Cindy Milstein on Anarchism and Its Aspirations at New Direction Fest in Olympia
*Anarchism and Its Aspirations*
presented by Cindy Milstein
Anarchism has always held up the ideal of a free society of free individuals–a world without hierarchy or domination. Do-it-yourself punk emerged directly out of this impulse, and for many years understood itself as not merely trying to create a self-reliant scene but also offering a tangible “fuck you” to top-down power structures generally. Now, do-it-ourselves revolts around the world from Cairo to Madison are proving that self-organization works as the basis for egalitarian communities. The ethical practices that anarchists advocate are becoming powerful “everyday” experiences, with people self-managing everything from child care and food
to civic defense and trash collection. But what exactly does this look like? This workshop will provide an accessible overview of an often-misunderstood political philosophy and living tradition, highlighting its vision and prefigurative experiments.
Cindy is a collective member of Station 40 (in SF) and the Institute for Anarchist Studies, andhas long been involved in political projects ranging from the New World from Below convergence at the U.S. Social Forum, to the “Hope from People not Presidents” and “Don’t Just (Not) Vote” efforts, to the collective Black Sheep Books (in VT). She’s the author of Anarchism and Its Aspirations (AK Press, 2010), and is collaborating with Erik Ruin on Paths toward Utopia: Explorations in Everyday Anarchism (PM Press, 2012).
Weekend passes for New Direction Fest are $20 in advance, or $25 at the door. One day passes are also available for $15.