The Northwest Anarchist Federation

About NAF, contact details, drafts aims and principles

The Northwest Anarchist Federation is federation of collectives and individuals in the Pacific Northwest working to bring about revolutionary change in our region, as well as support and work in solidarity with others both regionally and worldwide working towards Revolution.

The Northwest Anarchist Federation

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The Northwest Anarchist Federation is a bi-national organzation based in the Pacific Northwest coast of North America We are opposed to all forms of capitalism and the state. We are fighting for a revolutionary movement that has the power to chalenge government, politicians employers, and bureaucrats. In place of the system of oppression and war that both Canada and the U.S. are, we envision building world based on stateless communism.

We want housing, food, dignity at work, access to education, freedom, and a voice in how our live are run. We want democracy, equality, justice, and peace. These are natural rights that belong to all people. The complete fulfillment of these basic rights can only be achieved through revolution. We will fight for these rights until we win.

We are denied these rights because the system we live within is built on structural inequality. Our aim is to abolish that system and replace it with libertarian communism.

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The Fourth NAF Conference, Labor Day Weekend, 2005

The Northwest Anarchist Federation will hold its fourth conference labor day weekend in Portland, Oregon. If you are interested in attending as a visitor or potential member, contact the Anarchist-Communist Union of Portland at ACUP@NAFederation.org.

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Interested In Joining NAF?

Send an email to the local union nearest to you and we'll get in touch with you.

Victoria, B.C., Canada
Victoria@NAFederation.org

Seattle, WA, U.S.
ACUS@NAFederation.org

Portland, OR, U.S.
ACUP@NAFederation.org

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From Unfinished Buisness No 2: Agitational publication of the NORTHWEST ANARCHIST FEDERATION - NAF U..B.. B U P.o. Box 112 Portland, O R 97232

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AIMS AND PRINCIPLES

These Aims and Priciples are still being discussed and have not been voted in by the Federation.

Principles

1. Anarchist Communism is a theory of social, economic, and political organization. As such, the principles of anarchism are best demonstrated by example rather than illusory rhetoric. Anarchism is not based in crude dogmatism, but shapes itself according to the needs of the situation. Thus, as an organization, anarchist communist principles guide our activity, but we define our path based on the condition and situation of our region. Six essential tenets guide our internal and external organizing as a federation.

i. Direct action is taking action independently rather than appealing to the power of politicians, bureaucrats, and employers. It is when we take power into our own hands through strikes, sabotage, shutdowns, ect..

ii. Direct democracy is the equal and direct participation of working people in the decisions that affect us.

iii. Solidarity is the common concern for the struggles we face each day together. It is the combination of unity and action.

iv. Self-organization. Working people must build autonomous organizations in defense of our rights. Our self-organization originates from our needs and actions.

v. Tactical and theoretical unity are necessary for effective coordination of our activities and resources. They ensure a strategically based organization.

vi. Collective responsibility is the wholesale responsibility of our organization to us, and us to our organization. Thus we are all responsible to each other as much as to ourselves.

2. We believe in the necessity of revolutionary organization. Libertarian organization is both the means and the ends of revolution. An anarchist communist revolutionary organization will not lead the revolution. We participate within social struggle, seeking out the radical elements within them. We encourage, support, develop, participate, and popularize the radical elements within the social struggles that mirror our six basic tenants.

3. Revolution is the only path of true social change. While we support all victories of working people, we also recognize the limited nature of reforms. Reforms are steps towards total revolutionary change when they are achieved through revolutionary tactics and are based in an area of struggle that contains the power to eventually create revolution.

4. We are diametrically opposed to any incarnation of the professional state. The state and the system of structural inequality formerly known as capitalism go hand in hand in exploiting working people. To abolish the state, capitalism must be abolished. To abolish capitalism, the state must be abolished.

5. We recognize that our class is horizontally divided along the lines of race, gender, age, ability, and economic position within the working class. We realize that a united class can only be achieved through solidarity within struggle.

6. We are internationalists who organize for worldwide social revolution. Complete revolution must abolish all nation-states and organize the world based on culturally autonomous communities and workplaces federated in directly democratic federal organizations. This said, we critically support national liberation struggles; meaning we seek out and support the radical and libertarian elements within these struggles. We see the defeat of colonialism and imperialism as a step towards international revolution. As a federation within industrialized and imperialist nations, we see it as our responsibility to attack the imperialist beast at home in solidarity with colonized peoples around the world and within North America.

7. We are a regional organization because each region of North America is subject to specific economic and political pressures not felt in other regions. We can most effectively coordinate our resources, energies, and activities by organizing on a regional basis. This does not prevent us from networking our federation with other federations and organizations in North America and the rest of the world, it only defines our focus.

Aims

1. We want housing, food, dignity at work, freedom, and a voice in how our lives are run. We want democracy, equality, justice, and peace. All these things are natural rights that belong to all people. The complete fulfillment of these basic rights can only be achieved through revolution. We will fight for these rights until we win. We are denied these rights because the system we live within is built on structural inequality and neo-liberalism. Our aim is abolish that system and replace it with libertarian communism.

2. We want to take back power in our communities and workplaces, and make democracy a reality. Thus, we want to socialize and democratize the economy, putting it under the control and ownership of all people.

3. We want to eliminate horizontal oppression within the working class through participating in and popularizing solidarity in struggle. We support, respect, and provide solidarity to the autonomous organizations within our class that struggle for their own collective liberation and the collective liberation of the working class as a whole.

4. The work of organization lies in working within these movements to radicalize them, building their autonomy from the state and bureaucrats, and pushing them towards revolutionary goals amid the fight for reforms.

5. We will stop at nothing short of the international working class revolution. We will organize tirelessly towards this end and will defend it by any means necessary.

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From the NAF website Aug 11 2005