As anarchists, we recognise that it is more important than ever that we
get organised. The planet that we rely on for every single part of our
existence is dying; choked by capitalism's relentless expansion of
environmental destruction. Donald Trump is leading a fascist movement in
the United States. Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, fully backed
by the US. And tension between superpowers edges higher. The threat of
global conflict - including nuclear war - rises with it. ---- Here in
Australia, Indigenous people have never ceded control of the land. The
long genocide against them has never stopped. Dispossession, police
violence and cultural erasure continue. The Australian Government merely
pretends to act against climate change, while the fossil fuel industry
expands at an alarming rate. It assists in the genocide of Palestinains
by exporting parts for the F35 fighter-bomber. And it presides over a
rapidly worsening distribution of income and wealth, which is
experienced as a crisis in the cost of living.
The power of organised labour has been consistently attacked and eroded,
leaving many workers without the ability or knowledge to fight
collectively. Our only hope lies in rebuilding the labour movement from
the ground up so that it is capable of meeting the challenges facing the
working class and humanity in its entirety.
We aim to establish anarchism as a serious tendency in the labour
movement. The Anarchist Communist Federation utilises the theory and
methods of anarchist communism to help foster a climate of class
struggle, while spreading our revolutionary ideas and vision of a free
society. As communists, we aim to build a society based on production
for use, not profit. We will collectively decide what work needs to be
done, and how we can best meet everyone's needs.
As anarchists, we recognise that a free communist society can only be
achieved through the empowerment of every person in working class
organisations controlled by their members.
While acknowledging our humble status in a deteriorated labour movement,
we want to return anarchism to its working class roots, and contribute
to rebuilding a revolutionary workers' movement.
Where has the Federation come from?
Anarchist Communists Meanjin, Geelong Anarchist Communists, and the
Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group have become the founding branches of
the Federation. We have been in dialogue for over four years, discussing
our political work, advising and co-operating where possible. This
process has allowed us to build our skills and capacity for further
collective work, including successful conferences in 2024 and 2025.
Since forming, each of our founding branches has intervened in numerous
campaigns, including Palestine solidarity work, tenant organising,
antifascism, and migrant struggles. Our members have led strikes and
protests. We have engaged in rank and file organising in several
industries. Through this, we have developed a solid theoretical basis,
drawing inspiration from the best of historical anarchist organisation,
as well as Marx's critique of political economy. The insights and
reflections of each organisation have been disseminated internationally
and in multiple languages.
We are not the first to attempt this. Anarchist organising in Australia
has a long record of false starts. Groups have formed and collapsed,
some drifting into subcultural isolation, others unravelling before they
could take root. The largest attempt at federation, fifty years ago, was
a spectacular failure and an object lesson in what not to do.
We have studied these efforts seriously to understand what was missing.
They made clear that building a revolutionary organisation requires more
than energy. It demands coherence, strategy, and a long view.
What do we stand for?
The working class is the bedrock of society. Our labour is used to keep
the planet fed, clothed, housed, transported, and entertained. We make
everything that sustains society, and every luxury that people enjoy.
And yet, we are exploited by an economic and political system built to
extract value from the work that we do and place it in the pockets of
another class, capitalists, in the form of profits.
It is in our interests to overthrow capitalism. Yet we are also relied
upon to reproduce it. This reliance gives us power. If we are organised,
we can use our position to tear down the old order and free ourselves.
Together, we can build a world where we control our labour and ensure
that every single person's needs are met. With this in mind, we analyse
social oppression through the lens of class struggle. No form of
oppression can be eradicated without ending capitalism, and capitalism
cannot be abolished while the working class remains divided. This is why
we say, 'Touch One, Touch All'.
To change society we need a revolution. There is no legal road to
socialism. Capitalists won't allow themselves to be simply voted out of
existence. This shapes the methods we use to organise ourselves and the
strategies we employ. We don't run in elections or endorse candidates,
nor do we advocate these as methods of struggle.
Out of the suffering that capitalism creates, our predecessors developed
both a vision of a better world and the methods needed to achieve it. We
have taken on that vision and continue to build upon it. We want to
bring about a future where everyone can share in the means to live well,
regardless of race, gender, sexual identity, or place of birth - a
society free of exploitation and domination. That is anarchist communism.
For an Anarchist Communist Federation
History has taught us three lessons. First, that a lack of organisation,
coherence, and shared strategy weakens the ability of workers to
effectively fight or defend their gains. Second, that anarchism can only
be relevant if it stays true to its origins as part of the workers'
movement. And third, that the means we use determine the ends we can
reach. Top-down organisation, elitist vanguardism, and pursuit of State
power (which can only ever maintain class society) will always corrupt
or co-opt a workers' revolution.
The Anarchist Communist Federation aims to participate in the class
struggle, not by leading from above or outside, but side by side with
our fellow workers. By putting our politics into practice, we contribute
to working class self-organisation and demonstrate the validity of our
ideas. In turn, our theory and strategy is sharpened through this
experience. The adoption of anarchist methods develops the capacity of
the working class to conduct class struggle, and anarchist participation
in these struggles grows our effectiveness as an organisation.
We formed the Anarchist Communist Federation because we want to be
effective. That's why we demand a high level of theoretical and
practical agreement between members. If we can't agree, then we can't
work together. And if we can't be specific and purposeful in that work,
we will waste our revolutionary energy.
We understand that our position is a minority one amongst anarchists in
Australia today. We are likely to remain a minority for some time. Some
will reject our method of organisation. Some will admit it in principle,
but remain committed to their own small group projects. And some will
accept it, but disagree on this or that point where we judge agreement
to be essential to long term work. We hope to patiently demonstrate the
superiority of our means over theirs. To the wider labour movement and
the working class as a whole, we will also be patient. But we won't
withhold criticism where warranted.
Anarchists with inadequate understanding, and sometimes mere frauds
masquerading as anarchists, have often acted ineffectively. Some even
live up to the caricature of anarchism as destructive individualism. We
reject that this is representative of the historic anarchist movement,
but it is a reputation we need to live down. ACM, GAC and the MACG have
gone some way to doing this. As a federation, we will complete the job.
Time grows short. The world is in danger. We are determined to snatch
victory from the jaws of disaster. If you agree with our politics, join
us. If you are interested in learning more before you decide, contact
us. The struggle needs you.
For workers' power, and an end to all forms of domination.
The Anarchist Communist Federation
https://ancomfed.org/2025/04/anarchist-communist-federation/
_________________________________________
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
get organised. The planet that we rely on for every single part of our
existence is dying; choked by capitalism's relentless expansion of
environmental destruction. Donald Trump is leading a fascist movement in
the United States. Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, fully backed
by the US. And tension between superpowers edges higher. The threat of
global conflict - including nuclear war - rises with it. ---- Here in
Australia, Indigenous people have never ceded control of the land. The
long genocide against them has never stopped. Dispossession, police
violence and cultural erasure continue. The Australian Government merely
pretends to act against climate change, while the fossil fuel industry
expands at an alarming rate. It assists in the genocide of Palestinains
by exporting parts for the F35 fighter-bomber. And it presides over a
rapidly worsening distribution of income and wealth, which is
experienced as a crisis in the cost of living.
The power of organised labour has been consistently attacked and eroded,
leaving many workers without the ability or knowledge to fight
collectively. Our only hope lies in rebuilding the labour movement from
the ground up so that it is capable of meeting the challenges facing the
working class and humanity in its entirety.
We aim to establish anarchism as a serious tendency in the labour
movement. The Anarchist Communist Federation utilises the theory and
methods of anarchist communism to help foster a climate of class
struggle, while spreading our revolutionary ideas and vision of a free
society. As communists, we aim to build a society based on production
for use, not profit. We will collectively decide what work needs to be
done, and how we can best meet everyone's needs.
As anarchists, we recognise that a free communist society can only be
achieved through the empowerment of every person in working class
organisations controlled by their members.
While acknowledging our humble status in a deteriorated labour movement,
we want to return anarchism to its working class roots, and contribute
to rebuilding a revolutionary workers' movement.
Where has the Federation come from?
Anarchist Communists Meanjin, Geelong Anarchist Communists, and the
Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group have become the founding branches of
the Federation. We have been in dialogue for over four years, discussing
our political work, advising and co-operating where possible. This
process has allowed us to build our skills and capacity for further
collective work, including successful conferences in 2024 and 2025.
Since forming, each of our founding branches has intervened in numerous
campaigns, including Palestine solidarity work, tenant organising,
antifascism, and migrant struggles. Our members have led strikes and
protests. We have engaged in rank and file organising in several
industries. Through this, we have developed a solid theoretical basis,
drawing inspiration from the best of historical anarchist organisation,
as well as Marx's critique of political economy. The insights and
reflections of each organisation have been disseminated internationally
and in multiple languages.
We are not the first to attempt this. Anarchist organising in Australia
has a long record of false starts. Groups have formed and collapsed,
some drifting into subcultural isolation, others unravelling before they
could take root. The largest attempt at federation, fifty years ago, was
a spectacular failure and an object lesson in what not to do.
We have studied these efforts seriously to understand what was missing.
They made clear that building a revolutionary organisation requires more
than energy. It demands coherence, strategy, and a long view.
What do we stand for?
The working class is the bedrock of society. Our labour is used to keep
the planet fed, clothed, housed, transported, and entertained. We make
everything that sustains society, and every luxury that people enjoy.
And yet, we are exploited by an economic and political system built to
extract value from the work that we do and place it in the pockets of
another class, capitalists, in the form of profits.
It is in our interests to overthrow capitalism. Yet we are also relied
upon to reproduce it. This reliance gives us power. If we are organised,
we can use our position to tear down the old order and free ourselves.
Together, we can build a world where we control our labour and ensure
that every single person's needs are met. With this in mind, we analyse
social oppression through the lens of class struggle. No form of
oppression can be eradicated without ending capitalism, and capitalism
cannot be abolished while the working class remains divided. This is why
we say, 'Touch One, Touch All'.
To change society we need a revolution. There is no legal road to
socialism. Capitalists won't allow themselves to be simply voted out of
existence. This shapes the methods we use to organise ourselves and the
strategies we employ. We don't run in elections or endorse candidates,
nor do we advocate these as methods of struggle.
Out of the suffering that capitalism creates, our predecessors developed
both a vision of a better world and the methods needed to achieve it. We
have taken on that vision and continue to build upon it. We want to
bring about a future where everyone can share in the means to live well,
regardless of race, gender, sexual identity, or place of birth - a
society free of exploitation and domination. That is anarchist communism.
For an Anarchist Communist Federation
History has taught us three lessons. First, that a lack of organisation,
coherence, and shared strategy weakens the ability of workers to
effectively fight or defend their gains. Second, that anarchism can only
be relevant if it stays true to its origins as part of the workers'
movement. And third, that the means we use determine the ends we can
reach. Top-down organisation, elitist vanguardism, and pursuit of State
power (which can only ever maintain class society) will always corrupt
or co-opt a workers' revolution.
The Anarchist Communist Federation aims to participate in the class
struggle, not by leading from above or outside, but side by side with
our fellow workers. By putting our politics into practice, we contribute
to working class self-organisation and demonstrate the validity of our
ideas. In turn, our theory and strategy is sharpened through this
experience. The adoption of anarchist methods develops the capacity of
the working class to conduct class struggle, and anarchist participation
in these struggles grows our effectiveness as an organisation.
We formed the Anarchist Communist Federation because we want to be
effective. That's why we demand a high level of theoretical and
practical agreement between members. If we can't agree, then we can't
work together. And if we can't be specific and purposeful in that work,
we will waste our revolutionary energy.
We understand that our position is a minority one amongst anarchists in
Australia today. We are likely to remain a minority for some time. Some
will reject our method of organisation. Some will admit it in principle,
but remain committed to their own small group projects. And some will
accept it, but disagree on this or that point where we judge agreement
to be essential to long term work. We hope to patiently demonstrate the
superiority of our means over theirs. To the wider labour movement and
the working class as a whole, we will also be patient. But we won't
withhold criticism where warranted.
Anarchists with inadequate understanding, and sometimes mere frauds
masquerading as anarchists, have often acted ineffectively. Some even
live up to the caricature of anarchism as destructive individualism. We
reject that this is representative of the historic anarchist movement,
but it is a reputation we need to live down. ACM, GAC and the MACG have
gone some way to doing this. As a federation, we will complete the job.
Time grows short. The world is in danger. We are determined to snatch
victory from the jaws of disaster. If you agree with our politics, join
us. If you are interested in learning more before you decide, contact
us. The struggle needs you.
For workers' power, and an end to all forms of domination.
The Anarchist Communist Federation
https://ancomfed.org/2025/04/anarchist-communist-federation/
_________________________________________
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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