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Politics without Politicians: An Update on The Argentine Assemblies
Por Lisa Garrigues -
Tuesday, Jun. 04, 2002 at 6:10 PM
Argentina_Now@yahoo.com
Neighbors in Argentina Weave a New Solidarity
The Argentine Neighborhood Assemblies, born in early January 2002 from the December cacerolazos, are almost a half a year old. Despite repeated rumours that the assemblies are "dying out", the opposite seems to be true.
Though the individual assemblies are smaller in attendance than they were in January, and some are still beset by problems in organizing and finding common aims to work on, these 200 plus groups of neighbors continue to be an important force making "politics without politicians" in Buenos Aires and other major cities of this country, where poverty, unemployment and an unpopular bank freeze have magnified the struggles of every day life.
One assembly is actively participating in the administration of a local hospital, another is working with the streetside recyclers to help them maintain their source of income in the face of city government threats to turn over the recycling to private business, and others have continually showed up en masse to support the efforts and actions of their neighbors. Three weeks ago two pot-banging assemblies showed up to help a retired couple get their savings back in Colegiales (see argentina.indymedia.org article), and assemblies in Pompeya and San Telmo have gathered in large numbers to support workers who took over factories in those neighborhoods.
Julio Tamae of the Pompeya assembly says new participants are showing up every week at the meetings in his barrio. Another resident of Pompeya, Hernan Gonzales, says: "The assemblies continue to be the red line that is drawn before repressive government policies, the line that says "Here, and no further."
The Interbarrial
The profuse and enthusiastic chaos of the early "interbarriales", the inter-neighborhood assemblies, has been replaced by a structured delegate voting system in which each assembly sends two delegates to the interbarrial with a mandate to vote on particular issues from the neighborhood assembley. This was done because some assembly members felt the assemblies were being taken over by organized left wing political parties, and they wanted to restrict voting to people who were actually participants in the assemblies. Proposals currently being discussed include the organization of an interneighborhood press committee and actions against the raising of prices by the private utility companies.
Threats and Harassment
A few months ago stick-wielding supporters of President Dualde descended upon the assembly of Merlot and beat up several members. In other assemblies people have been followed by unmarked cars as they walked home. Assembly members continue to receive threats and harassment.
Many members, who rely on emails to keep up their connections with fellow asambleistas, have received repeated computer virus attacks, some of them disabling. One virus-laden email message had a title that said: "assemblies go".
One neighbor in Saavedra received the following telephone threat: "Stop messing around with the assemblies, because if you don't, you,re dead meat."
Others have received threats via email.
One group of asambleistas who were distributing invitations to a party in the Saavedra train station were threatened with jail by federal police.
Three people who were getting out of a car after a demonstration at economy minister Lavagna's house were asked for identification by police in a car.
Four neighbors who were leaving a bar in their neighborhood were intercepted by police who asked them what they were doing inside the bar and asked them for identification.
In Saavedra park one man made death threats to a group of asamblistas and other people who were enjoying a fair.
La Trama
Despite the threats, and the onset of winter chill, assembly members are still meeting on streetcorners and inside buildings, continuing their experiment in solidarity, organization and direct democracy. Last weekend, the assembly of Palermo organized an event called La Trama ("The Weaving") which consisted of music, dance, encounters and other cultural events in which local businesses and neighbors participated. Here is what one asambleista, Eduardo Coiro, had to say about La Trama:
"Yesterday, I lived the closing event of La Trama, a beautiful and powerful exprience that went beyond listening to ideas and proposals. I heard the sounds of soul and communion in each participant, each drumbeat, each fire juggling, each dance to bossa nova, afro, folklore or rock. I watched people thoroughly enjoying themselves, living with the intensity of those drumbeats that echo in your chest, the rythms of a shared heartbeat. I felt a strange pride in knowing that among the originators of this assembly, born the 17th of January, there were friends with whom I had banged on pots in front of Congress, with whom I had demonstrated against the Supreme Court.
Today they, these doers and sustainers, are a part of the collective miracle that is La Trama and that speaks of how in the neighborhood assembly we have managed to overcome internal differences in an activity that was real, shared and open to everyone.
(It) was overflowing with people, it was a fountain, a force full of impact. There were kids dancing with their moms and dads, all ages, all stories, lots of different political ideologies. Everyone of us on the same ground, one made of dreams and hope.
In this profound wound that is Argentina, it is not easy to get organized, go out onto the street, and recognize in each one of us the seed of what is human and equal despite our differences. We have to overcome the prejudice and terror that has destroyed time and again the collective body, the continual crises that have left us without bread or illusions, that have stripped us of words, of the capacity to love, of the capacity of the direct and transparent human encounter.
We have been forced to retreat into immobility, into the defense of our own entrenched solitude, into a culture of desperation. I see no remedy that is more healing than the collective action of the people, whether it be a roadblock, an assembly, a cacerolazo, or this indefinable collective creation of La Trama, a beautiful experience of initiation into political life for whole families.
With a certain difficulty in describing experiences that go beyond mere reason, I can't stop tellling you of my admiration for La Trama, for the work of the wonderful and honest people of the Assembly of Palermo Viejo.
Hasta La Victoria
Siempre
Eduardo Coiro"
For more English news and articles on Argentina, see http://argentinanow.tripod.com.ar.
Assemblies are close to Anarchist model of democracy
Por Anarcho -
Friday, Jun. 07, 2002 at 4:09 PM
The model described above for the way the assemblies are been organised via voting
of delegates and so on is the same as the anarchist model. In fact anarchist theory is
basically based on what people would and want to do naturally without authoritarian
structures, which allow domination by elites whether they be from the right or left or
anywhere else.
Are people in general on the street, particulary those involved with the assemblies
familiar with Anarchism. If not, it would be worth checking out the FAQ -see related
link. Anarchism is about direct democracy and how to go about it. It does not propose
any leaders. In fact it is about organising society in such a way that there are no leaders
since they are all corruptible, but instead organising it through a federated system, just
like what is actually beginning to bud there in Argentina. But the people must act quickly
to federate and take power from the State, before the State smashes them and reasserts
it's power. This is the key idea of anarchism, which is that people just take the power
themselves. The State only exists to protect private Capital and the elites.
Anarchism was tried during the 1936 revolution in Spain, but subsequently smashed
by the Stalinist government and by General Franco.
See also http://struggle.ws/
RE: Anarchism
Por Argentina Now -
Wednesday, Jun. 12, 2002 at 11:04 PM
Re: Your comments about the anarchist model. Yes, in fact it does very much resemble a lot of what has been happening with the assemblies. "Building power from the bottom up" is a phrase that is used a lot here. There are people here who are very familiar with anarchist ideas from a theoretical perspective, and others who are just doing what seems right
Ms
Por Nana -
Thursday, Jun. 13, 2002 at 12:33 AM
The local assemblies set up in Argentina give hope to me that we can create a world which is not ruled by large multinationals for their own benefit. I wish the very best of luck to all those in Argentina challenging the political order which sold off their country and the well being of the vast majority of their people to the World Bank. I hope there is some way that those of us overseas can find a way to help in the struggle to redemocratise Argentina and hopefully the world against the pressures of big business.
Community Strength-Vitality
Por Pete -
Tuesday, Jun. 18, 2002 at 5:48 PM
founder@1Collegeplace.com
It seems that the people of Argentina have decided to create a community through community actions. In my opinion that is the best way to create a healthy community(participation).
It seems like your developing community would work with trust and respect as core principles.
Trust and respect can come from participation in community building efforts and also through the beautiful La Tramas. It seems seeing your neighbors on different levels enables you to see that your neighbors are also interested in a healthy life and healthy community. Maybe in your Neighborhood Assemblies you can discuss what a healthy neighborhhod means to that community. Once you are able to determine what you want the path may be clearer.
I have never been to your country but could only imagine what is must feel like to be able to develop your own method for living. Nerves must be on the edge. It is sad that some of your neighbors have felt threatened by this new way of living. Would it be possible to make leaflets and leave them in public places so that people can learn and in turn be less scared. One thing I try and remember everyday is that any neighbor can feed another neighbor. Any neighbor can listen to another play the guitar. Also a neighbor can not help if he or she is too busy just taking care of him or herself.
Slowly I have been learning about your countries economic meltdown. Many people would tell me an you neighbors cannot build a community. Well if a few neighbors can get together and make food, another group of neighbors can get together and educate children and another group of neighbors can get together and grow-pick food it seems you have formed your own small community.
Slowly you may find small communities developing certain skills. Then you may be able to work within each others communities. While writing this response I bumped into a very good article detailing your situtation. Look forward to reading and learning more about our historic growth. Please do not let the past destroy your future. Create one today.
http://www.jubilee2000uk.org/worldnews/lamerica/argentina070602.htm
Comunicación con Pete
Por TAMI -
Wednesday, Jun. 19, 2002 at 2:39 PM
¿Vos sos el Pete de http://www.geocities.com/true_peace.geo?
Asambleas close to Project for Inclusive Democracy
Por Anna Cornelius -
Monday, Jul. 15, 2002 at 10:59 PM
The Inclusive Democracy Project expands the original meaning of democracy to include equal sharing of political, as well as economic and social power exercised directly by citizens.
see as well:
Democracy&Nature. The International Journal of Inclusive Democracy.
http://www.democracynature.org
Assemblies
Por DJEB -
Sunday, Jul. 21, 2002 at 4:54 AM
Anarchism is what popped into my head the first time I heard about the assemblies. They are fascinating to read about, and must give the participants a wonderful sense of empowerment. Also interesting is how it is instinctively percieved as a threat by some (that "some" having some degree of power over others under the traditional system, no doubt). True democracy would be a terrible thing to those holding any power under the traditional system. I just hope their efforts to undermine the assemblies fail.
Hasta La Victoria Siempre
DJEB
Question
Por Kathryn -
Sunday, Aug. 18, 2002 at 9:35 PM
weberk@wam.umd.edu 301.442.7385
I am trying to find information on actual numbers of people participating in the Assemblies--either percentage of the total population involved or just straight numbers (average number of people in each assembly and total number of assemblies). If anyone could answer this or knows where to point me, I would be EXTREMELY thankful. You can email or call.
Thanks in advance,
Kathryn
Bureau of Public Secrets
Por Moments of Truth in Argentina -
Wednesday, Oct. 02, 2002 at 10:11 PM
knabb@slip.net
You may find that the following text has some relevant points to make regarding the tactics of popular self-organization now being experimented with in the Argentina assemblies:
http://www.bopsecrets.org/PS/joyrev3.htm
Bureau of Public Secrets
Por Moments of Truth in Argentina -
Wednesday, Oct. 02, 2002 at 11:18 PM
knabb@slip.net
You may find that the following text has some relevant points to make regarding the tactics of popular self-organization now being experimented with in the Argentina assemblies:
http://www.bopsecrets.org/PS/joyrev3.htm