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The Role of the Revolutionary OrganisationRevised Third Edition, 2015

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Contents

Introduction 3Glossary 4TheClassStruggle 8ClassSpontaneity 10TheRevolutionaryOrganisation:OneCurrentWithintheClass 12TheRoleoftheRevolutionaryOrganisation 14 TheLeadershipofIdeas 17 ACultureofResistance 18 Prefiguration 18 MutualAidandSolidarity 19 Autonomy 19 CollectiveAction 20 DirectAction 21 DirectDemocracy&MassParticipation 22WhenRevolutionComes 23Endnote 25FurtherReading 27

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Introduction

We in the Anarchist Federation seek the abolitionof capitalismandstate in favourofbringingaboutasociety based on the guiding principle ‘From eachaccording to their ability, to each according to theirneed.’ This is anarchist communism. In order toachieve thisweneeda revolutionaryorganisation toundertakeacertainroleaspartoftheworkingclass.

Thispamphletwillexplainwhy.

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Glossary

Thefollowingtermswillbeusedinthispamphlet:

AffiliationAssociated with, or a member of, a group ororganisation.

AgitationThe arousing of public concern about an issueand pressing for action on it. This could be throughpropagandaordirectaction.

AnarchismAneconomicandpoliticalsystembaseduponremovingoppressiveandexploitativestructuresinsociety(suchas capitalism and the state), and building a societywhereeveryonehasanequalinputintodecisionsthataffecttheirlife.

AutonomousAn individual,groupor regionhaving the freedomtogovernitselforcontrolitsownaffairsfreefromoutsidecontrol.

CapitalismAn economic and political system based aroundexploitingthoseforcedtoselltheirlabour,inwhichacountry’stradeandindustryarecontrolledbyprivateownersforprofit.

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ClassAsetofpeoplegivenasharedtitlebasedonsomethingtheyholdincommon.Anarchistsoftentalkofclassintermsofaneconomicrelationship,whichthispamphletwillexamine.

CommunismAn economic and political system based aroundcommonownershipofthemeansofproduction(suchasfactories,fieldsandworkshops),wheregoodsaremade available based upon need and ensuring thewell-beingofall.

EconomyThesystemusedtoworkouthowgoodsandresourcesare produced and allocated to people. The currenteconomyiscapitalist,butotherformsofeconomyarepossible.

EqualitarianAnothertermforegalitarian.Apersonwhobelievesintheequalityofallpeople

HierarchicalThenatureofhierarchy.Asysteminwhichmembersofanorganisationorsocietyarerankedaccordingtorelativestatusorauthority.

InfallibleIncapableofmakingmistakesorbeingwrong.

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InstitutionalOf, relating to, or characteristic of an institution. Forexample:Institutionalracism.

IntersectionsThe points at which different things come together.Oftenusedinanarchisttexttotalkabouttheinteractionbetweenmultiplesystemsofoppression,discriminationand/orprivilege.

InsurrectionAviolentuprisingagainstanauthorityorgovernment.

InternationalistApolicyorpracticeofcooperationgoingbeyondthenotionofbeingdividedbynation,especiallyinpoliticalandeconomicmatters.

LeftistUsedtorefertoauthoritarianorhierarchicalleft-wingorganisations (such as trade unions and politicalparties),ortheirmembers.

LibertarianOnewhoadvocatesmaximisingindividualrightsandminimisingtheroleofthestate.

OppressionThe state of being subject to oppressive treatment.The exercise of authority or power in a harmful orunjustmanner.

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PropagandaInformationordeedsusedtopromoteapoliticalcauseorpointofview.

Revolutionary ConsciousnessAnawarenessofthefactthattoovercomethesystemsofexploitationandoppressioninourliveswewillneedtofundamentallychangeinhowsocietyfunctions.

Social RevolutionArevolutionundertakenbythemajorityoftheworkingclassthatremovesallclassdivides.Nottobeconfusedwithapoliticalrevolution,wherethepeopleatthetopmaychangebutaclassstructureremainsinplace.

SolidarityThe act of undertaking supportive activity towardsotherpeoplewhichdoesnotcomewiththeexpectationofreward,butinsteadcomesfromasenseofmutualaidorcommoninterest.

State, TheThecollectedinstitutionsthatcreateandenforcelawscreatedbyasmallminorityofpeoplewithinagiventerritory.Throughlawsthestateclaimsthatonlyithastherighttogranttheuseofviolence.Thestateusesthelawtojustifyandprotectacapitalisteconomy.

VanguardAgroupofpeopleleadingthewayinanauthoritarianandprescriptivemanner.Oftenused todescribe theapproachofLeninistgroups.

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The Class Struggle

‘There’s class warfare, all right, but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.’ - Warren Buffett, capitalist and the world’s wealthiestpersonin2008.

Beforewestarttolookattherevolutionaryorganisationitself, we first need to explain what we mean whentalkingaboutclass.

Thetermclassiscommonlyusedtodescribeaculturalidentitythatcomesfromamixtureofelementsincludingfamilybackground,education,workplacehistoryandaccessto/denialofdifferentopportunitiesthroughoutlife.Thiscomplexweboffactorsgivesrisetodifferentsocial labels (e.g.workingclass, lowermiddleclass,etc.),eachassociatedwithdifferentculturalmarkers–fromthesupermarketwheresomeoneshopsthroughto the types of entertainment they enjoy. This is asociologicaldefinitionofclass.

Ontheotherhand,economicclassdefinesapersonbasedontheirrelationshiptocapital.Therulingclassismadeupofthosewhohavetheirneedsmetthroughcontrollingtheplaceswherepeoplework.Theyexploitus,theworkingclass(includingtheunemployedand

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retired)who,incontrast,areforcedtosellourlabourin order to have our needs met.The money earnedfromworkingisalwayslessthantheamountofvaluewecreate.Thissystemofexploitationisthebasisofcapitalistsociety. It is thisdefinitionofclass thatwewilluseinthispamphlet.

Our exploitation as the working class leads us toquestiontheestablishedorderandstruggleforabetterlife. Our experience of this class struggle developsinto a class consciousness, but different sectionsof the working class may reach different degrees ofconsciousnessatdifferenttimes.Ontheotherhand,the solidarity gained through common experience isunderminedbytherulingclassthroughthemedia,oureducation, and different forms of oppression. At themomenttheworkingclassisneitherfullydividednorfullyunited,norconsciousofitselfanditspower.

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Class Spontaneity

‘The emancipation of the workers must be brought about by the workers themselves.’ -DeclarationoftheFirstInternational.

‘The working class by itself can only attain trade-union consciousness.’ -Lenin, ‘What IsToBeDone’ (instarkcontrast to theDeclarationoftheFirstInternational).

Would-be leaders often proudly proclaim that theywill be the ones to provide the solution to problemsin workers’ lives. This is true of business fat-cats,the heads of the trade unions, and politicians ofeverytype(fromsocialdemocratsthroughtotheso-called revolutionary parties). However, these claimsare undermined time and time again by the oftendistortedandmisunderstoodconceptofworkingclassspontaneity.

We in theworkingclassare fullyable to takedirectaction for ourselves. We can develop new forms ofstruggleandorganisationtomeetourneeds.Ineverygreat revolutionaryupsurgewehavedevelopednew

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tactics, from workers councils and road blockadesthroughtoflyingpicketsandsit-instrikes,regardlessofourwould-beleaders.

Many leftist organisations attempt to channel orsuppressthisactivityfortheirownends.Tradeunions,inparticular,acttopreventordivertclassspontaneitybothintheworkplaceandthecommunityasitistheirabilitytocontrolmilitantactionthatpreservestheunionbureaucracy (and their place at the bosses’ table).Othersthinkthatastheworkingclassareabletotakeactionspontaneously,thereisnoneedforanarchiststoformarevolutionaryorganisation.

However, it does not follow from either of thesepositions that we should not form organisations.Agitation by a revolutionary minority can provideskills and knowledge that greatly help to spark therevolutionary process. Without this preparation thechancesarefargreaterofourstrugglesbeingdefeatedordivertedagainstourinterests.

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The Revolutionary Organisation: One Current Within the Class

‘Anarchism is not a beautiful utopia, nor an abstract philosophical idea, it is a social movement of the labouring masses.’ - TheOrganisationalPlatformof theGeneralUnionofAnarchists.

‘Anarchism is organisation, organisation and more organisation.’ - ErricoMalatesta.

Asanarchists,wearemembersoftheworkingclasswhoareconsciousof theclassstruggle.Webelievethatinordertogetfromourcurrentsocietytoanarchistcommunism, there is a need for a revolutionaryorganisation. This is the basis of the AnarchistFederation.

As an anarchist communist organisation we seeourselvesnotasoutsideorbeyondtheworkingclassbut as part of it. We work to increase the influenceofour ideasnotasa leadershipor ‘vanguardof therevolution’,butsimplyasagitatorswithintheworking

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classwhoaretryingtoshowthestrengthofanarchistmethodsandbringaboutanarchistcommunism.

While we hope to increase our membership, this isdonewhenotherclassconsciousanarchistsseetheworth of organisation and choose to get involved.Membershipisnotasimportantastheconsciousnessoftheworkingclass.Weneverdivert,disruptortakeoverworkingclassstrugglesinordertoincreaseourownmembership.

Asitispartoftheworkingclassandatthesametimeadistincttendencywithinit,theanarchistorganisationsees the need for revolution at a time where themajority of the working class does not. We mustrememberthatthisdoesnotmakeussomethingotherthanapartoftheworkingclass.Togodownthatroadleadstoelitismandseparationfromclassreality.

Atthesametime,theanarchistorganisationhasideasthat are further developed than those more oftenfoundwithin theworking class.Thisdevelopmentofideas should not be confused with the developmentofsuccessful tactics;workerseverywhere learnnewformsofstruggleandorganisationsowemustalwaysbereadytolearnfromtheactivityofothers.Wemustconstantly revise our tactics as situations unfold.Just because we are members of a revolutionaryorganisation does not mean we are infallible. Wewill not always have the answer. Indeed, duringrevolutionary periods, anarchist organisations haveoftenbeensurprisedbytheaudacityandimaginationofotherrevolutionaries.

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The Role of the Revolutionary Organisation

‘Meaningful action, for revolutionaries, is whatever increases the confidence, the autonomy, the initiative, the participation, the solidarity, the equalitarian tendencies and the self-activity of the masses and whatever assists in their demystification. Sterile and harmful action is whatever reinforces the passivity of the masses, their apathy, their cynicism, their differentiation through hierarchy, their alienation, their reliance on others to do things for them and the degree to which they can therefore be manipulated by others – even by those allegedly acting on their behalf.’ - Solidarity,‘AsWeSeeIt’.

In understanding that the revolution must be madeby the whole of the working class, the revolutionaryorganisationhasanumberoftaskstoperform.

Asmembersof theorganisationwemustembodyasetofsharedaimsandprinciplesinthetaskofbuildingtowardsrevolution.Wemustworktoactivelydismantlestructuresofoppressionthathavebeencarriedoverfromsociety.Wemustorganisefederallyasopposedto centrally and have decision-making processesthat are directly democratic. This encourages theactiveparticipationofallmembersandprevents the

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formationofunnecessarybureaucracy.

Weput forward themessage that theworkingclassmust destroy capitalism and establish an anarchistcommunist society. We do this by giving practicalexamplesofworkingclassself-organisation.Weareinternationalist and make links with other groups inorder to build solidarity and increase classeffectiveness. Working class history is deliberatelyobscured and excluded from mainstream media bythe structures of the ruling class. We work towardstherediscoveryofpaststruggles,theirsuccessesandmistakes,sharingthe lessonsthatdevelopourclassconsciousness.

However, we cannot see ourselves solely as apropagandagroup.Weworktoachievelocalvictoriesinourcommunities,buildingsolidaritybetweenthosewhorent, thosewhoown,thoseonhousingbenefitsand those who are squatting or homeless. We areinvolved in workplace disputes, attempting to makelinks between unionised, non-unionised andunemployed workers, as well as demonstratingcommon purpose between different workplacestruggles against our shared class enemies. Wejoin groups formed around fighting at particularintersections of oppression within the working class(suchaswomen’sgroups,queercollectives,disabilitycampaigns,etc.).

We point out the anti-capitalist and libertariantendenciesinthesestruggles.Weagitateforabreakwith reformism, hierarchical forms of organisation,

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andtheideathatweshareaninterestwithmembersoftherulingclassonthebasisofacommonidentity.Weworktowardsthefullestmassparticipationinsidegroupsandthroughouttheworkingclassasawhole.

Ultimately,weaimtoshowthewayinwhichallthesestrugglesareinterconnectedandhelpbuildasenseofunderstanding,respectandpracticalsolidaritybetweenworking class struggles so that different groups canworkinmutualaidagainstcommonenemies.

While seeking to openly spread our ideas as partof these movements, we do not try to make themappendages of the revolutionary organisation.Liberationisachievedbybuildingautonomousgroupsthatworktogetherinclasssolidarity.

Finally, we must continue to develop anarchistcommunist theory and practice during a time whenmany hold relatively conservative ideas and values.Tothisendwemustbesurethatthesearenotmerelyabstract theoretical concepts but are in fact realstrategies developed through struggle. It is not thecasethatideasmustnecessarilycomebeforeaction;we learn throughstruggleandthis in turn influencesdevelopmentsinourtheory.Itisvitallyimportantthatweareconstantlyassessingandrevisingourideastoreflectchangingmaterialconditions.

What follows is a brief introduction to some of thepractices we in the Anarchist Federation currentlyput forward as part of the role of a revolutionaryorganisation:

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The Leadership of Ideas

Wedonotfightforstatepowerorappointourselvesasleadersoftheworkingclass,weinsteadaimtodevelopa ‘leadership of ideas’ within the working class. Wecan’tsimplyhandsomeonealeafletandhopethatthewritingwillinspirethem;wealsoneedtoprovethevalueof our methods through debate and execution. Ourmethodsneedtoincorporateandexplaintheideaswehave.Itiswhenfacedwiththeclassstrugglefirst-handthatwedevelopourconsciousnessofit.Wemustalsoprovidepracticalexperienceinthemethodsneededtorealiseananarchistcommunistsociety(suchasmassparticipationindecisionmaking,collectiveaction,andbuildingsolidaritybetweendifferentstruggles).

At the same time, in recognising the leadership ofideas, the revolutionary organisation mustacknowledgethatitisoneofmanygroupsparticipatingin the mass movement, alongside those withoutaffiliation. In doing so it must meet the challenge ofincorporating new theory and practice from othertendenciesthatmaytakealeadingroleinthestruggleforafreesociety.

Theleadershipof ideasstandsinstarkoppositiontoaparty leadershipora revolutionary vanguard,whoseetheirownideasandowninterestsasbeingmoreimportant than thoseof thewiderclassandwilluseauthoritarianmethods toenforce theirwill,ultimatelyjust leading to one ruling class being replaced byanother.

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A Culture of Resistance

The current political system is a rigged game; nomatterwhatwedowithin it,weendupat thesamedeadendsofstatecontrolandacapitalisteconomy.Inoppositiontothis,wehavetodevelopourownculture,notone foisteduponusby thestate,capitalismanditsagents–aculturebasedonaclassintheprocessof resisting. The revolutionary organisation works tobuildbondsofsolidaritythatwilluniteusinacultureofresistanceagainsttherulingclass.

Thisdoesnotrestsolelyonaparticularorganisationorsetofprinciples.Itiscomposedofideas,practicesand attitudes that reveal to us our power as anexploitedbutnecessarypartofthecapitalistsystem.Itiscollectivelybeingawareandactingwithinourclassinterest.Thiscultureisbuiltuponourself-imageandourself-belief.

Prefiguration

Manybrutalandbloodyactshavebeenundertakenbythosewhotrytoclaimthattheendsjustifythemeans.Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth.Theendswillalwaysbe reflected in themeans.Thus thoseusinghierarchicalmethodsintheirstrugglestodaywillneverleadustoafreesociety.Puttinginplacetheprinciplesofanarchistcommunisminourstrugglestodaywillbetheseedfromwhichanarchistcommunismwillgrowinthefuture.

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Mutual Aid and Solidarity

Mutualaidistheconceptofprovidingresourcesandsupport in thespiritofcommunalbenefit.Mutualaidis practiced amongst the most successful species(includingpredatoryonesandhumankindourselves).By enacting this principle in material ways we showoursolidarity.Thischangescooperationandsharingintoaforcethatgovernmentsfear.Itisthemeansbywhichweacquirethestrengthtochangesociety.

Autonomy

It is essential that we form up groups based upona shared experience of oppression so as to betterunderstandourownsituationsandcometoadecisiononhowanysharedstrugglesshouldbe fought.Thereasonforthisisthatanyvictorymadebyanoutsideforcewouldendupreliantuponthegoodwilloftheseallies. On the other hand, any victory won by thoseaffecteddirectlywillhave involved learning the toolsrequiredtomaintainanygainsforthemselves.

Autonomous groups would still look to form bondsofmutualaidwithoneanother,ultimatelysharinganinterestasmembersoftheworkingclass,andshouldaimtoactinsolidaritywithoneanother’sstruggles.Thedifferencehereisthatthosewithasharedexperienceofoppressionwould leadtheirownstruggles,notanoutsideforce.Thisofferstheonlychanceofwinningalastingfreedom.

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Collective Action

An individual anarchist can only do so much ontheir own. The feeling of isolation which capitalismimposescanoftenleadtodisillusionmentanddespair.The lasting change that is essential to anarchism isbroughtaboutbytakingactiontogetherasacollective.Collectiveaction in the shapeof ananarchist groupcanaccomplishfarmorethantheindividualmemberscan achieve in isolation. A federated networkconstantlykeepingusinformed,sharingbestpracticeandsupportingeachotherwhenneededcanpunchwellabovetheweightofanysinglegroup.

Bythesametoken, theworkingclass ismoreeasilydominatedandexploitedwhenwearedivided.Whenwe organise ourselves collectively we have thepotential to act in a concerted manner against thebosses. Individual actions may alter conditionstemporarily, but do not alter the condition betweenclasses on a wide scale or with any lasting effect.Collectiveactionalsocreatesaspiritofcombativenessaspeoplerealisethat,farfrombeingpowerless,theydohavethepowertobringaboutchange.

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Direct Action

Direct action involves tackling the root cause of aproblemwithoutappealingtoathirdpartytoactonyourbehalf.Whenwetakeactiononourownbehalfratherthan lobbying an external authority, this provides uswithopportunities to raiseclassconsciousness fromthesituationand improveoureffectiveness in takingaction.

Conversely, political action is when the proposedsolution relies on someone else taking action toresolvetheconflict.Thisoftenrequiresahighlevelofactivitywithahighchanceof failure.Politicalactionreducesor controls theopportunities to form lastingchangethroughcollectiveaction.Ratherthanfosteracultureofresistance,itisolatesdifferentsegmentsoftheworkingclassandfostersacultureofrelianceonauthorityfiguresandspecialistgroups.

Directactionisnotsimplyaloudormilitantprotest,withsomeoftheloudestprotests(suchasdemonstrationsoutside of shops or marches from one point toanother)beingformsofpoliticalaction.Weshouldonlyadvocatepoliticalactionwhendirectactionwouldnotbepossibleorwouldnothaveapositiveoutcome.Weshouldalwaysmakecleartothoseinvolvedwhichkindof action is being undertaken and be realistic aboutour thoughtson theoutcome,aiming toalways takepartinactionsthatwillwinconcretevictories.

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Direct Democracy & Mass Participation

For working class organisations to remain focusedonachieving thegoalsof thewholegroup,weneedtoensurethataccesstodecision-makingisprovidedin a fair fashion and that participation is open to allinvolved. Each person should have equal input intoanydecisionthatwillaffectthem.

Thisstandsincontrasttotheusualschemeofthings,inwhichahierarchicalelite takepositionsandmakedecisions for the whole group. Even in the smallscale a self-important committee can end up takingdecisionsthatfurtheritsowninterestsratherthantheinterestsofallinvolved.

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When Revolution Comes

‘The inherent tendency of the State is to concentrate, to narrow, and monopolise all social activities; the nature of revolution is, on the contrary, to grow, to broaden, and disseminate itself in ever-wider circles. In other words, the State is institutional and static; revolution is fluent, dynamic. These two tendencies are incompatible and mutually destructive. The State idea killed the Russian Revolution and it must have the same result in all other revolutions, unless the libertarian idea prevail.’ - EmmaGoldman,‘MyDisillusionmentinRussia’.

Traditionally, left groups have called for the generalstrike – a mass economic strike of all workers – toovercomecapitalismduringoneofitsperiodsofcrisis.Historyhasshownthattravellingthispathwithoutthewiderworkingclasshavingfirstgainedtheideasandexperience needed to defend our victories leads tothedisastersofauthoritarianismorcounter-revolution.Even with these skills, the act of revolution has thedanger of leading to splits as some groups baulkat certain actions or are happy to settle for partialoutcomes.

To prevent this from happening a revolutionaryconsciousnesswillberequiredthroughouttheworking

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class in order to ensure we do not settle for partialoutcomesandinsteadremainfocuseduponachievingsocial revolution. Groups sharing this revolutionaryconsciousness may federate into relatively feworganisations,bringingtogetherallthosewhoseetheneedforthevictoryoftheworkingclass.Itisthenthatageneralpoliticalstrike–usingbothmassindustrialactionandmasssocialprotest–hasthebestchanceofvictory.

Inthisrevolutionaryperiodtheanarchistorganisationmust call for and assist in the formation of armedworkers’militiastodefendthemselvesandtheirgains.Therevolutionaryorganisationmusthelpfightagainstany party or organisation that aims to take powerin thenameof theworkingclass. If force isused todestroythegainsoftheworkingclassthenanarchistorganisationsmustbefullypreparedtocombatthisonaphysicallevel.

Revolutionary organisations would not dissolveimmediately after the initial insurrectionary phase ofthe revolution, but will continue to struggle until theclasssystemisabolishedandanarchistcommunismisachieved.Whenthisidealisrealised,theorganisationbecomes irrelevant and effectively disbands asmembersparticipateinthefreesociety.

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Endnote

This short pamphlet has set out some of our ideasabout the part a revolutionary organisation plays inhelpingtobringaboutarevolutionagainstcapitalism.It is one of the few pamphlets produced by theAnarchist Federation that intends to be authoritativeandprescriptive.Heremorethananywherewetrytomeanwhatwesay.

We find it of vital importance that class struggleanarchistsfederatewithrevolutionaryorganisationsinordertorealiseafreecommunistsociety.Itisourhopethatthesewordscontributetoageneralunderstandingoftheneedfororganisationandoftheimportanceofbuilding mass revolutionary movements throughouttheworld.Thesemovementsmust share theaimofabolishingcapitalismandthestatebytakingovertheproductive forcesof societyandputting them toourownuse,onourownterms.

Onthatroadliesfreedom.

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Further Reading

Introduction to Anarchist CommunismAnarchist Federation, revised 2015http://afed.org.uk/

A Practical Guide to Anarchist OrganisationAndrew Flood, 2002http://www.infoshop.org/pdfs/PracticalGuideAnarchistOrg_Flood.pdf

As We See It / As We Don’t See ItSolidarity, 1967http://libcom.org/library/as-we-see-it-dont-see-it-solidarity-group

Organisational Platform of the General Union of Anarchists(Draft)The Dielo Trouda (Workers’ Cause) group, 1926http://libcom.org/library/organisational-platform-libertarian-communists-dielo-trouda

Anarchism and OrganisationErrico Malatesta, 1897https://www.marxists.org/archive/malatesta/1897/xx/anarchorg.htm

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