“On Revolution and Equilibrium” by Barbara Deming extensively quotes Frantz Fanon to argue for revolutionary non-violence. Instead of attesting to some imaging sense of ‘purity’ she states it is more important to avoid becoming ‘dizzy’ than to aspire to be pure. What kind of future do we want? Who will be involved in building this future? These are the questions Deming asks while putting Fanon forward to argue for a blance between self-assertion and respect for others.
Get the reading here:
Additionally, we have the introductory chapter from Between Consenting Peoples. It’s very long, and an optional, supplemental reading:
As always, we are meeting at Camas Books, 2620 Quadra Street, on Lekwungen Territory. The next meeting is Sunday January 22 @ 6:30 pm.
The next reading is a chapter by the philosopher Hannah Arendt, who escaped Nazi persecution by fleeing from Germany to the United States. This essay contains her most valuable analysis on power, and she breaks down the differences between power, strength, force, authority, and lastly, violence.
We are taking a break over the holidays but wanted to provide a follow up reading to 
Our discussion turned from anarchy in international relations towards wanting to learn more about the history of anarchist revolutionaries. Thanks to the anarchists at Crimethinc (who need your support right now, as they are being targeted by far-right trolls and billionaires) we decided on learning more about why anarchists burned the guillotine during the Paris Commune of 1871. We have two readings for the next meeting, the first by Crimethinc is the primary reading we will discuss. The second is optional, and provides a detailed historical chronology and background to the Paris Commune.
For the next round of Anarchist Edutainment, the Anarchist Reading Circle will learn why the definition of Anarchy in classical International Relations has such negative and misleading connotations.
The Victoria Anarchist Reading Circle has started a new session and we decided to begin with a foundational text by Errico Malatesta, Anarchy. This classic text, written in 1891, is intended as a primer defining what Anarchy and Anarchism really mean in opposition to the presumptions and misapprehensions of statist-derived modes of organisation.
Welcome back to meeting in-person!
