Revolutionary Confederation of Anarcho-Syndicalists "N. I. Makhno"

Revolutionary Confederation of Anarcho-Syndicalists "N. I. Makhno" Революционная Конфедерация Анархистов-Синдикалистов Имени Н. И. Махно
Founded	15 October 1994
Newspaper	Anarchy
Ideology	Anarcho-syndicalism, anarchist communism
Website
rkas.org.ua

The Revolutionary Confederation of Anarcho-Syndicalists "N.I. Makhno" (Russian: Революционная Конфедерация Анархистов-Синдикалистов Имени Н. И. Махно, Revolyutsionnaya Konfederatsiya Anarkhistov-Sindikalistov Imeni N. I. Makhno), or RKAS is an international anarcho-syndicalist confederation. Sections and individual members of RKAS exist in Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Latvia, Georgia, Israel and Bulgaria. The aim of organization is: to consolidate efforts to catalyze the process of anarchist and anarcho-syndicalist movement, to facilitate the birth of libertarian (a free, stateless), communism, by the natural dominance of the revolutionary process in a society of self-syndicates (unions, associations, communes, cooperatives, and non-authoritarian industrial and business institutions - academic, creative, production, etc.)

N. I. Makhno, after whom the organization is named, was an anarchist guerilla leader in the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of the Ukraine during the Ukrainian Revolution. After the defeat of the anarchist revolution by the Red Army, Makhno played an important role in the development of the international platformist movement.

Organizational history

RKAS was established at the founding conference, held on October 15–16, in 1994 in Donetsk, which was attended by representatives of the Federation of Anarchists of Donbass (FAD), as well as individual activists from Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov.

In 1995 began the publishing of the all-Ukrainian newspaper Anarchy, which quickly reached thousands of copies. In addition, the leaflet Voice of Labor was also published by the RKAS member organization "Information Agency of the Labor Movement.” This was distributed only in Donetsk in 1995-1996. In contrast to all the latest anarchist organizations in Ukraine, RKAS had a clear structure, introduced the practice of division of labor within the organization, brought in the practice of inside discipline policy.

Principles were based on the popular express provision of the revolutionary anarcho-communism, class struggle, focus on syndicalism. The RKAS Charter was adopted in the formation of the Confederation in 1994. The program was approved after a lengthy discussion by a general referendum in late 1998.

During the late 1994 - early 1996 in RKAS activity it can be identified only the propaganda raids on businesses in Donetsk and other cities of the Donbas (Makeyevka, Kramatorsk, Lisichansk, etc.), and participation in a three-month hunger strike of miners regressnikov Gorlovka. Breakthrough was in the summer of 1996. Throughout July and August RKAS was very active, it can be seen for four issues of "Anarchy" and "Voice of Labor" (with a circulation of about 4,500examples) and no less than four leaflets (circulation of 1,600 copies).

RKAS Representatives were involved in the meetings of the working of trade union activists since 1996, anarcho-syndicalist newspapers and leaflets distributed in direct assistance to grass-roots trade union of miners, so from this time the long-waited rise of RKAS began in the Donbass, including the expense of industrial workers. At the beginning of the 21st Century it was not surprising that activists of RKAS led strike committees and worker councils of mines.

At the end of 2009 RKAS members were actively involved in working, student, environmental and anti-fascist movements. They organized and supported the protests, demonstrations, promoting the principles and methods of anarchism. By the initiative of members of the Confederation, the General Confederation of Labour anarcho-syndicalists (CGT AU) was created. Also, with the direct participation of representatives of RKAS it was established an independent student union direct action. Members of RKAS created a number of cooperatives in the Donetsk and Kyiv.

Organizational principles

The main goal is to build a society by the principles of freedom, autonomy, self-organization, solidarity and federalism. An association of people built on such a basement should be a solid foundation for free and full development of each individual. RKAS promotes such principles : the absence of power, freedom from coercion, freedom of association, mutual aid, diversity, equality, fraternity.

Footnotes