Welcome

We are a women and transfolk only anarchafeminist kolektiv based in London. For more info look at “about anarcha-feminist kolektiv”.

plotting and scheming for welfare not workfare

*please repost

 

On 12 November, it became legal to force unemployed people to work for their benefits – to do 40-hour-weeks for under a third of the minimum wage. The Government’s Welfare Reform Act introduced ‘Work for your Benefit’ pilot schemes, which once completed can be rolled out without any further debate. It also attacked single parents – who face sanctions if they fail to prepare for work outside the home as soon as their child turns three – and people with impairments, disabilities or severe and enduring illnesses.

 

Two days later, members of twenty-three different groups from around the UK met to share information and plan resistance to these pernicious attacks, which will take their toll on working-class and low-income communities. Groups present included Unemployed Workers Unions from six cities across the UK, the Disabled People’s Direct Action Network, Southwark Mind,WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities), SingleMothers’ Self-Defence (part of Global Women’s Strike) and members of the union in the Department of Work and Pensions – PCS. They were joined by feminist and other groups (all listed below).

 

The strength to be gained from meeting in solidarity with each other was immense and created a real sense that a movement is building: a movement which will not only fight the immediate attacks of the Welfare Abolition Act, but draw out the connections between our struggles and together challenge the ideology driving them. The Act seeks to make our worth dependent on work; work defined in the really narrow terms of waged work for someone else’s profit. By making us compete with those in waged work for non-existent jobs, it helps drive down wages and conditions. We all take the brunt as the rich make even more money out of us.

 

• We want solidarity with and from people in low-income, temporary and insecure work. These are the jobs that ‘work-for-your-benefit’ would replace.

• We want caring to be recognised as important work in society. Single parents are already working and benefits are their entitlement to a social wage.

• We want justice for people with severe or enduring illnesses. The drive to get people off incapacity benefits and Employment and Support Allowance and into work is making people more ill with stress. Only we know what we are capable of and it is wrong for conditions and sanctions to be imposed on us to force us into unsuitable work, unwanted “work-related activity”or “motivation sessions” which press us into their programmes of treatmentfor addictions and other conditions.

• We want the right not to work. People not in waged work contribute loads to their communities. We do not want to be forced into mind-numbing,insecure work that leaves us no better off, or worse off than on benefitsand definitely not at £1.27 an hour!

• We want free, high-quality, public services to support older people andpeople with impairments/disabilities. People should not have to become employers managing ‘individual budgets’ in order to access the care they need.

• We want to stand in solidarity with migrant workers. Just as unemployed people are pitted against people in work, so migrant workers are pittedagainst us. We believe that we must stand together and demand all of our rights together.

• We want to fight privatisation of the Department for Work and Pensions.Attacks on DWP and Jobcentre Plus workers are attacks on our rights toaccess welfare. We will support the PCS’ fight against cuts.

• We want an end to the apartheid system of benefits, healthcare and housing for asylum seekers. UK Border Agency support should be scrapped– where people are forced to survive on incomes far below benefit levels– which are already set at subsistence level. No slum housing and dangerous and dirty hostels, dispersal, or vouchers.

 

After a day of info-sharing, outrage and scheming, we formed a few working groups. If you’re able to help out with any of the projects, please email hackneyunemployedworkers@gmail.com

1. Media working group – monitor and respond to hostile articles in the media.

2. Our propaganda – creating posters, newsletters etc to get our messages out 3. Website – put together a website as a space to share resources, feedback and comment, get the word out about our campaign and publicise local and national action.

4. Our welfare rights – compiling information to help us access our rights now and creating ‘Know your rights’ leaflets.

5. Defeating the Work for your Benefits pilots – research to support the network to take action against the pilots.

 

If you want to stay in touch, please join our discussion list here:http://groups.google.com/group/no-to-welfare-abolition

If you agree with our demands above and would like to take part in ourcampaign, please ask your group to sign up to this statement and email hackneyunemployedworkers@gmail.com

And put the next national meeting in your diary now…. 17 April in Manchester!

 

The meeting had people in attendance from: South Manchester Community Union, London Anarcha-Feminist Kolektiv, London Coalition Against Poverty, Feminist Action, Defend Welfare Newcastle, Manchester Unemployed WorkersUnion, Cambridge Unemployed Workers’ Union, PCS, Hackney UnemployedWorkers, Single Mothers’ Self Defence, Winvisible, Alliance for Workers’Liberty, Disabled People’s Direct Action Network, Southwark Mind, Women’s Office Manchester Student Union, Riveters feminist group in Manchester,Feminist Fightback, Industrial Workers of the World, No Borders, StopDeportations, Anarchist Federation, Communist Students, SalfordUnemployed Workers’ Union.

Call out to anarchafeminists to form an anarchafeminist network

Call Out to AnarchaFeminists

This year anarchafeminists around the UK and Ireland organised massively.

No Pretence forced some visibility within the anarchist movement, we created zines including ‘RAG’, ‘Chickweed‘ and ‘What the fuck is anarchafeminism anyway?‘. We created safe spaces to explore health and practical skills, and organised actions.

Can we go further and create a national or even international network of anarchafeminists (of any gender) to work on countrywide actions, activities and publishing?

Please come and discuss the possibility of a network for national and international anarchafeminist actions and solidarity. …. but first lets eat lunch together.

Lunch served at 1pm on Sunday 25th October (weekend of the Anarchist Bookfair in London.) at LARC (London Action Resource Centre) at 62 Fieldgate St, E1 1ES.

It will be followed by a meeting ending at 3pm.

Unfortunately we are unable to provide childcare for this meting, but children are very welcome to attend.

This meeting is open to anarchafeminists of all genders.

See you there,

London Anarcha Feminist Kolektiv

lafk@riseup.net

chickweed available as pdf

chickweed, our zine about herbalism and anarchafeminism, is finally available as a pdf to save or print at the zine library.

instructions for printing here.

Enjoy!

Anarchafeminists storm stage at Anarchist Conference 09!

A group of Anarchafeminists stormed the final plenary session of the Anarchist Movement Conference 09 to expose their vision of sexism in the movement! Responses to their message – conveyed through a short video and text – are on Indymedia UK/London and Libcom forums as well as many other online sites. We fully support their action and hope it will generate more debate and action on anarchafeminism.

Their video and text are on www.nopretence.wordpress.com.

Defending Ourselves Against the Cops

DEFENDING OURSELVES AGAINST THE COPS – a workshop for women and trans people – 4-7pm on MONDAY 23rd MARCH

We’d planned to do this practical and useful workshop at our recent feminist health gathering, but ran out of time on the day…

A chance to try out some different techniques for defending ourselves,against police and security guards. And to discuss our personal > experiences, and to role-play the kinds of situations we often find ourselves in. This will be a bit different from the radical practical feminist self-defence we normally do,there are some obvious legal reasons why we don’t always recommend using debilitating strikes against a cop!

The workshop will run for a full (action-packed) three hours, from 4-7pm. If you can’t make it for the entire time, get in touch to discuss how we could fit you in…

Women and all trans people are welcome to all LAFK (london > anarcha-feminist kolektiv) events. Whatever your body’s abilities, or your level of fitness, there are ways you can defend yourself! If you have specific health issues, or any other access needs, please make contact beforehand so we can sort them out. Please wear layers of comfortable clothing. This event is free. However, we ask that everyone brings some (vegan) food to share, so that we can eat together from 7-7.30pm. Chocolate is highly recommended (a healthy high-energy snack!). The next Kolektiv meeting is at 7.30pm, in the same place, and anyone who’s interested in getting involved is encouraged to stay on for that…

it would be good to know what numbers to expect, so we can plan the workshop to match. Please email: feministselfdefence@yahoo.co.uk to let us know you’re coming, ask any questions…

workshop programme

Workshops start at 10am on Saturday…

10.00 – 11.30

basic massage – at larc

banner making (will continue throughout day) – at rampart

11.50 – 13.20

herbal first aid – at larc (limited spaces so sign up on the day!)

imagining a healthier future… – at rampart

13.40 – 15.00

making our own… – at larc

changes during the menstrual cycle – at rampart

15.20 – 16.30

safer spaces – at larc

feminism, anarchism & ageing – at rampart

indian head massage - at rampart

16.50 – 18.00

radical mental health – at larc

safer sex – at rampart

Teas, soup and snacks available throughout the day. The rampart kitchen will also host some food-related workshops – come along if you’re interested in learning more about vegan cuisine, baking, sprouting, juicing etc!

In the evening we’ll have dinner together at rampart 18.30 – 19.30, with some herstory from the womminspace squat, then an open mic followed by music for dancing (performers and djs welcome)

There will be a seed-swapping area (please bring any seeds or seedlings you’d like to swap) at rampart, as well as books to read, information/ zines/ pamphlets to take away, feminist patches & t-shirts to buy…

Workshops start at 11am on Sunday

11.00 – 12.00

cervical self-exam - at larc

intro to self-defence – at rampart

12.10 – 13.10

cervical health & hpv – at larc

consent – at rampart

13.20 – 14.20

vaginal health & infections – at larc

13.20 – 14.50

recover your voice – at rampart

14.40 – 16.10

surviving trauma – at larc

15.10 – 16.10

midwifery & birth – at rampart

16.30 – 18.00

making our own…- at larc

defending ourselves vs the cops – at rampart

Please note that we may be forced to make changes to the above programme at the last minute.

workshops this weekend

SATURDAY’s workshops run from 10am – 6pm:

Basic Massage – Exploring the body using gravity, weight, self-massage, and exchanged massage through clothing.

Banner Making – Let’s make a banner for the LAFK to take along to the Million Women Rise march next Saturday! Bring any skills or materials you think might be handy… (we can make more than one banner if we have enough energy and stuff)

Herbal First Aid – Learn more about herbs, and how to use them for first aid. We’ll be making calendula and comfrey ointments, and workshop participants will be able to make their own herbal first aid kit to take home at the end (spaces limited – please sign up on the day).

Imagining a healthier future for our children – An open discussion for everyone (not just parents and carers) on children and feminism.

Making our own.. – toothpaste, shampoo and lip-balm (or anything else you want to share – bring ingredients)

Changes During the Menstrual Cycle – A look at changes that can be expected throughout the cycle, and a discussion about the personal and political implications.

Safer Spaces – Dealing with the ways we’ve been brought up, and our own prejudices, and the ways that we communicate and behave in different spaces. What do we mean by ’safer spaces’ and how do we create them?

Feminism, Anarchism and Ageing – In capitalist heteropatriarchy, radicalism and/or an alternative lifestyle can both help us as we get older, and at the same time make it harder. We’ll talk about our different experiences and models of aging, and definitively decide how to survive and thrive in an older woman hating culture! (All ages welcome)

Radical Mental Health – What does it look like to become healthy in a world gone mad? As people skeptical of the current patriarchal, capitalist world order, what does it mean within our extended communities for someone to be “crazy” or struggling with clinical labels such as “post-traumatic stress,” “bipolar disorder,” or “schizophrenia?” How does oppression contribute to the suffering in our communities, and what tools are available to ease our emotional distress? Does conventional medicine have anything to offer us? What other routes to healing are available? In this workshop we will share skills and stories, and open up questions central to investigating how we can support each other and encourage wellness while living in such insane times.

Safer Sex – Looking at what we mean by ’safer sex’, and more importantly, how we use this info to make our sex-lives more fun, fulfilling, and ’safe’ in every way.

Indian Head Massage – how to give this kind of massage.

SUNDAY’s workshops run from 11am till 6pm:

Cervical Self-Exam – How to do a cervical self-exam. An explanation of the politics of self-exam and a discussion of the way the (patriarchal) medical system treats our symptoms with pharmaceuticals and surgery while ignoring our bodies holistically. With cervical photos and a demonstration of a cervical self-exam.

Intro to Self-Defence – A short class teaching the basics of defending yourself in all sorts of situations. A chance to learn and practice some verbal and physical techniques, and discuss what self-defence means for all of us.

Cervical Health and HPV – Have you ever wondered why you should get smear tests (cervical exams) done? Learn about cervical health in and outside the medical system, alternative treatment for abnormal smears, and HPV.

Consent – Looking at ways of creating and maintaining good levels of consent in all our relationships (not just the sexual ones).

Vaginal Health and Infections – information and discussion on self-treating common vaginal infections such as thrush and bacterial vaginosis and why pharmaceuticals don’t often help with re-occurring infections.

Recover your Voice – Learn easy ways to nurture your singing and song writing skills while discovering how this can enhance your personal and mental well being. No previous experience necessary.

Surviving Trauma – In this workshop, we will open a discussion about the ways our minds and our behaviours are changed by the things that break our hearts and terrify us out of our skins – and how we manage to survive afterwards. Death, abuse, rape, war, police brutality, violence, poverty, and oppression are all sources of massive trauma that transform us forever. We’re not just crazy and chemically imbalanced; all kinds of distress — like anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks, nightmares, depression, addiction, compulsion, and dissociation – can have their origins in trauma. Telling the story of what we’ve lived through can begin the process of saving us. Discovering that other people have emerged from the same fires can help us endure. Trauma often initiates recognizable patterns, and people have learned a lot about how we can heal; please come to listen, to join the discussion, to share skills, or to learn about resources you may not have encountered in your own journeys.

Midwifery and Birth – A workshop for anyone interested in finding out more about midwifery or birth.

Making our own.. – toothpaste, shampoo and lip-balm (or anything else you want to share – bring ingredients)

Defending Ourselves against the Cops – Some techniques we can use to stay safe around the police (and security guards). Discussion and some practical group role-play exercises.

A more detailed schedule should be available here on Friday night.

April events

We’ve decided that we’ll meet every Monday from now on. We’ll have some kind of workshop/ themed discussion from 5pm onwards, then a short kolektiv meeting later on ( at 8pm-ish).

On Monday 30th March, we’ll be meeting at 56a – 56 Crampton St, Elephant & Castle SE17 – and discussing the writings of Carol Queen.In particular the essay ‘Never the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride’ – a look at gay marriage from a radical queer perspective.Please bring along any other Carol Queen books that you have, and vegan snacks to share.

On Monday 6th April, we’ll be meeting at LARC – 62 Fieldgate St, Whitechapel E1 – and doing a workshop about consent.

On Monday 13th April, we’ll be meeting at LARC, and discussing our kolektiv, our politics and how we want to organise ourselves in the future.

On Monday 20th April, we’ll be meeting at LARC, and planning the spring issue of ‘Chickweed’ (a zine about herbalism) – please come along and contribute to the zine, get involved, chat about future herbal skill-sharing, or the idea of starting up a health collective in london.

On Monday 27th April, we’ll be making vegan cakes and maybe watching a film. More details nearer the time.

Feminist Health Weekend Saturday 28 February – Sunday 1 March

come to our feminist health weekend in whitechapel, on Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 march.

20 workshops, including:
herbal first aid
midwifery
radical mental health
charting your cycle
recovering your voice
self defence
cervical health

The weekend is open to all women and trans people. There is a kids space, info stall and seed swap. Workshops are being held in two buildings and there is level access to all the workshop spaces. However one of the buildings is undergoing some refurbishment, if you have mobility difficulties or use a wheelchair and want to contact us before the event, we can give you more information about the accessibility of the buildings and arrange the locations of the workshops so that you can attend all those that you want to go to. If you have any other requirements, such as interpreters, please also contact us using the email address below.

The workshops run from 10 till 6 each day. We are having a party on the Saturday night at Ramparts, which will include performances/ open mic – if you would like to perform please email us or let us know in advance as there are limited spaces available.

The workshops are being held at LARC http://www.multimap.com/s/PNqTAMS6 and at Ramparts http://www.multimap.com/s/tBKf9G50.

Look at the website for further details: http://lafk.wordpress.com or contact us by email lafk@riseup.net

Gender, Race, Class: An Anti-Capitalist Feminist Event

“Sat 14th Feb, 10.30am-6.30 pm

• Tindle Manor, 52-4 Featherstone St EC1 (nearest tube Old St.)
• NB new venue – SOAS Russell Square
• Fully accessible venue.
• This event is free!

For more info see http://www.anticapitalistfeminists.co.uk
To register email anticapitalistfeminists@gmail.com

Discussing and organising our fight for women’s liberation – open to all those who want to learn, think and plan for grassroots feminist activism… Join us for workshops which identify the interconnections between oppressions and our struggles against them. Work together with other feminists to find ways to actually change the material conditions of women’s lives.

Workshops include: learning from feminist history/ sex workers’ rights/ challenging domestic violence/ international solidarity/ a woman’s place is in her union?/ reproductive freedoms/ rape and asylum/ community organising/ queer and trans politics/ prison abolition/ self-defence workshop/ feminists and the capitalist crisis/ films, stalls and campaign planning

Free creche – please register by email by Friday 6th February

Stalls available – email laurarogers53@gmail.com to book

Organised by a coalition of groups and individuals. Groups involved so far include: Anarcha-Fem Kollective, All African Women’s Group, Black Women’s Rape Action Project, English Collective of Prostitutes, Education Not for Sale Women, Feminist Activist Forum, Feminist Fightback, Left Women’s Network, London Coalition Against Poverty, Permanent Revolution, RMT Women’s Committee, Women Asylum Seekers Together, Women Against Rape, Workers’ Liberty.”

Next Kolektiv Meeting

The next kolektiv meeting will be Monday 16th February at 7pm at LARC.

Next Reading Group Meeting

The reading group will be meeting on monday 9th, at 56a at 7pm. The suggested theme is “self defence success stories”, ie tales of women/ girls fighting back (in the widest sense of the word, not just physically) against violence/abuse, outwitting their attacker(s) and surviving nasty situations. so please bring a story! it could be real, or fictional (even a fairy tale example would be fab).

Next Kolektiv Meeting

The next kolektiv meeting will be on Monday the 2nd February at 7pm at LARC.

Feminist Health Gathering

FEMINIST HEALTH GATHERING

We are planning this event to be held in London over the weekend of 28th Feb – 1st March. The venue has not yet been confirmed.

So far workshops include: – DIY gynacology – Herbalism – 1st Aid – Mental health – Midwifery and birth – Ageing and ageism – facilitated discussion – Self-defense – Self-defense against cops. – Massage body awareness – DIY soaps, ointments, shampoo

If you are up for helping with this event (running a workshop, helping with food/creche, helping to find and sort out a building/space) then please e-mail lafk@riseup.net to let us know!

Reading Group Meeting Monday 26th January

The Next Reading group meeting will be on Monday 26th of January at 7pm at 56a.

The theme of the meeting will be “Imagined Worlds”, so please bring a book or story about a different world / society (whether fiction or ’science Fiction’) and read or talk about it.