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A Call-Out from the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair
May 24th – 26th, 2013, Ljubljana – Slovenia
Participants, anarchist organizations, groups, collectives and individuals take this opportunity to spread a call for a larger international uprising against capitalism.
As people revolt against the capitalist system, austerity measures and political elites, numerous experiments in direct democracy from below, and non-hierarchical organizing in places of work, of study, and of daily life are taking place, or are at least starting to be imagined. Equally, we are confirming through our daily experience that such movements are always vulnerable to criminalization, to attempts at centralization, and to the usurpation of the new political terrain at the hands of existing and emerging elites. In times like this it becomes all the more important that the anarchist movement analyses the dynamic social and political situation in real time, and then acts on it through direct action.
In the Balkans, a region that has known the rise of nationalisms and conflicts for a long period of time, it is our aim to transform the region into an area of strong transnational communication and build networks of solidarity. As the situation in the Balkans is closely linked to the general development of the EU and its periphery, there is also a need to connect and support each other in this wider region. We find it important to build up links with anarchists in places where the movement is emerging in recent years as an active and progressive force of wider social unrest and revolutionary activity. Examples include current initiatives in Africa and the Middle East. Our struggles go beyond national and regional borders, and embrace people around the globe fighting against capitalism and for a world of solidarity.
Anarchists from countries and regions beyond the Balkans stand in solidarity with comrades from the Balkans in the struggle against nationalism and against austerity. We publicise each other’s struggles within organisations and collectives and also in propaganda. The aim is to realize our ideas and analysis of the situation amongst people in the places where we work, live and study. By doing this, we try to overcome the artificial division between center and periphery of european and global capitalism, as well as the chauvinism predominant in the richer european countries and the “West” in general. We aim to connect the struggles in different areas of the world and recognize each other as equals that can mutually learn from and support each other.
While we struggle against social and economic injustice, we reaffirm our determination to fight against all forms of domination, discrimination, hierarchies and chauvinism in our daily lives as well. Minorities defined by the authorities along such lines as ethnicity and/or religion face additional pressures, which must be overcome to realize social change.
We wish to invite everyone to join us in the common process of building a political space to reflect on the new terrain of struggle that is being imposed on us by capitalism, and on ways of standing our ground, fighting back and taking the offensive. As capital pushes us to the margins of society and robs us of control over our lives, people invent new forms of mutual aid, solidarity, political and social organization. The questions for anarchists are clear: how can we organize resistance from below? How can we cooperate with and intervene in wider social movements, so that we build relationships against and beyond capitalist exploitation? And how do we develop concrete, sustainable alternatives that not only resist capitalist devastation, but open the way for a revolutionary transformation of our everyday lives?
It is important to build up infrastructures of resistance and defend existing ones, to exchange knowledge and experience of the common struggles, leading to the acquisition and development of new and more effective tools for the total abolition of the existing order of domination and exploitation.
Like the resistance taking place all around Europe as in other parts of the world, this is a process with many different forms of struggle and expression. All are equally important and none should be ignored, pushed aside or criminalized. It is in this multitude that we engage in a process that re-orientates power towards control over our own lives and that cannot be captured, branded or instrumentalised by any particular interests, groups or parties. In this way, it opens a process of reclaiming space for people to intervene in the discourse of the crisis politics being applied.
Our solidarity goes out to all suppressed people struggling for liberation. As examples we name the struggles against the planned gold mines in Chalkidiki, Greece as well as in Romania and Bulgaria, the occupation and self-management of the factory of Vio-Me in Thessaloniki, as well as the recent uprising in Slovenia. We also want to stress the importance of standing together against the repression these and other movements are facing.
The Balkan Anarchist Bookfair is a concrete step to fighting back against nationalism, developing international solidarity and fueling future projects. In the last ten years we tried under very difficult conditions in a war-beaten region to construct another world andset the foundation for a departure from the capitalist system, the state and all relations of power, towards liberty and emancipation.
A beginning was made, and we invite everyone
to continue this path together.
General assembly of the participants of the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair 2013
Ljubljana, 26. May 2013
10 years of the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair
The Federation for Anarchist Organizing (FAO) invites everyone to come to Ljubljana this May and join us at the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair (BAB). It has been ten years since the BAB started its voyage across the Balkans with the aim of connecting the local and regional, as well as international anarchist community and of providing space for exchange of anarchist ideas, practices, literature, materials, cultural events, workshops and public discussions.
By now the fact that we are living in the midst of a general social crisis has become undeniable. Finding ourselves in the middle of the whirlwind of capitalist destruction, we often feel weak and frustrated. Capitalism is destroying our lives daily and in so many different and very real ways. It is taking our future away from us. Often we find out that some of the old mechanisms of struggle, that were once the source of our power, are no longer effective enough. Yet it is all too clear that for us there can be no other option but to struggle and build against and beyond the existing. We certainly don’t lack useful analyses, critiques, seminars and conferences. It is time to take action.
Practices of resistance, solidarity and the construction of communities against and beyond capitalism have always existed through history and have constituted an integral part of anarchist communities. Today the need for such practices has again spread far beyond our small communities and into the wider society. The desert that capitalist devastation leaves behind, is a space that needs to be filled with imagination and everyday practices that stem directly from us and our desires. For everyone.
The BAB is one of such spaces, where we can exchange experiences and strategies. Where, in the context of these new social conditions, we can open up questions and seek answers. Among the questions we want to discuss are: Are we indeed fighting on the new terrain and what it might be? What could new strategies of struggle be? What is the role of anarchists in contemporary social struggles? What have we learned from our past experiences?
We call on everybody to support the event with participation and materials. The entire event will be held entirely free of charge, organized under the principles of solidarity, mutual aid and the building of common power.
We are also accepting suggestions for the event’s programme at bab2013 [at] riseup.net
Information will be updated at: http://www.a-federacija.org
Here is a report by the Anarchist Federation participants at the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair that took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia on 24-26 May 2013. See also, Joint statements made during the bookfair: http://www.afed.org.uk/blog/international/378-joint-statements-radio-and-video-from-the-balkan-anarchist-bookfair-24-26-may-2013.html
Celebrating ten years of the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair. Ljubljana 24th-26th May 2013
The Balkan Anarchist Bookfair, which has rotated between the countries of ex-Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Greece, took place this year in Ljubljana, Slovenia over three days – 24th-26th May. It has been interrupted three times over the last ten for political reasons in the region, and so this was actually the seventh. Previous bookfairs have been in Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria as well as Slovenia. Below is a report from the perspective of Anarchist Federation and Sparrows’ Nest participants.
The organisers were the Federation for Anarchist Organising (FAO), of Slovenia, who are a sister federation of the AF in the International of Anarchist Federations (IFA) and who Nottingham AF and Sparrows’ Nest people know very well. It took place in the radical quarter of the city known as Metelkova, where the FAO also run a great Infoshop. There were something like 20 stalls from organisations and distributors from the Balkans and well beyond.
The purpose of the Bookfair, aside from selling books and papers in Balkan languages and in English, is for anarchists to organise against nationalism. Anarchism in the Balkans has arisen as much out of the desire to create region-wide networks which can support the struggle against nationalist ideology by the various groups and federations within these artificially created borders. Balkan anarchists attending the bookfair were Macedonians (organisation: Black Bloc, which is very new and considering itself speculatively to be anarcho-syndicalist), Serbs (ASI-IWA and independents); Slovenia (FAO-IFA and independents), Croatia ( MASA-IWA and independents), Greece (Libertarian Communist Group of Athens – associated with IFA; and Eutopia, from Athens and Thessaloniki) and Bulgaria (FAB-IFA and independents). In addition, IFA federations of France (FA), Italy (FAI), German-speaking (FdA) and Britain (AF) attended. For the full list of countries from which participants came, see the reports produced by the workshops and General Assembly of the Bookfair.
Of course the current Economic Crisis makes it even more important that anti-nationalism is confronted now. Anarchists from counties affected by the warfare born out of the breakup of Yugoslavia are seriously concerned that the collapse/break up/withdrawal of the EU in the region will bring new wars, and so ‘internationalism’ is not some vaguely laudable intention, but absolutely essentially and immediate in their organising.
In Slovenia specifically, there was an uprising recently in Maribor and Ljubljana. It began in Maribor and was sparked by political corruption. Corporate property was destroyed and police attacked a huge demonstration, actually tear-gassing people including children from the air via helicopter! Far from being put down, the uprising spread as a result. This took place in April. From the bookfair, a demonstration was initiated in relation to the uprising and two hundred anarchists took part in an energetic march into the city centre. It has rarely been as easy to give out anarchist literature in the street and have it received enthusiastically. Chanting was in Slavonic languages, French, Spanish, Italian and English, and was against the state, police, capitalism, nationalism and for ‘Full Anarchism’. This has built on anarchist support for self-organised striking dock workers in the last couple of years. Anarchism has never had a higher or more positive profile in Slovenia.
The organising group had made great effort at an early stage to include other groups in making up the excellent programme of bookfair meetings which included workshops, discussions on specific themes and a couple of presentations using slides. Discussions were framed by well-planned introductions which were often based on documents read out in English and in some cases had multiple introductions that complemented each other. In many of the workshop facilitators would ask for a country-specific viewpoint from the participants. All of this made for structured but open debate and a high-quality sharing of experiences, based on practical examples placed in the context of different economic or political circumstances.
There were three workshops with a focus on patriarchy and anarcha-feminism. The first was women-only and took place in the lesbian space, Tiffany, and addressed ‘Sexism in our Movement’. It focussed on issues and solutions specific to political activism, and Safer Spaces was amongst the most tried and tested and valued of these. It was kicked off by some members of the Ljubljana Lesbian University who wanted to talk with an international audience. The same structure was run also the following day for a mixed audience, in part because some men requested it. In the event no men came, although we had set the chairs up on the veranda and established a very informal environment. One reason for this might have been that there was a tension between men who wanted to genuinely understand more about sexism from a women’s perspective, who seemed to be men who reflect on this issue anyway, and men who felt unhappy about a women-only space. They were a small minority however; I don’t need to tell you their objections, but some had genuinely not encountered this in anarchism before and were confused. This was a shame though because there was a stated need to address sexism in some antifa circles, as introduced by an Italian comrade. The low turnout from men might have been in part because the following session was on anarcha-feminism in the movement and they perhaps thought it would cover similar ground. It was initiated by the organisers and was kicked off by us. It took a historical perspective on the emergence of British anarcha-feminism in the Thatcher era and the fact that we face much the same sexism within and outside of our movement as we did then. Safer spaces and women-only spaces (real and virtual) were discussed. Safer spaces are the norm for many European bookfairs and it is likely that the lack of such a policy at some UK events will make some attendees feel less secure (as was the case at Saint-Imier until FdA initiated one). Women are very vocal in Balkan anarchism, and the Slovenian federation is about three-quarters women anyway, which makes it a refreshing group to work with for other women.
The other workshop in which the AF was involved was a presentation by the Sparrows’ Nest anarchist library in Nottingham, in which the AF is involved. It concerned the digital library project and was entitled ‘What is in @?’, referring to the completion of the scanning and uploading of the first alphabetical section of the Nest’s ‘public archive’. It was attended by about 10 fans of archives and historical materials relating to our movement.
There was a well-attended General Assembly each day which gave a forum for involvement in bookfair organisation, which as a result was much wider than the organising group. Reflections on the structure and processes as well as the political content were made, which over three days meant that the participants were part-running the event. The General Assembly was also used to initiate joint statements and the march through the city. The assemblies were well attended and had the function of providing the opportunity to gauge how everyone thought the event was going. An Infopoint (with rota list) and daily volunteer meetings were used effectively to involve bookfair participants in practical work such as cooking, cleaning and organising the book and meeting spaces. This all made for an atmosphere of explicit self-organisation.
Balkan anarchism is completely accessible to anyone with English. This is the language that anarchists from the various countries speak amongst themselves. Even though the languages of ex-Yugoslavia are closely related, most anarchists are under thirty and the nationalist education system that they were educated in has stressed the differences and they find it easiest and more inclusive to use the English that they learn at school. Most of the activists are fluent or near-fluent in English. This makes it easy for English-speakers to have discussions as in-depth and ideologically specific as we can in Britain.
It being a three-day event, most meetings were allocated two hours. As well as allowing for very in-depth discussions, these were serious, theoretical, ideological and highly constructive. Whist the groups identify with different traditions, they are avowedly anti-sectarian and identify differences between themselves mainly in order to learn from other traditions about matters such as how receptive industrial workers are to different modes of industrial organisation, which sorts of ideas and language make anarchism more accessible in social struggles, and so on.
Balkan anarchism is as open and friendly as it is dynamic and serious. The plan is to hold the next one in Bosnia or Athens. Why not watch this space and go along?
The 10 year Balkan Anarchist Bookfair took place on May 24th-26th 2013 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Here are three statements created collectively during the bookfair, plus a great internationalist video:
1) We are their crisis – for a transnational struggle against capitalism and repression!(from general assembly of the bookfair on Saturday 25th May – includes video of an action in the city in the evening).
2) Joint Statement of the Balkan Meeting on Nationalism (from a discussion meeting on Saturday 25th May)
3) Building solidarity and resistance against capitalist devastation… (from the General assembly of the participants of the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair 2013 on 26th May).
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Photograph of the internationalist action in Prešeren Square (Prešernov trg) over from the Triple Bridge (Tromostovje), Ljubljana city centre during the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair, 25th May 2013.
U Ljubljani je, od 24. do 26. svibnja, održan sedmi Balkanski anarhistički sajam knjiga kojem su prisustvovali i članovi MASA-e. I ovaj se sajam, točno deset godina od održavanja prvog, smjestio na istom mjestu, poznatom okupljalištu slovenskih slobodara i pankera, jedinstvenom skvotu i društvenom centru – Metelkova mesto. Anarhistički izdavači i ostali anarhistički kolektivi te pojedinci iz Balkana i Europe proveli su zanimljiva tri dana u diskusijama, zajedničkom radu, radionicama, veganskoj kuhinji i dobroj drugarskoj atmosferi u organizaciji slovenskih drugova iz Federacije za anarhističko organiziranje.
Prvi dan sajma, petak, protekao je u znaku dolaska sudionika i izlagača te ženskog pjevačkog zbora Kombinat koji je održao sjajan večernji nastup izvodeći niz partizanskih, ljevičarskih i anarhističkih himni (http://youtu.be/6GWfmdcvoik ). Subota je bila udarni dan programa s diskusijama i radionicama. Tako su na radnom sastanku o nacionalizmu, međunarodni delegati usvojili zajedničku izjavu čiji prijevod prenosimo u cijelosti:
Balkanski anarhistički sajam knjiga izraz je i primjer međunarodne solidarnosti, ujedinjujući drugove i drugarice iz Slovenije, Hrvatske, Srbije, Makedonije, Grčke, Bugarske, Bjelorusije, Češke, Austrije, Njemačke, Italije, Francuske, Španjolske, Engleske, Švedske i Mađarske.
Svako anarhističko okupljanje prilika je za udruživanje naših snaga u borbi protiv kapitalizma i Države, a tako i nacionalizma – oružja kojeg vladajuća klasa koristi kako bi nas pobijedila.
Balkanske zemlje imaju dugu povijest etničkih i religijskih sukoba, zbog čega radnička klasa mora mobilizirati svoje snage u društvenom konfliktu, u svrhu fokusiranja na stvarne probleme poput rezanja socijalnih prava (zbog mjera štednje), rastuće nezaposlenosti i povećanja siromaštva za većinu ljudi.
Kao i uvijek u vremenima krize, vladajuće strukture još jednom se okreću nacionalizmu kako bi podijelili ljude i ojačali vlastitu moć. Povrh toga, balkanske zemlje polako se priključuju šovinizmu Europe, zauzimajući represivan stav spram imigranata.
Zbog toga mi anarhisti moramo vratiti fokus na borbu protiv svih oblika nacionalizma, jer dok god postoji Država nacionalizam će uvijek biti tu. Nacionalističkoj mržnji jedino se možemo suprotstaviti solidarnošću između potlačenih društvenih skupina, bez obzira na nacionalne granice. Svi moramo ustati u društvenoj borbi, svugdje na svijetu. NEMA RATOVA IZMEĐU NARODA, NEMA MIRA IZMEĐU KLASA!
Središnja točka dana bila je plenumska rasprava o anarhizmu i njegovom odnosu prema društvenim pokretima i aktualnim socijalnim zbivanjima u regiji. Više od 70 sudionika veći dio rasprave posvetio je analizi protuvladinog ustanka u Sloveniji i hrvatskih studentskih prosvjeda iz 2008. U dugoj raspravi koja je uslijedila, dosljedna primjena načela direktne demokracije u organiziranju i odlučivanju identificirana je kao jedan od ključnih koraka u izgradnji društvene borbe. U tom kontekstu je istaknuta i važnost zaštite direktne demokracije od krivog tumačenja i njene zlouporabe u praksi. Zaključak se sveo na poznato – samo beskompromisna direktna akcija koja počiva na internacionalnom, antikapitalističkom, nehijerarhijskom i ravnopravnom udruživanju, može biti način suradnje sa ostalim organizacijama unutar društvenog pokreta.
Kako bi prenijeli javnu poruku i izrazili solidarnost s uhićenim drugovima, po okončanju rasprave u 21 sat, gotovo 150 anarhista i anarhistica okupilo se u dvorištu i uputilo u središte grada. Uz crveni sjaj bengalki, razvijenim crveno-crnim zastavama i velikim transparentom na jezicima svih sudionika, pjevajući i skandirajući poruke otpora, prosvjedna povorka neometano je stigla na Prešernov trg. Ovo je prijevod njihove poruke:
Misudionici Balkanskog anarhističkog sajma knjiga u Ljubljani izašli smo danas na ulice izraziti naše zajedničko odbacivanje kapitalizma i represije. Mi smo međunarodna zajednica anarhista i anti-autoritaraca, uključenih u borbe protiv režima kapitalističke eksploatacije, mjera štednje, porasta nacionalizma i fašizma i državne represije.
Globalna kriza kapitalizma potpuno je diskreditirala dogmu kako kapitalizam i liberalna demokracija mogu pružiti blagostanje za sve. Kao anarhisti i anti-autoritarci, odbacujemo mjere štednje i autoritarni krizni menadžment kao rješenje krize. Mjere štednje shvaćamo kao put prema Europi općeg siromaštva. Također odbacujemo nacionalistički populizam i fašizam kao odgovore na društvenu krizu koju uzrokuju mjere štednje. Jedino rješenje krize može biti razaranje kapitalizma i države i neprekidno konstruiranje novih društvenih odnosa, slobodnih od svih oblika eksploatacije i dominacije. Za novi svijet u ljusci staroga!
U vremenu krize i intenziviranih društvenih sukoba, državna represija postaje sve brutalnija i policija se sve više pretvara u paravojnu snagu, služeći interesima političkih i ekonomskih elita. Osnovna prava svih koji se odupiru kapitalističkom izvlaštenju naših života neprekidno se suspendiraju. Solidarni smo sa svim političkim zatvorenicima i subjektima represije. Snažno odbacujemo kriminalizaciju širom rasprostranjenih pobuna. Bez pravde, bez mira, jebeš policiju!
Pozivamo sve zainteresirane da se pridruže zajedničkoj borbi: dokrajčimo kapitalizam dok je na podu!
Dio atmosfere s prosvjedne povorke možete vidjeti na ovom linku – http://youtu.be/AOWvqksHJU8. Po sigurnom povratku u Metelkovu (policiji je trebalo pola sata da locira povorku i onda su samo služili za reguliranje prometa na raskrižjima), druženje je nastavljeno dugo u noć…
Nedjelja, završni dan započeo je sunčano što je dalo dodatni poticaj okupljenim sudionicima da nakon slabo prospavane noći smognu snage za još konstruktivne diskusije. Rasprava o radikalnom sindikalizmu okupila je mahom ex-yu postavu organizacija i pojedinaca u dvosatnoj diskusiji i analizi aktualnog stanja u Sloveniji, Hrvatskoj i Srbiji. Uključenost anarhosindikalista u raspravi ukazala je na nužnost stvaranja baznih sindikata samo-organiziranih na direktno-demokratskim načelima s rotirajućim delegatima na izvršnim funkcijama. Radikalno organiziranje sažeto je u borbenom zahtjevu za kraćim radnim vremenom i većim plaćama, a antikapitalizam i solidarnost trebaju biti srž takvog djelovanja. Posebnu važnost treba dati pronalaženju novih strategija u organiziranju borbe u uslužnom sektoru i među mladima, kao rastućoj grupi neorganiziranog, prekarnog radništva. Okupljeni su zaključili da postoji realna potreba za regionalnim umrežavanjem s ciljem uzajamne podrške i razmjene iskustava u stvaranju radikalnih, borbenih sindikata te su dogovoreni sljedeći koraci u tom smjeru.
Završno okupljanje sudionika i izlagača organizirano je u plenumskoj formi s razmatranjem o protekla tri dana radionica, razmjene mišljenja i iskustava. Ovogodišnji sajam bio je najbolji do sada i organizatori su se pokazali kao dobri domaćini. Nažalost, posjećenost javnosti je ovaj put bila nešto slabija nego inače iako je ponuda regionalnog i stranog izdavaštva bila zbilja opširna. Umjesto, planiranog održavanja na otvorenome u parku Tabor, sajam je postavljen u zatvorenim prostorima Menze pri koritu, zbog kišnog i hladnog vremena. Unatoč tome iskazano je zadovoljstvo što je sajam okupio anarhiste i anti-autoritarce iz čitave Europe, što je jasan pokazatelj jačanja međunarodnog aspekta anarhističkog pokreta i potrebe za obnavljanjem snažnijeg internacionalnog povezivanja. Upravo je ozbiljnost trenutne socijalne situacije u Europi i na Balkanu poveznica koja čini osnovu za zajedničko djelovanje. Iako su tmurna vremena pred nama, balkanski anarhisti spremaju se za nadolazeće društvene borbe. Veselimo se sljedećem balkanskom anarhističkom sajmu knjiga i vjerujemo da će tada ipak biti više sunčano.
http://www.masa-hr.org/content/izvjestaj-s-balkanskog-anarhistickog-sajma-knjiga
Von: die schwarzen Katzen (für die Gai-Dao)
Wer, wie, was
Nach 10 Jahren Abstinenz und diversen Austragungsorten 
im ganzen Balkan (z. B. Sofia, Thessaloniki, Skopje) kehrte die Balkan Anarchist Bookfair (BAB) wieder zu ihrem Ursprungsort, der slowenischen Hauptstadt Ljubljana, zurück. Eine Stadt, die trotz ihrer geringen Größe einiges zu bieten hat. Es gibt mehrere Guerilla-Gardening-Projekte, den Squat Tovarna Rog, der unter anderem einen Skatepark und eine Fahrradwerkstatt beherbergt, sowie das alternative Kulturzentrum Metelkova. Auf dem ehemaligen Militärgelände am Rand des Stadtzentrums haben diverse Bars, Clubs, Ateliers und der anarchistische Infoladen eine Bleibe gefunden – der perfekte Platz für die BAB.
So kam es, dass am letzten Maiwochenende etwa 150 Anarchist*innen aus ganz Europa sowie vielleicht ebenso viele aus Slowenien selbst Metelkova bevölkerten. Von Schweden bis Italien, England bis Bulgarien waren die Teilnehmer*innen angereist, um sich auszutauschen, zu vernetzen und natürlich zum Bücher anbieten, angucken und mitnehmen. Es waren etwa 20 Verlage anwesend, um ihre Publikationen zu präsentieren. Darunter Active Distribution aus England, Anarho-Sindikalisticka Inicijativa aus Serbien, Eutopia aus Griechenland und der Infoladen Schwarzes Radieschen aus Österreich, um nur einige zu nennen. Inhaltlich stellten die angebotenen Bücher einen guten Querschnitt durch die anarchistische Theorie und Praxis dar. So gab es neben anarchistischen Klassikern auch aktuelle Analysen der Krise und sozialer Kämpfe, CrimethInc-Publikationen waren vertreten und einiges aus dem Bereichen DIY und Permaculture. Den meisten Andrang gab es unserer Beobachtung nach beim Stand von Active Distribution. Hier wurden vor allem Bücher und Heftchen von CrimethInc, sowie ein weites Spektrum an DIY-Büchern angeboten, welche sich über reges Interesse freuten. Leider konnte die Buchmesse nicht wie geplant draußen stattfinden, was sicher für ein breiteres Publikum gesorgt hätte, da es fast ununterbrochen regnete.
Die inhaltliche Vielfalt spiegelte sich allerdings nicht nur in den verschiedenen Herkunftsländern der Teilnehmer*innen und den Büchern wieder, sondern auch das Rahmenprogramm war recht umfassend. An drei Tagen fanden 20 geplante Diskussionen statt und auch der Open Space war relativ schnell gefüllt. Es wurden diverse Projekte vorgestellt, wie die „Pizzeria Anarchia“ aus Wien oder die anarchistische Bücherei „The Sparrows Nest“ aus Nottingham. Daneben gab es Diskussionen zu anarchistischen Radios und Publikationen, radikalen Syndikalismus, Frauen in der anarchistischen Bewegung und einiges mehr.
Die Workshops
Eine der aus unserer Sicht interessantesten und best-besuchtesten Veranstaltungen war das Treffen zu Nationalismus im Balkan, zu welchem auch schon vor der Buchmesse explizit mobilisiert wurde. Leider reichte die Zeit gerade einmal, um einen Eindruck über die Situation in den einzelnen Ländern des Balkans zu bekommen. Die Grundidee war jedoch, schon während der Buchmesse Strategien und Vernetzungen gegen den weitverbreiteten Nationalismus im Balkan zu entwickeln. Für uns war jedoch die Vorstellung der einzelnen Länder schon sehr interessant. So waren wir überrascht zu hören, dass es 2001 in Mazedonien einen nationalistischen Aufstand der albanischen Minderheit gab, der letztendlich militärisch niedergeschlagen wurde. Dies scheint generell ein großes Problem in allen Balkanstaaten zu sein, dass es enorm viele Minderheiten in jeder Gesellschaft gibt, welche aber seitens des Staates nicht anerkannt werden. Dazu kommt, dass fast jede Bevölkerungsgruppe in der jüngeren Geschichte von Vertreibung betroffen war. So kommt es, dass jeder ein Stück Balkan für sich beansprucht, Minderheiten nicht anerkannt werden und jedes Land sich als den rechtmäßigen „Besitzer“ seines Territoriums betrachtet. Von rechten Gruppen werden dazu noch regelmäßig Besitzansprüche in anderen Ländern geltend gemacht (z. B. Mazedonien soll albanisch werden, Großkroatien, Großserbien etc.). Ebenfalls wurde festgestellt, dass Faschist*innen meistens besser über Grenzen hinweg vernetzt sind, als es die antifaschistische und antiautoritäre Bewegung ist. So gibt es beispielsweise jeden Februar einen Naziaufmarsch in Sofia (Bulgarien) mit reger Beteiligung aus Kroatien, Serbien und Deutschland, zu dem es keine nennenswerten Gegenaktivitäten gibt. In diesem Sinn wurde eine bessere Vernetzung von Anarchist*innen und Antifaschist*innen im Balkan gefordert und direkt am nächsten Tag gab es ein erstes Vorbereitungstreffen für ein balkanweites Treffen zu Nationalismus im Winter 2013.
Erwähnenswert sind außerdem die Workshops, welche sich direkt mit anarchistischen Medien befassten. So gab es am Freitag eine Diskussion zu anarchistischen Radios, bei der drei Projekte vorgestellt wurden. Den Anfang machten Anarchist*innen aus Ljubljana, welche einen Sendeplatz beim lokalen „Radio Student“ haben und dort alle zwei Wochen ihre Show „Black Hole“ senden. Danach wurde das „Radio Libertaire“ aus Paris vorgestellt, welches seit fast 30 Jahren auf eigener Frequenz sendet. Den Abschluss bildete der Libertäre Podcast vom „Anarchistischen Radio Berlin“. In der anschließenden Diskussion ging es vor allem darum, welche Rolle Radios für die anarchistische Bewegung spielen können, was Kriterien eines anarchistischen Radios sind und mit welchen Schwierigkeiten die einzelnen Projekte zu kämpfen haben. Die Anwesenden waren sich einig, dass Radios vor allem bei großen Aktionen (Blockaden, Gegengipfel usw.) eine wichtige Rolle spielen, um Proteste zu koordinieren. In Gegenden, in denen es kaum Internet gibt, spielen sie außerdem eine enorm wichtige Rolle, um Bewegungen zu verknüpfen und Gegeninfos zu streuen (z. B. freie Radios der Zapatistas). Auch für Europa wurde darauf hingewiesen, dass anarchistische bzw. Freie Radios nach wie vor eine wichtige Rolle spielen, wenn es darum geht, Gegeninfos und Nachrichten aus der Bewegung zu verbreiten. Alle anwesenden Radios haben auch erfreulich hohe Einschaltquoten.
Was macht nun aber ein anarchistisches Radio aus? Im Laufe der Debatte wurde klar, dass es weniger ein explizit anarchistischer Inhalt ist, als vielmehr die Organisation des Radios selber. Der Mensch vom „Radio Libertaire“ meinte treffend, dass es ihnen schwer fallen würde, 24 Stunden Programm jeden Tag mit rein anarchistischen Inhalten zu füllen und dass dies wohl auch die Attraktivität des Radios senken würde. Das Wichtigste sei aber, dass die Arbeit für das Radio, die Programmgestaltung und alles Weitere nach Grundsätzen der Hierarchiefreiheit und Selbstorganisation abläuft. Das Hauptproblem für alle Projekte ist hauptsächlich die Finanzierung, sowie teilweise die Unterbesetzung, was es schwer macht regelmäßig zu senden.
Bei der Diskussion über anarchistische Printmedien stellten sich ebenfalls erfreulich viele verschiedene Projekte vor. Neben der „Gai-Dao“ aus Deutschland auch das „Center for Libertarian Studies“ aus Belgrad, welches Archiv, Bücherei und Verlag zugleich ist. Hauptdiskussionspunkt war die Frage, wie einerseits viele Leute mit anarchistischen Inhalten erreicht werden können und gleichzeitig Debatten initiiert und vertieft werden können. Die Lösung scheint darin zu liegen, ein möglichst breites Angebot an Medien mit unterschiedlichen Schwerpunkten anbieten zu können, was aber wie schon bei den Radios oft an finanziellen Problemen und mangelnder Beteiligung scheitert. Allerdings sind die Menschen aus Belgrad wohl sehr erfolgreich damit ein wöchentliches Bulletin zu produzieren, was vielen Leuten als Einstieg in anarchistische Theorie dient. Insgesamt variiert die Methode der Produktion und Verteilung stark von Projekt zu Projekt, ebenso wie der Anspruch, wer angesprochen werden soll.
Neben diesen eher praktischen Diskussionen gab es eine Hauptdiskussion. Diese drehte sich um das Thema Anarchismus und soziale Bewegung. Dabei wurden die Fragen gestellt, wie Anarchist*innen mit sozialen Bewegungen zusammenarbeiten können und ob und wie Allianzen gebildet werden können. Zum ersten Punkt wurde hauptsächlich festgestellt, dass es wichtig ist, Organisation und Ziele der Bewegungen durch das Propagieren anarchistischer Prinzipien zu beeinflussen. Konkret heißt das, die Selbstorganisation, Hierarchiefreiheit und Basisdemokratie anzuwenden. Dabei ist es nicht unbedingt notwendig, offensiv als Anarchist*innen in Erscheinung zu treten, da dies nach Erfahrung einiger Menschen oft abschreckend wirkt.
Was die Frage der Allianzen betrifft, wurde von einigen Leuten die Bildung solcher auf Basis allgemeiner Forderungen als wichtig betont. Die Zusammenarbeit sollte hauptsächlich mit bereits organisierten Gruppen erfolgen. Von anderen Menschen wurde aber auch betont, dass sich diese Zusammenarbeit meist als schwierig und wenig dauerhaft und nützlich erweist.
Weitere Highlights neben den Diskussionen und der Messe an sich, war das Konzert des selbstorganisierten Frauenchors „Kombinat“. Dieser wusste die Menge mit Klassikern wie „ A las barricadas“, „Die Internationale“ oder „Bella Ciao“ zu begeistern. Außerdem gab es am Samstagabend eine Spontandemo in die Innenstadt, an der sich etwa 100 Leute beteiligten. Es wurde ein Statement von der Messe verlesen, sowie Infomaterial verteilt.
Abschließend bleibt zu sagen, dass die gesamten drei Tage von einer sehr entspannten und solidarischen Stimmung geprägt waren. Viele Leute nutzten die Zeit, um sich zu vernetzen und auszutauschen und jeder Menge Kontakten und neuen Büchern im Gepäck wieder heimzufahren. In diesem Sinne: Vielen Dank und alles Gute für die nächsten 10 Jahre!
http://www.a-federacija.org/2013/05/26/we-are-their-crisis-for-a-transnational-struggle-against-capitalism-and-repression/ (Bilder von der Demo am Samstag und der Redebeitrag)
https://fda-ifa.org/10-jahre-theorie-und-praxis-balkan-anarchist-bookfair-2013/
