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"Victoria" Anarchist Reading Circle

Reading for Revolution

  • Acknowledgements
  • How to Meet Us
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Author: Creatrix

Mar 31: Anarchism and the Arab Spring

Posted on March 23, 2024 - March 23, 2024 by Creatrix

Mohammed BamyehJoin us for a discussion of Palestinian anarchist Mohammed Bamyeh’s article on the 2010-12 uprisings that swept through north Africa and the middle east, overthrowing dictatorships in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya.

For our next reading we are delving into “Anarchist Method, Liberal Intention, Authoritarian Lesson: The Arab Spring between Three Enlightenments.”

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Bamyeh - Anarchist Method, Liberal Intention, Authoritarian Lesson: The Arab Spring between Three Enlightenments

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Bamyeh was a participant in the uprising in Egypt and writes from firsthand experience. He has authored numerous books, notably Anarchy as Order (2009) and Lifeworlds of Islam: The Pragmatics of a Religion (2019).

As always, we will be meeting at Camas Books, 2620 Quadra street, unceded Lekwungen territory. The next session will take place on Sunday, March 31st at 6:30pm.

 

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Posted in Anarchist Societies, History Behind Current Affairs, Revolutionary TheoryTagged Arab Spring, Organic Anarchism

Dec 10: Oppose & Propose Conversations

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Creatrix

We were so inspired by reading Andrew Cornell’s history of the Movement for a New Society that we decided to explore the conversations associated with the movement. Please read the following reflective sections regarding MNS theory and praxis for the next gathering. You can find the reading here:

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Oppose & Propose Part 2 - Conversations

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As always, we are meeting at Camas books located on unceded Lekwungen territory at 2620 Quadra Street. We start at 6:30pm this Sunday evening on December 10th.

Be seeing you!

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Posted in Activism, Anarchist Societies, History Behind Current Affairs, Theory/PraxisTagged Prefigurative Politics

Nov 26: Movement for a New Society & Contemporary Anarchism

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Creatrix

Movement for a New Society The next reading we will be considering is a section from Andrew Cornell’s 2011 book Oppose and Propose! Lessons from Movement for a New Society (MNS). MNS spanned across the United States between 1971 and into the 1990s, but was concentrated largely in Philadelphia. As the name of the  book implies, MNS was involved in both protest actions (to oppose) as well as in building alternative institutional frameworks (to propose). The section we chose to read outlines the early history of the movement, as well as an analysis of why it dissipated at its end.

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Movement for a New Society and Contemporary Anarchism (part)

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As always, we are meeting at 6:30pm at Camas Books, 2620 Quadra Street, Victoria, BC on unceded Lekwungen Territory. The next date is on Sunday, November 26th.

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Posted in Activism, History Behind Current Affairs, Theory/PraxisTagged Anarchism, History, Pacificism

Oct 29: The Continuing Appeal of Nationalism & Media Literacy Workshop

Posted on October 22, 2023 - February 6, 2024 by Creatrix
Due to outstanding media events regarding Palestine & Israel, we will be reading Fredy Perlman’s The Continuing Appeal of Nationalism (1984) as a primer for a workshop, as well as a discussion, on understanding conflict, navigating media, and practicing solidarity in a time of war and crisis overseas.
One member fled Afghanistan as a refugee during the Soviet occupation. They were active in the post-9/11 anti-war movement, and organized with Afghan-led voices internationally against the NATO war in Afghanistan.

One presenter studies the intersections of infrastructure, conflict, and politics in North America, Central Asia and the Caucasus.
The Continuing Appeal of Nationalism (1984) is available to read for free on the Anarchist Library https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/fredy-perlman-the-continuing-appeal-of-nationalism
As always, we meet at Camas Books and Infoshop, 2620 Quadra Street, on unceded Lekwungen Territory at 6:30pm on Sunday October 29th.

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Posted in Theory/Praxis, WorkshopTagged Anarchism, Anti-Imperialism, Freddy Pearlman, Media Literacy

October 15th: A Critique of Ally Politics Double Header

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Creatrix

Spilling over from our discussion on how “Reconciliation is Dead” we turned to Tawinikay’s evocation of the Two-Row Wampum representing the original intent of cooperation and equality that was part of the earliest relations between Indigenous and Settler peoples (specifically the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch). We then talked about what, in a similar spirit, could be most relevant for our movements today and decided to read a few classics to get our bearings on the matter.

For October 15th, we will be reading two texts contesting the term “Ally.” The first text is the classic, “Accomplices not Allies: Abolishing the Ally Industrial Complex,” from Indigenousaction.org, which you can get from this link. A Print-friendly .pdf is available here. The second text is from Crimethinc. and is called “Ain’t No PC Gonna Fix It Baby: A Critique of Ally Politics”, which you can get from the Anarchist Library here.

As always, we meet at Camas Books and Infoshop, 2620 Quadra Street, on unceded Lekwungen Territory at 6:30pm on Sunday October 15th.

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Posted in Allies, Decolonization, Indigenous SolidarityTagged Crimethinc., Indigenous Action Media, Indigenous Solidarity

Sep 17: Creeker Zine Volume One

Posted on September 9, 2023 by Creatrix

There’s nothing like actually getting to read something that is local and close to our hearts like we are this week with the first installment of the Creeker Zine. Yes, it is time for us to consider all the trials and tribulations our comrades over on the blockades have been experiencing as we take a few moments to ponder over their words in Creeker Volume One. Join us for an undoubtedly intense journey by clicking on the link to their zine here.

As always, we meet at Camas Books, 2620 Quadra Street on Lekwungen Territory. This meeting will take place on Sunday, Sept 17th at 6:30 pm. Be seeing you!

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Posted in Activism, Ecology, Gatherings, Theory/PraxisTagged Anarchism, Creeker, Land Defense

August 20: Quiet Storm – Technology and Social Control Screening

Posted on August 13, 2023 by Creatrix

For the next reading circle, we decided to put the texts down and watch a video together! So we headed over to our anarchist educational co-conspirators at sub.Media for inspiration and of course, they came up with the goods! We are going to be viewing (together at the circle) Quiet Storm: Technology and Social Control, which is part of their Trouble Series of documentary films. After the movie we will discuss what we learned.

As always, we are meeting at Camas Books, 2620 Quadra Street, on Lekwungen Territory. The next meeting is Sunday August 20th @ 6:30PM.

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Posted in Movies, Police & Policing, Theory/PraxisTagged Anarchism, Surveillance, Technology

April 2: Participatory Democracy in Action: Practices of the Zapatistas and the Movimento Sem Terra

Posted on March 24, 2023 - March 26, 2023 by Creatrix

zapatistaOur next reading will be the academic article Participatory Democracy in Action: Practices of the Zapatistas and the Movimento Sem Terra, which covers the Zapatistas’ and Movimento Sem Terra’s (Landless Movement-MST) methods of organizing through participatory democracy, which emphasizes obligation to participate in decision making and a shared concern for autonomy.

Get the reading here:

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Participatory Democracy

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As always, we are meeting at Camas Books, 2620 Quadra Street, on Lekwungen Territory. The next meeting is Sunday April 2 @ 6:30PM.

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Posted in Anarchist Societies, Decolonization, History Behind Current Affairs, Theory/PraxisTagged Decolonisation, democracy, organizing, Zapatistas

March 5/19: How Nonviolence Protects the State

Posted on March 16, 2023 - March 27, 2023 by Creatrix

How nonviolence protects the state Over the past few weeks we have been reading Peter Gelderloos’ How Nonviolence Protects the State and the discussions have been riveting! This book has both strong points to make in favour of diversity of tactics, but unfortunately, it also has its limitations, which we are unpacking.

We are accessing the text on one of two ways:

  1. Online: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/peter-gelderloos-how-nonviolence-protects-the-state
  2. Buy the Book from the publisher, Detritus: https://detritusbooks.com/products/how-nonviolence-protects-the-state-by-peter-gelderloos

Camas Books made a special order from Detritus already. Thanks to those who participated in this bulk purchase.

Reading Assignments

March 5: Part One: Terminology; Part Two: Nonviolence is Ineffective; and Part Three: Nonviolence is Racist.

March 19: Part Four: Nonviolence is Statist; and Part Five: Nonviolence is Patriarchal

As always, we meet at 6:30 pm at Camas Books, 2620 Quadra Street, unceded Lekwungen Territory.

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Posted in Activism, Revolutionary Theory, Theory/PraxisTagged diversity of tactics, Non-violence

Feb 19th: Revolution of Our Times (Director Kiwi Chow)

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Creatrix

Revolution of our TimesThe next Anarchist Reading Circle will be a movie night, scheduled for Sunday, Feb 19th @ 6:30 pm.

We are watching Revolution of Our Times (Director Kiwi Chow) in hopes we can learn from the anarchists resisting authoritarianism in Hong Kong. This documentary is currently banned in China and Hong Kong.

If you can’t come out, the video feed is here.

As always, we meet at Camas Books, 2620 Quadra Street, unceded Lekwungen Territory.

Be seeing you! Please remember your masks!

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Posted in Movies, Revolutionary Theory, Theory/PraxisTagged Hong Kong Anarchists

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