Workshop blurbs and readings
Below is some more info about the workshops to be presented at summer school. More information will be available at the conference and on this website as it comes to hand. As for the readings - we hope to provide readings both to accompany workshops and to be a focus of discussion. Please do the readings in advance if you get the time! That way everyone will have some background in what will be discussed, making summer school more democratic and participatory.
'Anarchism in Practice: Workers' Control'...(Saturday 19th, 11am- 12.30pm)
READING: Rudolf Rocker, 'Anarcho-Syndicalism', especially Chapter 4 'The Objectives of Anarcho-Syndicalism' and Chapter 5 'the Methods of Anarcho-Syndicalism'; available here
Nonviolence and Anarchism... (Saturday 19th, 1.15- 2.30pm)
"The question of violence and nonviolence has haunted anarchism from its beginnings as a self - conscious political philosophy" - David Graeber.
In this workshop I will put forward the idea that: mystical anarchy, from its 'origins' in ancient societies- well before people gave the practice of 'the free spirit' the name of anarchism- is, so far the most consistent space in practice and theory, for the ongoing possibilities of nonviolent revolution. I will briefly expand upon this, especially from the perspective of New Religious Movements, that are anarchic. This workshop will not cover orthodox forms of religion but heterodox and heretic forms, like (Re newed) Animism, Paganism, Neo Gandhian's and other eclectic forms of spirituality. I will briefly put forward some of the critiques of nonviolence from the anarchist perspective (Gelderloos) and then some of the critiques of Gelderloos, that also come from anarchism. This, I hope will give a basis to open up a dialogue - and throw around ideas.
'Identity Politics and Social War'... (Saturday 19th, 2.45 to 4pm)
A place to discuss and critically reflect on how lessons learned and interventions made under the broad umbrella of identity/ anti-oppression politics contribute to or hinder our revolutionary practice now. Can those ideas that are truly revolutionary be separated from the constraints of guilt-mongering, rigid and classist practice, denial of agency and a tendency to reformism that often has a hold within the propagation of identity-based politics? Please see associated reading if you have the time...
READING: Peter Gelderloos, 'Lines in Sand', especially the middle essay 'So Fucked Up', available here
'Anarchist Spaces'... (Saturday 19th, 4.15 to 5.30pm)
Anarchists lost in space: What are we doing here? Why doesn’t anyone come and visit?
Come along to this workshop to have an honest discussion about our anarchist spaces – squats, social centres and bookshops. Jeremy will give a 15 minute introductory talk, followed by general discussion around questions such as:
• What is social space? What is its connection to power?
• Why do anarchists put so much energy into appropriating spaces?
• When are anarchist spaces successful, and when do they fail?
• Will renovations really build the revolution?
• Where should we be sitting right now: Jura or Westfield?
READING: 'Anarchists Lost in Space', available here.
Sneak, Sneakier, Sneakiest:- Anarchism and Art revisited... (Time to be confirmed)
Host: Ruby Robin
Join me on an exploration of the most potent form of communication and protest, yes the visual image. Art sets a precedent for some of the most powerful and provocative need i say inspirational ability for Anarchism and 21st century Anarchist philosophy.
Marx's Capital for Anarchists and Anarchosyndicalists ... (Saturday 4:15-5:30pm)
This workshop aims to introduce anarcho-oriented comrades to Karl Marx’s Capital, the mature Marx’s most systematic work. We will cover some of the basic concepts in this work, by discussing selected passages fromCapital, vol. 1. We will work our way up to the chapter which will be the main focus of the session: Chapter 13, “On Cooperation”, which deals with the capitalistic organisation of work. This chapter is of special significance to anarchists and anarchosyndicalists because it uncovers the connection in the workplace between capitalism and hierarchy.
Reading options - Although copies of selected passages will be available at the time, intending participants will get more out of the workshop if they do at least some reading prior to the session. Below are some suggestions for reading options.
1. For those who are keen and have sufficient time for prior reading:
Chapter 1, “The Commodity”; sections 1, 2, & 4. (4 is optional.)
Chapter 4, “General formula for Capital”.
Chapter 10, “The Working Day”, section 7, (especially the final few paragraphs).
Chapter 13, “On Cooperation”.
2. For those who have limited time for prior reading:
Skim the above readings to get a general impression of their content; or just read Chapter 13, if possible.
3. For those who have no time for prior reading
The workshop handout will contain the passages selected for discussion.
Sources
1. Capital, vol. 1 is available in Penguin. I recommend this edition; all passages on the handout are from this edition.
2. A different translation of Capital is available online at: http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/cw/volume35/index.htm
Insurrectionary Anarchism... (Sunday 20th, 10.45am -12 midday)
The desire to push social unrest and to attack all institutions that oppress us - from the immense (government, police, patriarchy) to the everyday (school, real estate, designer clothes shops) - should not be dulled in the face of complacency and typical leftist doctrines. We can self-organise within our own lives while acting in solidarity with others in struggle, speak our own words without diluting the message, attack the ordinary while building the alternative and refuse to be drawn into accepted games of negotiation with the state and the police. As the tendency to insurrection ignites across Europe, through the Middle-East and to South America we want to talk about how this strategy might look here.
'Anarchism in Practice: Workers' Control'...(Saturday 19th, 11am- 12.30pm)
READING: Rudolf Rocker, 'Anarcho-Syndicalism', especially Chapter 4 'The Objectives of Anarcho-Syndicalism' and Chapter 5 'the Methods of Anarcho-Syndicalism'; available here
Nonviolence and Anarchism... (Saturday 19th, 1.15- 2.30pm)
"The question of violence and nonviolence has haunted anarchism from its beginnings as a self - conscious political philosophy" - David Graeber.
In this workshop I will put forward the idea that: mystical anarchy, from its 'origins' in ancient societies- well before people gave the practice of 'the free spirit' the name of anarchism- is, so far the most consistent space in practice and theory, for the ongoing possibilities of nonviolent revolution. I will briefly expand upon this, especially from the perspective of New Religious Movements, that are anarchic. This workshop will not cover orthodox forms of religion but heterodox and heretic forms, like (Re newed) Animism, Paganism, Neo Gandhian's and other eclectic forms of spirituality. I will briefly put forward some of the critiques of nonviolence from the anarchist perspective (Gelderloos) and then some of the critiques of Gelderloos, that also come from anarchism. This, I hope will give a basis to open up a dialogue - and throw around ideas.
'Identity Politics and Social War'... (Saturday 19th, 2.45 to 4pm)
A place to discuss and critically reflect on how lessons learned and interventions made under the broad umbrella of identity/ anti-oppression politics contribute to or hinder our revolutionary practice now. Can those ideas that are truly revolutionary be separated from the constraints of guilt-mongering, rigid and classist practice, denial of agency and a tendency to reformism that often has a hold within the propagation of identity-based politics? Please see associated reading if you have the time...
READING: Peter Gelderloos, 'Lines in Sand', especially the middle essay 'So Fucked Up', available here
'Anarchist Spaces'... (Saturday 19th, 4.15 to 5.30pm)
Anarchists lost in space: What are we doing here? Why doesn’t anyone come and visit?
Come along to this workshop to have an honest discussion about our anarchist spaces – squats, social centres and bookshops. Jeremy will give a 15 minute introductory talk, followed by general discussion around questions such as:
• What is social space? What is its connection to power?
• Why do anarchists put so much energy into appropriating spaces?
• When are anarchist spaces successful, and when do they fail?
• Will renovations really build the revolution?
• Where should we be sitting right now: Jura or Westfield?
READING: 'Anarchists Lost in Space', available here.
Sneak, Sneakier, Sneakiest:- Anarchism and Art revisited... (Time to be confirmed)
Host: Ruby Robin
Join me on an exploration of the most potent form of communication and protest, yes the visual image. Art sets a precedent for some of the most powerful and provocative need i say inspirational ability for Anarchism and 21st century Anarchist philosophy.
Marx's Capital for Anarchists and Anarchosyndicalists ... (Saturday 4:15-5:30pm)
This workshop aims to introduce anarcho-oriented comrades to Karl Marx’s Capital, the mature Marx’s most systematic work. We will cover some of the basic concepts in this work, by discussing selected passages fromCapital, vol. 1. We will work our way up to the chapter which will be the main focus of the session: Chapter 13, “On Cooperation”, which deals with the capitalistic organisation of work. This chapter is of special significance to anarchists and anarchosyndicalists because it uncovers the connection in the workplace between capitalism and hierarchy.
Reading options - Although copies of selected passages will be available at the time, intending participants will get more out of the workshop if they do at least some reading prior to the session. Below are some suggestions for reading options.
1. For those who are keen and have sufficient time for prior reading:
Chapter 1, “The Commodity”; sections 1, 2, & 4. (4 is optional.)
Chapter 4, “General formula for Capital”.
Chapter 10, “The Working Day”, section 7, (especially the final few paragraphs).
Chapter 13, “On Cooperation”.
2. For those who have limited time for prior reading:
Skim the above readings to get a general impression of their content; or just read Chapter 13, if possible.
3. For those who have no time for prior reading
The workshop handout will contain the passages selected for discussion.
Sources
1. Capital, vol. 1 is available in Penguin. I recommend this edition; all passages on the handout are from this edition.
2. A different translation of Capital is available online at: http://marxists.org/archive/marx/works/cw/volume35/index.htm
Insurrectionary Anarchism... (Sunday 20th, 10.45am -12 midday)
The desire to push social unrest and to attack all institutions that oppress us - from the immense (government, police, patriarchy) to the everyday (school, real estate, designer clothes shops) - should not be dulled in the face of complacency and typical leftist doctrines. We can self-organise within our own lives while acting in solidarity with others in struggle, speak our own words without diluting the message, attack the ordinary while building the alternative and refuse to be drawn into accepted games of negotiation with the state and the police. As the tendency to insurrection ignites across Europe, through the Middle-East and to South America we want to talk about how this strategy might look here.
