Starting an anarchist/revolutionary high school club
Oct 20 2006 03:18
Hello, comrades, I am a new convert to anarchism. I want to start a club at my high school, but I fear that the student body is too apathetic. How have you started groups will you were ALL alone? I need to know. Thanks alot
Oct 20 2006 10:29
#2
Yeah, i'd say rather than organising a group explicity, i'd try to chat to people as ftony says on a similair wavelength. Then maybe have a read of some good introductory texts and have a discussion about them or something.
Oct 20 2006 10:32
#3
good luck!
i'd get the basic info about anarchism out there - basic info on anarchism - leave leaflets about the place. get support from local anarchist groups.
student bodies are almost always apathetic! unless you can work out a way that they get to bunk school! maybe try taking up issues that affect students, from an anarchist perspective. so if you have a teacher that victimises students, you can organise to get them to clear their act up - i know it's a lame example, but that kind of thing.
if there are other schools in the area see if there is anyone there with similar interests and see if you can get them to join you in promoting anarchism in both schools
let us know what you get up to!
Oct 20 2006 22:42
#4
thanks my people. Actually, I think y'all are right cuz down here nobody gives a shit about the world and how things are going. I tried to start an SDS chapter, but no one showed up to the meeting. I am basically alone, and I have no comrades in my city, I wish i did.
Oct 21 2006 06:15
#5
Yeah it can be hard feeling nobody else gives a shit. that's why we tend to advocate organising around immediate, local issues, which may not seem radical in themselves but struggles around them can often take on a life of their own.
where i live (pop. 300,000), schoolkids are generally thought to be apathetic etc, but on the day the war broke out about 1,000 walked out of school (some storming locked gates with head teachers guarding them), and blocked traffic and generally gave the cops a good run around. so there's always potential there, it just often takes a spark, which could be say a new school rule everyone hates or whatever.
well best of luck anyway! (and stick around the boards, i'v learned a lot here and the library is great 
)
Oct 21 2006 08:34
#6
Joseph K is right. Schools tend to have loads of petty rules and regulations which are all about control rather than anything remotely educational. Look out for something that everyone grumbles about and try and generate interest in opposing that particular rule. People are more likely to organise through something that directly affects them rather than a seemingly remote political concept like 'anarchism'.
Or, how about an anti-bullying group? I suspect all schools have bullies, so how about organising the stomped on and downtrodden kids, and those who may not get bullied but don't like to see it either way... into a group that can directly neutralise the power of school bullies.
See, the way it all works is, people tend to become radicalised through struggle, and that's when you'll be more likely to find that people may become interested in anarchism. When people fight together, they develop ideas together too.
Oct 21 2006 16:09
#7
good. thanks alot. now, that was useful. gracias
Nov 3 2006 00:03
#8
First things first is DON'T organize a specifically Anarchist group. If you don't have an anarchist presence at your school or friends, then don't waste energy trying to recruit into a group. The first thing that you should do is join a student activity that will allow for you to spread Anarchist politics throughout the school and to meet as many people that will be open to political discussions as possible.
The worst mistake that Anarchists make is trying to organize anarchist groups right away. Anarchism comes from action and rises organically. The people that you meet in the action of friendship and struggle over ideas will build affinity. The affinity developed over time will create the "affinity group" so crucial to the development of Anarchism.
I would suggest joining either the student newspaper or the student creative writing club. The creative writing (poetry or fiction) club would probably be better to join as it's MUCH less restrictive than any newspaper.
If you are so new to anarchism, then I would also see about joining an established Anarchist organization to help you to get your feet wet. See if you can organize with an existing affinity group.
Remember as Serge said, we become radicalized through the struggle against oppression.
Feb 10 2007 01:00
#9
hey.
I think when trying to get an anarchist interest going on in you club the best thing to do is find people that would be interested. I am one of the several co founders of an extremely new organization called the North Carolina Student Union, and nothing we do in the schools could happen without me just getting the right group of people. So, i guess what i'm trying to say is that it's best to start with you friends to spark an interest.
Feb 10 2007 01:49
#10
There was a group started up in Auckland in Aotearoa/New Zealand called Radical Youth - they were a mix of anarchists, marxists and "radical" liberals. They mostly organised around youth rates (different minimum wage for under 18's), but also around censorship on school computers and working with non-high school groups on other issues (anti-war, workers solidarity, lebanon/palestine solidarity) and other stuff. And in relation to high school walkouts, Radical Youth organised a 1000 person walkout against youth rates a while back.
But yeah, I'd agree with posters on this thread - organising around high school related issues would be a great way to start - makes it more likely that others would get involved. Good luck!
crikey. good luck with that one... i'd say try to find a few people on a similar wavelength, and don't explicitly call it an 'anarchist' group. well, there's a start.
you could always check out what's going on in the local area. there might be something cool you and your schoolmates could get involved in. school aint a great place to organise, from my experience. also the teachers treat you (even more
) like crap...