textfiles/politics/SPUNK/sp001127.txt

       ************ Rebels at Ruesta **********
           International Libertarian Meeting

LAST SUMMER saw the red and black flag of anarchism 
flying high in the mountains of Spain.  Alternative 
Libertaire of France organised an international meeting 
for libertarian socialists, anarcho-syndicalists and 
anarchists, which saw over 100 delegates gather at the 
village of Ruesta in the Spanish PyrŽnees.  Unlike the 
average holiday resort, this village is owned by an 
anarcho-syndicalist trade union (the Spanish CGT).  
Comprising two hostels, two bars, a restaurant, a 
campsite, a lake, a church which has been turned into a 
small hall for meetings, a shop and about twenty 
buildings in need of major renovation, Ruesta is run as 
a leisure centre for members of the CGT (and anyone 
else who wants to visit). 

 The majority of the delegates came from the CGT, 
Alternative Libertaire (France), and the Libertarian 
Socialist Organisation (Switzerland), Smaller numbers 
came from Libertarian Alternative (Lebanon), the Polish 
Anarchist Federation, the Italian  Libertarian 
Communism and the Workers Solidarity Movement, as well 
as from two other anarcho-syndicalist unions: the SAC 
of Sweden and the Spanish Solidaridad Obrera. 

France

AL-F have about 150 members, many of them established 
activists in trade union and campaigning work, which 
includes a lot of work in DAL ('Right to Housing').  
France seemingly has more empty houses than homeless 
people, which has given rise to a squatting movement 
which takes in single people and families, native 
French and immigrants.  A number of AL members hold 
national and local positions in DAL, which indicates 
that they are active in the struggle and not just 
talking about it.  Another area of activity is AC! 
('Against Unemployment'), which has recently won free 
public transport for the unemployed in several cities.  
Other struggles mentioned were abortion rights and 
anti-nuclear.  

In the unions they also seem to be pretty busy, and 
they say it was AL-F members who took the initiative to 
form the radical independent SUD union in the Post 
Office & Telecom, after the CFDT union bureaucracy 
expelled a branch during a dispute.  SUD is now the 
second largest union in the Post Office.  Similar 
unions have been formed in the health service and tax 
offices. 

On the negative side of things we were bothered by 
their attitude that supporting candidates in 
parliamentary elections is just a tactical question.  
They do not see the massive contradiction that exists 
between anarchism and involvement in electoral 
politics.  After all, we want to get rid of rulers, not 
help to prop up the division into rulers and ruled.  

They see themselves as "libertarian communist" rather 
than anarchist, in the sense that they wish to add 
parts of other traditions to anarchism.  They mentioned 
Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Marx but didn't tell us which 
bits they wanted, nor what they saw as the 'failings' 
of anarchism (as opposed to wrong strategies or 
tactics).

Switzerland

The politics and culture of the OSL appear to be very 
similar to AL-F.  With about 80 members they are active 
in both the French and German speaking cantons of 
Switzerland, though they seem to be much stronger in 
the French speaking regions.  They spoke about their 
involvement in anti-militarism, squatting, anti-racism 
and opposition to 'workfare' schemes.  They said the 
libertarian CRT trade union is primarily based on the 
watchmakers of the Jura (the people who took the 
anarchist side over 120 years ago in First 
International!) and is small, but does have some 
influence on other unions.

We also had any notion that Switzerland is a reasonably 
progressive country shattered when we learned that the 
last canton to give the vote to women only did so in 
1994!

Lebanon

Very much linked to the French AL, this is a relatively 
new group.  Their situation is one of working in a 
country which endured 17 years of civil war, where 
parts are occupied by Israel, where Syria is a force to 
be reckoned with, where religious sectarianism is 
institutionalised in law and repression of dissidents 
is increasing.  

A handful of people operating in difficult 
circumstances, they have just begun distribution of 
their Arabic translation of Daniel Guerin's Anarchism, 
from theory to practice (towards the production ofwhich 
the WSM made a donation).  They intend to distribute 
2,000 copies in the Lebanon and another 2,000 to Arabic 
speaking workers in France.

Poland

The Polish Federation are a looser body than the others 
who attended.  At a national level they have no common 
political project, strategy or tactics.  Their exact 
membership is unknown, even to themselves, but they 
have about 30 local affiliates which vary from 3 or 4 
people up to 30 in some cases.

Activity has included big actions and ongoing campaigns 
on the Russian invasion of Chechnya, pensions, anti-
racism/anti-fascism (four people were killed by nazi 
skinheads last year) and anti-militarism.  

These comrades attended because they wanted more 
contact with Western anarchists, rather than because of 
any particular interest in Alternative Libertaire's 
desire for an international federation of 'platformist' 
and libertarian communist organisations.

The revolutionary unions

The people from the SAC, CGT and SO carried no mandates 
but were an inspiration, a living proof that anarchists 
can win workers in their tens of thousands.  And they 
are not being won by militant trade unionism alone.  At 
present the SAC is debating the future direction of 
their union, centring on whether to spend money on more 
ombudsmen (elected full-time officials who can be 
called upon by branches if they need assistance) or to 
improve the weekly SAC newspaper instead.  Some members 
feel that, essentially, this is about whether to be 
primarily a union or primarily a libertarian political 
organisation.  Whatever we may think about the relative 
merits of either proposition, it is a healthy sign that 
members are debating like this.  (Not the sort of 
discussion you come across in SIPTU or IMPACT!)

As well as participating in the debates, the WSM 
delegates gave a formal presentation dealing with the 
situation in Ireland.  This covered the historical 
weakness of 'left' politics; the problem of partition; 
the historical attraction of radical nationalism for 
rebellious youth, and the activities of the WSM.  The 
latter covered our work to explain and popularise 
anarchism; and our activity in the trade unions and 
campaigns for abortion rights and against the water 
charges.

Conference declaration

A draft declaration was discussed, which was to be sent 
to all the participating organisations for discussion.  
Essentially this would commit the political 
organisations (not the unions) to further discussion, 
translation of texts, further meetings in 1996 and 
1997, and a common protest at the G7 summit in Lyon 
next year.  The WSM have signed (see letter).

Clearly many questions arise: How broad should this 
project be/what is the minimum political agreement 
required, what are the immediate objectives of co-
operation?  What should be the relationship to the 
revolutionary unions?  The question of calling for the 
building of specific anarchist-communist organisations 
in Spain and Sweden?  How will it be understood in the 
broader anarchist movement?  

The bosses are well organised, we need to be better 
organised than them.  While there is much co-operation 
across borders by anarchists, and some international 
bodies (like the syndicalist International Workers 
Association), the Ruesta meeting was a long overdue 
event.  It brought together anarchists and libertarians 
who see themselves as coming from a tradition whose 
points of reference include the Organisational 
Platform, the Friends of Durruti, and the Manifesto of 
Libertarian Communism; the current among anarchists 
known as 'platformism' (which also needs a better 
name!)  Debate, discussion and joint work can only help 
us move forward. 


********  Declaration agreed at the end of the   **********
        libertarian conference held in Ruesta (August 1995).

This international meeting of libertarians held in 
Ruesta allowed anarchists, militants, sympathisers, 
libertarian socialists, libertarian communists, 
anarcho-syndicalists and revolutionary syndicalists to 
discuss our analyses of and methods of intervention in 
the social movements (i.e. the struggles against 
unemployment, sexism, imperialism, racism etc. and in 
the unions).

Discussions from different viewpoints also took place 
around ex-Yugoslavia and the rebellion in Chiapas.  The 
debates showed there was a common wish to transform a 
world now dominated by many forms of oppression 
(Capitalism, imperialism & sexism).  They also revealed 
differences in how we analyse and fight these 
oppressions.

Exploring these differences opens up a way for 
improving each group's understanding.  It gave each 
organisation a chance to reflect on its practice and 
current position.  The meeting was a small step forward 
in the construction of a new international political 
culture, one based on libertarian and revolutionary 
values.  One also determined to bring together the 
oppressed to strengthen future revolts and struggles to 
create a new society.

This meeting is just a start.  From it we drew up the 
following proposals and commitments.

1. In 1996 to hold a meeting to look at improving 
international co-ordination and collectivise 
discussions and interventions.

2. To translate our political texts & publish them in 
French, English and Spanish (at least).

3. To co-ordinate a large mobilisation (to include a 
counter-summit, demonstration and meeting) in Lyon, 
France, in June 1996, as part of the week of activity 
against the G71 summit.

4.  To co-ordinate anti-sexist struggles.  In 
particular to carry out solidarity actions with the 
Irish comrades in relation to the fight for divorce and 
abortion rights.  To intervene in the fight of 3rd 
world and immigrant women and to prepare a common 
initiative for March 8th, 19962.

5. To campaign against nuclear weapons and in 
particular against the resumption of nuclear tests by 
the French government and against nuclear tests in 
China.

6. To actively support the march against unemployment 
planned for Autumn 1995 by parts of the Spanish union 
movement and unemployed associations.

7.  Within two years to hold another libertarian 
conference, like the one at Ruesta but larger and with 
more ambitious objectives.

Footnotes
1  Summit of the seven most powerful imperialist 
countries.
2  International women's day.



   ***** Some comments by WSM on the declaration *****
September 1995

The Workers Solidarity Movement recognises the need for 
international co-operation among anarchists and 
libertarian socialists.  Capitalism is an international 
system, organised on an international basis.

To combat it anarchists need international 
organisation.  Such organisation would require 
agreement on major issues such as the role of anarchist 
organisations, activity within the trade unions and 
relations with the anarcho-syndicalists, how to combat 
racism and fascism, the type of struggle needed to 
advance the movement for women's freedom, how to relate 
to anti-imperialist conflicts.  It would also need an 
agreed international strategy, the capability of 
fostering international debate among anarchists, and 
the ability to give aid to weaker sections or to those 
engaged in mass struggle.

In order to move towards the building of such an 
international organisation we welcome co-operation, 
discussion and debate with other anarchists and 
libertarians.

We place ourselves within the historic anarchist 
tradition.  Anarchism has identified the goal we 
desire: a classless society where production is 
organised to satisfy needs and where people control 
their own lives in a truly free society.  We do not 
wish to go 'beyond anarchism', there is no need.  
Anarchists have, of course, made mistakes but that is 
to be expected.  The point is to learn from those 
mistakes and avoid repeating them, to grow and mature 
within the anarchist tradition.

It is in the interests of furthering debate and 
practical co-operation between anarchists and 
libertarians that we sign the declaration of the 
international libertarian conference, held at Ruesta in 
August 1995.