Programme for BAB 2013

balkans region | miscellaneous | press release

Tuesday May 14, 2013 22:42

by Federacija za anarhistično organiziranje - FAO

Programme will be regulary updated on http://www.a-federacija.org/bab2013
10 years of the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair

Second Call for Balkan Anarchist Bookfair 2013

1. Between Identity and Social Movement: What Is Anarchism and What Do Anarchists Want?

DISCUSSION People who gather at anarchist bookfairs usually share a common identity as anarchists. But do they share much more? Is there an “anarchist movement”, or does a movement already violate anarchist principles of individual freedom and diversity? But if anarchism is not a movement, what is it? A social club? A set of lofty ideas?

Join Gabriel Kuhn, a longtime anarchist activist and author, for a discussion about what we, as anarchists, believe in, long for, and possibly can achieve.

2. International Balkan meeting on nationalism

MEETING We believe that the modern anarchist/libertarian movement has to find specific ways to address important issues, arising especially in the sensitive Balkan area. International solidarity cannot only be a simple slogan, but has to be a well determined proposal for the people’s co-habitation and cooperation. Thus, certain basic issues that concern us; and we consider them to be important as subject of a common discussion for all Balkan anarchists, are:

The issue of current border changes in the Balkan region (e.g. Kosovo)

The issue of “National Identity” and where we stand towards it

The issue of Ethnic minorities (existing in every Balkan state)

The issue whether or not “progressive patriotism” exists, and what is the relationship of Anarchism with it

The issue of the relations of the Balkan people with supranational structures (EU, NATO)

Our stance towards a possible national war or imperialist intervention in the Balkan region

The issue of establishing a common Balkan liberation struggle

These are just some of the themes that we felt important to present. All revolve around the theme of nationalism. We call on all anarchists/libertarians, who fight and act in the Balkans to participate in the process of building this meeting with their activity, documents and proposals. BAB 2013 could be a first moment for debate and exchange of experience to examine whether there will be the strength and the will to build such a Balkan meeting in the future.

3. Reflections of anarchist gathering in St. Imier 2012

DISCUSSION AND EXHIBITION In summer of 2012 anarchists from all over the world gathered in St. Imier, Switzerland to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the first congress of anti-authoritarian anarchist international. The meeting was not about celebrating history, as its aim was to reflect on the current anarchist movement and build new alliances for common struggle in the future and spreading anarchist ideas. We will reflect on the gathering and look at some material from the meeting.

4. Anarchism in practice

WORKSHOP On this workshop we will examine some concrete models of anarchist organizing in the field of economy and social life. We will present the cases of non-hierarchically self-managed Infoshop, bakery, library, restaurant and university. We will exchange experiences and try to think, how to organize on places, where we live, work and study.

5. Anarchist publishing

WORKSHOP In this workshop we will present cases of different anarchist publishing projects; namely magazines, bulletins and books. We will compare our experiences with different organizational models from below, methods of communicating and preparing content.

6. Free voices of anarchism (anarchist radio broadcasting)

WORKSHOP This is a workshop in which we will share our experiences with radio experimentation and collective non-hierarchical practices of anarchist radio broadcasting.

7. Federal international anarchist organizing

DISCUSSION On a case of theory and practice of International of anarchist federations (IFA) we will present some key issues of international anarchist organizing. Why is internationalism for anarchists so important and how can we connect our struggles and solidarity on such level?

8. Women in the Anarchist Movement

DISCUSSION The Anarchist Federation in Britain discusses the development of anarcha-feminism and the current debate in the UK around dealing with sexual violence and creating ‘safer’ anarchist spaces. We will also compare experiences from other regions.

9. Sexism among us

WORKSHOP In the workshop we would like to open question of sexism, by which we are not only faced in the everyday interactions, on protests and uprisings, but also in the autonomous spaces. There, sexism is being criticized, but do we recognize it in our relationships within the communities that are presumed to be sexism-free? With this workshop we would like to open safe space on which we can talk about these questions. Do we feel sexism in our groups and communities? How does it manifest? How to fight it? Sharing experiences and consequently building strategies in the struggle against sexism will be the focal point of our workshop. Workshop will be women-only.

10. One crisis, many resistances

DISCUSSION By comparing the analysis from several regions in the world, we will talk about the effects of the economic crisis on the people. Main focus will be the comparison of different struggles against austerity measures.

11. Balkan Anarchist Bookfair 2003-2013

EXHIBITION It has been ten years since Balkan anarchist bookfair (BAB) started its voyage across the Balkans with the aim to connect local and regional, as well as international anarchist community and to provide space for exchange of anarchist ideas, practices, literature, materials, cultural events, workshops and public discussions. We will show different posters from previous bookfairs.

12. Reflection on the uprising in Slovenia

DISCUSSION Slovenia is being shaken by a massive revolt of the people against political establishment and austerity measures. Activist from Slovenia will speak about the current political climate, the structure of these revolts, the challenges and victories of the struggle. The focus of the debate will be the role of anarchist groups and ideas on collective processes of the uprising.

13. Anarchism and the social movements

MAIN DISCUSSION As people revolt against the capitalist system, austerity measures and political elites, numerous experiments in direct democracy from below, and non-hierarchical organizing in places of work, of study, and of daily life are taking place, or are at least starting to be imagined. Equally, we are confirming through our daily experience that such movements are always vulnerable to criminalization, to attempts at centralization, and to the usurpation of the new political terrain at the hand existing and emerging elites. In times like this it becomes all the more important that the anarchist movement analyses the dynamic social and political situation in real time, and then acts on it through direct action.

Therefore we want to invite everyone to join us in the common process of building a political space for reflections on the new terrain of struggle that is being imposed on us by capitalism, and on ways of standing our ground and fighting back. As capital pushes us to the margins of society and robs us of control over our lives, people invent new forms of mutual aid, solidarity, political and social organization. The questions for anarchists are clear: how can we organize resistance from below? How can we cooperate with wider social movements, so that we build relationships against and beyond capitalist exploitation? And how do we develop concrete, sustainable alternatives that not only resist capitalist devastation, but open the way for a revolutionary transformation of our everyday lives? These and many more questions will be part of our main discussion on anarchism and its role in the broader social movements.

14. Assemblies of participants

BAB will be self-managed community that will collectively decide on all matters through daily assemblies of the participants.

15. Open space

We want this meeting to broaden the scope of political imagination that forms new alliances, so we will provide an open space that will enable people to self-organize on the spot.
16. Safe space We are not running away from issues within the movement. Therefore we will provide a safe space where comrades, if needed, will be able to express and collectively deal with whatever problem might arise during the event.

17. Meeting and discussion on practices of radical ecology in the space of former Yugoslavia

MEETING

18. Radical syndicalism

DISCUSSION

19. Fascism and crisis in Greece

DISCUSSION

20. Reclaiming precarity in the conditions of austerity: social reproduction, radical care and movement politics

WORKSHOP

21. Active distribution

DISCUSSION

22. Concerts, DJ’s, cabaret

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Programme for BAB 2013

1. Between Identity and Social Movement: What Is Anarchism and What Do Anarchists Want?

2. International Balkan meeting on nationalism

3. Reflections of anarchist gathering in St. Imier 2012

4. Anarchism in practice

5. Anarchist publishing

6. Free voices of anarchism (anarchist radio broadcasting)

7. Federal international anarchist organizing

8. Women in the Anarchist Movement

9. Sexism among us

10. One crisis, many resistances

11. Balkan Anarchist Bookfair 2003-2013

12. Reflection on the uprising in Slovenia

13. Anarchism and the social movements

14. Assemblies of participants

15. Open space

17. Meeting and discussion on practices of radical ecology in the space of former Yugoslavia

18. Radical syndicalism

19. Fascism and crisis in Greece

20. Reclaiming precarity in the conditions of austerity: social reproduction, radical care and movement politics

21. Active distribution

22. Concerts, DJ’s, cabaret

23. Bookfair

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