The Especifista anarchist current in Brazil

The history of especifismo goes back to the Federación Anarquista Uruguaya (FAU) [Uruguayan Anarchist Federation], founded in 1956 and active to this day, which started to develop and promote the especifista current. It draws from the organizational proposals of Bakunin and Malatesta, as well as many elements from the struggles of Latin American workers and communities, and also from the anarquistas expropriadores [anarchist expropriators] in Río de la Plata [River Plate] during the early twentieth century. Especifismo is also influenced by and shares similarities with the platformist proposals which came from the Dielo Trouda group, about the necessity of an anarchist organization with ideological unity, a common strategy and collective responsibility.

The especifista tradition is now widespread among Latin American anarchists, with organizations in many countries such as Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil, where in the past ten years it developed through the Fórum do Anarquismo Organizado (FAO) [Forum of Organized Anarchism], a process which lead to the foundation of the Coordenação Anarquista Brasileira (CAB) [Brazilian Anarchist Coordination] in 2012, in which anarchist groups from 9 states and 4 out of the 5 regions of the country take part.

I have tried to gather in this page all documents, texts, analysis and interviews translated from the Brazilian especifismo. Although there are many important texts and contributions from our current that have not yet been translated, this should provide a proper introduction and presentation of the theory and practice of especifismo.

In my opinion, the two best sources are the texts from the Founding Congress of the CAB in 2012 (such as the Declaration of Principles) and the programme of the Federação Anarquista do Rio de Janeiro – FARJ [Anarchist Federation of Rio de Janeiro], called “Social Anarchism and Organization”, a comprehensive and complete introduction to our praxis, written in 2008.

If anyone is willing to translate these or other materials from the especifista current to any language, that would be very helpful. I could give a hand at explaining terms, expressions and context, if needed. Just reach me at jg@riseup.net. Also, I will try to keep this post up to date with new writings and translations, so if anyone has suggestions of material, just send it to me.

[2006] “Especifismo: The Anarchist Praxis of Building Popular Movements and Revolutionary Organization in South America” by Adam Weaver
This is a good article in English to explain the especifista current. It is short but a good summary. It is important to notice that it was written many years ago, though.

English: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/2999
German: http://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=6013
Italian: http://www.anarkismo.net/newswire.php?story_id=3418
Portuguese: http://anarquismorj.wordpress.com/adam-weaver-especifismo/

[2008] “Social Anarchism and Organization”, from the FARJ
This is the political programme of FARJ, completed in their Congress held in 2008. This document discusses social anarchism, the loss and recovery of the social vector of anarchism, what is the State and capitalism, the relation between the anarchist organization and social movements and how the organization works. It is simple to read and very clear, also a good introduction to anarchist organization.

“The first Congress of the FARJ was held with the principal objective of deepening our reflections on the question of organisation and formalising them into a programme. This debate has been happening within our organisation since 2003. We have produced theoretical materials, established our thinking, learned from the successes and mistakes of our political practice it was becoming increasingly necessary to further the debate and to formalise it, spreading this knowledge both internally and externally. The document “Social Anarchism and Organisation” formalises our positions after all these reflections. More than a purely theoretical document, it reflects the conclusions realised after five years of practical application of anarchism in the social struggles of our people. The document is divided into 16 parts. It has already been published in Portuguese in a book co-published between Faísca and the FARJ”

English: http://zabalazabooks.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/social_anarchism_and_organisation_farj_en.pdf
French: http://anarkismo.net/article/23573
Portuguese: http://anarquismorj.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/programa_farj_anarquismo_social.pdf

Charter of Principles of the FARJ:

English: http://anarkismo.net/article/23029
Portuguese: http://anarquismorj.wordpress.com/textos-e-documentos/carta-de-principios-da-federacao-anarquista-do-rio-de-janeiro-farj/

[2009] “La estratégia del especifismo [The strategy of the especifismo]”
An interview with Juan Carlos Mechoso, member of the Federación Anarquista Uruguaya – FAU [Uruguayan Anarchist Federation], which exists for more than 55 years and developed the especifismo current in Latin America. FAU has played an important role in the armed struggle against Uruguayan dictatorship and in the foundation of the country’s major union, la CNT. The FAU has been a major influence to the organizations in the CAB, as well as acting side by side in its development.

Spanish: http://anarkismo.net/article/18368

[2010] “Especifismo in Brazil: Interview with FARJ – Federação Anarquista do Rio de Janeiro [Anarchist Federation of Rio de Janeiro]”
This interview was done by Jonathan Payne, a comrade of the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front, from South Africa.

English: http://zabalaza.net/2011/04/23/especifismo-in-brazil-an-interview-with-the-anarchist-federation-of-rio-de-janeiro-farj-3/
French: http://anarkismo.net/article/22298
Portuguese: http://anarquismorj.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/entrevista-farj-2011/

[2012] “Foundation of the Coordenação Anarquista Brasileira – CAB”
Here you can find links to all the texts of the Congress in Portuguese and sometimes in other languages.

Portuguese: http://anarkismo.net/article/23097
Italian: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/23104

[2012] “Declaration of Principles of the CAB”
English: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/23028
Italian: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/23045
Spanish: www.anarkismo.net/article/23115
Greek: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/23108
Portuguese: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/23024

[2012] “Elements For a Historical Reconstitution of Our Current – A brief history of anarchism of the especifista matrix in Brazil” – OASL and FARJ, members of the CAB
Ten years of the Forum of Organised Anarchism (Fórum do Anarquismo Organizado – FAO) were commemorated with the foundation of the Brazilian Anarchist Coordination (Coordenação Anarquista Brasileira – CAB), uniting organisations from nine states around especifista anarchism as well as others that are progressively approaching and deepening organisational ties with us.

In this text, we present a first contribution, with a few elements for a historical reconstitution of our current, that is, anarchism of the especifista matrix, in Brazil.

English: http://anarkismo.net/article/24671
Portuguese: http://anarkismo.net/article/23068

[2012] Message to the Founding Congress of the Coordenação Anarquista Brasileira – CAB [Brazilian Anarchist Coordination], by the Federação Anarquista Gaúcha – FAG [Gaúcha Anarchist Federation]
English: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/23027
French: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/23111
Greek: www.anarkismo.net/article/23107
Portuguese: http://anarkismo.net/article/23003

[2012] “The organizations that make up the CAB”
Some information about the various organizations in the Brazilian Anarchist Coordination.

English: http://anarkismo.net/article/23056
Greek: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/23109
Portuguese: http://www.anarkismo.net/article/23025

[2012] Editorial of the “Libertarian Socialism” magazine, by CAB
This is the first edition of the magazine, made by the recently founded CAB. This edition discusses our understanding of popular power [poder popular] and presents the organizations in CAB. The entire magazine can be seen and downloaded in the portuguese link.

English: http://anarkismo.net/article/23037
Italian: http://anarkismo.net/article/23042
Greek: http://anarkismo.net/article/23110
Portuguese: http://anarkismo.net/article/23026

Websites and Contact of the Organizations from the CAB
(The letters between brackets refer to Brazilian States; RS = Rio Grande do Sul, for instance)

[RS] Federação Anarquista Gaúcha – FAG
website: http://www.federacaoanarquistagaucha.org/
e-mail: fagcomunicacao@gmail.com / fagsorg@riseup.net
facebook: www.facebook.com/FederacaoAnarquistaGaucha
headquarters: http://batalhadavarzea.blogspot.com.br/

[RJ] Federação Anarquista do Rio de Janeiro – FARJ
website: http://anarquismorj.wordpress.com/
e-mail: farj@riseup.net
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Federa%C3%A7%C3%A3o-Anarquista-do-Rio-de-Janeiro/161858530670020
p.o. box: Caixa Postal 14576 – CEP 222410-971, Rio de Janeiro / RJ – Brasil
headquarters: http://ccsrj.blogspot.com.br/

[AL] Coletivo Anarquista Zumbi dos Palmares – CAZP
website: http://cazp.wordpress.com/
e-mail: cazp@riseup.net

[SP] Organização Anarquista Socialismo Libertário – OASL
website: http://anarquismosp.org/
e-mail: oasl@riseup.net

[MT] Rusga Libertária
website: http://rusgalibertaria.wordpress.com/
e-mail: rusgalibertariafao@riseup.net
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rusga-Libert%C3%A1ria-Cuiab%C3%A1MT/295624600568585

[CE] Organização Resistência Libertária – ORL
website: http://www.resistencialibertaria.org/
e-mail: resistencialibertaria@riseup.net
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resistencialibertaria
p.o. box: Caixa Postal 12155 – Fortaleza/CE

[PR] Coletivo Anarquista Luta de Classe – CALC
website: http://coletivoanarquistalutadeclasse.wordpress.com/
e-mail: coletivodeclasse@riseup.net
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calc.cab.9

[SC] Coletivo Anarquista Bandeira Negra – CABN
website: http://cabn.libertar.org
e-mail: ca-bn@riseup.net
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bandeiranegra

[PE] Coletivo Anarquista Núcleo Negro – CANN
website: http://nucleonegro.noblogs.org/
e-mail: nucleorecife@riseup.net

Other initiatives

Instituto de Teoria e História Anarquista – ITHA [Institute of Anarchist Theory and History]
http://ithanarquista.wordpress.com/
e-mail: ithanarquista@gmail.com
“ITHA objectives to estimulate, gather and share historical and theoretical research on anarchism, investigations of theoretical-metodological and conjunctural issues, developed from a libertarian perspective, as well as primary source material made by anarchists themselves. “

Biblioteca Social Fábio Luz – BSFL [Social Library Fábio Luz, in Rio de Janeiro]
http://bibliotecasocialfabioluz.wordpress.com/
e-mail: fabioluz@riseup.net
“Founded in november 18th of 2011 – date of the Anarchist Insurrection of Rio de Janeiro, in 1918 – the Social Library Fábio Luz (BSFL) started to gather its collection from books, magazines, journals and documents of the CELIP [Libertarian Studies Circle Ideal Peres] archives (…).
Nowadays, the BSFL has in its collection not just old archives from CELIP, but also from the Anarchist Group José Oiticica (GAJO) and the personal library of Ideal Peres, donated by its companion soon after his decease, in 1995. There are over a thousand books and some hundreds of jornals, magazines and bulletins published in Brazil and elsewhere.”