Evaluating an anarchist group
Once you have found an anarchist group the
next thing to do is to work out whether or not you should get
involved in it. If the answer is 'no' (and sometimes this is the
right answer) you'll need to look around for another group or try and
set up a new one.
In many countries where anarchism is weak and has no real recent
history groups may exist which call themselves anarchist but don't
really have a lot to do with anarchism. It can just be a trendy
label. Or sometimes a group just runs out of energy but keep going
for social reasons (ie because the people like meeting up for a
drink). Problems you should look out for include
- Attitude to the working class; Is the group based around
trying to get the idea of anarchism out and help working class
people organise or is it just into 'fringe' issues with no central
political aim?
- Does the group try and enforce a particular life-style on
people involved, is it only interested in 'drop-outs', squatters
or vegetarians? There's nothing wrong with being any of these but
if you are expected to live this way then the group is more
concerned with life-style then anarchism.
- Is the group composed of people who like hearing their own
voices but are unwilling to engage in activity. Does it take part
in struggles, unions and demonstrations?
- Is the group democratic in scope, does everyone have a say in
decision making or is it ran by a Guru whose decisions are
unquestioned.
- Are important decisions made at meetings that everyone has an
input to or do they seem to be made by a sub-group of friends
elsewhere?
- Do they have a public face, do they have a publication,
leaflets and public meetings or are they just activists content to
do work for others?
If any of these things are problems in the group then you should
check around to see if there are any other anarchist organisations
around. If there are not or they share the same problems then you
probably will have little choice but to get involved anyway and try
and change the way the group functions. You may well find this is
impossible though. If so recognise when you are beaten and rather
then get demoralised look at the possibility of setting up a new
anarchist group. If you feel this way then the odds are other people
do as well.