Pacific are on the hands of those who attend the ‘global verge of disappearance because of the greed summits’, but in fact, this is really only the for energy elsewhere. People’s jobs and public face of power. Organising antisummit security depend on fickle international protests is also only the public face of money markets. And even remote tribal anarchism- all dependent on how the people are losing their very way of life as a bourgeois media want to portray us. That result of world demand for the resources on doesn’t mean that these protests aren’t their land. But we are not helpless. We need important; they provide anarchists with the to make international anarchism our opportunity of feeling something of our weapon. collective power on an international level. The most obvious form internationalism The power of the ruling class lies elsewhere- takes is international solidarity, protests at manifested in every aspect of our lives. We global summits and conferences that bring feel it when we keep our mouth shut rather together anarchists from many different than talking back to our boss, in the countries. The IAF has always been advertisements that bombard us to consume, dedicated to helping comrades from when we can’t get access to clean water countries who are less well-off financially, because it is someone’s private property and such as raising money for the Argentineans when we are forced to conform to an exam or supporting Russian and Eastern European system because it is the only way we can comrades in their efforts to attend ‘get ahead’. It is the daily resistance to this international meetings. Support can also be power that will lead to the building of a much more movement that concrete like can take on when the Organising international the ultimate Italians helped solidarity to carry forward the objective of to organise the overthrowing first meeting struggle! capitalism and of anarchists the State. And of both east and west. The IAF, through its this resistance necessarily takes place on a member federations has also been involved local level. So what is the role for anarchist in helping to organise international protests internationalism? in Evian, Brussels, Genoa, Paris, Scotland The IAF provides a means for comrades and Prague. Comrades also have travelled to from around the world to communicate. We support the anarchist May Day in Poland are confronting the same enemy everywhere and the meet with comrades in Russia. and learning about the struggles of others An international perspective, however, does can give us ideas for our own struggles. not mean that we spend all of our time Within Europe, the vast experience of supporting other people’s struggles or flying comrades from Italy, Spain and France can off to global meetings and protests. Firstly, help those who have a much shorter history there is a limit to how much financial of anarchist struggle such as those in Eastern support comrades from the richer countries Europe. However, the comrades in Eastern can give. The country as a whole may be Europe, not weighed down by tradition are well-off, but anarchist comrades are usually able to offer new perspectives and ideas for not. It is a struggle to find money to produce struggle. Good communication can also be www.iaf-ifa.org 4 revolutionary if it inspires. Just to know that us to develop our analysis of the situation people elsewhere are fighting back is facing us. We need to have a thorough important to those who may be experiencing understanding of the political, economic and a downturn in struggle. This knowledge can social realities so that we can organise more help people just keep going or it could effectively and anticipate the strategies of motivate people to launch a major fight back our enemy. The experience of Venezuelans themselves. The most important thing is to with Chavez, Brazil with Lula, Britain with hear of successes. Spreading these stories of Blair all help to reinforce the anarchist successful resistance is a major role of antagonism to reformism, a doctrine that international anarchist propaganda. The seems to think that a government can bring struggles of the Argentinean working class about social change. The Italian experience were welcomed enthusiastically by people in of ‘insurrectionalism’, where a few self- Europe. Hearing about workers just ignoring proclaimed saviours of the working class bosses, banks and politicians and just doing have contributed to repression of the things themselves confirmed the faith anarchist movement, should be useful for anarchists have always had in the power of those who are tempted to undertake such workers to self-organise.