A-Infos (en) Working Class Resistance #6 - Organise! - our roots

[Organise Ireland <organiseireland@yahoo.ie>]

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Organise!, in its present incarnation was formally
constituted following a meeting between members of the
Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation and the Anarchist Federation
in August 2003 - but our roots go back considerably further.
In August 1986 the now defunct Ballymena and Antrim
Anarchist Group produced the first issue of a bulletin
called 'Organise! - The Voice of Anarcho-Syndicalism',
(which had itself been preceded by ‘the Alternative'
and ‘Antrim Alternative'). Organise! was also to
become the name of the new Anarcho-Syndicalist group
formed by the Ballymena and Antrim Anarchist Group. In
1992, after not being produced for a couple of years
it reappeared as 'Organise! Irish Anarchist Bulletin'-
produced by a collective of class struggle anarchists
who moved back towards Anarcho-Syndicalism and
affiliated to the IWA. When this organisation
dissolved, syndicalism in Ireland was propagated in
Belfast by the Belfast Workers Control Group who were
involved with others in the setting up in Cork of the
Syndicalist Solidarity Network in 2000. From this
developed the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation, which
merged with the Anarchist Federation to create
Organise! in its present form.

Given the difficulties of operating with small
numbers, a membership largely confined to the north,
it has at times been difficult for Organise! and other
class struggle anarchists to maintain a presence given
the sectarian divisions and authoritarian politics
which dominate in the north.  However, Organise!, in
all its incarnations, has always been able to draw its
membership from working class activists from ‘both
sides' of the sectarian divide in opposition to
capitalism sectarianism and both states in Ireland.
Today we have Locals in Belfast and Armagh/Down,
members in Cork, Derry, Dublin, Galway, Naas and
contacts across Ireland.

Politically we also enjoy continuity with the past,
situating ourselves in a proud tradition of class
struggle that has at least once practically
demonstrated the possibility of true revolution.
As anarchists we want all workers to secure a full and
equal share of the wealth and social benefits created
by the combined labour of our class. This means
abolishing the capitalist system. We also want a world
based on direct democracy and workers control of
production. This means abolishing the state and not
replacing it with any other centralised or
hierarchical political body, but with a system of
federation and delegation where delegates are directly
elected and immediately recallable. These
transformations can only be brought about by social
revolution initiated through the social general
strike.

We reject all systems of oppression and all attempts
to divide people through discrimination and prejudice.
We recognise and oppose capitalism's catastrophic
effect on the natural environment and seek to develop
a future based on sustainable communities. We are
internationalist and reject all artificial borders and
boundaries as we reject all the politicians and
governments that require them. We are not a
'vanguard', we don't want to be the new leaders of a
'workers state' for all such attempts have only led to
power being consolidated amongst the leadership with
the consequence of further oppression for the workers.
The emancipation of the working class shall be the
task of the workers ourselves!

Consequently, we promote direct action (simply
struggle that is directly controlled by those involved
and not mediated through politicians or trade union
bureaucrats) as a tactic and a principle. We involve
ourselves in the existing labour movement but respond
critically to traditional trades unionism and seek to
demonstrate its weaknesses where appropriate.

To find out more about Organise! and what we stand
for, please see our Aims and Principles or have a look
at the many documents and bulletins available online.

>From the pages of Working Class Resistance #6,
bulletin of Organise! To distribute in your area,
contact Organise! at:

organiseireland@yahoo.ie

http://www.organiseireland.org


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