(en) anarkismo.net: Right to the City and Municipalism
Libertarian by Anarchist Collective Zumbi dos Palmares (CAZP) (ca, it,
pt) [machine translation
The city that went over their existence to unite the whole population that once occupied
the field in greater numbers, and sought a form of corporate organization in order to meet
the collective good, was gradually being crossed by a power relationship specific, named
domain, which came up with the division into social classes and that meant that the
organization of life served the interests of a minority over the majority. This allowed
the development of the state, being an instrument that has always served the interests of
the ruling classes, disguising its essentially oppressive policy in many different ways.
---- The construction of life in society implies different positions and ideas that will
be played by different groups and individuals - the power relations. The divergence and
the contest of ideas is not a problem to be fought, but a reality of the human being. It
happens that in a society divided into social classes, permeated by relations of
domination (specific type of power relation), the interests of the ruling classes prevail
against the collective well-being, albeit on its behalf.
Since the domain of relations began to determine the social relationship and how to
structure the city in which we live as a consequence there was also resistance of the
layers suffering oppression. Even considering groups best positioned within the access
range of the material and cultural production of humanity, most do not build management
policies of the city satisfactorily. Who has decisive influence in this process is the
minority section of society, which confirms its domination project with the policies
implemented by the State, manager of cities.
This resistance, even if it has not left the mark of domination, secured some rights
within the organization of the city. The most immediate needs guided the struggle of the
dominated groups in the race through the city. If there is exclusion of the majority of
certain spaces of the ruling class, there are roadblocks that claim all kinds of things
(sanitation, leisure, education, etc.) that can halt the entire city.
These immediate struggles up the possibility of building a social force able to claim the
city for all who live in it. Each dispute space in the city dominated by the groups is a
path trodden in the fight against the state and city to city workers.
However, a challenge that arises is to make the employee - who is immersed in his daily
life, swallowed up by routine work-home-work - think critically, to make you stop this
boom of social exclusion projects that only generate profits for the entrepreneur.
When we stop and seek alternatives to meet the problems we all suffer in daily life, and
if we do it in solidarity to other sectors suffering the reverses caused by the capitalist
city, we have a chance to prevent the success of the ruling class. As hard as it is, we
have a chance. Stop and accept is sure of defeat. We prefer to try. Each defeat in
exclusive design, every advance in terms of urban mobility, every defeat of speculation
victory are those who conceive a new way to build the city.
We can not forget that our living spaces were forged in a deeply unequal society. To have
ultimate success only if we join the struggle of the neighborhood with the struggle for a
new society. We do not expect a new society to fight for the improvement of our
neighborhood and our city, but do not forget that it only makes sense if we face as steps
needed to build another historical level.
Bookchin and the Libertarian Municipalism
The American anarchist Murray Bookchin advocated a new form of society based on the
reinvention of the construction of living spaces, housing and building our sociability.
Called Municipalism Libertarian its proposal. This is a proposal for a political
organization of the city based on direct democracy as opposed to representative logic
state that takes collective decision-making rights, always delegating to a minority allied
to capitalist interests or unable to overcome these concerns.
In understanding Boockin, make active subjects in decision-making, calling for yourself
the ability to plan and perform the tasks of everyday life of the city is to train
subjects critics who come to see that his life depends on the collective well-being, which
their decisions have to go beyond the individualistic selfishness to it even make sense.
This is not possible in an unequal society, so the libertarian municipalism conceives the
end of social classes and the management of the city by its own residents.
We believe that these rescue Libertarian municipalism Ideas collaborating enough in the
current debate of the discussions of the right to the city and contributes a lot in an
attempt to combine the immediate struggles to struggle for a new society. But a critique
of thought Bookchin is extremely important. For him the job category is outdated. The
struggle for a new society would not pass the struggle built by the workplace, but only by
place of residence.
For us, anarchists, anarchism has always been next to organize workers from the
contradictions experienced in the workplace. Including in trade union militancy was that
the anarchists had more social expression. Inequality of society takes place mainly in the
unequal distribution of wealth tangible and intangible produced by mankind. To rephrase it
in order to point to a classless society, it is necessary to change the way you work,
eliminating the manual division of labor and intellectual labor, and changing the logic of
how the products are produced and distributed. This only occurs in the workplace.
The same sense takes the trouble facing the provision of services such as health and
education. To rearrange them on an equal and free perspective, we need to reformulate it
within their own work environment. All being planned and executed by all / the workers /
as. Obviously, the reorganization of this work should be done in line with the demands of
the neighborhood and the city.
Bookchin goes on to state that the plant to destroy the craftsmanship over the possibility
of a more positive work, closer to the community ideas. He turned a standardization of the
workers, a new formula of slavery.
In fact, the manufacturing environment, structured in a class society, reproduce
inequality and is extremely oppressive. However, we can not overlook that would be
impossible for society to remain today, even in other corporate perspective without an
industrial production. If capitalism has brought environmental degradation, waste of
resources and social exclusion, industrial production allows us to produce 7 billion
people in the world. Today the distribution of what is produced is uneven, but the fact is
that there is production for all, even if the products do not arrive to meet the needs of
the whole, but only a few. Is it not possible to achieve this production in artisanal
scale. Nor can we believe, as Bookchin argues that the technology would completely rid
mankind of the material work.
For us, the struggle for a new society will be made on the day of work and everyday life.
We think a federated society places of residence and work. Bookchin misses and falls
short, not canceling its beautiful contribution to the discussion of the city.
We were at that point with Bakunin, which says that humanity is distinguished from other
animals by the smart work ability and speech. We are men and women because we work. No
social change will be made to despise this foundational space of humanity.
The Rojava Revolution and the Libertarian Municipalism
There is a part of the Middle East a dispersed population of some countries: the Kurdish
population. Have their right to popular sovereignty denied for a long time. During the
civil war in Syria and the recent development of the Islamic state, the Kurds, who already
fight for their freedom for decades, was organized in an unusual way on the border of
Syria with Turkey, in a region called Rojava. Warring militias of the People's Protection
Unit (YPG / YPJ) fought bitter battles against the ignorant savagery of the Islamic State
and their own efforts what can states in the region had difficulty making: barred the
advance of Islamic state in the town of Kobani.
Only time in recent history, not the defeat imposed militarily, but mainly by how it was
done and what happened next. That's what we want to highlight. The role of women in the
process, has been a decisive force. Planning, taking care of the city and taking part in
fighting the thugs of the Islamic State. Women who suffer much more with the advancement
of ultra macho and totalitarian ideas and able to give the answer.
On the orientation of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are experiencing a new form of
life in this locality, with all the difficulties that a reality of war imposes. Amazing
similarities with Barcelona of the Spanish Civil War of 1936. The PKK took a turn in their
theoretical orientation to adopt the Libertarian Municipalism as one of its guidelines to
rebuild his life in society. It has conquered population Kobani. Assembly organization by
districts, the population itself control over their lives in what is called the Democratic
confederalism.
Anti-statist self declared and anti-capitalist movement that has a tough task ahead: to
fight a fierce enemy on the one hand and rebuild a social life on new parameters. His
ideas obviously do not like the hegemonic pits the Middle East and even the international
capitalist system. Our solidarity with the women and men in Kurdish struggle. They show
that a new world is possible.
Related Link: https://cazp.wordpress.com
http://www.anarkismo.net/article/28346
