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119-676: Federacja Anarchistyczna (Anarchist Federation or (FA)) is a federation of Polish anarchist organizations. The federation was founded in 1988 (initially founded as "Międzymiastówka Anarchistyczna" (MA) or the Inter-City Anarchist Association) and was inspired by the Pre-World War group the Anarchist Federation of Poland . MA began as a loose collective for multiple anarchist organizations where they could meet and coordinate movements. In 1989,

238-516: A carnivalesque atmosphere that is part of contemporary anarchist vividity. As anarchism is a philosophy that embodies many diverse attitudes, tendencies, and schools of thought, disagreement over questions of values, ideology, and tactics is common. Its diversity has led to widely different uses of identical terms among different anarchist traditions which has created a number of definitional concerns in anarchist theory . The compatibility of capitalism , nationalism , and religion with anarchism

357-457: A necessary evil . Anarchists took an active role in strike actions, although they tended to be antipathetic to formal syndicalism , seeing it as reformist . They saw it as a part of the movement which sought to overthrow the state and capitalism. Anarchists also reinforced their propaganda within the arts , some of whom practiced naturism and nudism . Those anarchists also built communities which were based on friendship and were involved in

476-571: A "network of positive exchange". In drafting the proclamation for their new organization, Waluszko and Galiński declared they were unable to fight the state alone, and instead needed to organize for that purpose. The inaugural manifesto of the Anarchist Intercity in June 1988 reads: Anarchy can be understood as an infinite possibility of individual encounters. It can be understood as a series of individual attitudes, but also as an attempt at

595-477: A bank of the people. Mutualism has been retrospectively characterised as ideologically situated between individualist and collectivist forms of anarchism. In What Is Property? (1840), Proudhon first characterised his goal as a "third form of society, the synthesis of communism and property." Collectivist anarchism is a revolutionary socialist form of anarchism commonly associated with Mikhail Bakunin . Collectivist anarchists advocate collective ownership of

714-662: A central role in anarchist philosophy. Anarchism's emphasis on anti-capitalism , egalitarianism , and for the extension of community and individuality sets it apart from anarcho-capitalism and other types of economic libertarianism . Anarchism is usually placed on the far-left of the political spectrum. Much of its economics and legal philosophy reflect anti-authoritarian , anti-statist , libertarian , and radical interpretations of left-wing and socialist politics such as collectivism , communism , individualism , mutualism , and syndicalism , among other libertarian socialist economic theories. As anarchism does not offer

833-939: A definite structure and directing the actions of individual groups, but the aspiration of people to oust the state from all areas of the life of society and the individual, and to replace it by the voluntary cooperation of the same. [...] The anarchist circle in Gdańsk initiates this activity by creating the Anarchist Inter-City. In their manifesto, Waluszko and Galiński proposed that they planned to carry out anarchist activism through: joint rallies and festivals ; mutual assistance in organizing theatrical performances, puppet theaters , rock concerts, poetry evenings, cabarets , recitals , exhibitions , lectures , demonstrations and manifestations, discussions, processions, museums and film screenings, shows, diaporamas, happenings, publishing activity, and creating anarchist libraries. During

952-557: A document dated 1228, concerning the transfer of the Norbertine Monastery from Rybnik to the nearby village of Czarnowąs. A later document, however, dated 1279, provides the name of the town as Dobrzeń, and mentions that it is part of the province of Dobrzeń. The village itself was under the possession of Kazimierz, Duke of Opole, and in 1279, was granted Magdeburg rights . In 1658, the Church of St. Roch (Kosciol Sw. Rocha)

1071-412: A fixed body of doctrine from a single particular worldview , many anarchist types and traditions exist and varieties of anarchy diverge widely. One reaction against sectarianism within the anarchist milieu was anarchism without adjectives , a call for toleration and unity among anarchists first adopted by Fernando Tarrida del Mármol in 1889 in response to the bitter debates of anarchist theory at

1190-693: A leader or a leading group. One way is for an individual from the group to play the role of facilitator to help achieve a consensus without taking part in the discussion themselves or promoting a specific point. Minorities usually accept rough consensus, except when they feel the proposal contradicts anarchist ethics, goals and values. Anarchists usually form small groups (5–20 individuals) to enhance autonomy and friendships among their members. These kinds of groups more often than not interconnect with each other, forming larger networks. Anarchists still support and participate in strikes, especially wildcat strikes as these are leaderless strikes not organised centrally by

1309-517: A letter to the organizers, in which he proposed to keep the concept of the MA as a loose network of contacts between anarchists. In the end, however, the final decision transformed Anarchist Association Inter-City into the Federation of Anarchist Inter-City. During the time that the creation of the federation was still being discussed, various actions under the banner of the MA were already taking place in

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1428-416: A liaison between sections, updates the contact list of all sections, and adopts resolutions. The groups making up the Federation enjoy a high degree of autonomy . The sections must, however, agree with the overall ideological beliefs of the Federation, which "unites people whose aim is to overthrow the hierarchical social order which contradicts the idea of freedom and democracy", and which strives to "create

1547-491: A member of FA Krakow, argued that: "disorientation, lack of a revolutionary alternative and social crisis – this is the subsoil for the birth of 'para-fascist' behaviour. This is the cause of evil. Skins and "regime rhetoric" are only an effect of these phenomena. In order to be effective one has to fight at the source, that is, fight for the support and awareness of those environments without which fascist ideology would never have developed. Radical, class-based trade unions, without

1666-563: A minority of anarchists adopted tactics of revolutionary political violence , known as propaganda of the deed . The dismemberment of the French socialist movement into many groups and the execution and exile of many Communards to penal colonies following the suppression of the Paris Commune favoured individualist political expression and acts. Even though many anarchists distanced themselves from these terrorist acts, infamy came upon

1785-419: A misunderstanding of anarchist principles. While opposition to the state is central to anarchist thought, defining anarchism is not an easy task for scholars, as there is a lot of discussion among scholars and anarchists on the matter, and various currents perceive anarchism slightly differently. Major definitional elements include the will for a non-coercive society, the rejection of the state apparatus,

1904-531: A network of canals and drainage ditches are also situated in the town's vicinity. The Brynica and Odra rivers are characterized by relatively flat surrounds, thus the Dobrzen Wielki area is susceptible to flooding. One of the town's most catastrophic floods occurred in 1997, when water submerged land on both sides of the Oder . The town's first written mentions of the town, cited as Dobren, can be derived from

2023-401: A new arrangement of community life, as a republic of friends. In this connection, following Edward Abramowski , we invite universal collusion against the state, and following him we also state that the only essentially valuable ingredient in development is the development of friendship, only with this is the superiority of social development measured. [...] Individuals and their groups do not, as

2142-505: A part of the anti-fascist movement . In the early 1990s, FA co-founded Radical Anti-Fascist Action (RAAF), which was designed as a 'defence group' to protect people against fascist attacks. Anarchists outside of FA criticized RAFF, stating that the activity of anti-fascist groups would not solve fascist problems, rather they were only addressing a symptom of the issue. These critics stated that FA only went after minor issues, such as combating racist and nationalist slogans. Marek Kurzyniec ,

2261-414: A rule, go beyond their own ghettos. The stopping of social and mental activity at this level leads to suicide both in the eyes of people, for whom we become madmen and provocateurs, and in fact – because we succumb to depressions and utopias. Instead of being pushed to ever more extreme positions, let's expand the margin of our functioning in society. The anarchist movement should not be some organization with

2380-613: A ruler", composed of the prefix an- ("without") and the word arkhos ("leader" or "ruler"). The suffix -ism denotes the ideological current that favours anarchy. Anarchism appears in English from 1642 as anarchisme and anarchy from 1539; early English usages emphasised a sense of disorder. Various factions within the French Revolution labelled their opponents as anarchists , although few such accused shared many views with later anarchists. Many revolutionaries of

2499-421: A self-governing society, formed on a voluntary basis". It is incumbent upon a particular section to organize a FA convention, and all groups belonging to the Federation are required to participate once a convention is called. "Contact" members (non-section groups) who pledge to perform tasks for the Federation must submit a report at the next convention on their work in carrying out those tasks. If they cannot attend

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2618-755: A singular anarchism , in which common principles are shared between schools of anarchism while each group prioritizes those principles differently. Gender equality can be a common principle, although it ranks as a higher priority to anarcha-feminists than anarcho-communists. Anarchists are generally committed against coercive authority in all forms, namely "all centralized and hierarchical forms of government (e.g., monarchy, representative democracy, state socialism, etc.), economic class systems (e.g., capitalism, Bolshevism , feudalism , slavery , etc.), autocratic religions (e.g., fundamentalist Islam , Roman Catholicism , etc.), patriarchy , heterosexism , white supremacy , and imperialism ." Anarchist schools disagree on

2737-425: A small yet diverse following of Bohemian artists and intellectuals as well as young anarchist outlaws in what became known as illegalism and individual reclamation . Anarchist principles undergird contemporary radical social movements of the left. Interest in the anarchist movement developed alongside momentum in the anti-globalisation movement, whose leading activist networks were anarchist in orientation. As

2856-423: A subject of study for anarchists, yielding a post-structuralist critique of sexual normality . Some anarchists distanced themselves from this line of thinking, suggesting that it leaned towards an individualism that was dropping the cause of social liberation. The interest of anarchists in education stretches back to the first emergence of classical anarchism. Anarchists consider proper education, one which sets

2975-431: A syndicate. As in the past, newspapers and journals are used, and anarchists have gone online to spread their message. Anarchists have found it easier to create websites because of distributional and other difficulties, hosting electronic libraries and other portals. Anarchists were also involved in developing various software that are available for free. The way these hacktivists work to develop and distribute resembles

3094-400: A tactic which can include acts of sabotage or terrorism . This attitude was quite prominent a century ago when seeing the state as a tyrant and some anarchists believing that they had every right to oppose its oppression by any means possible. Emma Goldman and Errico Malatesta , who were proponents of limited use of violence, stated that violence is merely a reaction to state violence as

3213-508: A way of men imposing authority over women, largely because marriage law greatly favoured the power of men. The notion of free love was much broader and included a critique of the established order that limited women's sexual freedom and pleasure. Those free love movements contributed to the establishment of communal houses, where large groups of travelers, anarchists and other activists slept in beds together. Free love had roots both in Europe and

3332-410: Is a political philosophy and movement that is against all forms of authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy , typically including the state and capitalism . Anarchism advocates for the replacement of the state with stateless societies and voluntary free associations . A historically left-wing movement, anarchism is usually described as

3451-537: Is a self-governing group of people who have declared their desire to join the FA, constitute an organizational unit, can pass resolutions within the group, and have been accepted at the FA convention into the Anarchist Federation." For a group seeking to join FA, it must accepted by majority vote at a FA convention, with all sections carrying veto power. Every section is entitled to one vote and may withdraw from

3570-402: Is a theory of anarchism that advocates a communist society with common ownership of the means of production, held by a federal network of voluntary associations , with production and consumption based on the guiding principle " From each according to his ability, to each according to his need ." Anarcho-communism developed from radical socialist currents after the French Revolution but

3689-401: Is a way to regain urban space from the capitalist market, serving pragmatical needs and also being an exemplary direct action. Acquiring space enables anarchists to experiment with their ideas and build social bonds. Adding up these tactics while having in mind that not all anarchists share the same attitudes towards them, along with various forms of protesting at highly symbolic events, make up

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3808-399: Is enacted by many contemporary anarchist groups, striving to embody the principles, organization and tactics of the changed social structure they hope to bring about. As part of this the decision-making process of small anarchist affinity groups plays a significant tactical role. Anarchists have employed various methods to build a rough consensus among members of their group without the need of

3927-469: Is governed by consensus, although they saw this as highly unlikely. Beliefs on how to abolish the state also differ. As gender and sexuality carry along them dynamics of hierarchy, many anarchists address, analyse, and oppose the suppression of one's autonomy imposed by gender roles. Sexuality was not often discussed by classical anarchists but the few that did felt that an anarchist society would lead to sexuality naturally developing. Sexual violence

4046-810: Is no longer active in Warsaw, since the section there announced that it was leaving the Federation in October 2021. Currently, the Anarchist Federation consists of the following sections: Additionally, their membership also consists of "contacts" (smaller groups which will eventually become sections). These include: FA describes two separate types of anarchist activity they engage in: FA has previously rallied around both domestic issues, specifically adopting policies on: anti-state , anti-government, pro-environmental , anti-fascist , anti-military , and anti-worker exploitation issues. They have additionally taken up policies on international issues, previously protesting against

4165-405: Is responsible for their own actions but works together to bring down oppression using sabotage and other violent means against state, capitalism, and other enemies. Members of The Invisible Committee were arrested in 2008 on various charges, terrorism included. Overall, contemporary anarchists are much less violent and militant than their ideological ancestors. They mostly engage in confronting

4284-506: Is significant overlap between the two. Anarchist tactics have shifted during the course of the last century. Anarchists during the early 20th century focused more on strikes and militancy while contemporary anarchists use a broader array of approaches . During the classical era, anarchists had a militant tendency. Not only did they confront state armed forces, as in Spain and Ukraine, but some of them also employed terrorism as propaganda of

4403-508: Is significant overlap between the two. Evolutionary methods try to simulate what an anarchist society might be like, but revolutionary tactics, which have historically taken a violent turn, aim to overthrow authority and the state. Many facets of human civilization have been influenced by anarchist theory, critique, and praxis . The etymological origin of anarchism is from the Ancient Greek anarkhia (ἀναρχία), meaning "without

4522-512: Is the area's main watercourse. This stretch is navigable and is frequently used for water transport. The river's water levels reach their highest state from February - March and July - August, whereas they are lowest from September - October. Several other waterways, such as the Mala Panew, Żydówka, Brynica, Jemielnica, Swornica, and Brzeziczanka form a vast river network in the area, in addition to numerous streams. Several ponds, oxbow lakes, and

4641-517: Is widely disputed, and anarchism enjoys complex relationships with ideologies such as communism, collectivism , Marxism, and trade unionism . Anarchists may be motivated by humanism , divine authority , enlightened self-interest , veganism , or any number of alternative ethical doctrines. Phenomena such as civilisation , technology (e.g. within anarcho-primitivism), and the democratic process may be sharply criticised within some anarchist tendencies and simultaneously lauded in others. Objection to

4760-656: The Bolshevik government had stabilised, including during the Kronstadt rebellion . Several anarchists from Petrograd and Moscow fled to Ukraine, before the Bolsheviks crushed the anarchist movement there too. With the anarchists being repressed in Russia, two new antithetical currents emerged, namely platformism and synthesis anarchism . The former sought to create a coherent group that would push for revolution while

4879-671: The Escuela Moderna in Barcelona as an opposition to the established education system which was dictated largely by the Catholic Church. Ferrer's approach was secular, rejecting both state and church involvement in the educational process while giving pupils large amounts of autonomy in planning their work and attendance. Ferrer aimed to educate the working class and explicitly sought to foster class consciousness among students. The school closed after constant harassment by

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4998-748: The Industrial Workers of the World left their organisations and joined the Communist International . In the Spanish Civil War of 1936–39, anarchists and syndicalists ( CNT and FAI ) once again allied themselves with various currents of leftists. A long tradition of Spanish anarchism led to anarchists playing a pivotal role in the war, and particularly in the Spanish Revolution of 1936 . In response to

5117-463: The New Left and libertarian Marxists , who do not associate themselves with authoritarian socialists or a vanguard party , and extreme cultural liberals , who are primarily concerned with civil liberties . Additionally, some anarchists use libertarian socialist to avoid anarchism's negative connotations and emphasise its connections with socialism . Anarchism is broadly used to describe

5236-616: The Paris Commune , the Russian Civil War and the Spanish Civil War , whose end marked the end of the classical era of anarchism . In the last decades of the 20th and into the 21st century, the anarchist movement has been resurgent once more, growing in popularity and influence within anti-capitalist , anti-war and anti-globalisation movements. Anarchists employ diverse approaches , which may be generally divided into revolutionary and evolutionary strategies ; there

5355-540: The Republican government, ending in another defeat of anarchists at the hands of the communists. By the end of World War II , the anarchist movement had been severely weakened. The 1960s witnessed a revival of anarchism, likely caused by a perceived failure of Marxism–Leninism and tensions built by the Cold War . During this time, anarchism found a presence in other movements critical towards both capitalism and

5474-454: The St. Imier International . Under the influence of Peter Kropotkin , a Russian philosopher and scientist, anarcho-communism overlapped with collectivism . Anarcho-communists, who drew inspiration from the 1871 Paris Commune , advocated for free federation and for the distribution of goods according to one's needs . By the turn of the 20th century, anarchism had spread all over the world. It

5593-518: The Summerhill School in 1921, also declaring being free from coercion. Dobrze%C5%84 Wielki The climate is characteristical for that of the country, with a temperature variation slightly below average. January sees temperatures between -1 and 9 degrees Celsius, in comparison to an average of 17.8 in July. The Oder River flows from the southeast to the northwest of the district, and

5712-1132: The USA in Afghanistan and Iraq , and against Russia's 1994 invasion of Chechnya . The Anarchist Federation has also protested against the G8 summits , the European Economic Forum in Warsaw, NATO , the installation of the missile defence shield in Poland, and the United Nations climate summit in Poznań in 2008. Anarchists from the FA also participate in protests called " Food Not Bombs ". FA has stated their anti-parliamentary policies and boycotting activities derive from ideals of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon , Mikhail Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin . FA will release anti-election posters, and leaflets in protest of Polish and international elections, being particularly critical of representative democracies . On

5831-610: The World Trade Organization (WTO), the Group of Eight and the World Economic Forum . During the protests , ad hoc leaderless anonymous cadres known as black blocs engaged in rioting, property destruction and violent confrontations with the police. Other organisational tactics pioneered at this time include affinity groups , security culture and the use of decentralised technologies such as

5950-461: The anti-authoritarian wing of the socialist movement . Anarchism is contrasted to socialist forms which are state-oriented or from above. Scholars of anarchism generally highlight anarchism's socialist credentials and criticise attempts at creating dichotomies between the two. Some scholars describe anarchism as having many influences from liberalism, and being both liberal and socialist but more so. Many scholars reject anarcho-capitalism as

6069-451: The arms industry to addressing Monsanto seed-saving policies and patents , helping farmers , and resisting the commodification of food and housing. Honeywell also emphasizes that contemporary anarchists are interested in the flourishing not only of humans , but non-humans and the environment as well. Honeywell argues that their analysis of capitalism and governments results in anarchists rejecting representative democracy and

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6188-606: The libertarian wing of the socialist movement ( libertarian socialism ). Although traces of anarchist ideas are found all throughout history, modern anarchism emerged from the Enlightenment . During the latter half of the 19th and the first decades of the 20th century, the anarchist movement flourished in most parts of the world and had a significant role in workers' struggles for emancipation . Various anarchist schools of thought formed during this period. Anarchists have taken part in several revolutions , most notably in

6307-401: The means of production which is theorised to be achieved through violent revolution and that workers be paid according to time worked, rather than goods being distributed according to need as in communism. Collectivist anarchism arose alongside Marxism but rejected the dictatorship of the proletariat despite the stated Marxist goal of a collectivist stateless society . Anarcho-communism

6426-506: The nomenklatura , progressive social stratification , Poland's 'submission' to the International Monetary Fund . They also criticized the actions of Tadeusz Mazowiecki 's government, considering his actions a betrayal of the ideals expressed in the anarcho-syndicalist 's concept of a "Self-governing Republic". Organizationally, the Anarchist Federation is composed of 'sections'. As described by FA: "An FA section

6545-439: The second wave of feminism , radicalising some currents of the feminist movement and being influenced as well. By the latest decades of the 20th century, anarchists and feminists were advocating for the rights and autonomy of women, gays, queers and other marginalised groups, with some feminist thinkers suggesting a fusion of the two currents. With the third wave of feminism , sexual identity and compulsory heterosexuality became

6664-612: The second wave of feminism . Black anarchism began to take form at this time and influenced anarchism's move from a Eurocentric demographic. This coincided with its failure to gain traction in Northern Europe and its unprecedented height in Latin America. Around the turn of the 21st century, anarchism grew in popularity and influence within anti-capitalist, anti-war and anti-globalisation movements. Anarchists became known for their involvement in protests against

6783-429: The state and its institutions is a sine qua non of anarchism. Anarchists consider the state as a tool of domination and believe it to be illegitimate regardless of its political tendencies. Instead of people being able to control the aspects of their life, major decisions are taken by a small elite. Authority ultimately rests solely on power, regardless of whether that power is open or transparent , as it still has

6902-447: The "big-A Anarchism" of the classical era, the newly coined term "small-a anarchism" signals their tendency not to base their thoughts and actions on classical-era anarchism or to refer to classical anarchists such as Peter Kropotkin and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon to justify their opinions. Those anarchists would rather base their thought and praxis on their own experience, which they will later theorize. The concept of prefigurative politics

7021-400: The "upper classes". The participants of this pompous event will pose as great friends of the poor. In reality, these are people who live off forced taxes, cheating workers, corruption, and subjugating everything and everyone to their private interests. The alms given by the rich snobs will not compensate for the losses suffered by society as a result of their activities." FA identifies itself as

7140-418: The 19th century such as William Godwin (1756–1836) and Wilhelm Weitling (1808–1871) would contribute to the anarchist doctrines of the next generation but did not use anarchist or anarchism in describing themselves or their beliefs. The first political philosopher to call himself an anarchist (French: anarchiste ) was Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809–1865), marking the formal birth of anarchism in

7259-721: The Bakuninists were expelled from the International by the Marxists at the 1872 Hague Congress . Anarchists were treated similarly in the Second International , being ultimately expelled in 1896. Bakunin predicted that if revolutionaries gained power by Marx's terms, they would end up the new tyrants of workers . In response to their expulsion from the First International, anarchists formed

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7378-685: The Butter" was published, which preceded the later "Biuletyn Federacji MA" and "Biuletyn Informacyjny Federacji Anarchistycznej" newsletters. In June 1989, the Second Meeting of the Anarchist Inter-City Council was held in Dobrzeń Wielki . During the meeting, the organizational shape of the anarchist movement was discussed. The organisers of the convention proposed the creation of a federation of anarchist groups. The aim

7497-514: The Establishment and secondly to promote anarchist ethics and reflect an anarchist vision of society, illustrating the unity of means and ends . A broad categorisation can be made between aims to destroy oppressive states and institutions by revolutionary means on one hand and aims to change society through evolutionary means on the other. Evolutionary tactics embrace nonviolence and take a gradual approach to anarchist aims, although there

7616-419: The FA should it desire. A section may also be expelled from the Federation at the request of another section at an FA convention – the decision on this matter is made by majority vote with the right of veto. The Anarchist Federation Information Office operates in the period between conventions, forming decisions on current, external affairs. The office coordinates the flow of information between sections, acts as

7735-768: The Internet. A significant event of this period was the confrontations at the 1999 Seattle WTO conference . Anarchist ideas have been influential in the development of the Zapatistas in Mexico and the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, more commonly known as Rojava , a de facto autonomous region in northern Syria . While having revolutionary aspirations, many contemporary forms of anarchism are not confrontational. Instead, they are trying to build an alternative way of social organization (following

7854-831: The July and August 1988, the Silesian Freedom and Peace movement carried out an event in Białogóra 's Hyde Park. It was attended by representatives of the anarchist movement from all over Poland, such as: Marek Kurzyniec , Grzegorz Kmita , Janusz Waluszko , and Krzysztof Skiba . Members of Totart from Gdańsk and Waldemar Fydrych , the founder of the Orange Alternative , also attended. Here, MA began recruiting members, eventually growing to 500 individuals by September 1988. On 30 October 1988 in Gdańsk , MA held their first convention at Międzymiastówka, having been inspired by

7973-607: The Międzymieście anarchist group. The meeting was attended by approximately 100 anarchists, with anarchists from France, Poland, and the USSR in attendance. The meeting was held at the homes of an RSA member but was interrupted by police, resulting in 4 arrests. The rest of the attendees reconvened at St. Nicholas Church in Gdansk, where they finished the meeting. At the beginning of 1989, the first, and last, issue of MA's newspaper "Pet in

8092-473: The United States; however, some anarchists struggled with the jealousy that arose from free love. Anarchist feminists were advocates of free love, against marriage, and pro-choice (using a contemporary term), and had a similar agenda. Anarchist and non-anarchist feminists differed on suffrage but were supportive of one another. During the second half of the 20th century, anarchism intermingled with

8211-453: The ability to coerce people. Another anarchist argument against states is that the people constituting a government, even the most altruistic among officials, will unavoidably seek to gain more power, leading to corruption. Anarchists consider the idea that the state is the collective will of the people to be an unachievable fiction due to the fact that the ruling class is distinct from the rest of society. Specific anarchist attitudes towards

8330-417: The actions of individual states and international organizations, and having specifically criticized globalization . Since their inception, FA has not changed their policies on the topics of: pro-choice , anti-militarism and pacifism , communalism, and free education. FA has organised protests against corporations, in particular McDonalds , and foreign governments, namely against the military intervention of

8449-433: The anarchist ideals, especially when it comes to preserving users' privacy from state surveillance . Anarchists organize themselves to squat and reclaim public spaces . During important events such as protests and when spaces are being occupied, they are often called Temporary Autonomous Zones (TAZ), spaces where art, poetry, and surrealism are blended to display the anarchist ideal. As seen by anarchists, squatting

8568-459: The anarchist movement, although contemporary anarchism favours actions over academic theory. Various anarchist groups, tendencies, and schools of thought exist today, making it difficult to describe the contemporary anarchist movement. While theorists and activists have established "relatively stable constellations of anarchist principles", there is no consensus on which principles are core and commentators describe multiple anarchisms , rather than

8687-510: The army rebellion , an anarchist-inspired movement of peasants and workers, supported by armed militias, took control of Barcelona and of large areas of rural Spain, where they collectivised the land. The Soviet Union provided some limited assistance at the beginning of the war, but the result was a bitter fight between communists and other leftists in a series of events known as the May Days , as Joseph Stalin asserted Soviet control of

8806-492: The ballast of ossified union structures, that is the only effective means of fighting the recidivism of Nazism". FA considers squatting to be an 'important manifestation' of anarchist activity. FA has previously overtaken abandoned buildings and adapted them for the purposes of housing, cultural centers, libraries, etc. One squat in particular, which reached national headlines in Poland, is the Poznan squat of Rozbrat . The squat

8925-738: The belief that human nature allows humans to exist in or progress toward such a non-coercive society, and a suggestion on how to act to pursue the ideal of anarchy. The most notable precursors to anarchism in the ancient world were in China and Greece . In China, philosophical anarchism (the discussion on the legitimacy of the state) was delineated by Taoist philosophers Zhuang Zhou and Laozi . Alongside Stoicism , Taoism has been said to have had "significant anticipations" of anarchism. Anarchic attitudes were also articulated by tragedians and philosophers in Greece. Aeschylus and Sophocles used

9044-545: The case of "external" matters, (i.e. all initiatives addressed to the general public signed as the Anarchist Federation) the right of veto would be recognised. The overall goal of FA, as agreed upon by its members is: "the creation of an anarchist, i.e. free and self-governing society in which absolute freedom (limited only by the natural norm of not harming others) would be combined with the absence of exploitation, social justice and self-governing ownership of

9163-534: The city claimed the money was going towards aid to the poor. FA accused city officials of pocketing the money, and held a multi-year protest against the government. In an official statement, FA announced: "Down with the ball of hypocrisy! On the 25th of January 1997, we will witnessed another charity ball of the President of the City of Krakow with numerous businessmen, politicians, bankers and other representatives of

9282-479: The country. In November 1989, a third meeting was held in Warsaw , during which the name of the organisation was changed to "The Anarchist Federation", which is still used today. During the meeting, it was also resolved that all decisions, if they concern the Federation as a whole, can only be made at conventions. This meant that internal matters pertaining to the federation could only be passed by majority vote, and in

9401-462: The deed . Assassination attempts were carried out against heads of state , some of which were successful. Anarchists also took part in revolutions. Many anarchists, especially the Galleanists , believed that these attempts would be the impetus for a revolution against capitalism and the state. Many of these attacks were done by individual assailants and the majority took place in the late 1870s,

9520-425: The early 1880s and the 1890s, with some still occurring in the early 1900s. Their decrease in prevalence was the result of further judicial power and of targeting and cataloging by state institutions. Anarchist perspectives towards violence have always been controversial. Anarcho-pacifists advocate for non-violence means to achieve their stateless, nonviolent ends. Other anarchist groups advocate direct action ,

9639-513: The early 1990s in several Polish cities, FA protested against the introduction of religion to schools, and in front of the Sejm they led protests against the passing of the anti-abortion law . In recent years, FA activists have been defending tenants as part of the campaign "Mieszkanie Prawem NIE Towarem" (Apartment [are a] Right, NOT a Commodity), by participating in eviction blockades. In 2009, following an eviction blockade, anarchist Rafał Górski

9758-637: The form of disrupting and protesting against unjust hierarchy, or the form of self-managing their lives through the creation of counter-institutions such as communes and non-hierarchical collectives. Decision-making is often handled in an anti-authoritarian way, with everyone having equal say in each decision , an approach known as horizontalism . Contemporary-era anarchists have been engaging with various grassroots movements that are more or less based on horizontalism, although not explicitly anarchist, respecting personal autonomy and participating in mass activism such as strikes and demonstrations. In contrast with

9877-433: The foundations of the future autonomy of the individual and the society, to be an act of mutual aid . Anarchist writers such as William Godwin ( Political Justice ) and Max Stirner (" The False Principle of Our Education ") attacked both state education and private education as another means by which the ruling class replicate their privileges. In 1901, Catalan anarchist and free thinker Francisco Ferrer established

9996-429: The free potential of society through equality and social ownership . In a chronological sense, anarchism can be segmented by the classical currents of the late 19th century and the post-classical currents ( anarcha-feminism , green anarchism , and post-anarchism ) developed thereafter. Beyond the specific factions of anarchist movements which constitute political anarchism lies philosophical anarchism which holds that

10115-835: The golden age of anarchism. Drawing from mutualism, Mikhail Bakunin founded collectivist anarchism and entered the International Workingmen's Association , a class worker union later known as the First International that formed in 1864 to unite diverse revolutionary currents. The International became a significant political force, with Karl Marx being a leading figure and a member of its General Council. Bakunin's faction (the Jura Federation ) and Proudhon's followers (the mutualists) opposed state socialism , advocating political abstentionism and small property holdings. After bitter disputes,

10234-526: The ideological development of what became the era of classical anarchism. During the French Revolution , partisan groups such as the Enragés and the sans-culottes saw a turning point in the fermentation of anti-state and federalist sentiments. The first anarchist currents developed throughout the 18th century as William Godwin espoused philosophical anarchism in England , morally delegitimising

10353-627: The latter were against anything that would resemble a political party. Seeing the victories of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution and the resulting Russian Civil War , many workers and activists turned to communist parties , which grew at the expense of anarchism and other socialist movements. In France and the United States, members of major syndicalist movements such as the General Confederation of Labour and

10472-465: The major currents of social anarchism ( collectivist , communist and syndicalist ). They differ on organisational and economic aspects of their ideal society. Mutualism is an 18th-century economic theory that was developed into anarchist theory by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. Its aims include "abolishing the state", reciprocity , free association , voluntary contract, federation and monetary reform of both credit and currency that would be regulated by

10591-404: The means of production. People would freely form a variety of self-governments, syndicates, communities, and anarchist communes forming federations with each other on regional and national levels." FA's formal ideology at the time was primarily to denounce consumerism , capitalism and Bolshevik communism . They protested against re-privatization, selling off national assets, enfranchisement of

10710-444: The methods by which these forms should be opposed. The principle of equal liberty is closer to anarchist political ethics in that it transcends both the liberal and socialist traditions. This entails that liberty and equality cannot be implemented within the state, resulting in the questioning of all forms of domination and hierarchy. Anarchists' tactics take various forms but in general serve two major goals, namely, to first oppose

10829-607: The mid-19th century. Since the 1890s and beginning in France, libertarianism has often been used as a synonym for anarchism; its use as a synonym is still common outside the United States. Some usages of libertarianism refer to individualistic free-market philosophy only, and free-market anarchism in particular is termed libertarian anarchism . While the term libertarian has been largely synonymous with anarchism, its meaning has more recently been diluted by wider adoption from ideologically disparate groups, including both

10948-828: The movement and attempts were made to prevent anarchists immigrating to the US , including the Immigration Act of 1903 , also called the Anarchist Exclusion Act. Illegalism was another strategy which some anarchists adopted during this period. Despite concerns, anarchists enthusiastically participated in the Russian Revolution in opposition to the White movement , especially in the Makhnovshchina ; however, they met harsh suppression after

11067-667: The movement shaped 21st century radicalism, wider embrace of anarchist principles signaled a revival of interest. Anarchism has continued to generate many philosophies and movements, at times eclectic, drawing upon various sources and combining disparate concepts to create new philosophical approaches. The anti-capitalist tradition of classical anarchism has remained prominent within contemporary currents. Contemporary news coverage which emphasizes black bloc demonstrations has reinforced anarchism's historical association with chaos and violence. Its publicity has also led more scholars in fields such as anthropology and history to engage with

11186-460: The myth of Antigone to illustrate the conflict between laws imposed by the state and personal autonomy . Socrates questioned Athenian authorities constantly and insisted on the right of individual freedom of conscience . Cynics dismissed human law ( nomos ) and associated authorities while trying to live according to nature ( physis ). Stoics were supportive of a society based on unofficial and friendly relations among its citizens without

11305-414: The news media. In the current era, Italian anarchist Alfredo Bonanno , a proponent of insurrectionary anarchism , has reinstated the debate on violence by rejecting the nonviolence tactic adopted since the late 19th century by Kropotkin and other prominent anarchists afterwards. Both Bonanno and the French group The Invisible Committee advocate for small, informal affiliation groups, where each member

11424-697: The newspaper "A-tak" was published by FA, and was relaunched in 2015. Both "Inny Świat" and "Anarchist Review" are published by the anarchist Brotherhood Publishing Office "Trojka", which is associated with the Poznan section of the Anarchist Federation and the Rozbrat squat. The history of the Brotherhood Publishing House "Troika" dates back to 1994, when it was established to popularize anarchist thought. Initially "Troika" published small brochures, but currently it distributes its own and third-party publications. Anarchism Anarchism

11543-505: The next convention, they are required to submit a written report. The Anarchist Federation has described their conventions as: "the most significant manifestation of the activity of anarchist structures on the national forum". Conventions typically end with the issuance of resolutions. During the Eighth Congress of the FA, held in June 1992 in Warsaw, the ideological declaration of the Anarchist Federation called "The Majority Plane"

11662-509: The organization rebranded to FA and formalized itself ideologically. FA aims to "create a self-governing society , created on a voluntary basis". In May 1988 Janusz Waluszko (a member of the anarchist group Ruch Społeczeństwa Alternatywnego {RSA}) and Krzysztof Galiński (a member of the anti-communis t group Ruch Wolność i Pokój ) first developed the idea of the Inter-City Anarchist Association, calling it

11781-454: The police during demonstrations and riots, especially in countries such as Canada , Greece , and Mexico . Militant black bloc protest groups are known for clashing with the police; however, anarchists not only clash with state operators, they also engage in the struggle against fascists and racists , taking anti-fascist action and mobilizing to prevent hate rallies from happening. Anarchists commonly employ direct action . This can take

11900-463: The presence of a state. In medieval Europe , there was no anarchistic activity except some ascetic religious movements. These, and other Muslim movements, later gave birth to religious anarchism . In the Sasanian Empire , Mazdak called for an egalitarian society and the abolition of monarchy , only to be soon executed by Emperor Kavad I . In Basra , religious sects preached against

12019-403: The state and Ferrer was later arrested. Nonetheless, his ideas formed the inspiration for a series of modern schools around the world. Christian anarchist Leo Tolstoy , who published the essay Education and Culture , also established a similar school with its founding principle being that "for education to be effective it had to be free." In a similar token, A. S. Neill founded what became

12138-411: The state as a whole. Anarchist schools of thought have been generally grouped into two main historical traditions, social anarchism and individualist anarchism , owing to their different origins, values and evolution. The individualist current emphasises negative liberty in opposing restraints upon the free individual, while the social current emphasises positive liberty in aiming to achieve

12257-428: The state lacks moral legitimacy , without necessarily accepting the imperative of revolution to eliminate it. A component especially of individualist anarchism, philosophical anarchism may tolerate the existence of a minimal state but claims that citizens have no moral obligation to obey government when it conflicts with individual autonomy . Anarchism pays significant attention to moral arguments since ethics have

12376-504: The state such as the anti-nuclear , environmental , and peace movements , the counterculture of the 1960s , and the New Left . It also saw a transition from its previous revolutionary nature to provocative anti-capitalist reformism . Anarchism became associated with punk subculture as exemplified by bands such as Crass and the Sex Pistols . The established feminist tendencies of anarcha-feminism returned with vigour during

12495-413: The state vary. Robert Paul Wolff believed that the tension between authority and autonomy would mean the state could never be legitimate. Bakunin saw the state as meaning "coercion, domination by means of coercion, camouflaged if possible but unceremonious and overt if need be." A. John Simmons and Leslie Green , who leaned toward philosophical anarchism, believed that the state could be legitimate if it

12614-556: The state with a new society democratically self-managed by workers. The basic principles of anarcho-syndicalism are direct action , workers' solidarity and workers' self-management . Individualist anarchism is a set of several traditions of thought within the anarchist movement that emphasise the individual and their will over any kinds of external determinants. Early influences on individualist forms of anarchism include William Godwin , Max Stirner , and Henry David Thoreau . Through many countries, individualist anarchism attracted

12733-412: The state, Max Stirner 's thinking paved the way to individualism and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon 's theory of mutualism found fertile soil in France . By the late 1870s, various anarchist schools of thought had become well-defined and a wave of then-unprecedented globalisation occurred from 1880 to 1914. This era of classical anarchism lasted until the end of the Spanish Civil War and is considered

12852-543: The state. In Europe, various religious sects developed anti-state and libertarian tendencies. Renewed interest in antiquity during the Renaissance and in private judgment during the Reformation restored elements of anti-authoritarian secularism in Europe, particularly in France. Enlightenment challenges to intellectual authority (secular and religious) and the revolutions of the 1790s and 1848 all spurred

12971-492: The theories of dual power ), based on mutual interdependence and voluntary cooperation. Scholar Carissa Honeywell takes the example of Food Not Bombs group of collectives, to highlight some features of how contemporary anarchist groups work: direct action , working together and in solidarity with those left behind. While doing so, Food Not Bombs provides consciousness raising about the rising rates of world hunger and suggest policies to tackle hunger, ranging from de-funding

13090-462: The time. Belief in political nihilism has been espoused by anarchists. Despite separation, the various anarchist schools of thought are not seen as distinct entities but rather as tendencies that intermingle and are connected through a set of shared principles such as autonomy, mutual aid , anti-authoritarianism and decentralisation . Inceptive currents among classical anarchist currents were mutualism and individualism . They were followed by

13209-494: The topic of voting, FA has stated, "The whole truth about voting can be summed up in one sentence: by voting, you give others power over yourself. By choosing one or many masters, whether for a short or long time, you give up your own freedom". These leaflets are predominately posted online, often with the phrases: Anarchists from the FA took part in May Day demonstrations against Soviet Poland and organized anti-tax rallies . In

13328-486: Was a concern for anarchists such as Benjamin Tucker , who opposed age of consent laws , believing they would benefit predatory men. A historical current that arose and flourished during 1890 and 1920 within anarchism was free love . In contemporary anarchism, this current survives as a tendency to support polyamory , relationship anarchy , and queer anarchism . Free love advocates were against marriage, which they saw as

13447-549: Was a notable feature of the international syndicalist movement. In China , small groups of students imported the humanistic pro-science version of anarcho-communism. Tokyo was a hotspot for rebellious youth from East Asian countries, who moved to the Japanese capital to study. In Latin America, Argentina was a stronghold for anarcho-syndicalism , where it became the most prominent left-wing ideology. During this time,

13566-972: Was constructed, following the invasion of the Norbertine monastery by Protestant armies in 1643. The history of Dobrzeń Wielki was always linked to the Duchy of Opole which broke away from Poland and came under the rule of Bohemia in 1327, fell to the Habsburgs in 1526, became Prussian after the First Silesian War in 1742 and had been part of Germany since 1871. In the Upper Silesia plebiscite held on March 20, 1921, in Groß Döbern, 1,216 votes (67.9%) were cast in favor of remaining with Germany and 576 votes (32.1%) were cast in favor of joining Poland . The village therefore remained in

13685-559: Was first established in 1994, and since 1997 is the seat of the Poznan section of the Anarchist Federation. It houses an anarchist library, FA meetings, and has been the site of cultural events. The FA community is also active in publishing. In the 1990s, FA published the magazines: "Legless Locomotive", "Anarcholl", "Morning Rebel", "Revolt", "Fraternite", "Lagazeta". FA has also made contributions to: "Mać Pariadka" (published until 2005), "Gazeta An Arche" (published monthly until 2000), "Inny Świat" (still being published). Between 1999 and 2004,

13804-470: Was first formulated as such in the Italian section of the First International . It was later expanded upon in the theoretical work of Peter Kropotkin , whose specific style would go onto become the dominating view of anarchists by the late 19th century. Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism that views labour syndicates as a potential force for revolutionary social change, replacing capitalism and

13923-410: Was hospitalized due to injuries he received in a subsequent police raid , later dying due to pre-existing cancer. This event would draw heavy criticism from both FA and international anarchist groups. In 1993–2002 (except for 1994), FA led the "Banquet Action", a protest against the city authorities of Krakow . FA accused the city government of holding 'pompous' charity balls at taxpayer expense whilst

14042-443: Was passed; so far (November 2010) thirty-seven conventions have been held. At the turn of the 20th and 21st century over a dozen sections from all over the country belonged to the FA, including Gdansk , Krakow , Warsaw , Poznan , Wroclaw , Kielce , Lodz , Lublin , Sochaczew , Slupsk and Koszalin . Between 1989 and 1998 a libertarian group from Katowice was also active in the Anarchist Federation. The Anarchist Federation

14161-465: Was to prevent the "chaos of information" resulting from the existence of many different groups within the movement. The organizers also proposed the adoption of a common ideological declaration , believing that this adoption would held the consolidation of the community. Most of the participants were in favor of transforming the MA into a more formalized structure. There were, however, also voices of opposition. For example, Zbigniew Sajnóg from Totart sent

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