Schedule for Stockholm Anarchist Bookfair
Posted by b9AcE in Anarchism, Anarchist Bookfair, General, Stockholm, Sweden, Translations on 2015-08-13
This is the schedule for Stockholm Anarchist Bookfair 2015, held 22 August at Solidaritetshuset.
Translated to English by b9AcE
THE LIBRARY
10:30 – 11:30: Data-protection and the right to self-determination
Tracking and gathering of information about you happens all the time – often without you being aware, and often by companies that you don’t even know about. Learn about how you are tracked, how your life is mapped and what you can do to avoid it – or why it can be impossible to avoid without political change. We talk about data-protection and why it can be both a common responsibility and for the public good.
SPEAKER: Amelia Andersdotter (Dataskydd.net) and Anders Jensen-Urstad (Dataskydd.net, The World Library)
13:00 – 14:00: Commons from a feminist perspective
Within Allt åt Alla (All for All) Stockholm’s feminist struggle group we have started working with commons as a feminist strategy. In our work we have started largely from the autonomous feminist Silvia Federici’s thoughts and it is also on these our talk will be based. A commons is a resource, any, that is managed by a collective based on rules made together. How commons and feminism belongs together you will hear in the seminar.
14:40 – 15:30: How can the women that are exposed to religious oppression be supported – at the same time as racism is fought?
A fundamentalist religious oppression of women is growing in some suburbs. At the same time SD (the “Sweden Democrat” party” is baiting against Muslims as a part of their racist agenda. How can we fight the religious fundamentalism, at the same time as we are implacable against the racists?
Participants: Leila Qaraee, Kvinnors nätverk (Women’s network) and Helin Gül, Varken hora eller kuvad (Neither whore nor subdued). Discussion leader Jens-Hugo Nyberg, Arbetarmakt (Workers Power)
16:00 – 17:30: Realm of Freedom – wikipedians about their practice, their production methods and Capitalism
Is “peer production” a complement or an alternative to Capitalism? Arwid Lund will try to answer the question ny studying swedish wikipedians’ view on it.
SPEAKER: Arwid Lund postgraduate at the ABM institution, University of Uppsala)
18:00 – 19:00: The Swedish State’s violence against women, LGBTQ-persons and the working class
The Swedish State performed forcible sterilizations, lobotomies, castrations and institutionalizations against women, LGBTQ-persons and the lower stratas of the working class during the years 1934-1974. A seminar about the mentality and the broad political support that these laws had and how the Swedish State and our politicians try to silence and sweep all this under the rug.
OUTDOORS SEMINARS IN THE PAVILION
10:00 – 11:00: About anti-fascist strategies to a broader public with foundation in how anti-fascism was seen and handled by the nationalist right-wing of the 2000s.
Kim Fredriksson will speak about his own time in the radical right movement and give examples on how the radical right has developed through the years. He will also give his view on how future activism can be carried out while the right wing swing of society becomes more and more substantial.
Lecturer: Kim Fredriksson, former organizer and strategist within the radical right movement. Today he is an outspoken anti-fascist and sees himself as a democratic socialist
13:30 – 14:30: Presentation of Firefund
Firefund is a newly established crowdfunding site that targets protests and social movements around the world. The site has recently launched with the Kobane reconstruction board’s project for rebuilding Kobane. Through a presentation of Firefund, the ideas behind and thoughts on the Kobane campaign, the presentation will include a debate of international solidarity anno 2015 and a discussion on the tools and methods we, as activists, use to support each others protests around the world.
15:00 – 16:30: Antifenix – ‘Operation Fénix’ Police Repressions in Czech Republic
A presentation about the police repressions against Czech anarchists that broke out on 28th April this year and continues since then. The police used infiltrators to provoke consent to a fabricated plan and they forged evidence that lead to the arrest of several people. The police raided flats and a social center and confiscated personal material as well as a server that hosted several important Czech anarchist websites, among them ABC and Green Action.
Four anarchists are now imprisoned and awaiting their trials for crimes that actually never even happened. They are accused of “terrorist activity”. The surveillance and targeting of anti-authoritarians is not unique in Czech Republic, we have seen it recently in Spain, US and through history. It is important that we realize this so that the police can’t frighten us with these tactics!
From the presentation you will learn some about the anarchist movement and situation in Czech Republic, information about the police operation ‘Fénix’ and what is going on currently. We would also like to open for a discussion and questions about security culture, surveillance and how to react on such events described, for example building stronger and safer networks. Solidarity is our weapon so if people are interested we would also like to talk about some ideas on how to help the victims of the state.
17:00 – 18:00: To be announced.
18:30 – 19:30: To be announced.
THE SMALL COURTYARD
10:45 – 11:45: Arbetarmakt: Anarchism during the Spanish Civil War – a critical review
The stalinists and and reformists intentionally stabbed the Spanish Revolution in the back and thereby contributed to fascism’s victory. How could this have been prevented? Did the anarchists show a path that could have led to victory, and in that case: which anarchists? The difference between CNT’s ministers and Durutti’s friends was big. What can we learn from the experience?
14:45 – 13:45: Activist law with focus on evidence
How do you that is prosecuted for crimes in connection with political actions to get the prosecutor’s evidence to be considered of low value as well as bring your own counter-evidence? Workshop-like seminar based in practical experiences from both the lecturer and the participants.
Organizer: A member of Vänsterjuristerna (Leftist Lawyers) Stockholm
14:15 – 15:15: International Solidarity Movement Sweden – Palestine
Have you ever thought about going to Palestine? International Solidarity Movement Sweden will have review of history and tell about the situation on the West Bank and in Gaza. How do they work on location with non-violence and direct action? What is their goal? How will they ensure that Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian areas ceases? Welcome to the seminar!
WORKSHOPS IN THE OTHER INNER COURTYARD
11:30: RASA: Anti-sexist internal work and consent (3 hours. Limited participants: 15)
We live in a society that says it is up to us to not get subjected to abuse, forces us to fight for out corporal integrity and puts no responsibility with the assailant. The workshop wants to change this. We want the rape culture to get changed into a consent culture, where all except a continuing yes means no. During the workshop we will discuss and write about consent, what it means for us as participants and how we can practice it in our every day lives. We want to have a safer room for everyone. After the workshop the room will be open for continued talk or discussion. We also want to be clear with that we lack knowledge in how to handle traumas. The workshop has its focus on how we together can build a consent culture.
Note! If the workshop feels troublesome, or a part of it, there is the a possibility to abstain from some exercises or leave the workshop. We also ask you to respect if someone is uncomfortable with your presence, which means that you must find other places to work with consent.
17:00 – 18:00: Sober Coven: Temperance
The alcohol norm is constant present in our lives and is something often overlooked, even though it can not be avoided. Meanwhile the many negative sides are affecting “Our Movement” and exposed people to a very large degree. We want to highlight yhis, we want to go other directions, see other possibilities to find each other in the every day instead of drowning our sorrows. We want to give us tools and weapons to create something else, without fuzzy edges. Come to our workshop to participate in a discussion about how we can struggle and find alternative paths.
ANARCHIST MOVIE SCREENING IN THE PROJECTOR ROOM
11:00 – 12:00: Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years 1954 – 1965 (60 min)
A documentary about the American Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The first season, Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years 1954–1964, chronicles the time period between the United States Supreme Court ruling on Brown v. Board of Education (1954) to the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965.
14:00 – 16:00: Joe Hill (114 min)
Joe Hill is a 1971 biopic about Swedish-American labor activist Joe Hill, born Joel Emanuel Hägglund in Gävle, Sweden. The film depicts Hill’s involvement with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) union, and his trial for murder during which he defends himself. It won the Jury Prize at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.
18:00 – 20:30: Reds (195 min)
A radical American journalist becomes involved with the Communist revolution in Russia and hopes to bring its spirit and idealism to the United States. The film covers the life of John Reed and Louise Bryant from their first meeting to Reed’s final days in 1920 Russia. Interspersed throughout the narrative, several surviving witnesses from the time period give their recollections of Reed, Bryant, their colleagues and friends, and the era itself.
Anti Fascist Action Stockholm: Travel Report From Rojava
Posted by b9AcE in General, Kurds, Rojava, Translations on 2015-02-13
Anti Fascist Action Stockholm [translation: b9AcE] | 2015-02-10
When we write this it is a little over a week since the Kobanê Canton’s defense forces, YPG and YPJ, declared victory in Kobanê.
The victory means a lot for the Kurds. The city’s resistance has become a symbol in the resistance against ISIS, whom the Kurds call Daesh. Daesh is an abbreviation of ISIS but is similar to the Arabic ”daes” which means to trample or crush. It is used in this context derogatorily of ISIS and removes ISIS’ right to name themselves. The fascists of ISIS have banned the word in the areas they control and they take it so seriously that those that use it are threatened with having their tongues cut out.
Many have asked themselves how the Kurds have been able to beat back Daesh. The fight against Daesh has been undertaken with substandard military equipment. Many quickly point out that YPG/YPJ have had assistance from an international coalition that has been performing airstrikes against Daesh. That is in itself not a reasonable explanation to how the victory was achieved in Kobanê as the bombing did not live up to the expectations. When the bombing began in October many thought the victory was close but it took another near four months before victory could be declared. The answer for the question how the Kurds could beat Daesh in Kobanê must be sought elsewhere.
Anti Fascist Action Stockholm (AFA Stockholm) sent a delegation before New Year to Suruç that lies on the border to Kobanê. Partly to show our solidarity by being able to on location help with practical work and partly to also tie contacts for the future. Then Cantons’ struggle is a part of the same anti-capitalist struggle that is undertaken all over the world that now has been forced into a defensive war against the fascist Daesh. We also tried to understand the key to the resistance’s success. On location we met one of the Kobanê Canton’s female leaders. We undertook solidarity work and talked with the people that had been forced to flee from Daesh. One of those we met is Ape Nemir. An old man that has become a symbol of the resistance in Kobanê. He told of how three of his four sons are in Kobanê and fight in YPG. Ape Nemir had a month earlier been sent to the hospital in Suruç when the for the fourth time had been shot. He and his wife as well as his fourth son lived in a refugee camp outside Suruç when we met him. Ape Nemir’s wife was deeply involved in the Canton’s work before the war. When we meet Ape Nemir he stands in a little village four kilometers from Kobanê and stares towards the city. “I just want to go back and fight. What am I doing here? I am of not useful here. Kobanê is ours and we refuse to move!”
Ape Nemir stands in the middle of the picture.
Three years ago a power vacuum was created in Northern Syria when al-Assad’s regime, due to the civil war, no longer could control the areas. The Kurds in the region with PKK’s sister party in Syria, PYD, at the forefront could replace the regime with their own structures and take over the power. This lead to that the Kurds three years ago, at a large conference, proclaimed three autonomous regions. The regions are called Cantons. The Cantons have mutually agreed to signing a new social contract. It is an ideologically conscious designation as they reject traditional state building and do not call it a common constitution. At the same conference the need for the Cantons to be able to defend themselves was also seen. PYD that has a strong tie to the revolutionary PKK, has embraced PKK’s view on shared leadership between the genders, this also lead to the creation of two branches within the defense forces. One female, YPJ, and one male, YPG. An internal security organ was also created for the Cantons that is named Asayish. It is not a police service as the police is formed to protect the state and Asayish exists to protect the people. What is unusual is the force’s training that consists of both military and police training but to a large part is a gender equality education that aims to uplift the women’s role in the work. People we talk to in Suruç that have interviewed people in the Jazira Canton tell us that the long term goal within Asayish is to on the long term disband itself through broader education of the population. Also within Asayish there is an equally divided strength of women and men.
A boy shows victory signs in support of Rojava. He lives in one of the many refugee camps that are outside Suruç.
The organizing of society has also been done differently. The Cantons are characterized by a system called ”Democratic Confederalism” with strong Anarchist influences and rejects state building. The idea comes from PKK’s leader Abdullah Öcalan. Instead of, as in Capitalist countries, have the market that dictates the conditions for society, the society in the Cantons is based on grass-roots participation and self-determination. The power in the Cantons derive from councils that are organized from street-, block-, town- and canton-level. The work in the Cantons are partially organized in cooperatives where the bosses are replaced with chosen representatives. The Rojava Cantons work daily to bring the power down to the people and give humans back the power over their own lives.
The Rojava experiment that has been working for three years must be seen as one of the root causes of the victory. The people are not fighting against Daesh only because of fear and survival instinct but they are fighting for something. Something they see as their own. The Rojava Cantons have in a very short amount of time let the people feel their own power. They are involved in the decisions, they are part of shaping their own conditions, they have taken back the power over their own lives. It is one of the keys of the resistance, they have created a society that they view as their own and it is this that they fight for. When it comes to the women that also are a key of the resistance. In Rojava they have fought to gain freedoms and rights that women in the rest of the world lack. Women’s position in Rojava is unique and one of the driving forces of the revolution. Their fight is double, they fight for gender equality in Rojava at the same time as they fight the fascists in Daesh that want to enslave them. The women in Rojava perform the work efficiently and very successfully. In the civil society they have shared leadership on all posts. In the military struggle they also work efficiently. The military struggle strengthens the civilian struggle. The stereotypical arguments such as that some works are women’s work or that the male is the natural warrior becomes empty phrases when one studies the Rojava experiment. Daesh is not the greatest threat to the Cantons. The Capitalist interests threaten Rojava and so far the Cantons have not given influence to the advocates of neo-liberalism. The rebuilding of Kobanê will be an incitement for neo-liberal actors to gain influence over the Cantons. One of the greatest challenges face the Cantons after the war.
In a village outside Suruç lies the warriors that have fallen in defense of Kobanê
The rebuilding of Kobanê needs concrete and the only manufacturer of cement in the region is Turkey. The country with Erdoğan’s reactionary party, AKP, at the forefront views the Kurds as the greatest threat to the Turkish national-state. Erdoğan has recently said that Turkey will help with the rebuilding. The question is on which conditions? Rojava is today subject to an embargo that is maintained by Turkey. The embargo means that no goods are allowed into the Cantons but must be smuggled across the Turkish border. Turkey’s resistance towards Rojava has been shown in several ways, but the country has also played a dangerous game as there is information that Turkish military has been assisting Daesh around Kobanê. Either by being permissive towards them or in other cases by more directly assisting them by giving them weapons or letting Daesh-fighters over the Turkish border. They have also sought out wounded YPG/YPJ-warriors in Suruç when they were receiving medical care and put them in jail.
When we talk to a representative from Kobanê she underlines how important the solidarity from the whole world is. “-We welcome all people that support our project, because it is not really just ours. The struggle that takes place here takes place all over the world in various forms. We are grateful for all solidarity that people from all over the world show through supporting us both in various ways here on location and at home. We especially welcome female activists as it is especially important that women exchange experiences and support each other in the struggle. It is also important that female activists come here because in Rojava we have made such progress that has not been made anywhere else in the world.”
More and more progressive forces in the world have seen what happens in Rojava and many have in solidarity sent activists to support the struggle in Rojava. Now there has also been a callout to create an international brigade in Rojava. There is room for the brigade to assist in combat as well as in the rebuilding of Kobanê. The fight in Rojava has many faces and there is a lot to help out with, not the least of which to bring forth the revolution.
We in AFA Stockholm see that the struggle in Rojava is part of a global struggle. It is just one of several front lines in the Capitalist world but it is important as in Rojava a space has been created that actually has created the foundations to build a society liberated from Capitalism. Rojava is an example of how people can take the power over their own lives through autonomous zones that are characterized by Real Democracy.
We in AFA Stockholm call on all progressive forces to support the struggle of Rojava. Rojava shows that freedom from the state and capital’s conditions gives possibilities to create a new society that is characterized by equality. This society is not possible to create within the framework of Capitalism. Therefore we see the necessity in creating the new society where were stand today. Wherever you are we call on you to get organized and join the struggle!
BIJI BIJI ROJAVA! THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES!
/AFA Stockholm
Translated from Swedish to English by b9AcE on 2015-02-12.
While translating highest priority was given to preserving the original phrasing and punctuation as far as possible.
The original publication was at the official website of Anti Fascist Action Sweden (AFA Sverige).
I am not affiliated, but considered the information important and therefore decided to translate it to enable global reach.
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