International of Anarchist Federations

International of Anarchist Federations

Logo of the IAF

Regions where IAF member federations exist
Abbreviation IAF/IFA
Formation 1968
Purpose Agitation, propaganda and international cooperation
Region served
Worldwide
Official language
Spanish, English, Portuguese, German, French, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Italian, Czech, Slovak, Esperanto
Website http://i-f-a.org

The International of Anarchist Federations (IAF/IFA) (French: Internationale des Fédérations Anarchistes, IFA) was founded during an international anarchist conference in Carrara in 1968 by the three existing European federations of France, Italy and Spain as well as the Bulgarian federation in French exile. Other groups were also present in the formation of the IAF, such as the now defunct London Federation of Anarchists who took part in the preparation for the conference in 1968.[1] According to Time magazine, before the first IAF conference in Carrara could begin, firemen were called to check the venue for bombs.[2] The Carrara congress was a response to a congress held in London from June to August 1958 which "recreated a certain dynamism and wish towards the organisational aspiration of international anarchism".[3]

The IAF has since aimed to build and improve strong and active international anarchist structures. The federations associated with IAF believe that such an organisation is necessary to co-ordinate their international work and efficiently co-operate towards their mutual aims.

In order to further improve the quality of exchange and co-operation, IAF also keeps close contact with other anarchist organisations, such as the International Workers Association (IWA), an international association of anarcho-syndicalist organisations and unions. The IAF contains a large number of anarchist-communist federations and individuals.[4]

Principles

The principles of work within IFA are that of federalism, free arrangement and Mutual Aid, and as states in their preamble of their principles, the IAF fights for:

1) the abolition of all forms of authority whether economic, political, social, religious, cultural or sexual.
2) the construction of a free society, without classes or States or frontiers, founded on anarchist federalism and mutual aid.[5]

The IAF is committed to Direct Action, struggle from below, anti-parliamentarism, and opposition to reformism, on both a theoretical and a practical level.

To improve co-ordination and communication within IAF, as well as to provide an open contact address for the public and other anarchist groups and organisations, an International Secretariat (the Commission of Relations of the International of Anarchist Federations - referred to commonly as C.R.I.F.A.) was set up. The CRIFA irregularly rotates among the IAF federations. It is currently based with the Fédération Anarchiste (France). Often, the different member federations will work with one another on certain agreed issues and campaigns, in order to be able to mount a joint worldwide effort to raise awareness and assist the struggle around certain issues.

The different member federations also produce their own publications, such as Le Monde libertaire in France and Belgium, and El Libertario in Argentina. However, there was also an IAF magazine, Anarkiista Debato[6] which, due, however, to a lack of funds, was unable to continue.

A number of reports have been written for the IAF, particularly on issues such as the struggle between the village of Rossport, the Corrib gas field and Shell in 2007.[7] Members of the IAF often congregate at meetings of world leaders, such as Gleneagles in 2005.[8]

Member organisations

Note: Please keep in mind that the member federations do not correspond to countries, as the first publication of Anarkiista Debato (the IAF's magazine) explains:

As Anarchists we do not recognise borders or states. The federations group together people who share either a common language (AFed, FAF, FdA...) or a similar culture (Iberian FAI, CSAF...) and often go beyond national limitations.[9]
Country Name Acronym Publications Site link
 Argentina Argentine Libertarian Federation (Federación Libertaria Argentina) FLA El Libertario[10] Website
 Belarus Anarchist Federation of Belarus (Фэдэрацыі анархістаў Беларусі) ФАБ / FAB --- Website
 Bulgaria Federation of Anarchists in Bulgaria (Федерация на анархистите в България) ФАБ / FAB --- Website
 Czech Republic
 Slovakia		 Anarchistická federace (Anarchistická Federácia) AF Existence,[11] Klíčení,[12] Zdola[13] and A3[14] Website
 France
 Belgium
  French-speaking Switzerland		 Anarchist Federation (Fédération Anarchiste) FA / FAF Le Monde libertaire[15] Website
 Germany
  German-speaking Switzerland 		Forum of German speaking Anarchists (Föderation Deutschsprachiger AnarchistInnen) FdA Gǎi Dào[16] Website
 Italy Italian Anarchist Federation (Federazione Anarchica Italiana) FAI Umanità Nova[17] Website
 Spain
 Portugal a		 Iberian Anarchist Federation (Federación Anarquista Ibérica) FAI Tierra y Libertad[18] Website
 United Kingdom
 Ireland		 Anarchist Federation AF / AFed Organise![19] and Resistance[20] Website
 Slovenia
 Croatia		 Federation for Anarchist Organizing (Federacija za anarhistično organiziranje) FAO Avtonomija,[21] Anarhistka,[22] Stavka[23] and Društvo otpora[24] Website
    a.^ Although the FAI is technically an Iberian organisation (in that it encompasses all the regions in the Iberian peninsula), it does not have members in Portugal or Andorra.

    There are currently organisations in Venezuela,[25] as well as other groups (both formal and informal), and individuals, around the world that the IAF is in contact, or with which it is holding discussions.

    Other anarchist internationals and international networks

    References

    1. ↑ London Federation of Anarchists involvement in Carrara conference, 1968 International Institute of Social History, Accessed 19 Jan 2010
    2. ↑ "Anarchism: Revolutionaries in Suspenders" Time Magazine, 13 Sep 1968, Accessed 19 Jan 2010
    3. ↑ Short history of the IAF-IFA A-infos news project, Accessed 19 Jan 2010
    4. ↑ Leaflet: Anarchist Communism - an introduction Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front, Accessed 19 Jan 2010
    5. ↑ Report from the then IAF secretariat A-infos news project, Accessed 19 Jan 2010
    6. ↑ "IAF Magazine (Anarkiista Debato)" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-12-17.
    7. ↑ "The struggle against Shell in the west of Ireland", Infoshop News, 18 September 2007. Accessed 12 October 2009.
    8. ↑ "Anarchists put chaos on agenda for summit", Edinburgh Evening News, The Scotsman, 10 Mar 2005. Accessed 12 Oct 2009.
    9. ↑
    10. ↑ Archived August 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
    11. ↑ "Existence". Nakladatelství CSAF. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
    12. ↑ "Klíčení". Nakladatelství CSAF. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
    13. ↑ "Zdola". Nakladatelství CSAF. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
    14. ↑ "A3". Nakladatelství CSAF. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
    15. ↑
    16. ↑ "［改道］Gǎi Dào – Zeitschrift des Forums deutschsprachiger Anarchist*innen (FdA-IFA)". Gaidao.blogsport.de. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
    17. ↑ "Umanità Nova : settimanale anarchico". Ecn.org. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
    18. ↑ "Tierra y Libertad". Nodo50.org. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
    19. ↑ "Organise! magazine". Afed.org.uk. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
    20. ↑ "Resistance bulletin". Afed.org.uk. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
    21. ↑ "Avtonomija". Založba Avtonomija. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
    22. ↑ "Anarhistka". Založba Avtonomija. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
    23. ↑ "Stavka". Založba Avtonomija. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
    24. ↑ "Društvo otpora". MASA Rijeka. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
    25. ↑ Archived January 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
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