Advancing Genuine Politics of the Citizens through Free Assemblies and Independent Structures from the Barangay & Communities

Advancing Genuine Citizens’ Politics through Free Assemblies and Independent Structures from the Barangay & Communities
By: Bas Umali

Presentation to IPD's Activist School 15 July 2006 No. 45 Matimtiman St Teacher’s Village QC


Objective:
To present alternative political structure beyond statist politics and democracy of representation. The word archipelago, is to recognise the geographical characteristics of the country and the very essential role of rich natural resources of the archipelago that strongly influenced life style of the inhabitants.


Historical Background
Pre-colonial period: Bangalore , decentralised & “baranganic federation
Regalian doctrine: centralised government, articulation of private property and systemic oppression
Nature of resistance : Nationalist resistance & Anti-imperialist struggle


Hard facts:
Currently, 225 richest people in the world earn equivalent to income of 2.5 billion poorest people at the global scale [1] www.anarchism.ws, 2005
In 2000, the country ranked 77 out of more than 150 countries with poverty incidence of 34% and the human development index (HDI) figure was 0.656. ASEAN-SEAFDEC. 2001 Conference on Sustainable Fisheries for Food Security in the New Millennium: “Fish for the People”

In our case, the elite comprise of 10% out of 86 million people of the country environmental destruction due to “economies of scale”

The problem in current practice of democracy
Marginalises largest portion of the population
> It is Politics of representation
> It produces obedient constituents instead of active & dynamic citizens
> It is democracy of the elite

Anarchism is a theory that firmly holds to the idea of an organised world free for all
Anti-state, anti-hierarchy & anti-capitalism are the guiding principles of all anarchist movements in the world.

Any form of political structure that centralises power is totally unacceptable. Women’s liberation. Anarchists are dedicated to end patriarchy in all its forms: blatant and subtle, public and private.

Mutual aid
Social Revolution


Anarchist alternative
> Direct democracy is about originating ideas as much as it is about approving
> Direct democracy is based on delegation not representation
> Democracy and work should always go together

Anarchist Experience in Russia (Ukraine, Kronstadt, & Petrograd) & Eastern part of Spain during Spanish civil War


The idea of confederation

Confederalism “is above all a network of administrative councils whose members or delegates are elected from popular, face-to-face democratic assemblies”

Confederation seek to integrate all social structures not in a hierarchical or top-down orientation but rather vice-versa.

The basis of integration is mutual cooperation, complementation and solidarity. Every sector, group and other formations in a municipality will find their place in productions processes to ensure the needs of the communities


I am an ANARCHIST! Wherefore I will Not rule, and also ruled I will not be!