MAS

¿Qué podemos hacer el 99% para avanzar? Construir y ejercer poder a través de la acción participativa de masas!

miamiautonomysolidarity — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:01:14 +0000

Por Occupy 1° de Mayo

Ha habido una oleada de ataques represivos y de desalojos contra varios campamentos Occupy a lo largo de todo el país, incluido aquel desde el que comenzó el movimiento en el parque zucotti (libertad). Pero incluso antes de que los desalojos y la represión alcanzaran los niveles actuales había una pregunta en el aire: ¿de qué modo impulsar el movimiento? ya ha habido ejemplos de organización y de acción que marcan el camino y nos muestran respuestas: la huelga general de oakland y las acciones occupy contra los desahucios, entre otras. Estas acciones evidencian que, en lo fundamental, todas las cuestiones estratégicas giran en torno a la cuestión del poder. El poder del 99% contra el poder del 1%.

Aunque en el 99% descansa un enorme poder (el trabajo colectivo, remunerado y no remunerado, del 99% es el que genera toda la riqueza y el que mantiene a la sociedad), no solemos ejercer ese poder colectivo en beneficio de nuestros intereses. Demasiadas veces luchamos entre nosotros mismos y buscamos chivos expiatorios para nuestros problemas: el racismo, el patriarcado, la xenofobia, el elitismo laboral, los prejuicios geográficos, el heterosexismo y otras formas de división, opresión y prejuicios son necesarios para que el 1% mantenga su control, así tienen a segmentos del 99% que colaboran con él y trabajan en contra de otros segmentos del 99%, además de que no somos plenamente conscientes del poder que tenemos ni nos organizamos para usarlo. Como resultado, muchos segmentos del 99% (personas de color, mujeres, lgtb, inmigrantes, personas con pocas certificaciones académicas, personas que trabajan en los oficios menos respetados socialmente o que están en desempleo, sin techo y otras) soportan adicionales formas de opresión y prejuicios sociales; nosotros seguimos divididos mientras el 1% sigue aumentando su poder y su riqueza gracias a ello.

Actualmente, la situación de la economía nos ha golpeado a todos (a quienes soportan opresiones y prejuicios adicionales más que a nadie). Hay mucha gente que se ha quedado sin trabajo, los sueldos no alcanzan para pagar las cuentas, siguen recortando los servicios públicos, tenemos cada vez menos influencia sobre el gobierno y menos libertades públicas. Esto pasa al mismo tiempo que las élites de este país son cada vez más ricas, que pagan menos impuestos, que atacan nuestros servicios públicos y nuestras organizaciones de defensa (como los sindicatos y las organizaciones vecinales) y que han consolidado incluso más su control sobre la política.

Hay un modo de avanzar, construir y demostrar nuestro poder popular frente al de la élite. Pero la forma de nuestro poder debe ser diferente a la suya: debemos combatir el fuego con agua. Ellos ejercen el poder jerárquico sobre nosotros para dominarnos, controlarnos, explotarnos y oprimirnos; nosotros debemos construir y ejercer el poder de modo horizontal, desde abajo, cooperando y liberándonos colectivamente, empoderándonos en conjunto. Necesitamos organizarnos en nuestras comunidades, escuelas y lugares de trabajo para luchar colectivamente por nuestros intereses. Debemos rechazar los intentos por dividirnos: el racismo, el patriarcado, la homofobia, la xenofobia, el elitismo y otras formas de opresión, también los intentos de los partidos electorales y otros grupos con intereses particulares por cooptar y controlar nuestro movimiento.

Las acampadas construyeron el movimiento y atrajeron la atención de todo el mundo a las preocupaciones del 99%. Inspiraron a muchos; aportaron un sentimiento de esperanza y de solidaridad; colocaron las cuestiones de la justicia social y las desigualdades de poder en el primer plano de la opinión pública nacional; destacaron la necesidad de una cultura, sociedad e instituciones basadas en la democracia directa, en el “poder con otros” y no en el “poder sobre otros”; sirvieron como espacios de convergencia para compartir ideas y planificar acciones; y algunos campamentos incluso proveyeron de un espacio temporal a quienes perdieron sus casas, así como un lugar donde no estar expuestos al acoso que sufren habitualmente. Los campamentos han tenido un rol fundamental en el movimiento, pero es tiempo de avanzar un paso más.
Necesitamos desarrollar el movimiento más allá de las acampadas, porque la mayor parte del 99% no puede trasladarse a una acampada en el centro de la ciudad. La mayoría del 99% tiene obligaciones y problemas que no la permiten que pueda perder el tiempo que sería necesario para ello: trabajo, desplazamiento de él a la vivienda, educación, cuidado de niños u otras personas dependientes… así que si queremos verdaderamente ejercer nuestro poder como ese 99% que somos y que nuestro movimiento sea verdaderamente participativo, necesitamos encontrar maneras en que todos podamos participar y ser tenidos en cuenta, tengamos el tiempo y las posibilidades que tengamos.

Necesitamos que nuestra acción sea tan participativa, diversa y amplia como sea posible. Debemos esforzarnos con ahínco en construir y ejercer nuestro poder colectivo.

Ejercer nuestro poder

Para ejercer nuestro poder, el 1 de mayo de 2012 organizaremos una acción colectiva participativa y audaz: una huelga general nacional, un boicot masivo, una salida de clases estudiantil y un día de acción de masas. Organizaremos con nuestros sindicatos (u organizaciones informales en el lugar de trabajo allí donde no haya sindicatos o estos no apoyen) un día de huelga general. Allí donde no sea posible la huelga, organizaremos a la gente para que se declare enferma o se tome el día libre. Los estudiantes marcharán desde sus instituciones educativas (o no asistirán a ellas). En nuestras comunidades, sostendremos un boicot masivo y nos negaremos a comprar nada ese día.

Esta acción será necesariamente simbólica porque cualquier descenso en la actividad económica de ese día se compensará por compras y trabajo extra los días anteriores y posteriores al 1 de mayo. Pero será tan simbólico como un cañonazo al aire desde un barco: no haremos ningún daño a nuestro oponente pero le demostraremos que podemos hundirle el barco si es necesario. Y quizás más importante que el propio 1 de mayo serán los esfuerzos masivos de organización en los meses previos, que nos permitirán hablar con nuestros compañeros de trabajo, familias, vecinos, comunidades y amigos sobre los asuntos del 99%, la fuente de nuestro poder, la necesidad de levantarnos para hacer frente a los ataques que estamos recibiendo, la necesidad de enfrentar las diversas opresiones que nos mantienen a unos encima de otros y separados y la necesidad de la solidaridad, del apoyo mutuo, para luchar por nuestros intereses colectivos, que son por definición opuestos a los del 1%. Podemos construir en conjunto nuestra conciencia, nuestras capacidades, nuestra confianza colectiva, a través de este proceso, y salir fortalecidos de él.

Construir poder

Además de demostrar nuestro poder durante el 1 de mayo, necesitamos construir las bases del poder popular, de los de abajo, colectivo, anti-opresivo, no jerárquico, en nuestros lugares de trabajo, comunidades y centros de estudio. Para ello realizaremos trabajos, llevaremos adelante campañas de organización e implementaremos un conjunto de actividades a nivel local para contribuir a la construcción de tal poder colectivo. Algunos de los trabajos, campañas y actividades que desarrollaremos incluyen: organizar nuevos sindicatos, ser más activos en los sindicatos participativos ya existentes y convertir en más participativos los sindicatos jerárquicos, ocupar viviendas embargadas, construir ligas de hipotecados y arrendatarios, impedir desahucios y crear redes de solidaridad, por nombrar varios. No seremos cooptados por partidos electorales u organizaciones jerárquicas que buscan utilizar el movimiento para sus propios fines. En lugar de ello organizaremos, educaremos y agitaremos para construir poder colectivo y luchar directamente por nuestros intereses: los intereses del poder popular frente a los intereses del poder de la élite. Todos nosotros debemos contribuir a este esfuerzo para que sea efectivo pero, al mayor grado posible, estas contribuciones deben ser por naturaleza colectivas, porque nuestro verdadero poder descansa en la solidaridad.

A través de este esfuerzo buscamos ofrecer soluciones reales a nuestras preocupaciones inmediatas, a través de la acción directa colectiva desde abajo. El objetivo es que el actual movimiento continúe avanzando, yendo desde la movilización hacia la organización. La movilización por sí sola no basta. No sólo debemos encontrarnos con los demás en la acción. Debemos construir redes, organizaciones y frentes que ofrezcan la oportunidad a un mayor número de gente de sumarse y participar en la toma de decisiones colectiva y en el funcionamiento de las organizaciones populares autónomas que estamos creando. Nuestro movimiento no tiene líderes, pero eso lo que significa es que todos debemos serlo. Pero el liderazgo que construimos es con otros, no sobre otros. Necesitamos escucharnos y apoyarnos entre nosotros, contribuyendo al desarrollo de nuestra conciencia, capacidades y confianza. Necesitamos contemplar las luchas contra las diversas opresiones que mantienen a nuestra gente dividida y peleada entre sí como luchas centrales, no distracciones para la efectividad de nuestra lucha. Debemos desincentivar y aislar las tendencias egoístas, miopes y sectarias al tiempo que estimulamos las tendencias colectivas, creativas y constructivas dentro del movimiento. Nuestras redes, organizaciones y frentes participativos y desde abajo son las formas a través de las cuales construimos nuestro poder y conseguimos pequeñas victorias en el corto plazo. Pero también serán las bases del nuevo mundo que estamos construyendo.

Llevamos un mundo nuevo en nuestros corazones, desde las propias entrañas del viejo mundo al que nos estamos enfrentando lo estamos construyendo y mostrando. Es un mundo donde la gente colabora y no compite. Donde los trabajadores controlan democráticamente sus lugares de trabajo, donde todo el mundo puede desarrollar un trabajo con sentido, socialmente útil y equilibrado en unas condiciones confortables. Donde la sociedad se hace cargo de todos aquellos que no están capacitados para trabajar (o que ya han llegado al final de su vida laboral). Donde no dejamos que haya jefes sobre nosotros y en lugar de ello decidimos colectivamente, como sociedad, cómo vivir, desarrollarnos y crecer. Donde nuestro entorno es saludable, bello y sostenible. Donde todos tenemos las oportunidades educativas y sociales para desarrollarnos y poner nuestras capacidades al servicio de nuestras familias y nuestras sociedades. Donde la gente pueda vivir en hogares confortables y comunidades seguras. Donde tendrá sus necesidades sanitarias cubiertas, comerá saludablemente y no tendrá que preocuparse por cómo llena esas necesidades y las de su familia. Donde todos tendrán el tiempo y los recursos para disfrutar de la vida. Donde la sociedad global no estará movida por la competición, la opresión, la explotación, la dominación y la guerra, sino por el amor, la libertad y la solidaridad. Nosotros, el 99%, construiremos y ejerceremos nuestros poder hasta que hayamos ocupado nuestros lugares de trabajo, nuestras comunidades, nuestros centros educativos, nuestras vidas, nuestro mundo… ¡hasta que lo hayamos ocupado todo!

(traducción por Anarkismo.net)

Which way forward for the 99%? Build Power & Show Power through Mass Participatory Bold Action

miamiautonomysolidarity — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:00:09 +0000

By Occupy May 1st

There have been a wave of repressive attacks on, and evictions of, various Occupy camp sites throughout the country including where the movement started in Zucotti (Liberty) Park. But even before the evictions and repression escalated to the current levels, questions were being asked: what’s the way forward for the movement? Already there have been glimpses of organizing and action that are leading the way and shining a light for the rest of us to follow: the Oakland General Strike, Occupy Foreclosures, and other actions. These actions show that, fundamentally, all of the strategic questions revolve around the question of power. The power of the 99% vs. the power of the 1%

Although the 99% holds enormous power -all wealth is generated, and the current society is built and maintained through, the collective labor (paid and unpaid) of the 99%-, we do not frequently exercise this collective power in our own interests. Too often we fight amongst and scapegoat each other as the source of the problem through: racism, patriarchy, xenophobia, occupational elitism, geographical prejudice, heterosexism, and other forms of division, oppression and prejudice. This is necessary for the 1% to maintain control because their power is only exercised by different segments of the 99% actively oppressing and working against other segments of the 99%, in addition to us neither being fully aware of, nor organizing to utilize, the collective power we have. The result is that many segments of the the 99%- people of color, women, GLBTQ, immigrants, those with less formal educational credentials, those in less socially respected occupations or unemployed, the homeless, and others- deal with overlapping forms of oppression and societal prejudice; all of us remain divided amongst each other; and the 1% continues to increase their power and wealth because of this.

Currently, the state of the economy has hit all of us (some facing overlapping prejudice and oppression, harder than others). There are too many people out of work; our pay has barely or hasn’t kept up with rising costs; our social services have continued to be cut; our influence on government has eroded; and our civil liberties have been attacked. This has been going on while the elites of this country have captured an increasing share of wealth; have had the highest decreases in the amount of taxes they pay; have attacked our social services and organizations of popular defense (such as our unions and community organizations); and have consolidated to an even greater degree their power over politics. The Business Insider- ironically- provides one of the more useful series of charts that root the Occupy movement’s concerns in the sobering historical fact that we experience.[i]

The way forward must involve building and showing our popular power against that of the elite. But the form of our power must be different from theirs: we must fight fire with water. Where they exercise hierarchical power over us to dominate, control, exploit and oppress; we must build and exercise horizontal, bottom-up power with each other to cooperate, liberate and collectively empower each other. We need to organize ourselves autonomously from all forms of hierarchical power relations in our communities, schools and workplaces to fight collectively for our interests. This must include a rejection of attempts to divide and rule us; a rejection of racism, patriarchy, xenophobia, elitism and other forms of oppression; a rejection of attempts by electoral parties, powerful special interest groups and others to co-opt and control our movement.

The camp occupations built the movement and brought global attention to the variety of concerns of the 99%. They inspired many; provided a sense of hope and solidarity; brought economic justice and the problems of power inequality back into spotlight of national conversation; highlighted the need for cultures, societies and institutions of direct democracy based on “power with”- not “power over”- each other; served as a spaces of convergence for sharing ideas and planning action; and in some camps, they even provided a temporary space for those who needed a home and a community where folks could face less harassment than they normally faced. The camp occupations have served a fundamental role in the movement; but it’s time to move beyond them.

We need to develop the movement beyond the camp because the majority of the 99% can’t camp out in a city center. The majority of the 99% have obligations and vulnerabilities that prevent them from such time-consuming, geographically-specific action including: work, school, responsibilities in caring for children or other dependents, particular health needs, etc. So in order for us to truly exercise our power as the 99% and to truly be participatory, we need to find ways where all of us can participate, and be valued, in whatever capacity and with whatever time we have to contribute. We need our action to be as participatory, diverse and widespread as possible. We must boldly show and build our collective power.

Show Power
To show our power, on May 1st, 2012, we will be organizing for such a mass participatory and bold collective action: a national general strike, mass boycott, student strike/ walk-out and mass day of action. We will be organizing within our unions- or informal workplace organizations where there’s no union or the union isn’t supportive- to hold a one-day general strike. Where a strike is not possible, we will be organizing people to call in sick, or take a personal day, as part of a coordinated “sick-out”. Those who are students will be walking-out of their schools (or not showing up in the first place). In the community, we will be holding a mass boycott and refusing to make any purchase on that day.

This action will necessarily be a symbolic show of power because any decrease in economic activity that day will likely be compensated for by purchases and extra work activity the days before and after May 1st. But it will be symbolic in the way a cannon shot across the bow of a ship is symbolic: it doesn’t do any damage; but it warns our opponent that we are willing and able to damage their boat if necessary. And perhaps just as important as the day itself, the massive organizing and outreach efforts in the months leading up to May 1st will allow us the opportunity to talk to our co-workers, families, neighbors, communities, and friends about the issues of the 99%, the source of our power, the need for us to stand up to the attacks we are facing, the need to confront the various oppressions that keep most of us down in one way or another (some of especially so) and all of us divided, and the need for us to stand in solidarity with each other to fight for our collective interests, which is structurally, and therefore inherently, against the interests of the 1%. We can build our collective consciousness, capacity, and confidence through this process; and come out stronger because of it.

Build Power
In addition to showing our power on May 1st, we need to build bases of popular, bottom-up, collective, anti-oppressive and anti-hierarchical power in our workplaces, communities, and schools. So we will be doing a variety of workshops, building a variety of organizing campaigns, and engaging a variety of actions on the local level to contribute to the building of such collective power. Some of the workshops, campaigns and actions that we will develop and engage in include: organizing new unions, becoming more active in participatory unions; making our hierarchical unions more participatory; occupying foreclosures; building tenant unions; blocking evictions; preventing foreclosures; and creating solidarity networks, to name a few. We will not be co-opted by electoral parties, or hierarchical organizations looking to use the movement to serve their interest while diffusing our power. Instead we will organize, educate, and agitate where we are at to build power with each other and to fight directly for our interests: the interests of popular power against the interests of elite power. All of us must contribute for this effort to be effective; but, to the greatest degree possible, those contributions must be collective in nature because our true power is in our solidarity with each other.

Through this effort we are looking to offer real solutions to addressing issues of immediate concern where each of us is at, through direct collective action from the bottom-up. The goal is to continue the ongoing shift currently happening within the movement from just mobilizing, to organizing (or to move from mobilization, to massification[ii]). Mobilizing is necessary, but it is not enough. We can’t just call people out to engage in action. We need to build the networks, organizations and campaigns that provide the opportunities for an ever greater number of people to participate in the decision-making process and functioning of the autonomous popular organizations we are creating. Our movement is leaderless, which also means that we all must be leaders. But the leadership we build is again, with, not over, others. We need to all truly listen to and support each other in developing our consciousness, capacities and confidence. We need to see the fights against the various oppressions which keep folks down and divide the 99% against itself, as central to, not distractions from, the effectiveness of our struggle. We must discourage and isolate egotistical, self-serving and movement-killing tendencies we encounter while encouraging and developing collective, liberatory and movement-building tendencies. Our participatory, bottom-up networks, organizations and campaigns will be the way through which we build our power and make small gains in the medium term. But they will also serve as the basis for a new world that we are building toward.

This new world in our hearts that we are building and showing, within the shell of the old one that we are confronting, is one in which people share power with, not over, each other. It’s where workers themselves democratically control their workplaces; where everyone can find meaningful, socially-useful and balanced work that is carried out in comfortable conditions. It’s where those who aren’t able to work (or who have put in their share of their lifetime) are taken care of by society; where we abolish rulers over us and instead societies directly decide for themselves how to live, develop and grow. It’s where our environments are healthy, beautiful and sustainable; where we all have the educational and social opportunities to develop and contribute our full capacities to our families and societies. It’s where people can live in nice homes and safe communities, get their health needs fully taken care of, eat healthy and well, and not have to worry about meeting their needs or the needs of their families; where we can all have time and resources to enjoy life; and where the global human society is driven not by competition, oppression, exploitation, domination and war; but by love, freedom and solidarity. We, the 99%, will build our power and show our power until we’ve occupied our workplaces, our communities, our schools, our lives, our world… until we’ve occupied everything!

[i] http://www.businessinsider.com/what-wall-street-protesters-are-so-angry-about-2011-10?op=1

[ii] http://libcom.org/library/mobilisation-massification

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International Libertarian Statement of Solidarity with the Egyptian popular Struggle

miamiautonomysolidarity — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:07:42 +0000

From anarkismo.net

On the weekend 19-20th a new wave of mass protest all over Egypt broke out because of the systematic violence of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) against the Egyptian masses. People are tired of its dictatorial behaviour, the use of extreme force against protesters, the military trials that in 10 months have ended up with 12,000 comrades rotting in jail, their censorship, the torture, kidnappings and selective murder of activists. People are tired of the military council hijacking the banners of our revolution to continue the same old dictatorship through other means. People are tired of the sectarianism they promote to divert us from our real fight for justice, equality and freedom.
Imperialism has dictated an “orderly transition” to democracy in Egypt. The military have shown themselves obedient in implementing this design. The people in Egypt demand an end to dictatorship and the uprooting of all the remnants of the hated Mubarak regime. People in Egypt want to feel, at last, that they have a country run by themselves for themselves.

The anarchists in Egypt, and the international solidarity movement with the libertarian revolutionaries, wholeheartedly support the just struggle of the Egyptian people to continue their revolution and deplore the massacre of protesters that shows that the SCAF is no different to Mubarak.

Unlike other sectors that hold illusions about bourgeois democracy, we believe that democracy and the State are irreconcilable. Real democracy was put into practice by the Egyptian people when they formed their popular committees and ran their own communities, their own towns, their own affairs from the bottom up. We call to strengthen these popular committees, we call to decentralise the country, to make every single political position recallable by the committees if they fail the popular mandate.

We also believe that the yearning for democracy is incompatible with the capitalist system, based on the elite control of the economy and the means of life, which condemn 25,000 human beings each day in the world to die of hunger. Real democracy is only possible when all of society democratically runs the economy and the industry of a nation. This requires collective ownership of land and companies and self-management by the workers and peasants themselves. If the few control the wealth of the world, the few will keep having power over the majority. The free market is a more subtle form of dictatorship.

Therefore, we call for the trade unions and the workers to take a leading role in the current struggle, to occupy their workplaces, to turn them into workers’ cooperatives and to prepare for the full self-management of the Egyptian economy.

The crisis of Egypt will not be solved with half-hearted solutions. We need the commitment of the youth, of the women, of the working class in order to uproot the sources of tyranny and violence in our country – the capitalist system and the State. Let us all unite under the banner of the struggle against military rule, but let us defend a revolutionary, libertarian option for the Egyptian masses.

25 November 2011
Libertarian Socialist Movement (Egypt)
Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici (Italy)
Organisation Socialiste Libertaire (Switzerland)
Workers Solidarity Movement (Ireland)
Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (South Africa)
Workers Solidarity Alliance (USA)
Confederación Sindical Solidaridad Obrera (Spain)
Grupo Libertario Vía Libre (Colombia)
Centro de Investigación Libertaria y Educación Popular (Colombia)
Instituto de Ciencias Económicas y de la Autogestión (Spain)
Federación Comunista Libertaria (Chile)
Revista Política y Sociedad (Chile)
Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group (Australia
Common Struggle – Libertarian Communist Federation (USA)
Unión Socialista Libertaria (Peru)
Common Cause (Canada)
Confederación General del Trabajo (Spain)
Coordination des Groupe Anarchistes (France)
Libertære Socialister (Denmark)
Motmakt (Norway)
Miami Autonomy & Solidarity (USA)
Union Communiste Libertaire (Canada)
Alternative Libertaire (France)

Declaración Internacional Libertaria en solidaridad con la lucha popular en Egipto

miamiautonomysolidarity — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 02:05:32 +0000

de anarkismo.net

El fin de semana del 19 y 20 de noviembre estalló una nueva ola de protestas populares en Egipto a causa de la sistemática violencia del Consejo Supremo de las Fuerzas Armadas contra las masas egipcias. El pueblo está cansado de su comportamiento dictatorial, del uso de una fuerza extrema contra los manifestantes, de los juicios militares que en 10 meses han llevado a 12.000 compañeros a las cárceles, de la censura, de la tortura, de los secuestros y de los asesinatos selectivos de militantes. El pueblo está cansado del sectarismo que promueve para distraernos de nuestra verdadera lucha, por la justicia, la igualdad y la libertad.

El imperialismo ha llamado a una “transición ordenada” a la democracia en Egipto. Los militares se han mostrado muy serviles en aplicar esos designios. El pueblo egipcio exige el fin de la dictadura y barrer con todos los rescoldos del odiado régimen de Mubarak. El pueblo egipcio quiere sentirse dueño de un país regido por y para ellos.

Los anarquistas de Egipto, y el movimiento de solidaridad internacional con los revolucionarios libertarios, apoyamos con todas nuestras fuerzas la justa lucha del pueblo egipcio para continuar su revolución y condenamos la masacre de manifestantes, que muestran que el CSFA no es demasiado diferente de Mubarak.

A diferencia de otros sectores que albergan ilusiones en la democracia burguesa, nosotros consideramos que la democracia y el Estado son irreconciliables. La verdadera democracia es la que puso en práctica el pueblo egipcio cuando creó sus comités populares y dirigió sus propias comunidades, sus propios pueblos, sus propios asuntos desde abajo. Llamamos a fortalecer esos comités populares, llamamos a descentralizar el país, a convertir cada puesto político en revocable por los comités si desobedece el mandato popular.

También consideramos que la esperanza democrática es incompatible con el sistema capitalista, basado en el control por parte de unas élites de la economía y de los medios de vida y que condena diariamente a la muerte por hambre a 25.000 seres humanos. La verdadera democracia solo es posible cuando una sociedad gestiona democráticamente la economía y los medios productivos de una nación. Para ello es necesaria la propiedad colectiva de la tierra y de las empresas y su gestión por parte de los propios trabajadores y campesinos. Si unos pocos siguen controlando la riqueza del mundo, unos pocos seguirán teniendo el poder sobre la mayoría. El libre mercado es una forma más sutil de dictadura.

Por tanto, llamamos a los sindicatos y a los trabajadores a asumir un papel de dirección en la lucha actual, a ocupar sus lugares de trabajo, a transformarlos en cooperativas obreras y a prepararse para la autogestión completa de la economía egipcia.

La crisis egipcia no se resolverá con medias tintas. Necesitamos el compromiso de la juventud, de las mujeres, de la clase trabajadora, para arrancar las raíces de la tiranía y de la violencia de nuestro país: el sistema capitalista y el Estado. Unámonos bajo las banderas de la lucha contra el dominio militar, pero permitidnos sostener una opción revolucionaria y libertaria para las masas egipcias.

25 de noviembre de 2011
Movimiento Socialista Libertario (Egipto)
Federazione dei Comunisti Anarchici (Italia)
Organisation Socialiste Libertaire (Suiza)
Workers Solidarity Movement (Irlanda)
Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front (Sudáfrica)
Workers Solidarity Alliance (EEUU)
Confederación Sindical Solidaridad Obrera (Estado español)
Grupo Libertario Vía Libre (Colombia)
Centro de Investigación Libertaria y Educación Popular (Colombia)
Instituto de Ciencias Económicas y de la Autogestión (Estado español)
Federación Comunista Libertaria (Chile)
Revista Política y Sociedad (Chile)
Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group (Australia)
Common Struggle – Libertarian Communist Federation (EEUU)
Unión Socialista Libertaria (Perú)
Common Cause (Canadá)
Confederación General del Trabajo (Estado español)
Coordination des Groupe Anarchistes (Francia)
Libertære Socialister (Dinamarca)
Motmakt (Noruega)
Miami Autonomía y Solidaridad (EEUU)
Union Communiste Libertaire (Canadá)
Alternative Libertaire (Francia)

Recomposition: class, history, and crisis

miamiautonomysolidarity — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:28:33 +0000

October 29th 2011 One Struggle South Florida invited Scott Nappalos of Miami Autonomy & Solidarity to present on how work and workers struggle has changed throughout history and workers’ battles. The talk and part of the discussion were recorded, and uploaded here. The talk covers the relationship between Fordism, Taylorism, Toyotism, Neoliberalism, and the struggles of the working class. It ends by exploring the present crisis, and the offers some directions for the future. The talk is presented as the opinions only of an individual, and does not reflect Miami Autonomy & Solidarity’s position, and in some cases may conflict with others positions.

11/4/11 7pm: Occupations & Crisis: A film & discussion of La Dignidad de Los Nadies

miamiautonomysolidarity — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 02:51:09 +0000

Sweat Records
5505 Northeast 2nd Avenue
Miami, Florida

The system is in crisis, unemployment lines grow daily, and austerity is grinding away at our necessities and way of life.

In 2001 Argentina experienced an even greater collapse, and massive movements emerged to build alternatives to the misery that was imposed upon them. Occupations, massive strikes, and social disruptions are growing. As this crisis spreads, and new resistance and new movements are emerging.

We are faced again with the lessons and questions of these moments. What role can the popular movements play in defeating capitalism, and creating a new society based on collective democracy, mutual aid, and the defeat of hierarchy? What challenges do we face from those who try to coopt and channel the movement into controllable territory? if we reject trying to save capitalism, what could a popular democracy based on equality look like?

Join Miami Autonomy & Solidarity to watch the film the Dignity of the Nobodies (la dignidad de los nadies) in spanish with subtitles about the Argentinian crisis and movements presented through a narrative of interviews with the protagonists of those movements from the bottom. We will have a discussion of the film and our moment in history afterwards.

DIRECTIONS:

From NORTH- Take 95 South towards Miami, exit at 62nd st MLK and head East towards miami beach. Turn south (right) on NE 2nd Ave, it will be on your left with murals of musicians across from the Walgreens.

From SOUTH- Take 95 North towards Miami to the 195 East towards Miami beach. Exit at Biscayne Blvd (Miami Ave is closed, so this is the first immediate exit) and head north (right). Turn left at ne 54th st, and make a right onto Ne 2nd ave, it is one block ahead (north) on your right hand side after Churchills.

Occupy Miami Rally in Solidarity with Occupy Oakland General Strike

miamiautonomysolidarity — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 01:15:24 +0000

Wednesday, November 2

5:00pm – 6:00pm

The Torch of Friendship, Bayfront Park, Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL

This Occupy Miami* rally is in solidarity with the Occupy Oakland General Strike (http://www.occupyoakland.org/2011/10/general-strike-mass-day-of-action/) and one of the 99 Actions for the 99% (https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=276693625703837).

On facebook: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100999916681014

*The rally was endorsed at the Occupy Miami November 1st General Assembly

Support the Oakland General Strike!

miamiautonomysolidarity — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:40:11 +0000

Support the Oakland General Strike by posting this image and spreading this information to your facebook profile and networks.

http://www.occupyoakland.org/2011/10/general-strike-mass-day-of-action/

Prevent the Miami Police from Dispersing Occupy Miami

miamiautonomysolidarity — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:49:53 +0000

Occupy Miami needs your support to hold the space. We need more bodies down at Government Center tonight to hold back any potential police activities to disperse people. More information will be posted on how you can support the occupation through actions, donations, and any possible solidarity

From the square to the block to the shop: spread the occupation amid the whirlwind of crisis

miamiautonomysolidarity — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:13:13 +0000

A movement is born. Across America and around the world occupations have spread. We witness the beauty and struggle of a new protagonist joining the fight against oppression and exploitation.

Crisis feeds conflict: the pillaging of communities galvanizes people from Greece and Chile, Bangladesh and China, the United States and Spain. A massive wave has been unleashed of impoverishment, unemployment, austerity, and stealing of resources by capital, governments, and the wealthy. We face loss of our jobs, homes, and way of living, with no avenue for contesting these problems within the institutions of power. Doors are being closed. Futures are being stolen.

The newly impoverished, students whose hopes have been dashed by a life debt and joblessness, veterans returned from hellish war to be discarded, workers facing speed-ups and cuts across the board, families displaced and attacked by anti-immigrant reaction, the sick without access, people forced out of their homes: we are the indignants. While economic restructuring creates new opportunities to pile wealth upon wealth and heap poverty on poverty, new protagonists come forth. The working class recomposes: they force changes on our lives, and we respond with new struggles, new demands, and new relationships – a new social protagonism.

Our struggles cannot be placed into a single demand, a set of reforms, or endorsement of elected officials to make changes for us. Our struggles are based on direct democracy, direct struggle, and the knowledge that that we need deep systemic change, however any particular individual understands that.

Right now our occupation movement spreads, and inspires the excitement and aspirations of a long quiet - but long angry – working class. Neither state repression nor the attempt to coopt or constrain our movement shows signs of holding us back. Our power and ability to capture imaginations is growing every second.

Still, our hot autumn faces challenges ahead; winter is coming. We must maintain the occupations and spread them, to provide shelter from attacks, and build space for more working people to join the movement. This must be our primary work. The struggle must push forward from Facebook to the streets, from the plazas to the neighborhoods. We are building a mass movement, organizing people to take action based on our collective shared interests. To do that, we have to take the occupation to the people in our neighborhoods, flyer, and debate. We need to learn to organize, argue for our movement and actions, and recruit people in our community to join this fight.

Even more, we must expand the “we” involved here and extend whose interest fits within “our collective shared interests.” The movement must spread from those saddled with debts, to those who were never given access to debt, from those who were turned into to workers, to those who never had any choice. We need the 99% percent to start taking up the struggles, interests, and makeup of our working class. The 99% movement must be an immigrant movement, and a movement by communities attacked by a racialized state repression and economic exploitation.

Isolation ends struggle. While we build our occupations, let us also look to go beyond them. As our work grows fruitful, and our movement strengthens, we will face the challenge of where to go next. Repetition of old and comforting formulas and reliance on pre-cut solutions will not help. We are a movement posing new questions, forcing all of us to grow, and to invent the tools we need. We must dare to ask questions that we can’t yet answer; we must balance our drive with the knowledge that unanswered and unasked questions remain.

We grow, or we shrink. In order to keep the space we’ve won we must expand and disarm those who want to brutalize and beat us into submission and poverty. This is not yet the harvest, we are not yet at our destination; but we can start planting seeds, make the road by walking.

Today we are a deep threat to the vested interests of power and privilege. Our movement has the potential to move beyond threats to counter-power; a living democracy in the streets. Next we must enter workplaces, institutions, and communities. Occupy Wall Street, yes, and from that occupied space let us occupy schools, hospitals, workplaces, and apartment buildings. Bring the general assembly from the public square to our jobs and our neighborhood blocks. When we bring this democracy to our daily lives, we will open up a new front in the occupation wave and have even greater power to make changes with direct democracy. In our assemblies we have the power to erase layoffs, stop foreclosures, and eliminate exploitation by bosses and administrators.

Let’s start now: start training each other, learning together, have these conversations and debates at our jobs, in our classrooms, around the neighborhood, in the army barracks, and the prisons. We hold the power, but we must learn to use it. They have no answer to this crisis except misery. We have our democracy. We know how to run society: we make it function every day with our work and our time. The winds of revolution are blowing, but the storm clouds of reaction loom. Let us bring whirlwinds and torrents to those who impose dictatorships and poverty, let us bring hope and a new society through our collective power and common cause. Occupy Wall Street. Occupy your city! Occupy everything!