Today's Topics:
1. Britain, notts black arrow: More talks on anarchism in
Nottingham - January and February 2019 (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. i-f-a: Anarchist does not vote, fight! Anarquista não vota,
luta! By Fenikso Nigra / IFABrasil - Black Phoenix / Federal
Anarchist Initiative Brazil (pt ) (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. Germany, Deliverunion 2 years (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. Holand, vrije bond, [Nijmegen] Civil disobedience - Dagcafé
special # 2 (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. Poland, WORKERS' INITIATIVE: Trade unions, women's strike
and birth control [machine translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
6. awsm.nz: Anarchist Historian Osvaldo Bayer R.I.P
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
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Message: 1
After packing a room with 80 people at the 2nd Nottingham Radical Bookfair in November,
Iain McKay will be back next year to deliver two exciting linked talks about anarchism,
focussing on 12 libertarian thinkers and activists. They will take place on the 28th of
January and the 4th of February 2019. ---- See below and this link for more info (and
notes from previous talks too): Talks: The Meaning of Anarchism (Nottingham, 28/01/19 and
04/02/19) | Anarchist Writers ---- The Meaning of Anarchism, via twelve libertarians ----
Venue: Five Leaves Bookshop 14a Long Row, Nottingham NG1 2DH. £3.00 on the door, including
refreshments. ---- Anarchism is a much misunderstood and much misrepresented theory.
Rejecting the chaos of capitalism and statism, it seeks to create the order of libertarian
socialism, a free society of free associates. To discover more, please join Iain McKay
(author of An Anarchist FAQ) for an exploration of libertarian ideas by means of six male
and six female anarchist thinkers and activists.
Over two nights, the lives and ideas of the founding fathers and mothers of anarchism -
including Michael Bakunin, Peter Kropotkin, Louise Michel and Emma Goldman - will be
discussed and their continuing relevance highlighted.
Week one - Monday, 28th January: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Founding Fathers, 1840 to 1940: Pierre-Joseph Proudhon; Joseph Dejacques; Michael Bakunin;
Errico Malatesta; Peter Kropotkin; Rudolf Rocker
Week two - Monday, 4th February: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Founding Mothers, 1840 to 1940; André Léo; Louise Michel; Lucy Parsons; Emma Goldman;
Voltairine de Cleyre; Marie-Louis Berneri
https://nottsblackarrow.wordpress.com/2018/12/28/more-talks-on-anarchism-in-nottingham-january-and-february-2019/
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Message: 2
We consider elections are a part of a corrupt, oppressive and exploitative system. This is
not new, at the origin of the modern conception of anarchy that is around 250 years old,
the option of anarchy has always been the direct struggle for self-management policy and
decentralized federalism, marked by the construction of legitimate political force at the
base, by people oppressed and exploited. This leads to a resistance to all proposals that
remove this autonomy and elections is this removal of autonomy, which violates the freedom
of people to make policy directly, without representation, without parties, without a
state. ---- In this moment of time here in Brazil we are forced to another electoral
process that removes the protagonism of the people, which disarticulate, partidariza and
annul the struggle and emancipatory. Despite this, many
people who call themselves anarchists are propagating the "useful
critical vote," for fear of consolidating totalitarian, fascist forces,.
What we think is that these people are unaware or out of the reality of
the periphery, of marginality, that do not live in the poor conditions
of the Brazilian favelas and are not targets of daily violence that our
oppressed and exploited people suffers.
By assuming the "left / right" stereotype and still vowing to "vote" is
to demean the struggle and resistance that our people have been holding
since the invasion of this land by the Europeans. Even worse, it is
betraying the principles of social freedom, equality and justice so
prevalent in the anarchist struggle that have led thousands of
anarchists to die throughout the world in the struggle against the
oppression and exploitation of tyrannies, be they economic, social,
political or cultural. Our clashes have occurred with the right and left
governments, so we know that none of them is reliable for a single vote.
We have not forgotten how we have been beaten by the forces of
repression over the past 10 years, in the persecutions and threats
against our activists, in which they are arrested for demonstrating on
the streets against the state.
We are not interested in the result of the polls, in them our protest
has always been and is void or not vote. The important thing is to
maintain and expand the struggle and resistance for the emancipation of
all the oppressed and exploited and that will happen regardless of who
wins the electoral tax process. Our actions are in the communities where
we build direct managements, of wide popular participation, without
parties, without bosses.
We guarantee that the fight in this way expands the anarchist
experiences and favors the process of social emancipation that we seek.
We reinforce that in 2019 we will be at the forefront of the struggle
for freedom, equality and social justice for the social emancipation of
our oppressed and exploited people, regardless of who is elected,
because we know that our struggle will always be against all political
parties, against tyrant and authoritarian groups that live off the
exploitation and oppression of all our people.
Anarchist does not vote, fight!
http://www.i-f-a.org.gridhosted.co.uk/2018/10/28/anarchist-does-not-vote-fight-anarquista-nao-vota-luta/
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Message: 3
In January 2017 riders from Deliveroo and Foodora together with FAU Berlin started up what
today is the Deliverunion campaign. We wanna celebrate this with you with some pretty
pretty pretty good punk bands and a bunch of fine DJs. If you're a rider you're VIP, just
show your app! ---- Bands 22-00 ---- Acht Eimer Hühnerherzen (Nylon - Punk, Alter!) ----
SMiSK (x-rated punk, malmö) ---- DJs 00-06 ---- Petrosilius (acid house) ----
Hans Heimlich (art techno/tech house) ---- Tektonik (frenchcore/hardtek) ---- When: 12
January ---- Doors: 21.00 ---- Where: The venue is secret but just write an e-mail to
faub-location (a) fau . org for location! ---- fb: Acht Eimer Hühnerherzen ---- fb: SMiSK
https://deliverunion.fau.org/2018/12/30/deliverunion-2-years/
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Message: 4
The second edition of the already famous Dagcafé special, with finger lickin' good vegan
burgers, documentary screening (Trouble) and collective letter writing to our friends who
are imprisoned for their political struggle. Brought to you by your local "ongehoorzame
burgers". Anarchist library De Zwarte Uil will also be open during these activities. ----
Looking for Trouble ---- These days, there's no shortage of stuff to watch. We've become
accustomed to 24/7 access to a dizzying array of digital media, all available at the push
of a button, a swipe of a pad, or a click of a mouse. But somehow, the mass proliferation
of high-speed internet, social media, smart phones and Netflix has left us feeling even
more isolated than before. Millions of us are chained to our screens, consuming a steady
stream of information, sharing and receiving it via powerful corporate algorithms designed
to monitor our habits and keep us in our respective boxes. In order to help break out of
this trap, subMedia has launched Trouble, a monthly documentary series.
Prisoner letter writing ---- Writing a letter to a prisoner is a concrete way to support
those imprisoned for their political struggles. Prisons are very lonely, isolating, and
disconnected places. A letter is a simple way to brighten someone's day in prison by
creating human interaction and communication-something prisons attempt to destroy. Beyond
that, writing keeps prisoners connected to the communities and movements of which they are
a part. Cards, pens etc are present. A donation for sending the mail is of course very
welcome. We take care of the shipment. More info on the website of the Anarchist Black
Cross Nijmegen. ---- January 22: Trans Prisoner Day of Action and Solidarity ---- Our
January event will highlight trans political prisoners in honor of January 22: Trans
Prisoner Day of Action and Solidarity. This annual event was initiated by Marius Mason, a
trans prisoner in Texas, and is now being led by trans prisoners and their supporters from
around the world. It is a chance for those on the outside to remember those behind bars,
give real solidarity and support, and raise awareness about issues facing trans prisoners.
Anarchist library De Zwarte Uil
Every Saturday, anarchist library De Zwarte Uil is open from 12:00 to 16:00 during Dagcafé
in the Klinker. In the library you can find a large variety of books. From the deeper
theory of anarchism to subjects such as imperialism, capitalism, the many libertarian
movements around the world, to history, ecology, gender struggle, do-it-yourself, music,
films, pamphlets on how to organize yourself and various newspapers and magazines with
reflections on current developments. You can find the collection of the library here.
abc nijmegen, de Klinker,
https://www.vrijebond.org/nijmegen-burgerlijke-ongehoorzaamheid-dagcafe-special-2/
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Message: 5
OZZ IP at the demonstration "World day of safe abortion - prochoice march" (Warsaw
30/09/2018) ---- Reproductive works are all works carried out in favor of generation
revival and maintaining people's health and life, so that societies can reproduce and
function in the biological as well as socio-cultural sphere. These works can be carried
out by public and private institutions, but above all by ourselves - within the household
(family). We often associate them with caring functions, but they have a broader
character. ---- The discussion about this issue intensified in connection with the
introduction of the "500 plus" program by the PiS government, whose actual goal was to
achieve an increase in the number of births. However, from the perspective of work and
trade unions, this program can be treated as a form of pay or compensation for caring for
children by parents, mainly women. The second issue was attempts to tighten the right to
abortion in parallel, which is still one of the most restrictive in the world in Poland.
In this context, there have been a number of criticisms of the current policy of the PiS
government and protests that aim to defend the so-called reproductive rights of women. The
Employee Initiative also supported the tightening of the Act.
According to the World Health Organization, reproductive rights rely on the recognition of
the fundamental right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly
about the number, timing and time of bringing children into the world, the right to
information, access to resources that provide it, and the right to maintain the highest
standard sexual and reproductive health. It is the right to make decisions about having or
not children in a way that is free from discrimination, coercion and violence. These
rights include primarily: the right to sex education, the right to a lawful and safe
abortion; the right to use methods and techniques of contraception and (more broadly)
birth control; the right to access health care in the field of procreation in accordance
with medical standards.
Below is a text by Maria Debinska from the Warsaw Environmental Commission, OZZ IP, which
is a review from the discussion organized in Warsaw by the OZZ Inicjatywa Paczownicza,
regarding reproductive rights.
Trade unions, women's strike and birth control
On September 26, 2018, I had the pleasure of moderating the discussion organized by the
Warsaw IP committees on the role of trade unions in the ongoing fight for women's rights
in Poland. The immediate impulse for its organization was a demonstration on the occasion
of the World Day of Safe Abortion on September 30. The discussion was attended by members
of the Warsaw IP committees: Olga Gitkiewicz from the Journalists and Journalists
Commission, Ewa Majewska from the IP Works Commission at the University of Warsaw, Sylwia
Pawlak from the IP Works Commission in the Universal Theater and Katarzyna Rakowska from
the Warsaw Environmental Commission.
Participants in the discussion discussed three issues: (1) why reproductive rights should
be an area of trade unions, (2) how trade unions can get involved in the fight for them
and (3) what tools they have.
Choice or coercion?
In the first part, we talked about how reducing the reproductive rights of women in Poland
affects their situation on the labor market.
Katarzyna Rakowska talked about her experience from IP activity: "We know people on a
contract of employment who have been at work because of too hard working conditions; we
know people employed under a contract of employment who could not return to work, were
very unwelcome at work after returning from maternity leave; we know people on civil law
contracts that did not have sick pay, so they did not have the right to a maternity
allowance; we have people on civil law contracts, which, reading our guides and brochures,
paid a sickness contribution from each contract of employment, and it turned out that the
maternity allowance is due only to one contract. So if these contracts are 10 each for
300-400 PLN, the benefit is counted only from one contract. "
Olga Gitkiewicz described the situation of many women working in her profession, in which
most people work on the basis of commissioned contracts or contracts for specific work,
which means that they are deprived of many forms of support from the state. Especially
getting a place in kindergarten or nursery is very difficult for them, because people on
such contracts receive less points during recruitment. As a result, women are forced to
return to work very quickly after childbirth, because they are not entitled to maternity
leave and at the same time can not count on institutional care for children.
Another important issue raised by Ewa Majewska was the economic impact of the ban on
abortion. "As long as we talk about it as a choice, we lose. For me it was not a choice, I
was in an economic situation in which the birth of a child was not possible. I decided a
lot earlier that I would not have children, but at that moment (when I decided to have an
abortion) it was by no means a choice. "
Majewska argued that the ban on abortion is expanding the area of poverty in our society,
condemning people who are already poor, to even greater misery - regardless of whether
they take a loan and remove pregnancy, whether they will be born and will be burdened with
maintenance costs (often the next ) child. That is why it is time to stop looking at
abortion as an individual choice and focus on the economic consequences of the prohibition
of abortion. Katarzyna Rakowska puts it similarly - access to legal, safe and free
abortion determines our ability to work, our mental and physical health, affects our lives
as employees.
The problems do not end with pregnancy, but also concern the care of children, whether we
can work, because we have this protection, or whether we can not work because we want to
look after children. Do we have to rely on incomes (usually male) partners in such a
situation? Katarzyna Rakowska emphasized that "capitalism does not end at the door of the
workplace and affects all spheres of our lives, it also affects the sphere of sexuality
and reproduction very deeply". Access to safe and free abortion, contraception, sex
education or childcare largely affects the situation of women in the labor market and
their position in relation to the employer.
The role of trade unions
What, then, can trade unions do for us? What forms of support do we expect from them? Ewa
Majewska postulated that the activities of unions in the sphere of women's rights should
be based on solidarity and did not rely on one-way support for the "weaker" from the
privileged position. According to Majewska, solidarity allows us to create a relationship
in which we recognize that we can learn strategies to combat them from people affected by
various forms of oppression.
Sylwia Pawlak described the initiative of the IP commission in the Universal Theater,
where the problem was the lack of childcare after 5 pm, while many people worked in the
evenings. As a result, a childcare center was organized and their parents can work without
worrying about who to leave their children with.
Katarzyna Rakowska described the IP actions aimed at improving the working conditions in
terms of sexual harassment as well as psychological and physical violence as well as
exploiting the company social benefits fund for subsidies for kindergartens and crèches.
She emphasized that these funds are usually used for sports cards and "under-the-pear"
travel. It is rare for trade unions to use them for purposes related to the support of the
educational and caring sphere.
An important topic of the discussion was the reproductive work and the necessity of its
valorization. Sylwia Pawlak postulated a change in the way of speaking about homework:
"Often, a woman who looks after a child is said to be sitting at home. The very wording
reduces the value of her work. " Ewa Majewska quoted data on the market value of care
work. Women in Poland usually work two jobs: at home and at work, and the contribution of
homework to GDP is calculated annually by the Central Statistical Office and amounts to
around 30%. Trade unions in the struggle for workers' rights should therefore take this
into account, because this double burden affects the professional position of women.
Towards a women's strike
The discussion about various forms of union involvement in the fight for reproductive
women's rights naturally led to questions about the meaning of the "National Strike of
Women", Black Protests and other mass mobilizations for women's rights.
Olga Gitkiewicz reminded that at first the women's strike was considered a strike by name
only, many people claimed that it was a protest about moral issues in which women from big
cities took part, but it did not concern the problems of working-class women or workers'
rights. Two years after the black protests, the situation is different. The consistent
calling of these protests on strike widened the definition of work and introduced into the
public debate the problem of reproductive labor. This was confirmed by Katarzyna Rakowska:
calling something a strike and a reference to tools, tactics, strategies traditionally
used by trade unions makes the reproduction and parenting reproduce as a job.
The idea of a strike seems more and more common and shows the determination of women in
the fight for their rights. Care and upbringing are increasingly considered as work, but
this is happening in social movements, and trade unions remain somewhat off the beaten
track. Although they have finally joined the women's strike, it can be seen that they do
not find themselves in social activities outside the workplace. The question, then, is
what can trade unions do to fight for the rights of those who do care work? Unfortunately,
the Act on solving collective disputes makes it difficult to strike in non-business
matters, such as government policy. In this respect, trade unions in Poland are in a much
more difficult situation than trade unions abroad. Ewa Majewska recalled recent
demonstrations regarding the legalization of abortion in Argentina, which were supported
by strikes organized by the unions. Polish law in many ways makes this form of engagement
more difficult, but all participants of the discussion agreed that women's rights are
closely related to reproductive rights and should be an area of trade unions - also
outside the workplace.
Katarzyna Rakowska emphasized that trade unions still have a large field of action in
social matters: "As trade unions, we have a big impact on discourse and a strong
bargaining power in relation to the government and the state. We as an IP, a small but
radical relationship, have already changed the public debate several times. 10 years ago,
we ran a campaign "temporary work - permanent discrimination", which was then considered
radical. Today, Gazeta Wyborcza criticizes garbage every second day. "
Ewa Majewska and Katarzyna Rakowska emphasized that participation in demonstrations is one
of the basic tools we have at our disposal in the fight for our rights. Katarzyna Rakowska
encouraged participation in the demonstration on September 30 under the slogan "Abortion
means life": "I am always happy when we go together as a trade union. We show in this way
that the organization is behind our convictions. This always gives you more message power.
It shows that these are not individual views or individual matters, but real economic and
employee interests, and there are organizations in Poland that will fight for these
economic interests. "
In the second part of the discussion, the panelists and the audience wondered what actions
we could take under IP to join the fight for women's reproductive rights. We will try to
implement these ideas in practice in the coming months.
Maria Debinska
http://ozzip.pl/teksty/publicystyka/strategie-zwiazkowe/item/2437-zwiazki-zawodowe-strajk-kobiet-i-kontrola-narodzin
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Message: 6
Argentinian anarchist historian and author, Osvaldo Bayer, passed away on December 24th
2018. He was well known for writing ‘Rebellion in Patagonia' and "The Anarchist
Expropriators." ---- As a young man he was consistently active in revolutionary politics
which led to a tumultuous life. In 1963, for instance, he spent two months in prison after
being detained by the miltiary. In 1975 he was forced into exile and left Argentina for
Europe. ---- In his later life he was committed to indigenous struggle and remained a
fighter for anarchist revolutionary causes. Memorial statements are being released by
comrades that attest to the tremendous influence he retained, and how much he meant to the
world. El Furgón and Revista y Editorial Sudestada have released statements commemorating
his passing.
Revolutionaries like Bayer never truly die since their ideas live on in the struggle.
http://awsm.nz/2018/12/31/anarchist-historian-osvaldo-bayer-r-i-p/
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