Anarchist Federation Constitution (revised) 2008

PREAMBLE

The Revolutionary Organisation

The Anarchist Federation is committed to building an effective organisation which has a collective identity and works to a common goal: anarchist communism. However, we believe that such a collective identity must be based on free association and respect for the autonomy of the individual. We value the diversity of our members as we continue to develop our ideas in the light of new developments in the world and from our experiences of struggle.

The Anarchist Federation works for the creation of an international libertarian communist movement. We believe this movement cannot be created without the building of a specific anarchist communist organisation. We reject spontaneism, the belief that before the revolution revolutionary minorities have no more role than to defend ‘historical communist positions’. Equally we reject the notion that the revolutionary organisation is the ‘brain of the working class’ or is its (self-appointed) vanguard.

The revolutionary organisation is the conscious minority of the proletariat which has come together to express its opposition to class society in an organised manner. The revolutionary organisation has a number of vital roles to perform. It must be a propagandist organisation, producing and disseminating on a national and international basis, analysis of and propaganda against capitalist society, and for the establishing of libertarian communism. It must be the memory of the working class, bringing out the lessons of past defeats and ‘victories’ and making them widely available amongst our class. It must be a forum for debate and discussion between all revolutionary working class currents. It must strive to understand the developments in our society and deliver a coherent communist response to them. It must seek to win the ‘leadership of ideas’ within the class, against the challenge of the Left. It must constantly expose the true role of the social-democratic and authoritarian-Left. It must be an organisation of intervention, acting in a co-ordinated and concerted fashion in all areas of working class life, in the workplace and the community.

The organisation is based on the following fundamental criteria –

Federalism: We are a membership organisation in which individuals join both a local group and the national organisation. However, the main basis of the organisation is a federated structure of groups which have joined together to form a national organisation. The federation develops theory, strategy and tactics through debate and discussion, aiming for participation of all members in decision-making such that effective consensus can be reached. The federation has no centralised decision-making body and all officers work within the mandates given to them by the National Conferences and National Delegate Meetings, and are subject to recall. We actively fight against any tendencies within the federation for hierarchies and inequalities to develop.

Political Unity: The federation is based on a common set of aims and principles. Members must agree with these aims and principles. We also have a particular approach to how we organise which is written in this constitution. New members must also agree to adhere to these principles. In addition, we may adopt policies and analyses that are the result of discussion and elaboration by all the members. As these will be developed collectively, it is expected that they will reflect the views of the whole organisation.

Tactical Unity: The federation seeks to act in a co-ordinated way, developing strategies and tactics through discussion and debate which members are expected to implement where appropriate.

Collective Responsibility and Solidarity: Members must not act so as to undermine the federation but instead must seek to support the federation in practice and show solidarity for other members.

Free Association and Autonomy: The individual does not subsume his/her identity into the collective. A member is one who has chosen to associate with others and retains their autonomy. If a member or group does not agree with policies, strategies or tactics adopted by the national organisation once they have become members, then they do not have to implement these decisions and may express their disagreement. Members may also argue for making changes to the aims and principles or constitution but this must be the result of a genuine change of view emerging from new ideas and experiences since their joining the organisation. When an individual joins, it is expected that they join as a result of genuine agreement with the political and organisational principles of the AF. The Federation will be responsible for ensuring that new members fully understand the aims and principles.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE ANARCHIST FEDERATION

1. STRUCTURE: The AF is a national organisation based on the principle of federation on which regional/local/workplace/interest groups voluntarily work together in a concerted manner.
2. MEMBERSHIP: The AF is a membership organisation. A member must agree with the aims and principles and participate, to the best of their abilities, in the work of the organisation. Members will communicate with the national organisation on a regular basis (e.g. by word of mouth, letter, report, attending National Conference) and should read the Internal Bulletin (IB) and all national journals, pamphlets and leaflets, and endeavour to attend National Conference. Individuals shall join through their local group. If no local group exists they will be registered through the National Secretary.
3. GROUPS: A group shall consist of at least three members. Each group is autonomous in that it is responsible for its own internal affairs. The group shall hold regular meetings in the locality and keep in touch with isolated members in their area.
   A group requires two posts;
   • SECRETARY: Responsible for receiving mail and answering enquires, notifying members of meetings and actives, ensuring that members have access to minutes of meetings and maintaining contact with individual members in their area.
   • TREASURER: Responsible for keeping financial records, maintaining the group’s bank account, collecting dues and keeping financial records open to the group for inspection. The group should practise rotation and recall.
4. REGIONAL ORGANISATION: Groups shall federate regionally and shall organise regular meetings attended by group delegates from the region. Regional organisations will require a secretary. All groups and individual members in the region will be sent all minutes of regional meetings.
5. NATIONAL ORGANISATION:
   • A. National Delegate Meeting (NDM) - The NDM is responsible for deciding tactics and the general running of the Federation in line with National Conference policies. The NDM is subordinate to the National Conference. Groups shall send one mandated delegate for every three members to the NDM.
   • B. National Conference: This is the supreme decision-making body of the Federation. It elects National Officers and decides Federation policy. It meets once a year. Policy decisions are made on the basis of a simple majority of the membership. Delegates are represented on the same basis as for NDMs’. National Conference alone can amend the Constitution and Aims and Principles. Emergency National Conferences can be held at the behest of a NDM. Non-members may be invited to attend National Conference as long as they have been proposed and approved by a NDM. Their names and details must be published in the pre-conference IB.
6. NATIONAL OFFICERS: The principle officers of the Federation will be the National Secretary, National Treasurer, Internal Liaison Officer, Publications Officer, Anarchivist, Librarian, Computer Network Secretary, Prisoners Liaison Officer, Internal Education Officer. These are elected annually by the National Conference. They will normally not hold office for more than two years and will not hold office for an intervening period of two years. Officers may be in a post longer if no other candidate comes forward. National Conference can elect other National Officers to fulfil specific tasks for specific periods. All officers are subject to the control of the members through the National Conference and the NDM, which can instruct the Officers to fulfil specific tasks. All officers should give reports to all IBs’, NDMs’ and National Conferences. All officers are subject to recall by conference.
7. INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT: In order to maintain contact with fraternal groups overseas there shall be an International Secretariat. It will be elected and accountable to the National Conference and the NDM. Those with linguistic skills and a strong interest in international work will be involved. The International Secretariat will make report to the IB and national meetings, including listing publications received (copies available on request). Secretaries are responsible for sending publications and Organise! to groups/individuals on an exchange basis.
8. DECISION-MAKING: The AF makes decisions on the principle of consensus. We reject the concept of bourgeois democracy in which a simple majority can decide for the entire organisation. At local group meetings, national delegate meetings and conferences, members will enter debates with the intention of reaching a consensus such that the organisation can move forward together.
   However, we also reject the idea that a few individuals can hamper the functioning of the organisation by preventing decisions being made that are clearly supported by the vast majority. Therefore, when a consensus cannot be reached after appropriate debate the following procedure can be adopted at National Delegate Meetings and National Conferences:
   • 1/ A member can propose that an indicative vote on a proposal be taken.
   • 2/ The meeting or the facilitator of the meeting may call for a move to an indicative vote if consensus has not been reached. If the meeting decides to move to a vote this is done by means of a straw poll.
   • 3/ If two-thirds of those voting support the proposal, then the vote is carried
   • 4/ If the minority feel that the meeting was not representative, then they can ask for the ratification procedure to be implemented (see next section).
   • 5/ However, in keeping with the principles of individual autonomy, the minority is not expected to implement the policy. It is hoped that they would not speak out publicly against it without discussing this first within the Federation. However, they can argue within the organisation for a change of policy and discuss internally the nature of comments they might want to make publicly. All of this must be done openly within the groups comprising the Federation. However, if their actions are considered to have severely undermine the activity, functioning, and/or security of the organisation or its members, then the individual(s) could potentially be subject to disassociation proceedings.
9. ACCOUNTABILITY: In order to ensure utmost accountability of all decisions, all decisions are subject to ratification by members. There are two kinds of ratification, negative and positive.
   
   • Negative ratification: If the minority in a meeting decide that a vote should go to negative ratification, members who do not agree with a decision made a NDM or National Conference must register a negative vote with the National/Regional Secretary within two weeks of receiving the minutes. If a majority of the whole membership disagrees with a decision then the decision is overturned.
   • Positive ratification: If a decision is made by a vote in a meeting that the minority feels is important enough to require the support of the vast majority of the organisation, they may request that the final decision on that issue is made by positive ratification. All members receive the minutes of the meeting or conference, together with a ballot paper for the particular decision to be ratified. They can vote YES, NO or ABSTAIN. They must send their vote off, including abstentions within two weeks of having received the minutes. All members can vote, including those who attended the meeting or conference. The final decision will be that supported by a two-thirds majority of those voting.
10. DELEGATES: It is the job of delegates to present the views of their groups. While they may express their own opinions during the debate, they must also reflect the views of those who delegated them. When voting, they must vote as mandated and not as how they personally feel. All delegates are accountable to their group.
11. INTERNAL BULLETIN (IB): An IB will be produced at least two weeks before each NDM for which members, groups, committees and officers etc. will be urged to contribute. A special Conference IB will be produced at least one month before the National Conference in order that groups can fully discuss motions and instruct delegates on their decisions.
12. PUBLICATIONS: Groups and individuals may publish articles, pamphlets etc. as they see fit under their authority. Newspapers, periodicals and other publications produced in the name of the Federation are under the control of the NDM which is empowered to nominate and remove editors, production teams etc.
13. FACTIONS: Groups may work with and contact each other in the Federation but if such relationships effectively constitute a faction at variance with Federation policies, then this should be made clear in public pronouncements. This consideration applies to minorities in general.
14. ASSOCIATION & NON-ASSOCIATION WITHIN THE AF
    1. Basic Principle
       • 1.1 The AF is a federation of individuals, organising in groups on a voluntary basis, joined together on the basis of free association
       • 1.2 The AF consciously organises on a collective basis, striving to achieve the highest level of unity but we also relinquish over each other, personally and politically.
       • 1.3 Where people can work together they should do so, where they cannot, they should not.
       • 1.4 We reject the ‘right’ to control behaviour claiming instead the right to disassociate from those we cannot work with within the Aims & Principles of our organisation.
    2. Reasons for disassociation
       • 2.1 These basic principles mean there is no power or authority in the AF to punish, discipline or otherwise constrain individuals and groups.
       • 2.2 The sole grounds’ for the AF disassociation from any members or groups are:
         
         • A. Racist or sexist behaviour, harassment or abuse;
         • B. Other abuse, threatening intimidating language or behaviour;
         • C. Assault;
         • D. Unconstitutional disruption or other action or non-action, which sabotages, damages or undermines the AF.
         • E. Behaviour, which adversely affects the credibility and relationship of the AF with individuals and organisations with whom we associate or cooperate.
         • F. Membership of political parties or other organisations whose aims, methods or principles of organisation are incompatible with those of the AF and which sabotages, damages, undermines or adversely affects the credibility and relationship of the AF with other individuals and organisations.
    3. Disassociation Procedure (Available on request).