Second Call for Balkan Anarchist Bookfair 2013

balkans region | miscellaneous | press release

Tuesday May 14, 2013 21:23

by Federacija za anarhistično organiziranje - FAO

Building solidarity and resistance against capitalist devastation…

In the midst of turmoil of the first massive, decentralized and non-hierarchical revolt in the recent history of Slovenia, Federation for Anarchist Organizing invites everyone to come to Ljubljana this May and join us at the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair (BAB) as we celebrate 10th anniversary of the launch of an event that connects local and regional as well as wider international anarchist community.
10 years of the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair

Programme for BAB 2013

Building solidarity and resistance against capitalist devastation…
10 years of the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair
May 24th – 26th, 2013, Ljubljana – Slovenia

In the midst of turmoil of the first massive, decentralized and non-hierarchical revolt in the recent history of Slovenia, Federation for Anarchist Organizing invites everyone to come to Ljubljana this May and join us at the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair (BAB) as we celebrate 10th anniversary of the launch of an event that connects local and regional as well as wider international anarchist community.

As people revolt against the capitalist system, austerity measures and political elites, numerous experiments in direct democracy from below, and non-hierarchical organizing in places of work, of study, and of daily life are taking place, or are at least starting to be imagined. Equally, we are confirming through our daily experience that such movements are always vulnerable to criminalization, to attempts at centralization, and to the usurpation of the new political terrain at the hand existing and emerging elites. In times like this it becomes all the more important that the anarchist movement analyses the dynamic social and political situation in real time, and then acts on it through direct action.

Therefore we want to invite everyone to join us in the common process of building a political space for reflections on the new terrain of struggle that is being imposed on us by capitalism, and on ways of standing our ground and fighting back. As capital pushes us to the margins of society and robs us of control over our lives, people invent new forms of mutual aid, solidarity, political and social organization. The questions for anarchists are clear: how can we organize resistance from below? How can we cooperate with wider social movements, so that we build relationships against and beyond capitalist exploitation? And how do we develop concrete, sustainable alternatives that not only resist capitalist devastation, but open the way for a revolutionary transformation of our everyday lives?

These and many more questions will be part of our main discussion on anarchism and its role in the broader social movements. We are also happy to announce that Balkan meeting on nationalism is going to happen during BAB, where we will examine the situation on the ground and form transnational alliances for the current and future struggle.

Here are some other events on BAB:

Discussions: on the role of women in the anarchist movement; on radical ecology in the territory of former Yugoslavia; on radical syndicalism; on different socio-economic anarchist alternatives; on fascism and crisis in Greece; on the Slovenia uprising; on federal international anarchist organizing; on the crisis and struggles against austerity in different European regions.

Workshops: on anarchist publishing; on radio broadcasting; on reclaiming precarity in the conditions of austerity; on anarchist identity and social movements.

Exhibitions: on anarchist gathering St. Imier 2012; on BAB in the past

Music and entertainment: Concerts, DJ’s and cabaret

Bookfair and Food not bombs

BAB will be self-managed community that will collectively decide on all matters through daily assemblies of the participants. We want this meeting to broaden the scope of political imagination that forms new alliances, so we will provide an open space that will enable people to self-organize on the spot. We are not running away from issues within the movement. Therefore we will provide a safe space where comrades, if needed, will be able to express and collectively deal with whatever problem might arise during the event. BAB is not a spectacle for consumers; its success only depends on our collective energy and effort. Therefore all volunteers that wish to help with the organization during the event are more than welcome.

The bookfair will be held in Autonomous cultural center Metelkova mesto, occupied in 1993 and self-managed ever since. Several collectives, who are active in Metelkova, will join us in our meeting and help us create open and inclusive space for reflection, exchange and emergence of anarchist ideas and practices.

We call on everybody to support the event with participation and materials. The entire event will be held entirely free of charge, organized under the principles of solidarity, mutual aid and the building of common power beyond all borders.

Against capitalist devastation, let’s build solidarity and resistance!

Read also the First international call for BAB 2013 (January 2013)

For all questions and information please contact us at bab2013 [at] riseup.net

All information (programme, maps, volunteers call, sleeping arrangements etc.) will be updated at: http://www.a-federacija.org/bab2013