Anti-Prison Week.

         Prisons are symbols that we live in an authoritarian society, prisons are totally unacceptable in a free and democratic society. Locking people in cages can never be seen as an acceptable answer to any problem when we live in that free and democratic society. Today prisons are not the monopoly of the state, though the state holds the sole right to send you there, it has handed the running of prisons over to money seeking shareholders. They in turn will seek to expand the prison system and to increase its capacity, all in the drive for more profit. A typical capitalist profit making entity from dehumanising people. Freedom can only grow from the ashes of the prison system, only when the last prison lies in ruins can we say, we are truly on the road to freedom.

This from Act For Freedom Now:

 

     The anti-prison week is in less than a month! It will happen from 2 to 8 march 2020 in the old train station of Luméville, close to Bure, place of a struggle against a project of a center for burrying nuclear waste.
       The idea is to take time to meet, between people and groups from different countries, have formal and informal times of discussions, workshops, movie screenings, readings. You can come to the week with your own proposals, with or without telling us in advance. Zine distros are also very welcome.
     We received criticisms regarding the lack of topics related to racism in prison and state racism in the program of the week, considering the key role that racism play in penitentiary systems. We would like to make more space for these topics, so if you think you have something to contribute on these topics, please contact us.

Program

      We are currently contacting the groups that will take part in the week to know when each workshop or discussion will happen. This section will be updated regularly between now and the beginning of the week.

Monday
An update on the struggle in Bure, the Cigéo project, the events of the last few years.
More info soon.

Tuesday : repression and anti-repression
More info soon.

Wednesday : (No) Borders
More info soon.

Thursday : gender issues, LGBTQ+, women’s prisons
More info soon.

Friday : about being “on the run”
More info soon.

Saturday : anarchist views on justice, law, crime / how to get out of a punitive system
More info soon.

Sunday
More info soon.

Practical informations

Coming to the place of the event

       The old train station of Luméville is located in Meuse, France, close to the village of Luméville-en-Ornois, on the left of the road leading to the village of Mandres-en-Barrois. You can enter it by car. We will put up signs so you can’t miss the entry ways.



Food

        There will be vegan food from sunday 1st in the evening to monday 9th in the morning. We will provide the food and cooking equipment but cooking will be participatory and rely on self-organization. You will be able to put money in a free price box to help us cover the expenses of the week.

Sleeping

       There will be sleeping places in a building on the place of the event, but not enough for everyone. There will also be sleeping places in other collective houses in villages around (at maximum 8km). There is a lot of space on the place of the event if you can come with a tent, a camper or a truck (bring blankets if you can!).
      If you need sleeping places in the building on the place of the event, please tell us in advance how many places you need so we can organize.

Translations

     Translations will be provided as much as possible in french, english, german and italian. If you plan to come to the week and are able and motivated to do translations during discussions, you can tell us in advance when you would come and from which to which language you can translate.

Legal information

       We published an article about legal information and police controls in the context of the week. You can read it here.

See you in march!

 The Anarchist Bure Cross

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Injustice Of The Justice System.

        We all know that the state's loaded judicial system, and its corporate and state owned coercive prison system, both run by stooges of the state, are there to punish those who dare to oppose their system of population control.  Dare to challenge the state's power and you will feel the full force of its vicious power in the form of callous physical and psychological violence.

       Nothing is too low or too brutal, no sewer too deep to trawl, to use as they pursue their objective of a submissive and and subservient population. Their vicious deeds sanitised by their phony stamp of legitimacy, as they lay claim to the monopoly on violence and brute force.

      Move from state to state and you will always find these cases of human degradation and callous savagery by state institutions. Here in the UK we have Julian Assange find more on Julian Assange HERE among others, being dehumanised for telling some dark secrets of the state's duplicity.

       The following case is from America, though look elsewhere and you will find more.

From Anarchists Worldwide:

 Joseph Dibee was arrested in August 2018 after more than a decade on the run. 

        He is accused of being part of a group that organized arson attacks against earth destroying and animal murdering enterprises. He is accused, for example, of taking part in the arson against the Wild Horse Meat Slaughterhouse in Oregon that was completely destroyed by fire and never reopened.
          He has been locked up since his capture even though he has not had a trial yet. In January, Joseph was attacked by a “white-power” piece of shit. His jaw was shattered to bits and he suffered multiple skull fractures. His mouth is wired shut. He is stable, but needless to say he went through a very scary and terrible experience.
       This comes as no surprise since the FBI has insisted on plastering the media with his full name (Joseph Mahmoud Dibee) alongside the word “Terrorist”. They have paved the way for Joseph to be continuously attacked in prison because of this. They are utilizing any tool (in this case, the spread of anti-Muslim and neo-nazi philosophy) to make Joseph suffer as much as possible.
        His lawyer has insisted to the judge over and over that Joseph is not a risk to society and that he has changed his life around, helping build solar and thermal systems in Syria and working as a teacher whilst on the run. The judge did not care and decided to keep Joseph locked up waiting for trial. We will say it again, he has not even been found guilty and he is supposed to pay the price.
       Joseph could do with letters of support and love. Nobody should be writing anything related to direct action or to his case, but sending letters explaining how the day has been might be a good start to make him feel better.

Here is the address to send letters:
Joseph Dibee #101799,
Inverness Jail, 11540 N.E.
Inverness Drive,
Portland, OR 97220

Remember that “Support the ALF” isn’t just a fucking t-shirt!

PRISONS ARE FOR BURNING

UA.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Anarchy Is For Lovers.

 

     So many people still see anarchism as that unruly individual, hell bent on destruction because they want to do what they want and screw everybody else. This is the picture painted by the pro-establishment mouthpiece the mainstream media, in its determination to maintain the status-quo. 

     Of course anyone who has looked seriously at anarchism knows that this a deliberate fabrication to defile and destroy the only real road to a free society based on co-operation, mutual aid, equality of opportunity, sustainability and peace.

This quote from Anarkismo, puts it better than I could.

**Many people regard anarchism and socialism as contradictory programs. This is based on the conception of "socialism" as state ownership of the economy. Yet historically, anarchists have regarded this program as "state socialism" or "authoritarian socialism." They have rejected such views in favor of "anarchist-socialism" or "libertarian socialism." This concept of anarchism as a variety of socialism remains important today in opposition to pro-capitalist "libertarianism" and to "democratic socialism"--that is, reformist state socialism.**

Read the full article HERE:

      Perhaps we are to blame for not getting the true principles of anarchism across as the accepted view. Taking a leaf out of the capitalist book, propaganda, propaganda, propaganda, we should still be flooding the streets and workplaces with those bits of paper that proclaim anarchy is for lovers. Lovers of humanity, lovers of respect for the individual, lovers of co-operation to our mutual benefit, lovers of mutual aid, lovers of organisng together to solve our problems, lovers of our planet and its sustainability. Who in their right mind would object to joining such a group.  

A Needless Sea Of Tears.  

Though we live in a world of callous commerce 

and know justice

is an altar where the caring are sacrificed,

see freedom as a river that runs parched

in the fierce desert of poverty,

our thoughts cannot be chained

our dreams will not be caged.

We will think beyond the profit race

dream beyond the market place

in friendship clasp each human hand

with compassion try to understand

our differences, our hopes, our fears,

dragging this world from its needless sea of tears.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

If Only---.

 Paris.

       If only it was happening here in Glasgow, London, Edinburgh, Leeds, as well as Paris, Berlin, Rome, Moscow, Canberra, Washington, and all cities and towns across the globe, at the one time, then tomorrow might look a lot brighter.

Albania.

Thanks Loam for the link.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

An Ever Widening Gap.

       I penned this little piece ten years ago, and today I can honestly say that the chasm between the ordinary people and the parasite class is wider and ever more unbridgeable than it was then. There is no common ground what so ever between that bunch of pampered and privileged leeches that control our lives and the folks who do their damnedest to scratch out a decent living under their exploitative yoke. Ballot boxes, dialogue and parliamentary activity have all proved that they are unable to do anything to bridge that chasm, it is now up to us.

A backward look at 2010, Nasty Protestors:

         Why do the authorities come down so heavy on protesters? A protest is really no more than a group of people wishing to be involved in the decision making process, and in an authoritarian system, that can't be tolerated. It might catch on! There is of course, always the possibility that a handful of protesters might trash a few precious trinkets of society, a society that deserves no more respect than the garbage it produces. A society that trashes the lives of the protesters' families, neighbours and friends. A society that trashes communities, villages and towns for economic reasons, example, closing factories and re-opening the other side of the world for cheaper labour.

       The heavy handed treatment also depicts a nervous ruling class, a ruling class that is aware of the threat to its power and privileges. No longer are the police mere stewards at protests, the powers that be have dropped all pretence, they know it is a class war, and now shamelessly treat it with a military response. Police supported by others in full riot gear, backed up by mounted police, with other instruments of force in the background waiting their call to action. The sooner we the exploited and controlled, accept that it is a class war the sharper and more successful our strategies will become.

       There can be no social solution to this situation because there is no longer any common ground, language or experiences between the milieus of groups and individuals that make up “society” and that other group, the parasites, the “ruling elite” that wish to continue controlling “society”.

       It can no longer be stated that a fissure exist between the two classes, it is an unbridgeable chasm, The truth of the situation is that they, the “ruling elite” need us to maintain their parasitical lives of opulence, but we have absolutely no need what so ever of them. Our lives become richer when they finally enter the dustbin of history.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk 

The Flickering Flame Grows.

      Although the protests in France have been going on for more than a year, and covering all major cities and towns, it is still difficult to know exactly what is going on. The reason of course  is our media stay silent on such affairs especially if they are near to home, for fear of contagion. They know the population are angry, and here that anger is still simmering beneath the surface, the last thing they want is to give fuel for that anger causing it to burst onto the streets.

       If you are interested in what has been happening and is still happening in France, then the list of some of those actions over the year are listed by Anarchists Worldwide. It makes for interesting reading, showing the mosaic of direct actions and how they morphed in this highly technical society. It would appear that direct action of resistance is keeping pace with rapid changing technology that shapes and controls our lives.

The Anarchist Worldwide list in PDF form can be downloaded HERE: 

That was the year that was---

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Spirit of Revolt Outreach.

        The first of this year's Spirit of Revolt outreach events was a stall at Workers Theatre Group Ceilidh, (Roma dancing) on Saturday night, 15th. February. A well attend affair and the dancing proved to be energetic to say the least, lots of fun and a real good workout for those wishing to keep fit and/or lose weight.

    We managed to put out lots of free info leaflets and raise some funds for the Spirit of Revolt Archive.

    The coloured lighting made taking photos difficult but here are a few.

         Our next outreach event will be the Dundee Anarchist Bookfair, March 14th. Again we will have a stall manned by members of Spirit of Revolt, all eager to talk to you about our Archive, what we do and how you can get involved. Also with merchandise to sell you also lots of free leaflets and info to give you. So come along and chat to us on the day, we'd be delighted to have a chat. 

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Dogs As Weapons.

      One thing we should all be clear about, the state will use whatever it thinks will work to subdue a population that is resisting its authority, it will attempt to instill fear and stifle any form of resistance to its control mechanisms over the population. Armour clothed robotic looking police, shields, long batons, rubber bullets, and on occasions lethal live ammunition. Dogs are also used to intimidate, they seem to be blind to their hypocrisy, that possessing an aggressive dog can lead to it being destroyed, and then they train dogs to be aggressive and patrol them in public places to try to intimidate the general public. Training a dog to be aggressive is both cruel and against any semblance of animal welfare, but then again, the state and its minders consider themselves above all laws.

    It is good to see that there are people taking a stand against this cruel practice of training animals to be aggressive, and then useing them as weapons against the public.

    This from Athens via Act For freedom now:

      The police have painted targets on anyone who slightly defies the law and order regime. This week marks an imposition of mass patrols designed to sow fear and violence. And worse they have brought trained attack animals onto our streets to roam among crowds. We gather and impose ourselves into and against their narrative.
      Let’s be clear that training animals to be aggressive and placing them in dangerous situations is abuse.
     This weekend 2/15 9pm Plateia Exarcheia against law and order
Against the use of animals as weapons
      We act for Exarcheia, for anarchy
update 15.2.20: About 60 people came through over the call for an hour. We hung three banners in Plateia exarxeia, read statements and listened to music. Was good. Thanks to everyone who came.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Poetry Night Glasgow.

       A date for your diary, for next month, March, well better to be organised. One of Glasgow's literary radicals and well know poet, Jim Ferguson, is having a book launch of his new collection of poems. "Poor Wurld". The book is published by Speculative Books

     Always an enjoyable evening when Jim is reading and his book of poems are always well worth reading. On this particular evening, Jim will be joined by others, looks like a great evening.

  Ferguson is an itinerant, surreal, Dadaist, whose words are sewn together with a radical thread that espouses ideals and takes no prisoners: - rebels against the status quo, and ensures the reader is always engaged by his giving the man (and woman) on the street a voice. Brian Whittingham.

Details:
Date,        Saturday 28th March 2020.
Time,        7:00pm-10:00pm.
Venue,      Calton Bar, London Road, Glasgow.
Reading,  Jim Ferguson, Ruby McCann, Derek Brown,
                   others to be confirmed.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Vultures Don't Feed Lambs.

       The Mirror newspaper published an article recently, and I wonder why, perhaps they thought it was "news". What the Mirror doesn't seem to realise is that every ordinary person in the UK knows that poverty has rise sharply. Every ordinary person in the UK knows that child poverty has rise sharply. Every ordinary person in the UK knows that pensioner poverty has rise sharply. Every ordinary person in the UK knows that people with disabilities are finding it harder to make ends meet. So where is the news? It would have been better had they pointed to the real causes and the only remedy, get rid of the economic system that creates these problems.
       They take their facts from a recent Joseph Rowntree Foundation report. The report states that over the last 5 years poverty has increased for pensioners and children. It also states despite rising employment, in-work poverty has also risen, and it doesn't take an economic expert to see this is down to the fact that inadequate pay, hours and/or both these factors. It has now reached the point where more than 50% of the people living in poverty are in a working family, this is up from 39% 20 years ago, now there's capitalist progress for you.

      Other interesting facts from the every day life of people in the UK, there are more than 4,500 people sleeping rough on the streets of England alone. 14 million people here in the UK are living in poverty, an increase of 400,000, over the last 5 years, there are 4 million children living in poverty, an increase of 300,000 over the same period. The report also states that people are more likely to be living in poverty if they are in a family where there is a disabled person or a carer.
     Now try as you may to equate that with one of the richest countries in the world  and a supposed highly developed and civilised country. We live in a society where deprivation and opulence live cheek-by-jowl and the capitalist system has proved over the centuries that it can't remedy this disparity. This inequality has increased and will continue to increase as long as we tolerate a economic system that has as its foundation the creating of wealth for the few at the expense of the many. the building bricks of capitalism is exploitation of the many by the few, and the above figures are not an unavoidable accident, they are an ideological choice, the inevitable consequences of such an economic system. How much longer will we accept the poverty of our friends and family, the stunting of the potential of our children and the abandonment of our elderly, while the perpetrators live a life of obscene opulence with private jets, luxury yachts and  private estates. The remedy is in our own hands, don't expect the vultures to feed the lambs.

   

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Humans As Things.

 

      Day and daily an army of individuals, families, groups, including children take the decision to try and get out of a raging war area, leave behind their home, possessions, friends and other family members and make the treacherous journey to Europe in hope of a better and safer life. In most cases the death and destruction they are fleeing is a direct result of American and their side-kicks the EU's foreign policy. Many lose their lives in that arduous and treacherous journey, and those who make it to Europe end up being treated worse than cattle, and with less rights than animals. This is the reality migrants are faced with as they enter, so called , civilised Europe. As the article states, "--but the outcry is absent--", why?

     What is happening on the Greek islands is being played out at other locations across Europe
      I am posting this article in full as I believe it should be widely read and spread far and wide.

This from Anarchists Worldwide:

       Just one month has passed in the new year and it already casts a grim shadow over the months yet to come. Blow after blow, new atrocities occur, and the government issues one fascist decision after another. Public outcry is absent.
      Still, almost every day people set out on the dangerous journey across the straits between Turkey and Europe. Forced by a system that criminalizes and negatively stigmatizes migration, people unsafely have to board boats and leave everything behind, in the hope of a better, normal life – and for the EU (and within it the Greek government) no effort seems too big or too expensive to crush said people, no matter the cost.
     The numerous shipwrecks in this month alone shows yet again how dangerous the crossing is. The Turkish coast guard rammed a rubber dinghy, 4 people drowned, one person went missing – and the excuse of missing safety precautions on board is accepted without comment. A fiber boat broke, 11 people died, of whom 8 were children – but the outcry is absent.
     Driven in desperation by a dehumanizing and exclusionary system, a man finds himself during the first days of January in prison. He is locked away in solitary confinement, out of sight. He is a man with known psychological problems and he is left alone. Nobody will take responsibility for him. Death appears to him as the only way out of this hell.
       In response to this, approximately 150 people took to the streets to protest against Moria Camp and the conditions in its prison. In a public statement (in several languages), the violent methods, which are de facto torture, were criticized, and the release of all prisoners demanded, as well as the closure of Moria camp and freedom of movement for all.
        Towards the end of the month around 300 women protested in the streets of Mytilene with slogans such as “we want to be free, we want to be human”. They criticized the horrible living conditions in Moria camp and the ongoing violence. Meanwhile, another hundred women were prevented from participating in the protest and were blocked at the streets entering Mytilene. More than ten non-refugee women that attended the demonstration were removed and taken to the police station. The police were of the opinion that it was they who organized the rally, based on no evidence and only prejudice, the racial prejudice that the refugee community were unable to organise the demonstration themselves, and that it must have been done for them.
Women have to live under constant fear of assaults and rape. Medical help for pregnant women is barely existent. General medical support is scarce. Children grow up in a hostile environment. They are denied their childhood. But the outcry is absent.
      Over 20,000 people are currently stuck in and around Moria camp, having to call it their home. Basic needs are not even close to being met. The ideal environment for violence has resulted in several attacks. Already more than 10 people have been injured and hospitalized since the start of the year. Among those, two men were killed. Some no longer dare to stay in the camp and see themselves forced to endure the cold winter nights in public places. But the outcry is absent.
       On January 22nd, with the slogan: “we want our islands back!”, thousands of Greek civilians went on strike and protested the government’s refugee policy. The general strike was supported by the broad public, and a poster with their inflammatory demands could be seen in countless shops and stores of Mytilene, resulting in the largest protest in the history of Lesvos. Thus, domestic politics evaporates, and the belief that those who have newly arrived are to blame for the old, structural problems of the country spreads.
         This is a perfect example of the recently formed government confirming its desire to show hardness and “strength” by implementing xenophobic policy. Championing the ideal of “out of sight, out of mind”, the first closed camp is already being built on the island of Samos, afar from any civilization. Men, women and children are to be imprisoned there on a general basis, their only “crime”: they came to Europe. They shall be imprisoned for 25 days. Within this time, it is supposed to be decided who is allowed to stay and who will be deported. The new law, however, provides for numerous possibilities to extend detention – up to 18 months if the asylum application is rejected. In addition to this, the time limits for appeals has been shortened, and any appeal must be submitted by a lawyer. This gives rise to the fear that under these circumstances many will not find a representative in time to appeal against a negative verdict.
          But the government cannot wait for the completion of the closed camps to achieve their goal. Thus, on the last weekend of January, 55 people, most of them families, were locked up in a wing of the prison on Kos island. EU law ubiquitously requires a case-by-case assessment of whether there is a reason for imprisonment, and the Greek government flagrantly shows a clear disregard for such legal principle. If even legal principles are so publicly ignored, how are we to believe that any moral or ethical principles, such as a basic human right such as migration, will ever be followed?
       Help and support will never be close at hand. The dehumanization continues. Imprisonment of the innocent, even children, is legitimized by our xenophobic system. But the outcry is absent.
        The closed camps are intended to accelerate and intensify deportations. By the end of 2020, the government wants to deport 10,000 refugees to Turkey – five times greater than the total number of deportations since the EU-Turkey deal was made. So far, in accordance with former practice, many deportations have been prevented (or at least delayed) with the argument that the horrific conditions in Turkey classify a return as unsafe. However, the Greek government has installed a new judiciary for decisions in regards to deportation, and hopes they will decide differently. But the outcry is absent.
      The European Union continues to fully support and implement the entire system. They don’t only demand more “effective (frequent)” deportation but also demand the doubling of EASO (European Asylum Support Office) staff officials to carry out the heinous act. It is not the only staff increase. The cruel, so-called “defenses” continue. The government announced to have 1200 more border police officers in the coming months. Already 400 jobs are advertised for the borders at the river Evros, and 800 are to be added on the Aegean islands.
Now they also want to install a floating dam system on the water. How exactly this is supposed to keep boats away is unclear to everyone. Considering that Lesvos is roughly 70km long, the 2.7km long barrier with blinking lights does not invoke an effective approach to the “issue”. The half a million-Euro project seems even more senseless when one takes in to account that people who are stopped by the barrier have already reached Greek territorial waters, and would therefore have to be rescued and taken to Greek soil under maritime law. But the outcry is absent.
      As well as this, Stage 2 was closed on the 31st January. Stage 2 was the short-term transit camp to ensure people who land on the northern coast can access safety and receive medical aid and shelter. Over half of the total arrivals on Lesvos are on the northern shore. With closing Stage 2, people arriving will be left waiting for hours on beaches, by the side of the road, or in remote rocky areas, with no access to immediate shelter, protection or medical aid; some may even attempt to walk for hours to the south. But the outcry is absent.
      Irony screams out, with all of the events aforementioned taking place in the same month in which the liberation of Auschwitz was remembered during the 75th anniversary of it’s closure, with politicians from left to right wing parties proclaiming: “never forgive, never forget!”. But they do forget. They forget all people who are not wanted in Europe because of their country of origin. They forget the tens of thousands of people who lost their lives because of the current EU policy. They forget the children who have experienced nothing else in their whole life than war, conflict zones and flight, and now are forced to live in hostile environments which provoke child suicide attempts. They forget all the young people who are condemned to do nothing, full of potential – potential Europe desperately needs, but apparently would be provided by the “wrong” people. They forget humanity in view of their own political and economic interests. They forget that fascism is in our midst and again the majority is not only watching but willfully ignoring. Thus, new atrocities take place over and over– but, once again, the outcry is absent. Deafeningly, forever absent.

United we stay- divided we fall.
No borders
Solidarity will win

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

People's Global Action.

      Spirit of Revolt‘s February “Read of the Month” is from our KM Collection and is called, Peoples Global Action. Worldwide Resistance Round-up. UK Edition. Bulletin No. 5. A little look into what was and is still happening here and in other parts of the world. Our archive is full of these rare and fascinating publications, with thousands already digitised and on our website for you to read in the comfort of your home, pub, cafe or wherever. There are heaps of documents, pamphlets, publications, personal letters and a myriad of other artifacts, etc. that help paint a truer picture of the struggles of the ordinary people in their desire for that better world for all. Why not pay us a visit, delve into our contents and enjoy and perhaps learn. Also we are still growing and welcome material on people’s struggles that is not associated with political parties or trade unions.
      Any queries, questions or ways in which you can become involved, you can contact us via our Contact Form, or email us at info@spiritofrevolt.info

Read on line:

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Remember Our Own, Colin Ward.

     We should always remember and honour our own, February 11th. 2010, anarchist Colin Ward died aged 85.

 From wikipedia

Colin Ward (14 August 1924 – 11 February 2010) was a British anarchist writer. He has been called "one of the greatest anarchist thinkers of the past half century, and a pioneering social historian."

     A respected voice in many fields and prolific writer and thinker a credit to the anarchist movement.

From Guardian Obituary: 

      Colin Ward, who has died aged 85, lived with the title of Britain's most famous anarchist for nearly half a ­century, bemused by this ambivalent soubriquet. In Anarchy in Action (1973), he set out his belief that an anarchist society was not an end goal. Following Alexander Herzen, the writer and thinker known as the "father of ­Russian socialism", Colin saw all distant goals as a form of tyranny and believed that anarchist principles could be ­discerned in everyday human relations and impulses. Within this perspective, politics was about strengthening ­co-operative ­relations and supporting human ingenuity in its myriad vernacular and everyday forms.

       One of Colin's favourite metaphors – adopted from a novel by Ignazio Silone – was the image of the seed beneath the snow, which suggested to him that anarchist principles were ever alive and prescient. He thought it was the work of politics to nurture such beliefs and to support them through small-scale initiatives, avoiding the temptation to replicate or scale them up to a level beyond which professional bureaucracies take over. He was fond of contrasting the vocabulary of self-organisation, with its friendly societies, mutuals, ­co-operatives and voluntary associations, with the nomenclature of the state and private sectors with their directorates, corporations, boards   and executives.

Some of Colin Ward's writings from Anarchist Library
This from Spacial Agency:

       Ward's writings are characterised by a combination of theoretical discussion on the nature of anarchism with a practical sensibility that looked for empirical results and solutions that could transform real-life situations and everyday living conditions. One of the key themes of his work was the promotion of cooperative self-help strategies, in the form of squatting, tenant cooperatives and self-build projects. Ward was an admirer of Walter Segal whose self-building system he saw as exemplary of such an approach to housing, promoting participation and dweller control. Much of Ward's later writing was historical in nature, in Cotters and Squatters he wrote a history of informal customs for the appropriation of land in Britain that included the Digger movement, the Plotlanders of southern England and the Welsh tradition of tŷ unnos, where a house is built in one night, which also has its echoes in the geçekondus of Turkey and the amateur building tactics of the global South. Other books uncovered the history of allotments or the creative ways in which children inhabit their environments.
      Ward's writings did much to dispel popular myths and stereotypes associated with anarchism, as well as demonstrating the practical applicability of such an approach to a wide range of issues pertinent to architecture.

 A man, a loss to the anarchist movement but his writings and thoughts live on.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Radical Resilience.

      A common feature among those activists who dedicate their life to trying to change the world, to attempt to create that better world for all, who stand against injustice, fight the economic system that is destroying the planet, who struggle for a system of mutual aid, sustainability and respect for all life, is the problem of "burnout". The problems seem to get bigger, the system's resistance gets more vicious, the struggle at times seems overwhelming, but the struggle can only be abandoned at our peril. The difficult dilemma, burnout and the struggle must continue.

 

     This article from Anarchists Worldwide, by means of a film trail, attempts to point to a way through this seemingly insurmountable dilemma. It would be good if the film can be brought to other cities, perhaps we could all gain something from the showing and discussion.

Radical Resilience:
      The premiere of Radical Resilience will be on Sunday the 1st March at the Alte VHS, Kasernenstraße, Bonn. Doors open at 15:30 and the film will begin at 16:00. It runs about 1 hour and afterwards there will be time for questions with the filmmakers and discussion. The film is multilingual and the subtitles will be in German. If necessary it would be no problem to do a whispering translation as a big part of the film is in English. There is no fixed price for entry as we’d like it to be accessible for all, but donations are very welcome to cover costs and hopefully help us continue our work.
     The screening will take place on the ground floor which is accessible by ramp. Unfortunately the toilet is not barrier free. There is a play room for children in the building. If you have any other needs, wishes or questions then please contact us.
      Through interviews, this film reflects on the effects of burnout within our movements, looks at reasons why it is such a common problem, and offers some tools and strategies how we can be more sustainable and inclusive in our activism.
      If you are interested in organising a screening in your area, get in contact. To stay informed about upcoming screenings, join our mailing list, or follow us on Mastodon or Twitter. Share the trailer widely if you like it! Please choose subtitles in settings on the player as the trailer is in several languages.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk