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BASS Summer School (Jan 12, 2013). Anarchism, the State and the Praxis of Contemporary Antisystemic Social Movements . Morgan Gibson. The Argument.
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BASS Summer School (Jan 12, 2013) Anarchism, the State and the Praxis of Contemporary Antisystemic Social Movements Morgan Gibson
The Argument • An anarchistic praxis - though not a doctrinaire ideological programme - has become the principle point of reference for radical, antisystemic movements • This can be seen, in many ways, as a response to the failure of ideologically motivated, ‘state centric’ versions to bring about substantial, transformative social change once assuming power • The Zapatistas and Abahlali baseMjondolo will be used as cases to illustrate this
Overview • The failure of the ‘state centric’ antisystemic movement to beget transformative change • Explore what is meant by terms ‘anarchism’ and ‘anarchistic praxis’ • Case Studies: The Zapatistas (EZLN) and Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM)
The State Centric Antisystemic Movements: A Tale of Decline • Antisystemic movements have traditionally seen the state as principal agent of transformative change • At one stage, it appeared as though there would be inevitable success in transforming the world as these movements spread far and wide • Eventual failure to achieve promises and reification of inequities led to disenchantment with statist options • Can we see here the seeds constituting the rise of anarchism?
Anarchism • Anarchism not an ideology of violence and chaos • Key Principles: • Opposition to imposed hierarchy • Individualism • Anti-statism • Conflation of means and ends • Decentralisation • Direct Democracy • Mutualism and Mutual Aid • Opposition to capitalism
Case Studies • Anarchistic praxis key • Anti-statism born from struggle and oppression at the hands of state and capital • ‘Post-Ideological’ anarchism
The Zapatistas • Emerged from context of neo-colonial struggle • Seek autonomy from the state and capital • Reject ‘vanguardism’ and representation • Congruence of means and ends • Committed to exercising power at the individual level • Decentralisation and Direct Democracy • Mutualism
AbahlalibaseMjondolo (AbM) • Emerged through struggle in response to failures of post-Apartheid regime • Commitment to autonomy from the ‘corrupt’ state • Opposition to capitalism • Direct Action • Direct democracy and decentralisation • Means and Ends – a ‘people’s politics’
Conclusion • An anarchistic praxis - though not a doctrinaire ideological programme - has become the principle point of reference for radical, antisystemic movements in response to this. • The Zapatistas and Abahlali baseMjondolo used as evidence of this
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