One of the common misconceptions about Anarchists is that we are opposed to being "organised" that the very existance of an organisation such as ours is an oxymoron.
So let's talk about how we organise.
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For an anarchist organisation. to remain non-hierarchical and non-authoritarian it is essential that roles and responsibilities are distributed evenly. For federation-wide roles, we operate a formal structure of delegation and direct democracy with recallable delegates,
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meaning that if someone is not fulfilling responsibilities they can have those tasks passed on to someone else in a non-judgemental and supportive way for the good of the organisation. Many roles are informal and temporary,
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however, and it is hoped that members will also fulfil these as best they can and in an accountable way. One of the key ways to support the organisation is to anticipate something that needs doing and take some responsibility for seeing that it is addressed.
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The organisation is based on the following fundamental criteria:
FEDERALISM
The AF is a decentralised organisation made up of individual members who form into groups based on location. We have no leaders or central decision-making body and the direction of the organisation
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is decided upon by its members. Members come together regularly to develop theory, strategy and tactics through debate and discussion, aiming for participation of all members in decision-making such that effective consensus can be reached.
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Most decisions are made at Federal Delegate Meetings. Those who cannot attend these meetings can mandate any other member to act as their delegate to bring their positions to these meetings to ensure that their opinion is included.
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POLITICAL UNITY
The AF is based on a common set of aims and principles, with its structure detailed in the membership handbook. Before joining, a potential member must agree with the outlined aims and principles of the organisation.
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In addition, we may adopt policies and analyses that are the result of discussion and elaboration by all the members. As these will be developed collectively, it is expected that they will reflect the views of the whole organisation.
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Members may propose changes to these structures, but it must be the result of a genuine change of view emerging from new ideas and experiences since their joining the organisation. When an individual joins, it is expected that they join as a result of genuine agreement
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with the political and organisational principles of the AF. As membership is sponsored by a group or regional secretary it is their responsibility to ensure that new members fully understand these documents.
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TACTICAL UNITY
The AF seeks to act in a co-ordinated way, developing strategies and tactics through discussion and debate which members are expected to implement where appropriate.
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COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND SOLIDARITY
Members must not act so as to undermine the federation but instead must seek to support the federation in practice and show solidarity for other members.
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FREE ASSOCIATION AND AUTONOMY
The individual does not subsume their identity into the collective. A member is one who has chosen to associate with others and retains their autonomy. If a member or group does not agree with policies, strategies or tactics adopted by the
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federation once they have become members, then they do not have to implement these decisions and may express their disagreement.
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........... so, that is how we do it. It's not perfect and it's not for everyone or every organisation but it's the model we use to organise ourselves, you know... as Anarchists.
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Further to this, you might find our Membership book useful for various processes and models of organising.
Freemarket Feudalists really like anarchist aesthetics but they don't know shit about anarchism.
These temporarily embarassed titans of industry have can read every book and sit on their favourite fart cushion sneering into the internet and they will simply never get it. 1/
What they are holding onto their is the sectarian gatekeeping nonsense of the 90's/00's where middle class intellectuals and theory buffs decided that the lived experiance of angry youth was nowt but "lifestylism" and to be distanced.
It was trash then and it's trash now. 2/
This snobbery is the same shite we see from the Communist Party MLGBWWWHTTTPBBQ everytime they see a trans person or some one who dresses like it's mad max.
They view you as an unserious "activist loser" with a "repellant image", not a proper salt of the earth bloke 3/
Re yesterdays riots.
These were not "race riots".
These were "racists rioting".
In Hull they made a huge point about how peaceful they were, until they went full riot, later mobbing a car in frankly terrifying scenes.
In Liverpool, able to get to the objective defended by
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hundreds of locals they settled for a all out street rumble, hooligans gunna hooligan. Later on they protected the kiddies by torching a library.
In Manchester, a gaggle turned up and they called it off. Not before mobbing a long black lad 20 to 1. Guess who the cops dropped? 2/
In Blackpool they tried to do one of these riots outside Britains largest punk festival with thousands of anti-fascist punks in attendance. It went as expected.
In Bristol, they rolled out in number, and tried to storm a hotel, which was saved by hundreds of locals. 3/
Ok so what's today's #discourse... oh Joy. It's guns.
-- Not an AF position but this admins one --
The problem with the "guns" debate is that people confuse the residue of living in a martial society and the affectations of machismo for civil defence.
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Civil Defense isn't about having the force capacity to murder someone you disagree with. It's about solidarity.
A gun, baton, molly or pointed stick, they are just tools.
Knowing how to utilise your tools safely and effectively is important but they don't liberate. You do.
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The state by it's nature is always going to more force than you, the fascists are going to invest more person energy and collective resources into weaponry.
Revolutions are not going to be won on their battlefields.
Anarchists don't equivocate when it comes to solidarity with the victims of oppression and hate.
We should recognise with nuance how existance is politicised and used to sow divide, and rather than allow this, it's our 2/
idiom to stand up and be active and vocal in protecting our communities from those who would do it harm.
Those who view consciousness of identity, space and place, as "Bourgeois/liberal distractions" so stand idle, show the reality behind their rhetoric. 3/
The weirdest thing about the whole #GaryLineker and #bbc malarky is that folk are shocked that the beeb is biased. Ofcourse it's biased. Always has been.
Increasingly so with it's chair (a rabid Tory) and the overwhelming staff demographic of nepotistic public school chums. 1/
We're sold this vision of it being some positive holistic Britishness. The One Show spewinh royalist propoganda as Countryfile does the same for Tory farmers. It's comedy, while skirting with the odd bit of self deprication is overwhelming classist. You are the joke. 2/
It's a controller of the instrument and much like the Labour Party and NHS, people confuse what it could be, what it should be, with what it is.
Point out the hypocrisy as they platform Sugar, The Dragons and an array of vocal Tories all you want. They dont care.
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In our run from 1k -33k follows, the AF has developed a social media policy, formal and informal. This ranges from not kicking off with bambi accounts to no doxxing. We walk a line between individual and communal responsibilities 1/
and it's not always perfect.
Especially when you're prone to the odd spicey hot take and have a habit of taking the tankie bait.
We are tho, Anarchists. The admin are humans, and we long ago decided that it's best to maintain a personable manner, than be functionaries.
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I think some people don't like this, think it's shameful to anarchism, don't care for the memes and the bantz with our orgs, whatever, it's ok.
The internet is full of things you don't like and Anarchism, doesn't have leaders. Certainly not us, fuck vanguards. 3/