Report by Happy Camper 8:42pm Mon Aug 27 '01

Revolutionary Anti-Capitalist Conference this past weekend ... array of activists meet and lay possible frameworks for future co-operation, communication and solidarity in actions.

This past weekend in Wollongong NSW an array of anarchists and socialists met for the "Liberty Autonomy Solidarity" conference. Many individuals and members of various groups, organisations and affinity groups came along to Wollongong University from across Wollongong, Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle and elsewhere to participate in a range of workshops and discussions.

Organised along non hierarchical lines the Revolutionary Anti-Capitalist conference proved to be a valuable forum for meeting & establishing links between other revolutionary autonomous groups & people and for exchanging thoughts, tactics and ideas. The weekend included workshops on Libertarian Organising, Information Rights, Direct Action and Civil Disobediance, Rebel Uni, Prison Solidarity, Anarcho-Syndicalism, Proletarian Art, Womens Liberation & Women in Spain, Unemployment, and others which I can't quite remember off the top of my head right now.

Saturday and Sunday Evenings were host to large open discussions with Saturday dedicated to Autonomous organising and raised the possibilities of statewide network of 'spokescouncil/AWOL type' meetings to enhance communication & information sharing between autonomous groups and people and also to have another meeting/conference such as this one in the lead up or immediately after CHOGM.

Sunday nights session was dedicated to discussion around CHOGM and included raising issues surrounding forms of organising, tactics and overall directions for the anti-capitalist movement. Establishing an interaction and links between groups were discussed with many present advocating strong support for the affinity group model of organising (although not without discussion about some possible shortcomings associated with that also). Opportunities for broadening the types of activities we can engage in got a good hearing as well.

As well as the more organised discussions undertaken the weekend proved to be a valuable networking experience and many activists from a broad area had an opportunity to meet other activists face to face and socialise during break periods, over meals or at the pub and billets in the evening. Meals at the conference were provided by the 'Active Ingredients' affinity group and was most yummy while being exploitation free.

All in all this conference was for many a great step forward in developing a libertarian, autonomous & diverse movement and was a great opportunity for those committed to empowering and non-hierarchical models of organising to get together and meet others without having to contend with the dogma of authoritarian elements.

For those who are interested in such things ... the conference was primarily organised by Wollongong group Revolutionary Action but was attended by and greatly assisted by a broad range of independent activists and individuals which included people from (tho not necessarily on behalf of) Love & Rage, Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation, Anarcho-Sydicalist Network, Socialist Alternative, Spasm, Active Ingredients and a number of anti-authoritarian minded Union members & activists and people involved in struggles against prisons, racism, sexism etc etc and others who i have forgotten to mention yadda yadda you know what I mean.

Anyway, I should mention that this is just my recollection of events and my thoughts on it, it is in no way a statement of the event on behalf of any group or any others. I had fun and enjoyed it, I assume others did too and I personally got a lot out of it. Hopefully in the future there can be more communication and networking between groups that tend toward the anarchistic end of the spectrum.

From my perspective it has re-inspired me, to see that we are not an isolated force in society and that an event organised on the basis of an anti-authoritarian framework went off without any problems makes me a happy camper.

LIBERTY, AUTONOMY, SOLIDARITY
Revolutionary Anti-Capitalist Conference
25-26 August University of Wollongong NSW

The last few years have been ones of momentous change. The seemingly invincible dominance of neo-liberal capitalism has been if not shattered, battered and attacked by the vast and diverse uprising and opposition from people around the globe. For the first time in recent memory the possibility of revolutionary change is not just a hope and desire but on the agenda.

Liberty Autonomy Solidarity is chance, in a small way, to contribute to these struggles, rebellions, uprisings by rpoviding a space for revolutinaries, radicals and the working class more generally to come together, discuss, debate, build networks, whatever.

The conference is open to all, though we are especially interested in drawing together those who have a commitment to:

• Direct action
• An opposition to hierarchy
• Self-organisation

Workshops
So far we are palnning to run workshops on: Anarcho-Syndicalism, European proletarian Art 1900-1945. Prison Solidarity, Direct & Civil Disobedience, Squats, Social Centres and Land Occupations; Rebel Uni and the struggle for free education, unemployment and the resistance of workers with out wages, struggle by call centre workers.

On the top of all this there willl be reading groups running throug out the weekend.

Itinerary
Saturday August 25

• 10am-12 noon Five minutes of Infamy (an introductory spokes council)
• 12-1 pm Lunch by donation (hoested by Avtive Ingredients)
• 1-3 Round one workshops
• 3-4 Oveflow/Break: get to know the revolutionary next to you
• 4-6 FORUM: Going AWOL? Cementing networks of rebellion
• 6-7 Dinner by donation

Sunday August 26

• 9am –10 am Breakfast by donation
• 10-12 noon Round two of workshops
• 12-1 Lunch by donation
• 1-3 Round three of workshops
• 3-4 Overflow/Break: plot to overthrow capitalism with the revolutinary next to you
• 4-6 FORUM: Action in the Streets- Tactics, organisation and what the hell are we going to do for CHOGM?