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Title: What is Anarchy? Author: ziq Date: 2018 Language: en Topics: anarchy, introductory Source: To the Desertmaker and other writings for malcontents
Anarchy is the opposition to authority, the rejection of hierarchy and
the unending struggle for autonomy and self-determination.
Anarchy is above all a practice, not a theory. It is about actively
working to end authoritarian relationships wherever they exist, and
build non-authoritarian alternatives.
It is not about trying to prescribe a way of life for an imagined place
and time, and imagined people. It is for real people and dealing with
real problems.
Anarchy is a living and breathing praxis that we incorporate into our
everyday lives. A personal stance against authority that informs all our
decisions and thus shapes the trajectory of our existence.
There is no end-goal to anarchy. It is an ongoing, unending fight
against hierarchical systems and the authority figures that construct
them.
Anarchy is a desire for freedom from tyranny. Anarchy is countless
generations of disparate people with the drive to be freer than they are
under the systems that forcibly govern them.
When we talk to people about anarchy, they often ask, "how practical is
it? Can you demonstrate anarchy to me, so that I can appreciate its
effectiveness?" Praxis is how we show anarchy working.
Praxis is any action that embodies and realizes anarchy. It's a valuable
method for creating awareness of anarchist causes and building
solidarity in your community.
There are countless examples of anarchist praxis. Online communities
like anarchistnews.org or raddle.me are examples of anarchist praxis, as
they demonstrate anarchist management and create community, solidarity,
education, and opportunities to organize. Setting up a Food Not Bombs
chapter in your community is great praxis. Squatting an unused building
to provide a safe space for homeless people. Starting a free shop that
people can freely take what they need from. Building community gardens
to feed and engage the community. Preparing free meals for refugees in
your country. Making a zine or a podcast about an important topic to
raise awareness and open a dialogue. Creating and disseminating memes
from an Anarchist perspective. Assassinating a dictator. Creating an
autonomous zone. Stopping pipelines from being built. Teaching people to
be self-sufficient by gardening, foraging for food, and upcycling.
Forming a human chain to stop cops from arresting migrants. Teaching
self-defence. Closing roads and ports to inhibit global trade. Starting
an anarchist bike collective to fix people's bikes. Flying a drove near
an airport. Making music that shines a light on injustices in the world.
Setting up a community mesh-net to share data with your community in a
decentralized manner.
There are just some examples of good things anarchists do in our
communities every day. Just writing about this and perhaps inspiring
some people to do anarchy is praxis.