Founding declaration of the Organização Socialista Libertária, São Paulo, Brazil

A LIBERTARIAN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE CLASS STRUGGLE

In November 2005, various anarchist militants from the São Paulo area, Campinas and Baixada Santista, participated in the 1st Congress of the Organização Socialista Libertária (Libertarian Socialist Organization - OSL) and approved the founding of this organization through a wide-ranging discussion of ideas and of the historical moment in which the militants of the working class find themselves.

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Founding declaration of the

Organização Socialista Libertária

São Paulo, Brazil

A LIBERTARIAN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE CLASS STRUGGLE

In November 2005, various anarchist militants from the São Paulo area, Campinas and Baixada Santista, participated in the 1st Congress of the Organização Socialista Libertária (Libertarian Socialist Organization - OSL) and approved the founding of this organization through a wide-ranging discussion of ideas and of the historical moment in which the militants of the working class find themselves.

More than simply a coalition of groups such as Luta libertária, Rede Libertária da Baixada Santista, members of the regional Forum of Organized Anarchism (FAO) and individuals coming from other groups, the organization that we are building, modest as it is, will be an instrument of the workers for the class struggle. With this instrument we intend to provide continuity to the struggles we have already begun in the labour, student and popular movements, as well as to cooperate in the process of development and construction of a combative, class-struggle libertarian organization in Brazil. The maturing of this process has without doubt strengthened us, allowing us to discern the historical role we must accomplish.

It is important to point out that the foundation of our organization is not the result of chance or of spontaneism. It is the culmination of a process of maturity of anarchist groups and individuals that have been active since the early 1990s, thanks also to the various national meetings of the Forum of Organized Anarchism (FAO) which started in 2002, and the birth in 2003 of the FAO-São Paulo, which unites groups, collective and individuals who identify with organized anarchism in order to unify their publications, work, spaces, tactics and strategies for struggle.

We do not think of organized anarchism as a complete innovation nor as a simple re-take on traditional historical references, the Bakuninism of the First International, the anarco-communism of Malatesta, the debate on the Organizational Platform, the work of Durruti and Ascaso within Spanish anarchism and more recently the experience of the FAU in Uruguay. They serve as a starting point, they supply us with the ideas we need with which to decide on our struggles and the path we should take.

Therefore, it is the analysis of historical experiences and of the current situation, and not dogma, that should guide our action. We know that the struggle for a true social transformation is not an easy or romantic task. History demonstrates that very well. And we also know that there can be no effective social change without struggle, that nothing has ever been won easily by the people, and that this is an ongoing, daily struggle on a road that is never straight.

Therefore libertarian socialists do not seek class conciliation, the historical enemy that impedes our march of poor people. The bourgeoisie, its culture and production mode, must disappear! Instead, we ardently seek to build new objective relationships in the social, economic and cultural fields that go beyond the rejection of capitalism.

We support the statement that not only is another world possible, it is desirable. But there already exist the technological and economic conditions for such a world. There remains the immense task of building the political and social organizations with which we can transform this world, organizations which must have a strong class, socialist nature.

This, then, is why we exist, comrades in struggle, workers, students, all ready to give continuity to our fights, the fights of the people, because we are part of this people that is tired of professional politicians, of elitist, parasitic illuminaries and academics. We appeal to all those who know and feel the urgent need to build the struggle, solidarity and popular power, to engage in dialogue with us.

Long live the Social Revolution!
Long live Libertarian Socialism!
Anarchism is struggle!

Organização Socialista Libertária
São Paulo - Brazil

Translation by FdCA International Relations