About NEAN

Founding Document

Northeast Anarchist Network

• Purposes
• Structure
• Points of Unity

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Purposes

We are a regional, horizontal, organizing Network in the Northeast, striving to link those committed to anti-authoritarian, anti-capitalist, and anti-oppressive struggles.

We recognize that the anarchist movement has a diversity of perspectives and priorities. We seek to nurture solidarity and mutual aid amongst all participants of the Network, especially in the face of repression.

With recognition and respect for existing organizations, networks, and federations engaged in these struggles, we have created a Network, not to replace any of them but to connect all of them, not as an end in itself but as a process and a means to pursue the following collective aims:

1. To strengthen our mutual aid across the Northeast; to forge the relationships, make the connections, and share the resources we need to sustain this mutual aid.

2. To open up lines of communication and coordination among groups active in the Northeast and to facilitate the production of propaganda and educational programs.

3. To link up our resistance to and confrontation with the local points in global systems of oppression and destruction, and ultimately, to lend support to local struggles whenever and wherever needed.

4. To help each other develop working, sustainable models of autonomy, solidarity, and popular power, and to plant the seeds of the new world in the shell of the old.

5. To build relationships with communities and practice solidarity by actively recognizing the leadership and organized resistance of communities directly affected.

6. To support the struggles of working-class people and the solidarity of labor, advance awareness of class, and support the intersecting struggles of all oppressed peoples.

7. To defend planet Earth and all its oppressed inhabitants from those who would exploit and destroy it, for profit and empire, to the detriment of all who live here.

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Structure

We encourage everyone to organize first and foremost in their own communities, to participate in and support existing movements in those communities, to form their own local groups if none already exist, and to work towards self-determination with models like ongoing popular assemblies and community control of resources.

The Network

We are a decentralized Network based on the voluntary association of autonomous local groups, collectives, and assemblies committed to the aims described above.

Groups

This Network consists of equal, democratic, autonomous groups which are connected by communication and decision-making. A group must consist of at least two members. They must hold at least occasional, but preferably more frequent, face-to-face meetings.

Affiliation

Groups hoping to affiliate must be approved by the consensus of current affiliated groups. Each affiliated group is expected to submit an update to the Nor’easter three out of four issues each year. Each affiliated group must also establish active and responsible point people, at least one primary and one backup point person. These point people are expected to provide contact information for an internal directory, as well as subscribe to the NEAN internal list-serv, in order to facilitate communication with other affiliated groups in the Network. Primary and backup point-people should be reachable and responsive regarding internal communications and network decisions.

Committees

Committees will be created and run by volunteers from the Network to carry out functions considered essential or helpful towards fulfilling the goals of the Network.

Working Groups

These are special purpose groups formed to address specific tasks or needs falling outside the normal work of projects or committees.

Working Groups and Committees, as described above, can be granted decision making power by the consensus of Affiliated Groups. With such, Committees and Working Groups can participate in Network decisions equivalent to Affiliated Groups.

Caucuses

The Network embraces the self-organization of identity/ally caucuses. In an oppressive situation during any regional assembly, caucuses can call for a caucus meeting, interrupting the regional assembly. Caucuses may call their own assemblies, should such events be deemed necessary by caucus participants.

Individuals

If you are a member of an affiliated group, then you are a part of the Network. If you are not a member of an affiliated group, but have been to an assembly and have been involved in a Network committee, working group, or caucus, you may, as an individual member, take part in the discussion of proposals, but the decision making is done by affiliated groups. All members of the Network have access to the internal listserv through their affiliated groups, working groups, caucuses, and/or committees. A specific Working Group will also be formed with the expressed purpose of connecting individuals working within the Network with active local groups in their region for possible join up, if the individual so wishes.

Networking

We encourage local groups to maintain contact, exchange information, request support and solidarity from the Network whenever needed, and to open up mediums of communication to identify and share needs and projects within the Network. For face-to-face communication, we propose regular trips and visits of members between different communities, and periodic gatherings of the Network in assemblies. For electronic communications, we propose the creation of one or more listservs, an emergency response phone tree, and an open-posting website.

Decision Making

Consensus Decisions: The Network is committed to and encourages the use of consensus decision- making procedures, both within and across groups. However, autonomous groups affiliated with the Network are free to use whatever decision-making process they choose within their own meetings.

Basic Decision-Making Procedure: Project proposals that involve two or more groups will first be discussed and decided upon in the local groups. Then negotiators from each group involved in the project will confer to work out differences and prepare a general agreement, which will then be returned for ratification by the concerned groups. This back and forth process will continue until all groups involved are satisfied with the decision. This process has nothing to do with Network-wide regional assemblies, which have no power to make decisions for the Network about anything. This procedure applies whether it is just two groups or five groups or all the groups in the Network.

Point Persons: Each affiliated group will select a Point Person. This person could also function as a negotiator for the group, although that might also be a different person. Point Persons/Negotiators will maintain an up-to-date list of the phone numbers and email addresses of the Point Persons of all groups affiliated with the Network, and should be subscribed to the NEAN Internal email listserv. These persons will be responsible for disseminating project proposals to all the members of their groups and for facilitating communications amongst groups in general. For negotiating agreements, the discussions will probably take place first by email, followed by telephone conversations, followed by a conference call if necessary. These means should normally be sufficient to negotiate agreements across groups. Only in rare cases will it be possible for the negotiators of affiliated groups to meet in person to hammer out agreements, unless all the groups involved in a particular project just happen to live close to each other.

Projects

Projects are the work undertaken by one or more affiliated group -- through actions, campaigns, demonstrations, publishing, research, agitation, and so forth -- to further the aims of the Network.

Control of Projects: Projects are under the control of those groups that are doing them. That is, there is no such thing as Network control of a project through its regional assembly. Also, all projects are to be accountable to the communities they are in or working with.

Disavowal of Projects: The Network can choose to withdraw support or disaffiliate with a project if the project is in violation of the Network's Purpose or Points of Unity.

Emergencies: From time to time events happen that require an immediate response. There is no time to use our normal negotiating processes across groups for getting a project defined and launched. In these circumstances, the groups who want to respond to the emergency can send out a call or appeal to all the affiliated groups. Those groups who want to, can respond and participate, and label it as a response/action by some members of the Northeast Anarchist Network.

Assemblies

Regional Assemblies: Network-wide regional assemblies will meet on a regular basis in places and times to be determined by the Network. These assemblies have no decision-making power over projects or the Network as a whole. They can only make proposals, which thereafter need to be ratified by affiliated groups. Included among their several possible functions are: sharing information about and evaluating current projects; generating ideas for new proposed projects; general assessments of the state of the Network; building friendships and solidarity among members across the region; workshops and skill shares; reviewing the work of the committees, caucuses, and working groups; and having fun.

Sub-regional Assemblies: Sub-regional assemblies will be scheduled as needed. They will function in the same manner as the regional assemblies.

Network Policies

Sexual Assault: Sexual assault will not be tolerated. NEAN demands accountability from assaulters in accordance with the wishes of the survivors, whom we are committed to supporting.

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Points of Unity

We affirm the following Points of Unity:

1. A very clear rejection of capitalism, imperialism, and authoritarianism.

2. A rejection of all forms and systems of domination, embracing instead the full dignity of all.

3. An attitude of active resistance towards all state, corporate, and other oppressive institutions.

4. A call to direct action, support for emancipatory social movements, and agitation for the liberation of all, as well as the construction of local alternatives.

5. An organizational philosophy based on decentralization and autonomy.

This Network is specifically inclusive of all anarchist struggles and supports all of them so long as they adhere to these Points of Unity, even though not everyone in the Network might consider a particular struggle a priority. Anarchists will show solidarity with each others' struggles as a principle of revolutionary necessity.

In order to embody these values we see the need for an anarchist social revolution.

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End Note: This document is not written in stone. Of course we have the right to, and will, revise it if the need arises.

Originally established November, 2007; Updated February 2010