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Recent articles by Guido Barroero
Anniversario del Primo CNLA 2 comments Referendum o lotta? 1 comments Recent Articles about Italy / Switzerland History of anarchismNovità editoriale: I Figli dell'Officina Oct 07 13 Resolution of the anarchist congress of Ventotene (1942) Sep 02 13 Anniversario del Primo CNLA Aug 23 13 40th Anniversary of the 1st CNLA
italy / switzerland |
history of anarchism |
opinion / analysis
Monday August 26, 2013 22:14 by Guido Barroero
40 years since the 1st National Convention of Anarchist Workers, Bologna 11-15 August 1973 40 years ago the 1st National Convention of Anarchist Workers was held in Bologna from 11-15 August 1973. This important event saw the participation of two hundred comrades representing libertarian communist groups and regional organizations and exceeded the expectations of even the organizers. It was not just a one-off, it was the fruit of long, patient work of gathering together, coordinating and networking lasting months and involving the class-struggle sector of the anarchist movement, known by some as the "neo-Platformist" area. In order to see this event in its proper context and better understand the significance of the CNLA and the theoretical and organizational process it grew out of, we need to take a few steps back in time. [Italian] 40th Anniversary of the 1st CNLA40 years since the 1st National Convention of Anarchist Workers, Bologna 11-15 August 1973An anniversary40 years ago the 1st Convegno Nazionale Lavoratori Anarchici (CNLA - National Convention of Anarchist Workers) was held in Bologna from 11-15 August 1973. This important event saw the participation of two hundred comrades [1] representing libertarian communist groups and regional organizations and exceeded the expectations of even the organizers. It was not just a one-off, it was the fruit of long, patient work of gathering together, coordinating and networking lasting months and involving the class-struggle sector of the anarchist movement, known by some as the "neo-Platformist" area. In order to see this event in its proper context and better understand the significance of the CNLA and the theoretical and organizational process it grew out of, we need to take a few steps back in time [2]."Early 1970s: the anarchist movement is in a period of strong growth, following the crisis of the early 1960s which culminated in the split by the Gruppi di Iniziativa Anarchica [GIA - Anarchist Initiative Groups]. It has lost its organizational unity (the FAI and GIA are joined by another nationwide organization, the Gruppi Anarchici Federati [GAF - Federated Anarchist Groups]), but thanks to the influx of young militants (mostly students, but also workers) who had come out of the struggles of 1968/69, there was an increase in the number of branches, circles, groups, city-based and regional federations, both inside and outside the nationwide organizations.So we arrive at the beginning of 1973. Numerous regional libertarian communist groups had been set up or were being set up [5] and there were are numerous groups inspired by the same principles outside and inside the FAI [6]. These FAI groups were carrying on a harsh clash with the traditionalist area within the Federation. On 6-7 January in Ancona, at the pre-congressional Convention of the FAI, the libertarian communist groups expressed the need for a new Associative Pact in light of the forthcoming 11th Congress. On 4 February at its Convention in Savona, the OAL launched a nationwide proposal for a National Convention of Anarchist Workers. On the same date in Bari, the Gruppo Comunista Anarchico di Bari and the Gruppo Comunista Anarchico Kronstadt from Naples drew up a proposal for a new Associative Pact for the FAI. On 9 February in Rome, on the fringe of a national demonstration by metalworkers, a meeting was held for the CNLA [7]. On 4 March, again in Rome, the FAI's National Council met in order to decide the agenda for the 11th Congress. During March, April and May, the activity of coordination of the libertarian communist area intensified and the various groups produced documents and bulletins dealing with labour and political themes [8]. On 30 April in Macerata, there was a meeting of ten groups [9] who were part of the class-struggle area within the FAI in order to draw up a proposal for an Associative Pact which was to be condemned as Platformist in nature by various other areas in the FAI. On 12 May in Carrara the FAI's Corrispondence Commission met. A statement was drawn up which put off the 11th Congress by reason of "insufficient preparation for the congress" and "criticisms communicated ... by numerous groups and individuals in the FAI, opposed to the method of calling and holding the 11th Congress of the FAI, established by the National Council in its meeting of 4 march 1973 in Rome". A congressional commission was set up to synthesise into one document all the various proposals. On 14 May the Milanese groups Bandiera Nera (GAF), Milano '73 (GAF), Lotta Anarchica (FAI) and Primo Maggio (FAI) issued a circular to the entire anarchist movement criticizing the text of a manifesto which had been published on 3 May, for its personality cult treatment of Camillo Berneri, its use of the word "party" and its definition of the Italian anarchist movement as a "caravan". Strong polemics followed within the anarchist movement. On 31 May in Viareggio, the FAI groups who had met in Macerata, faced with the postponement of the 11th Congress, set themselves up as an organized faction taking the name of Nucleo Operativo. On 15 June, the MSL and AAS responded to the accusations they had received from the other Milanese groups after the "May 1937" manifesto. On 21 June in Genoa, the OAL issued a circular which criticized those components of the anarchist movement who allowed the bomber Bertoli the freedom to declare himself an individualist anarchist. The circular gathered approval from the libertarian communist groups in the FAI. There followed fierce polemics within the anarchist movement. On 29 June in Rome, a meeting was held of the FAI's Congressional Commission. A delegate of the GCA Kronstadt from Naples participated, representing the Nucleo Operativo. The outcome was not a favourable one for the Federation's libertarian communist area. On 15 July in Milan, the first issue of the libertarian communist bulletin "Pagine Libertarie" was published. The MSL was responsible for editing it, with contributions from the Gruppo Comunista Anarchico di Reggio Emilia, the Gruppo Anarchico Berneri from Perugia, the Gruppo Anarchico 18 Marzo from Macerata, the Gruppo Anarchico di Viareggio and the Gruppo Comunista Anarchico Kronstadt from Naples. We arrive finally at 11 August and the 1st CNLA. Called by the OAL, it was joined by the FAI groups in the Nucleo Operativo and other groups both inside and outside the Federation, representing almost all the Italian anarchist movement. The final motion, approved by majority vote, can be read at http://www.fdca.it/fdcaen/historical/fdca-prehistory/1_cnla.htm. As A. Dadà writes: "This meeting was no small surprise, not only because of the large number of participants but also for the quality of the debates and the questions dealt with, typical, for anarchists, of the political organization and the mass organization: presence within the confederal trade unions, in the factory councils and neighbourhood councils, techniques of political intervention. At the same time it highlighted the great lack of homogeneity of existing positions, but also registered significant convergence. It was thus that the 1st CNLA, having evaluated the need for "action to be carried out at the same time by a specific anarchist communist organization and by a mass proletarian organization so as to achieve the unity, autonomy, class consciousness and internationalism that are required in order to build anarchist communism", came to recognize trade union work as a priority and to that end set up a structure for coordination, debate and study of the needs of the various groups" [10].It would seem to be the start of an unstoppable process of renewal within the anarchist movement and the transformation of its biggest organization, the FAI, into a class-struggle, libertarian communist one. Events, however, proved that this would not be the case. Despite having been the highest point of the libertarian communist project, the success of the 1st CNLA remained unrepeated and unrepeatable. The expulsion of the Nucleo Operativo groups from the FAI [11], the fierce campaign unleashed against some groups in the libertarian communist area followed the alleged destruction of the Milanese anarchist premises in Via Scaldasole [12]. the internal crisis within the OAL [13], were all factors which led to the weakening of the libertarian communist project and basically its extinction in the years to come. But these are events that lie outside the scope of this text. The history of the "Neo-Platformist" movement of the '70s is one that is still waiting to be written, as few have ever dealt with it and almost never in a satisfactory way [14]. Guido Barroero
Translation by FdCA - International Relations Office.
1. "At the Convention, there were around 250 Italian militants as well as delegates from the IWA and the French ORA-FL" [Fedeli-Sacchetti, Congressi e Convegni (1944-1995). Atti e documenti, Chieti 2002. The figure is probably somewhat exaggerated, but it would have been in that region. |
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