(en) France, Alternative Libertaire #223 - XIth Congress of AL: The pink city red and black (fr)

The Eleventh Congress AL, held in Toulouse from November 2 to 4. Nearly 100 people 
attended. Back to 'hot' these three days have seen a succession of plenary discussions, 
exchanges in workshops, committee meetings, but also party and concert. ---- A convention 
always starts the same way: by morning reunion and a snack jovial. Earlier we open the 
large book containing the texts and discussions will address the menu. But for now, we 
verify that all equipment is in place - microphones, repro, flags - and above are 
distributed handshakes and hugs, and we share a coffee by putting faces to names. 
Activists and militants landed all over France, but also from Guyana, and a delegation 
from the Organization libertarian socialist (OSL), a Swiss member Anarkismo network is 
present. The Hangar, beautiful auditorium adjoining Printing Co 34, well-known social 
movement Toulouse, is a warm, and this is important.

But already the president of the meeting called the Congress, not without difficulty, to 
fill the seats.

As in 2010, AL decided to limit the texts in number and size, as in 2010 it is not 
completely reached. The agenda, very tight, was respected, but at the expense of working 
time in small workshop - ecology, feminism, web - that were too short and have suffered 
from the absence of ancillary rooms. This aspect will be reconsidered.

General orientation

For the first time in LA, two general guidance competing motions were presented. The 
first, which won the majority wears a strategy on three levels: first, a front for 
federating social struggles - fighting unions, committees of the unemployed, unemployed 
and precarious housing committees, women's associations ... - give rise to a real 
cons-popular power disconnected republican institutions. Second, for a front-capitalist 
organizations combining (AL, NPA, CGA, FA, Alternative ...) that do not meet the 
anti-liberal reformism of the Left Front, and could be heard more widely speaking with a 
common voice whenever that convergence is possible. Third, for the development of hearing 
out of AL among militants and building a libertarian communist current.

The second motion rejecting the draft forehead and wore the same capitalist logic of 
social front, but with nuances, including the abandonment of claims transitive (veto on 
layoffs, reduced working hours, etc..) And the development of social support (called 
"seizure activity") in the most precarious fractions of the proletariat.

This is undoubtedly the debate that has dominated the minds. And if the motion No. 1 was 
adopted, many participants who felt that the No. 2 contained some ideas that should not be 
abandoned.

Productive autonomy

Referring back to back protectionism and free trade, considered as "two sides of the same 
coin," the motion on the economics (whose publication is deferred to January, waiting to 
be completed) denounces two not contradictory forms of capitalism that generate both war 
and misery, organize competition between workers, based on inter-class and bases are 
backed by state apparatuses. Face social dumping, relocations, the mono-export industries, 
AL adapts the concept of "food sovereignty" once defined by Via Campesina International 
Peasant and defends the idea of ??"self-productive" for social reasons ecological and 
anti-imperialist, each region must produce what it needs.

Organizing precarious

Among the precarious AL two broad categories: first, those who are integrated into a 
business, but in precarious and, secondly, those who navigate a patron to another, with 
interludes of unemployment. For the first If the union is undoubtedly the most effective 
framework to defend themselves, but rather territorial collectives in the latter tend to 
be grouped. The challenge is to unite the different groups that exist today, and move 
towards a national network that gives visibility policy for this category of the 
proletariat, while historic structures (MNCP, AC!, APEIS, CGT Unemployed ) are struggling.

Accommodation: reject speculation!

Rent control and requisitioning of empty homes: we must fight for them, but these measures 
can only be transient. The housing crisis is due to the market. The solution is 
socialization, and a public housing allocation according to the needs of the inhabitants 
and residents. In this struggle, we need organizations struggle of homeless and badly 
housed, as the DAL, but not only.

Ecology at the heart

At its 2006 congress, AL stated that "the challenge ecologically three revolutions are 
needed" revolution in consumption patterns in the modes of production and trade. Only a 
break with capitalism can provide a solution to productivist nightmare that humanity is 
facing. To strengthen and coordinate action on this front, a secretariat intervention 
Ecology was created in AL.

The commission congress AL

Delegations and messages

Attended the public portion of the comrades of the Anarchist Federation (FA), the New 
Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA), the Alternative, syndicalist Committee (RSC) and the Movement 
of growth objectors (OMC). Coordination anarchist groups (CGA), held on the same dates in 
Congress, sent a message, as well as several international organizations in the network as 
Anarkismo FARJ Brazilian FdCA the Italian OSL FAU and Uruguay, as well as FCL Chile. Two 
observers were present OSL Swiss. Finally, the Trade Union Solidarity has sent a letter of 
greetings to AL.

Sigue Luchando

Saturday night of the conference was free and festive concert with Thomas Jimenez, alias 
El Communero, who in October released his second album, Sigue Luchando an interpretation 
of the classic rock of the Spanish Revolution. Thank you to him!

Thank you to the team of chefs: without their cooking, the Congress of Toulouse had not 
been fully successful.