Pluralism is a requirement for democratic social life. ---- There is no
democracy if the pluralism of ideas, cultures, forms of social
relationships, etc., that coexist in a territory is not recognized and
respected. ---- Apoyo Mutuo works from Democratic Confederalism, so that
in addition to equality and respect for cultural diversity, positive and
collaborative relationships are produced between different cultural
groups. Putting the emphasis on everything that allows us all to live
better, in any culture, and not on what differentiates us.
Despite Aragon being a territory historically characterized
by its diversity, today there are asymmetrical power relations, as well
as inequality in rights,
between different languages, ethnic groups, religions,
cultural expressions...
The origin of these systems of discrimination and oppression is
found in the nation-state, and in "nationalism as the
religion of the nation-state". The nation-state, the
identification of "a people" (an expression that hides the
internal diversity of our local communities) with "a state" (a political
form of domination), has been and is the
fundamental tool that has made the current capitalist hegemony possible.
The history of Aragon, like most local
histories, does not correspond to a uniformity, cultural or
linguistic. Whether state-owned or not, the nationalist rhetoric of a
single culture is an exercise of power that facilitates the
functioning of the capitalist production system, and
undermines the capacity for human self-organization, breaking
its links. Thus, any expression that does not obey this
single culture is considered inferior, secondary, alien or
divisive.
The nation-state directs its actions towards uniformity
through two strategies. On the one hand, exclusion through
the elimination of the Other: ending cultural, linguistic, etc.
expressions, or ending the people who
exercise them. On the other hand, the strategy of assimilation is also
used. Assimilationism is a social model that
favors cultural uniformity, through which the
different groups and minorities adopt the norms,
language, values and identity traits of the majority society,
with a parallel loss of their own culture of origin. At the same time,
the maintenance of the culture of
minorities is considered a threat to social cohesion and the dominant
cultural identity.
"A democratic nation is not tied to rigid political borders, to a single
language, to a specific culture,
to a specific religion or to a single interpretation of history; on the
contrary, it means plurality and community."
"While the nation-state pursues a homogenized society, the democratic
nation is mainly composed
of different communities. It perceives diversity as wealth."
Apoyo Mutuo Aragón proposes two approaches to defend cultural diversity
from the perspective of Democratic Confederalism. First,
internationalism as a universal principle and, second, interculturalism,
with a commitment to conviviality at a local, closer scale.
Unlike multicultural proposals, organizations such as Apoyo Mutuo that
promote interculturalism seek a new social context in which the norm is,
on the one hand, the emphasis on what is common, not on difference, and,
on the other hand, positive interaction and collaboration between groups
differentiated by their culture, ethnicity, religion, etc.
We are also aware that this commitment to what is common cannot ignore
two aspects. First, that under the title of interculturality and "mutual
respect between cultures" policies and actions have been developed that
have hidden both cultural assimilation and deep inequalities of class or
gender. Secondly, the focus of relationships
between people is not and should not be exclusively cultural. So-called
"culturalism" disconnects culture from the
economic and political, rendering invisible "asymmetrical power
relations and inequality of rights."
Being aware of the intersection between different oppressions
allows us to distance ourselves from and be able to confront new forms of
racism, which describe cultures as homogeneous and
monolithic, while racializing the concept of culture, transforming it
into an "almost genetic" attribute of people.
From its nostalgic perspective of an imagined culturally uniform past,
cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity is a risk and,
consequently, peaceful coexistence is unthinkable. The only way out,
according to the proposals of the new racism, is the restoration of a
"monoculturalism," in which a culture "frozen" in that imagined past and
an "unalterable," immovable nationality come together. The mixture of
this "culturalist" nationalism and xenophobia shape the current mixture
of new racism that poisons our environment.
The current militants of Apoyo Mutuo Aragón often do not have the
ability to interpret the social complexity and cultural diversity of our
society.
We note that it is not enough to promote, as militants, contact and
opportunities for dialogue between neighbors who do not share the same
cultural horizon. Our commitment
to interculturalism implies that our activists must
develop new skills that allow them to relate
effectively with anyone who lives in their environment.
Our vocation as an organization is to prioritize curiosity,
tolerance and communication as tools for mutual personal
transformation in the construction of the Democratic Nation.
https://apoyomutuoaragon.net/download/679
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
democracy if the pluralism of ideas, cultures, forms of social
relationships, etc., that coexist in a territory is not recognized and
respected. ---- Apoyo Mutuo works from Democratic Confederalism, so that
in addition to equality and respect for cultural diversity, positive and
collaborative relationships are produced between different cultural
groups. Putting the emphasis on everything that allows us all to live
better, in any culture, and not on what differentiates us.
Despite Aragon being a territory historically characterized
by its diversity, today there are asymmetrical power relations, as well
as inequality in rights,
between different languages, ethnic groups, religions,
cultural expressions...
The origin of these systems of discrimination and oppression is
found in the nation-state, and in "nationalism as the
religion of the nation-state". The nation-state, the
identification of "a people" (an expression that hides the
internal diversity of our local communities) with "a state" (a political
form of domination), has been and is the
fundamental tool that has made the current capitalist hegemony possible.
The history of Aragon, like most local
histories, does not correspond to a uniformity, cultural or
linguistic. Whether state-owned or not, the nationalist rhetoric of a
single culture is an exercise of power that facilitates the
functioning of the capitalist production system, and
undermines the capacity for human self-organization, breaking
its links. Thus, any expression that does not obey this
single culture is considered inferior, secondary, alien or
divisive.
The nation-state directs its actions towards uniformity
through two strategies. On the one hand, exclusion through
the elimination of the Other: ending cultural, linguistic, etc.
expressions, or ending the people who
exercise them. On the other hand, the strategy of assimilation is also
used. Assimilationism is a social model that
favors cultural uniformity, through which the
different groups and minorities adopt the norms,
language, values and identity traits of the majority society,
with a parallel loss of their own culture of origin. At the same time,
the maintenance of the culture of
minorities is considered a threat to social cohesion and the dominant
cultural identity.
"A democratic nation is not tied to rigid political borders, to a single
language, to a specific culture,
to a specific religion or to a single interpretation of history; on the
contrary, it means plurality and community."
"While the nation-state pursues a homogenized society, the democratic
nation is mainly composed
of different communities. It perceives diversity as wealth."
Apoyo Mutuo Aragón proposes two approaches to defend cultural diversity
from the perspective of Democratic Confederalism. First,
internationalism as a universal principle and, second, interculturalism,
with a commitment to conviviality at a local, closer scale.
Unlike multicultural proposals, organizations such as Apoyo Mutuo that
promote interculturalism seek a new social context in which the norm is,
on the one hand, the emphasis on what is common, not on difference, and,
on the other hand, positive interaction and collaboration between groups
differentiated by their culture, ethnicity, religion, etc.
We are also aware that this commitment to what is common cannot ignore
two aspects. First, that under the title of interculturality and "mutual
respect between cultures" policies and actions have been developed that
have hidden both cultural assimilation and deep inequalities of class or
gender. Secondly, the focus of relationships
between people is not and should not be exclusively cultural. So-called
"culturalism" disconnects culture from the
economic and political, rendering invisible "asymmetrical power
relations and inequality of rights."
Being aware of the intersection between different oppressions
allows us to distance ourselves from and be able to confront new forms of
racism, which describe cultures as homogeneous and
monolithic, while racializing the concept of culture, transforming it
into an "almost genetic" attribute of people.
From its nostalgic perspective of an imagined culturally uniform past,
cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity is a risk and,
consequently, peaceful coexistence is unthinkable. The only way out,
according to the proposals of the new racism, is the restoration of a
"monoculturalism," in which a culture "frozen" in that imagined past and
an "unalterable," immovable nationality come together. The mixture of
this "culturalist" nationalism and xenophobia shape the current mixture
of new racism that poisons our environment.
The current militants of Apoyo Mutuo Aragón often do not have the
ability to interpret the social complexity and cultural diversity of our
society.
We note that it is not enough to promote, as militants, contact and
opportunities for dialogue between neighbors who do not share the same
cultural horizon. Our commitment
to interculturalism implies that our activists must
develop new skills that allow them to relate
effectively with anyone who lives in their environment.
Our vocation as an organization is to prioritize curiosity,
tolerance and communication as tools for mutual personal
transformation in the construction of the Democratic Nation.
https://apoyomutuoaragon.net/download/679
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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