Anarchism, the State and the Praxis of Contemporary Antisystemic Social Movements

1. BASS Summer School (Jan 12, 2013) Anarchism, the State and the Praxis of Contemporary Antisystemic Social Movements Morgan Gibson

2. 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

3. 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)

4. 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?

5. 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

6. Case Studies • Anarchistic praxis key • Anti-statism born from struggle and oppression at the hands of state and capital • ‘Post-Ideological’ anarchism

7. 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

8. 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’

9. 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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