Unit 3: The First International

This Unit aims to:

  • Show how the First International developed
  • Examine the differences between the libertarian (anarchist) and authoritarian (Marxist) wings of the International
  • Discuss the development of a coherent anarchist political theory looking at the concepts of equality, freedom, society and organization
  • Analyse the split and eventual demise of the First International.

Terms and abbreviations

Unit 2: Britain: The Radical Period 1750-1840

This Unit aims to:

  • Offer an interpretation of working-class radicalism 1750-1840 from an anarcho-syndicalist perspective
  • Introduce, through case studies, the history of organisation and direct action in working-class movements
  • Look at the social, political and economic context of the formation of early general unions and wage campaigns
  • Suggest some of the reasons why mainstream historical accounts have failed to acknowledge working-class revolutionary aspirations

Terms and abbreviations

Diggers: A communistic movement that flourished during the English Revolution and Civil War. They advocated the abolition of private ownership of land and believed that political revolution must be based on social revolution.

Unit 1: The Origins of Capitalism

This Unit aims to:

  • Provide the basis for the rest of the course by examining the development of capitalism as it emerged in the first industrialised nation
  • Examine, via a history of its development, the basis on which capitalism operates
  • Look at the ways in which historical change comes about through the interaction of economic and social relations
  • Provide an ‘alternative’ history of working-class people and their lived experiences
  • Raise issues around the nature of history as it is usually written 

Terms and abbreviations

Capitalism: System in which private or corporate wealth (capital) is used in the production and distribution of goods resulting in the dominance of private owners of capital and production for profit.

Solidarity Federation at the London Anarchist Bookfair

The Solidarity Federation will be at the London Anarchist Bookfair again this year. It will be the first place you can get your hands on our new pamphlet 'Fighting for ourselves: anarcho-syndicalism and the class struggle'. Our other publications will also be available alongside books, posters and tshirts. 

This year the Solidarity Federation will be presenting the following talks:

Nobody Expects The Solidarity Federation! - Room 318, 11-12

Talk: How South Africa's Shack Dwellers Smacked back

start: 
Mon, 29/10/2012 - 19:30

Location

Pogo Cafe
76a Clarence Road,
E5 8HB London
United Kingdom
51° 33' 4.8168" N, 0° 3' 19.7532" W
iconimage: 

South Africa, 2005: Durban’s corrupt council planned to evict an entire community out of the central city to the edges where the rich wouldn’t have to look at them any more. With no allies or resources the people of Kennedy Road decided to fight back, forming Abahlali base Mjondolo. AbM is now the biggest shack dwellers’ movement in the country. And the government itself is running scared.

AbM member Lidela Figian will talk about the group, how it works and what it does.

local, network, collective: 
Access Layer: 

Report from the first SF Tech & Digital Workers' network meeting

Below is a brief account of the first meeting of the Solidarity Federation's Tech & Digital Workers' network, held in Oct 2012. The Tech & Digital network is made up of those SF members who work in the industry and is aiming to help get workers in the industry organising together.

This October saw the Tech & Digital Workers' network of the Solidarity Federation hold it's first meeting at the Freedom offices in London.

There was a very good attendance, including both SF members and interested non-members. There was a good number of different fields represented at the meeting including; I.T. Support, web development, solid state electronics, games and research among others.

Self-Education

No such thing as a decent quality free lunch? Probably not, but A History of Anarcho-syndicalism is both free and (we hope) decent quality. It has been produced by the SelfEd Collective, labour free and at minimal costs. If you have no Internet access and require printed materials, these will be supplied at cost.

Objectives

A History of Anarcho-syndicalism is designed to;