How to overcome dictatorial tendancies within non-hierarchical organising

INTROS

• direct action
• indy
• cat
• amnesty - bureaucracy
• palestinian solidarity - middle east and here
• sydney uni: bad factionalism, esp. education campaign
  • enviro-collective - excited by the workshop!!
• community organising

What is the problem?

disruptive/breakdown of trust how to deal with this in an assertive way that doesn't just reinforce the polarisation

hierarchical groups PRIMARY AIM is to build their membership

their strategies include:

• deciding questions in advance
• group hassles

IDEAS

authoritarian personalities/psychological

CONTEXTS

everyday working coalitions/mass-mobilising e.g. quebec/ftaa - CLAC

PGA ImcNantesPrinciples - Hallmarks of Unity ==> decided beforehand (almost) to give basic rules to debate. http://www.agp.org

systemic violence violence against property

pre-caucasing ppl - pre-defined agenda ==> DISRESPECT

Examples of ESF/consensus

setting up groups

how to reform an existing collective? ==> get ppl come in and set those ground rules ==> get the non-hierarchical base in there first

* people should have a say in direct proportion to the effect it will have on them *

working outside the system can be exclusatory - authority, funds. but this isn't neccessarily the thing that makes the organising effective.

'public shaming'

direct action in occupied territories - internationals and palestinian coordinators/translators.

thinking that 'your' way is the 'best' way.

knowing the theory and explaining (repetitively) to people deciding within an affinity group and then inviting others to join - concensus doesn't mean having the right to veto the action!

referring back to concensus!

often difficult to resolve interpersonal relationships.

GENDER ISSUES

live in an environment where men dominate trying to create a more equal activist society trying to figure out if women being assertive is just going against preconceptions

general AWARENESS - e.g. talk one less time than you would normally (as a guy), listen for a couple of minutes longer than you would normally

bowl of string exercise: "ohh - and it would also work with socialists track who speaks then trace it back afterwards.

bowl of pebbles - each gets 5 pebbles representing number of times allowed to speak

Other examples

Perth Social Forum

• trot parties to provide ONE speaker only!
• know who you're working with: state where you;re coming

NAMING DYNAMICS

• breaking through structural violence - it's based on the status quo! the system!

• people need to be uncomfortable if they're gonna change: change is hard and uncomfortable

• stating that we're offended. be frank.

• stating emotions takes a lot of courage.

PROBLEMS WITH THE PARTY LINE

aren't they all individuals?

• no genuine interaction
• they're not allowed to shift their position
• not allowed to participate in the part

need to shift the group into new tactics. slow process

making our alternatives VISIBLE

                     /\
                    /  \
                 new    \ 
               group     \  
                /         \
               /           \
  -clear principles        existing
    CONCENSUS                group     \
 -principles of unity      /      |     \
  -purpose               /        |      \
   -defend your space  /          |       \
                     /            |        \
          spot the trots!     educate         start 
         naming & shaming     membership       another 
         anarchist bouncers   in concensus       group!
 

ideas to help set up a new group.

one no but many yes's

---

-- GarconDuMonde - 21 Jul 2004 - posted and partially 'twiki'ised
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