Črn Trn – Radikalno agrarna zveza

– English bellow –

20. 4. 2019 –  na XVIII. Antifa festu, AKC Metelkova, Ljubljana

Ideja Radikalno agrarne zveze – »Črn trn«

Izhajajoč iz lastne izkušnje povezovanj na lokalnem nivoju smo prepoznali manko obstoječih mrež, ki bi lahko povezale tiste, ki nam konzervativne, ezoterične, komercializirane ali pretenciozne mreže na področju pridelave hrane niso dovolj ali se v njih ne najdemo. Skozi leta delovanja smo po različnih poteh spoznali različne kolektive, iniciative, projekte in posameznike – avtonomne iniciative, s katerimi si želimo sodelovati, krepiti vrednote enakosti, solidarnosti in svobode ter vzpostavljati pristne odnose in načine delovanja, ki poskušajo presegati vzorce v sodobni družbi. Naša želja je poskus izgradnje mreže tistih, ki si delijo ne le želje po prehranski samopreskrbi, ampak tudi željo, da bi jo dosegli na skupnostni način, tudi onkraj prisiljenih vzorcev, ki nam jih narekuje sistem, v katerem živimo. Črn trn – Radikalno agrarna zveza bi temeljil na medsebojni pomoči, solidarnosti in nehierarhičnem delovanju.

Želimo si dvoje: praktične mreže, ki bo vzpostavila sodelovanje na dolgi rok in ne bo odvisna od trenutnih agro-modnih trendov in »verovanj«, ampak bo na splošno zagovarjala sonaravno delovanje in gradila na kvalitetnih medčloveških odnosih. Poleg tega si želimo, da bo mreža gradila odnose in politiko onkraj konzervativnih politik tradicionalnih organizacij, ki obvladujejo “politično polje podeželja in ostalih okoljskih vprašanj”. Želimo sodelovati z ljudmi, s katerimi si delimo tudi svetovnonazorske poglede na način, ki od nas ne bi v nobeni točki zahteval, da se jim odpovemo. Iz tega premisleka sledi tudi to, da se nimamo namena formalizirati.

Zvezo si predstavljamo kot ohlapno povezovanje podobno mislečih, ki zagovarjajo težnjo k sonaravnemu in nekomercialnemu. Povezovanje tistih, ki vidijo smisel v iskanju in eksperimentiranju z alternativami, tako na področju pridelave, kakor na področju vzpostavljanja odnosov, ki delujejo po dogovorjenih, skupnih principih. S tem želimo okrepiti in razširiti naše skupnosti z novimi poznanstvi, idejami in znanjem ter izkušnjami.

Osnovna ideja je preprosta: začnimo brez pričakovanj in velikih zavez in poglejmo, če nas to kam pripelje. Vsak od vpletenih bo in je že okoli svoje iniciative oz. projekta zgradil neko skupnost. Ta Radikalno agrarna zveza lahko služi kot struktura, ki povezuje te skupnosti in ustvarja nove povezave. Slednje lahko prinesejo zanimive rezultate tudi na področjih, ki nimajo direktne veze z mrežo (npr. izobraževanje za mlade – vrtec), lahko pa so direktno povezane (distribucija pridelkov).

Osnovni principi delovanja

Predlagani principi izhajajo iz principov in premislekov Zadruge Urbane. Za vsak princip smo zapisali, kako ga razumemo v našem kolektivu in kaj naj bi pomenil za zvezo.

Samoorganizacija – zanašamo se na zmožnosti kolektiva. Znotraj kolektiva in širše skupnosti poskušamo iskati rešitve za naše potrebe in želje. Odločamo se vsi skupaj tudi na rednih sestankih.

• Za zvezo to pomeni, da mora za svoj obstoj poskrbeti sama, kar pomeni, da je za njeno delovanje odgovoren in potreben vsak član – ne obstaja nek krovni servis, ki bo bdel in skrbel za delovanje.

Avtonomno, ne-institucionalizirano delovanje – ne vidimo potrebe po formalizaciji našega delovanja in odnosov, v uradnem statusu vidimo celo veliko omejevanja. Poleg tega ne želimo postati odvisni od razpisov in agend postavljenih »od zgoraj«. Tako gledamo tudi na pridelavo in distribucijo pridelkov in izdelkov. Takšen neodvisen način delovanja nam predstavlja tudi pomemben izziv in srž našega delovanja.

• Za zvezo to pomeni, da njene članice ne morejo biti pravne osebe. Člani so lahko kolektivi, iniciative, projekti in posamezniki v svojih »izveninstitucionalnih kapacitetah«. Ker želimo ohraniti delovanje svobodno, se ne želimo omejevati s predpisi in zakoni, ki jih diktirajo drugi, ampak želimo določati svoja pravila sodelovanja. Avtonomno pomeni tudi, da se vsaka iniciativa, projekt ali posameznik sam odloča o svojem delovanju, vendar po drugi strani del aktivnosti skozi katerega vstopa v zvezo uskladi z vsemi principi in vrednotami.

Nehierarhičnost z direktno demokracijo – sodelujemo in dogovarjamo se na izhodišču enakosti in medosebnega spoštovanja. V Zadrugi Urbani želimo vzpostaviti okolje brez nepotrebnih dominantnih vzorcev obnašanja in avtoritarnosti – takšnih odnosov imamo vrh glave že iz družbe.

• Za zvezo to pomeni, da se na podlagi principov delovanja in v duhu bazičnih vrednot odločamo skupaj, na konsenzualen način. Zagovarjamo svobodno izbiro sodelovanja, vsakemu damo priložnost, da predstavi svojo stališče ali vsebino in vsi prevzemamo odgovornost za prepoznavanje in reagiranje na neutemeljene, vsiljene avtoritarne vzgibe. Če delujemo na tak način, to pomeni tudi, da vsi prevzemamo naloge in odgovornosti, ki si jih zadamo, ter na ta način prispevamo k horizontalnemu načinu delovanja. Šefov je na temu svetu preveč, da bi si lahko privoščili ustoličiti še enega.

Kolektivizacija zemlje; izmenjava znanja, hrane, semen in orodja – skozi kolektivno delovanje vzpostavljamo tudi skupnost in verjamemo, da je ta spodobna sprejemati pravilne odločitve, pa naj gre za dogovorjeno uporabo zemljišča ali pa njegovo zasedbo. Privatna lastnina ne bi smela biti samoumevna in jo poskušamo preizpraševati tudi skozi naše delovanje. Takšen odnos velja tudi do ostalih tematik, naj gre za izmenjavo znanja, hrane, semen ali orodja. Privatizacija dobrin, sredstev in virov otežuje splošen dostop ljudi do kvalitetnega življenja, preprečuje solidarnost in kopiči moč v rokah posameznikov.

• Za zvezo to pomeni zdrav odnos do okolja, v katerem živimo in ne lastninjenja narave. Želimo ustvarjati skupnost, v kateri si solidarno pomagamo po naših zmožnostih in svoje lastnine ne koristimo za namen okoriščanja.

Solidarnostno delovanje in kolektivne direktne akcije – če delujemo skupaj in naše odnose gradimo tudi skozi vzajemno delovanje, s tem omogočamo oz. pomagamo pri gradnji iniciativ in projektov, ki si jih sicer želimo imeti – več kot bo takih projektov, večja in močnejša bo naša skupnost in posledično bodo tudi večji in zahtevnejši projekti lažje izvedljivi.

Enakost, svoboda, solidarnost in antikapitalizem, antišovinizem in antifašizem / antinacionalizem – v današnjem svetu tako izrečene besede veljajo za radikalne, v bistvu pa na zelo enostaven način izražajo odnose, kakršne si želimo graditi in družbo, kakršne si želimo.

Kdo je lahko del mreže?

Del mreže so lahko avtonomne iniciative, ki se prepoznajo v vrednotah in principih delovanja in katerih delovanje se da smiselno umestiti v tematski okvir in namen mreže – na pobudo že obstoječih članov, če nima nihče drug zadržkov.

V mreži se povezujejo samonikli avtonomne iniciative – to pomeni, da njihova dejavnost bazira na aktivnostih, ki niso podrejene razpisnim ali tržnim zahtevam, si delijo vrednote in principe delovanja ter si jih želijo po najboljših močeh udejanjati v realnosti. Skeptični smo do nevladnih organizacij in ostalih uradnih institucij, kakor tudi do poslovnih modelov s.p.-jev, zadrug in ostalega. V primeru, da so te dano dejstvo, si ne želimo sodelovati s pravnimi osebami, ampak ljudmi, ki te pravne subjekte tvorijo. To velja tudi za sodelovanje na ostalih področjih – poskušamo vzpostaviti mrežo na drugačnih temeljih, kot jih predpostavlja trenutna družbena ureditev, čeprav se zavedamo, da je potrebno nekako preživeti in delovati tudi v tej ureditvi. Mreža ni namenjena izpolnjevanjem kvot števila udeležencev na razpisih, iskanju partnerjev na razpisnih projektih, kakor tudi ni namenjena zagotavljanju brezplačne delovne sile za črpanje denarja z naslova subvencij ali koriščenja vpletenih ljudi oz. kontaktov za komercialne in osebno-pridobitniške namene. Namenjena je grajenju podporne mreže, ki bo s svojim eksperimentiranjem v različnih načinih sodelovanja dvigala kvaliteto naših življenj in gradila alternativno skupnost onkraj omejitev države in kapitala.

Struktura mreže

Osnovna struktura so posamezni kontakti avtonomnih iniciativ, te pa nato delijo informacijo po svoji mreži/krogih. Avtonomne iniciative (AI) so odgovorne za delovanje, odgovorno vključevanje širše skupnosti oz. posameznikov v aktivnosti in za odgovorno vključevanje novih iniciativ, projektov, posameznikov v samo mrežo.

Komunikacija poteka preko mailing liste vključenih AI – gre za kontakte baze – od tu lahko vsak po svojih internih kanalih razširi informacijo v svoj krog ljudi, do svojih kontaktov v skupnosti.

Na vzpostavljenem komunikacijskem kanalu lahko vključene AI posredujejo predloge za skupne akcije in aktivnosti, naredijo poizvedbo za interes pri sodelovanju v svojih aktivnostih, širijo informacije o priložnostih za deljenje in pridobivanje znanj ali informirajo o lokalnih bojih, v katere so vpletene in o katerih bi rade informirale tudi druge.

V mreži ni zaželeno neodgovorno širjenje informacij in kontaktov ter vključevanje ljudi, ki se jih ne prepozna v temu kontekstu.

Ker bi radi delovali na podlagi pristnih odnosov jih skušamo nadgrajevati s skupnimi, širšimi srečanji mreže vsaj enkrat na leto.

Ideje za delovanje mreže ter vizije za naprej

Vzpostavitev mreže je poskus mreženja podobno mislečih in hkratna vzpostavitev konkretne platforme solidarnosti, medsebojne pomoči, izmenjave znanj, izkušenj in premislekov. Pričakovanja so majhna, a vizije velike. Prvi korak je, da se med seboj spoznamo in prepoznamo točke in prednosti, ki jih lahko medsebojno sodelovanje prinese vsakemu vključenemu. Vizija je seveda gradnja žepov alternativ, ki se bodo povezovale in podpirale med seboj ter tvorile širšo solidarnostno mrežo, ki lahko deluje na raznolikih področjih, v katere segajo naša življenja (avtonomni prostori, ljudske kuhinje, izobraževalni projekti, kulturno-prireditveni kolektivi,…). Z majhnimi koraki povezovanj si želimo ustvarjati alternativno družbo, v kakršni bi si želeli živeti. Po drugi strani pa naj bi takšna struktura ustvarjala družbeno moč, ki si bo upala intervenirati v družbo.

Vizija je tudi okrepiti raznovrstne iniciative, projekte in skupnosti na deželi in v mestu, ter krepiti sodelovanje in izmenjavo. Dominantna družba – globalni kapitalizem skozi nacionalne države s strankarsko demokracijo – nas seveda prepričuje, da delamo nekaj narobe, in veliko energije usmerjajo v to da bi nas vkalupili po njihovih potrebah, zaradi česar velikokrat skoraj izgubimo upanje in kompas, kaj je v redu in kaj ne. Mreženja skozi zamišljene strukture lahko pomagajo držati pravo smer – skozi drugačen način delovanja in druženja; in ob enem postavljajo temeljno ogrodje, ki lahko dobro služi tudi za gradnjo raznovrstnih alternativnih skupnosti.

Mreža je živa toliko, kolikor vanjo vlagamo in uporabna toliko, kolikor prepoznavamo potenciale uporabe mrežne strukture.

Poleg zgoraj naštetega in zapisanega smo mnenja, da je regija, iz katere prihajamo, dovolj majhna, da so sodelovanja mogoča. Poznanstva lahko prinesejo raznolika kvalitetna sodelovanja na mnogih področjih, ki gredo širše od pridelave hrane.

Znanja pridobivamo tudi zato, da jih lahko delimo. Pomoč je v majhnih skupnostih vedno dobrodošla – fizična, izmenjava orodij, znanj in izkušenj.

Sebi in svoji širši skupnosti bi radi omogočili dostop do kvalitetne hrane in izdelkov. Distribucija tako pridelkov kot izdelkov se z obstoječo mrežo zdi lažja in mogoča.

Hkrati mreža omogoča tudi izmenjavo in sodelovanje med ljudmi iz širše skupnosti onkraj konkretne zveze, ki si delijo poglede na življenje in družbo. Ne govorimo o gostih, ki pridejo, pomagajo pri kakšnem opravilu in jim postrežemo s kavo, ampak o tovariših, s katerimi si že vnaprej delimo načine delovanja in željo po grajenju pristnih odnosov znotraj širše skupnosti.

Mreža nam prav tako lahko omogoči lažjo intervencijo v okoljska in družbena vprašanja na takšen ali drugačen način – pri kampanjah proti GSO, privatizaciji vode, pri zagotavljanju hrane za širšo skupnost ali migrantsko kuhinjo, alter-kulturne dogodke,…

Našteli smo le nekaj vidikov ali razlogov, zakaj se nam zdi vredno, kot že poudarjeno – z majhnimi pričakovanji – vzpostaviti Črn trn – Radikalno agrarno zvezo.

Črn Trn, 20.4. 2019, na XVIII. Antifa festu, AKC Metelkova

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Črn Trn / The Black Thorn – A Radical Agrarian Association

 

The idea behind The Black Thorn – A Radical Agrarian Association

Building on our own experience with the forming of ties at the local level, we have identified a lack of networks that could bring together those wishing to go beyond or feeling alienated from conservative, esoteric, commercialized or pretentions food production networks. During years of activities we have come across various collectives, initiatives, projects and individuals or autonomous groups with which we would like to cooperate, strengthen the values of equality, solidarity and freedom and form authentic relations and modes of operation that strive to exceed established social patterns. We want to try to build a network of those who share not only the desire for food self-sufficiency but also the wish to achieve it in a communal way that would depart from patterns forced on us by the system we live in. The Black Thorn – A Radical Agrarian Association would be based on mutual assistance, solidarity and non-hierarchical modes of operation.

We want two things: a practical network that will establish long-term cooperation and will not depend on current agro-fashion trends and »beliefs« but will push for sustainable methods and build on quality human relations. We also want the network to generate relations and policies that go beyond the conservative policies of traditional organisation dominating »the political field or rural and other environmental issues«. We want to cooperate with people who share our views of the world in a way that would never require us to give up these views. Not intending to formalise the network is something that is entailed in this stance.

We see the association as a lose network of like-minded people who promote a push towards the sustainable and non-commercial. It is meant to connect those trusting in the search for and experimentation with alternatives, both when it comes to growing food and building relations operating in line with agreed shared principles. This will help us strengthen and expand our community with new friendships, ideas, knowledge and experience.

The basic idea is simple: let us start without expectations or major commitments and see if this leads to anything. Everybody involved will and has already built some kind of community around their initiative or project. This Radical Agrarian Association can serve as a structure that connects these communities and fosters now links. These can also generate interesting results in areas that can either have no direct connection with the network (for instance education of the young – kindergarten), or are directly connected (distribution of produce).

Basic operating principles

The proposed principles are based on those espoused by Zadruga Urbana. We outlined each principle according to how it is understood within our collective and with a view of what this implies for the association.

Selforganisation – we rely on the capacities of the collective. We try to find solutions for our needs and wishes within the collective and the wider community. Decisions are made jointly in regular meetings.

• Thus the association needs to look after itself, meaning each individual is responsible for it and is needed for its existence – there is no top-down service that would make sure it remains operative

Autonomous, non-institutional mode of existence – we see no need to formalise our activities and relations, actually seeing formal status as something that entails major limitations. We moreover do not want to become dependent on calls for applications and top-down agendas. We hold the same view with regard to the growing and distribution of food and products. This independence poses an important challenge and is also an essential part of our efforts.

• The implication for the association is that its members must not be legal entities. They can be collectives, initiatives, projects and individuals in their »non-institutional capacity«. Since we wish to operate in a free manner, we do not want to restrict ourselves with official rules and laws dictated by others, but want to lay down our own rules of cooperation. Autonomous also means that each institution, project and individual decide on their operations independently, while they align those activities through which they enter the association with its principles and values.

 

Non-hierarchical structure with direct democracy – cooperation and decision making is based on equality and mutual respect. At Zadruga Urbana we strive to create an environment without unnecessary dominant and authoritarian patterns of behavior – the amount of such relations generated by society is tiring enough.

• The implication for the association is that, in keeping with our operating principles and the basic values, we decide together, in a consensual manner. We promote cooperation based on free choice, give everybody the chance to present their position or content and jointly assume responsibility for identifying and reacting to unfounded, forceful authoritarian tendencies. This mode also means we all take on the responsibilities and tasks we lay down and thereby contribute to a horizontal mode of operation. We cannot afford to add another boss to a world overflowing with them.

Collectivisation of land; exchange of knowledge, food, seeds and tools – Through collective action we are also establishing a community and we believe this community is capable of making the right decisions, be it about the agreed use of a plot or its occupation. Private property should not be self-evident and we try to question it through our activities. This attitude also applies to other fields, be it the exchange of knowledge, food, seeds and tools. The privatisation of goods, means and resources is hampering people’s general access to quality life, it prevents solidarity and concentrates power in the hands of individuals.

• For the association this means a healthy attitude to the environment we live in and excludes ownership claims on nature. We wish to create a community in which we help each other in solidarity according to our abilities and do not use our property for exploitation.

Operating with solidarity and using collective direct action – if we act together and also build our relations though mutual operations, we help build initiatives and projects that we strive for – the more there are of such projects, the stronger our community will be and as a result larger and more demanding projects will be easier to execute as well.

Equality, freedom, solidarity, anti-capitalism, anti-chauvinism and anti-fascism/anti-nationalism – in today’s world these words are considered radical, but in fact they are a very simple expression of the relations we wish to build and of the society we want.

Who can be part of the network?

The network is open to autonomous initiatives that recognise themselves in these values and operating principles and whose activities can be incorporated meaningfully in the content and purpose of the network – at the initiative of already existing members, if nobody has reservations.

The network provides for ties between grass roots initiatives – this means that their efforts are based on activities that are not subject to the demands of calls for applications or the market, that they share the listed values and operating principle and strive to implement them with tangible results to the best of their abilities. We are skeptical of NGOs and other official organisations, as well as of the business models involved in sole proprietorship, cooperatives etc. In case they are an inevitable fact, we do not wish to cooperate with the legal entities but with the people comprising them. This also applies for cooperation in other areas – we are trying to set up a network on foundations that are different from those stipulated by the current social order, even though we are aware that it is also necessary to somehow survive and also be involved in this order. The network is not intended for securing participant numbers for quotas in calls for applications, the search for partners in public calls projects, and also not for securing free labour to phase subsidies or to use those involved or the contacts for commercial purposes or private profit. It is conceived as a support network whose experimentation with different ways of cooperation will improve the quality of our lives and build an alternative community that exceeds the confines of the state and capital.

The network’s structure

The basic structure is formed by individual reference persons within autonomous initiatives (AIs) who then share information inside their network/circles.

The AIs are responsible for the activities, for involving the wider community or individuals into the activities in a responsible manner and for responsibly including new initiatives, projects and individuals into the network.

The communication runs through a mailing list featuring the AIs – these are contact bases – from whereon information can be spread via internal channels.

This communication channel allows the AIs to submit proposals for joint actions and activities, inquire about potential interest for cooperation in their own activities, spread information about opportunities to share and obtain knowledge or about the local struggles they are involved in and would like others to know about.

Information and contacts must not be shared in an irresponsible manner, nor should anyone pursue the inclusion of individuals who do not seem to fit into this framework.

Wishing to foster genuine ties, we also try to organise larger general meetings of the network at least once a year.

Ideas for the network and its future development

The network is an attempt at connecting like-minded individuals and groups and simultaneously setting up a concrete platform of solidarity, mutual assistance, exchange of knowledge, experience and deliberations. Expectations are modest, but the vision is significant. The first step is getting to know each other and identifying common points and benefits that can be obtained by everybody involved through cooperation. The vision is of course to build pockets of alternatives that will form ties and support each other to build a wider network of solidarity that can operate in various fields affecting our lives (autonomous spaces, communal kitchens, education projects, collectives involved in culture and events in general etc.). The idea is to use small steps to join forces and build an alternative society, one that one would wish to live in. On the other hand, such a structure should generate a social force that will dare to intervene in society.

The idea is to also strengthen various initiatives, projects and communities in rural areas and in the city and boost cooperation and exchange. Dominant society – global capitalism through nation states with party democracy – is of course trying to make us think we are in the wrong somehow, and much energy is being put into molding us into a shape that fits their needs, which frequently brings us to a point where we almost lose hope and orientation as to what is right and what not. Networking through the structures conceived can help us stay on the right course – by operating and socialising in a different way – and at the same time they provide a basic frame that can also serve effectively to build various alternative communities.

The degree to which the network is alive corresponds to the effort invested into it and its usefulness depends on the degree to which its potential is identified.

We moreover believe that the region we come from is small enough to allow cooperation. Acquaintances can generate various quality forms of cooperation in diverse fields that go beyond food production.

We obtain knowledge to also be able to share it. Assistance in small communities is always welcome – physical, exchange of tools, knowledge and experience.

We would like to provide access to quality food and products for ourselves and our wider community. It would seem that the distribution of produce and products is easier and possible with an existing network.

A network simultaneously allows exchange and cooperation among people form the wider community, meaning beyond the association itself, who hold shared views on life and society. We are not talking about guests who come and help with a chore or two and are served coffee, but about comrades with whom we jointly lay down our operating principles in advance and who share the wish to build genuine relations within a wider community.

The network can moreover allow us to intervene more easily in environmental and social issues in one form or another – be it in campaigns against GMOs, privatisation of water, in efforts to secure food for a wider community, for migrants, when organising alternative cultural events etc.

We have only listed some of the aspects and reasons that we believe make it worthwhile to establish – again, with modest expectations – The Black Thorn – A Radial Agrarian Association.

Black Thorn, 20 April 2019, at 18th Antifa Fest, AKC Metelkova