In the autumn issue of the anarchist review Existence we decided to devote ourselves to a seemingly mundane topic – food. However, when we will take a closer look at food, we will find out that it has a huge range of dimensions. It’is surprising that it’s not more reflected in anarchist theory. We take food for granted a bit too much, but for many people in the world, even in the Western world, it isn’t. Therefore, food is viewed from many perspectives throughout the Existence. Food is a necessity, a basic human need that everyone should have an unconditional right to fulfill. But under capitalism, food has become an instrument of extortion that determines the conditions of the labour market and makes workers its hostages. We are seeing the state trying to suppress activities that points out to the huge sums spent on armaments while people are denied the basics. Food is a medium of solidarity, which is very different from charity that maintains the status quo. Food has proved to be a weapon in the hands of the workers and an important aspect in the struggle for the right for the city. Food is at the heart of self-help activities and is the nexus of important self-governing relationships. Food can point to the place where we live, no matter how much the agrarian industry tries to commodify it for its own profits. Food is one way to mitigate the climate crisis and fight for biodiversity. Food affects our health and health of the public, and through it we can show our compassion for other living beings, nature and people. Food is the glue of communities and the infrastructure of the anarchist movement itself revolves around it.

On this topic we publish the texts “The political economy of hunger” from libcom.org, “Radical agriculture” by Murray Bookchin, an interview with the collectives Kuchařky bez domova (“She-Cooks” without Homes) and Food not Bombs – Plzeň, an extract of chapters of the very inspiring book Nourishing Resistance: Stories of Food, Protest, and Mutual Aid, an article about activist kitchens and a contribution by an AF member who started an informal consumptive cooperative.

In Existence, you’ll also find an article on the controversial turn-of-the-century anarchist, Karel Vohryzek; and an obituary of 82-year-old anarcho-feminist Neal Janis Schleuning. We remember anarchist fighters who died fighting the Russian invasion of Ukraine – Dmitry Petrov, Yevgeny Osievsky, Finbar Cafferkey and Cooper Andrews. In the form of an interview we introduce the First Swallow – house project that already has its own house and is being prepared for its reconstruction.

As always, there are regular columns. The introductory one is devoted to the activities of the local movement and informs for example about the opening of the new Prague infoshop Trhlina, about actions within the framework of the International Women’s Day, for climate justice, against the Klerofascists, in support of the fight against the Putin’s invasion, against the mistreatment of the homeless people and much more. A special place is devoted to the anarchist May Day and the anarchist bookfair in Prague. In the section Anarchist Federations you can read about the campaign of the Olomouc group, the international week of solidarity with anarchist prisoners and the international anarchist meeting in St-Imier, Switzerland.

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17.10.2023 Nakladatelství AF

Teorie Publikace