SOLIDARITY DRIVE REPORT

In this time of pandemic, Direct Action groups and individuals are now the ones having a hard time coping up with the hardships brought about by the Pandemic. With their day jobs cniancelled and their alternative livelihoods prohibited, Direct Action groups are still able to provide Mutual Aid to their communities, but not as quick as they used to. And as they reported through social media communications, they are now also  having a hard time taking care of themselves, as well as their families.

 

In this light, Safehouse initiated a solidarity drive last March to assist comrades in various direct actions. Groups and individuals were identified through inquiries and by way of reaching out to them. 

 

As of May 17, this solidarity drive has distributed 50k worth of cash to 22 collectives and individuals who have been doing their own direct actions in their respective communities. Around half of the recipients used the funds for domestic expenses during the quarantine, and the other half used it for collective actions. Recipients are located mostly in provinces as far as Quezon, Bulacan, Bacolod, Cebu, and Davao.

 

The funds were directly sent to the recipients. Proper accounting has been prepared and done for accountability. Accounting details may be requested along with the complete receipts of the transfers.

 

[(A) flag during the Sept. 21, 2017 protest at Luneta Park , Manila]

 

Safehouse would like to express the deepest of gratitudes to those who sent their solidarities through financial support, whose initials are listed here:

GE, VD, YC, Z&I, C&E, JR and M of DGR

 

This will also not be possible without the technical help provided by Pirate Studio, Zab and Ish, who did all of the transfers online.

 

For MUTUAL AID and EMPATHY 

NOT BLIND COOPERATION!

 

IN SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY!

(an anonymous comrade and recepient)

In Solidarity With Comrades Imprisoned in Malang and Tangerang, Indonesia

 

It seems that blame-game is a common tactic of different states during a pandemic.  As petty violators in the local are blamed to cover up the late travel ban and late mass testing imposed by the government, the same is done by the Indonesian government by cracking down those who are critical to their incompetency. 

Along with comrades from Australia, the Netherlands and other countries, we, individuals and collectives of the Local Autonomous Network, denounce the actions of the Indonesian government against comrades in Malang and Tangerang  who were accused of inciting public disorder when disorder is already evident in the grassroots.

Following are the reasons for this condemnation:

-The hacking of social media accounts, as confirmed by Whatsapp, in the case of the journalist Ravio Patra. He announced that after being hacked, he was not able to control his own account and has received incriminating messages such as “ It’s already crisis, it’s time to burn, Let’s loot on the 30th of April!”

– The isolation tactics applied to five individuals in Tangerang , near Jakarta, who were arrested for vandalism, allegedly inciting to public disorder. They were arrested using warrants which did not contain their names. The state has also been depriving them of legal assistance and communication with their families since their arrests. The Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) demanded that the police should substantiate their charges. 

-The illegal detention of a minor involved in the Tangerang incident, on which the state has not disclosed any information to the public. 

-The authorities forcing a petty criminal to confess in a video, stating that he is the “sole leader” of the plan to provoke nationwide looting when looting was already prevalent due to lack of government support  amidst the loss of jobs of 1.5 million formal and informal workers.

-The arrest of three individuals in Malang in East Java for the same charges, “public provocation”, who were actively involved in struggles against land-grabbing, state corporations, and for being simply “anti-capitalists”

– The confiscation of books and other materials owned by the arrested five in Tangerang, which the police claim are effectual to the vandalisms. The books include Tan Malaka’s  Aksi Mass (Mass Action) , Eka Kurniawan’s Core Coret Di Toilet (Doodles in the Toilet), and Indonesia Dala Krisis 1997-2002 (Indonesia in Crisis 1997-2002) which are actually not illegal in Indonesia. The Rights Group for Missing Person and Victims of Violence (KontraS) adds that “The arrests shoud not be based on suspicion and certain analyses.”

 

Political opportunism during the pandemic comes in many forms. In the so-called Philippines, tens of thousands have been arrested due to non-criminal charges, resulting to the cramming of non-violent violators in prisons and other detention facilities. Demolitions continue. Extraction of resources for foreign companies remain unhindered. A media corporation, slightly critical to the government, was shut down. Government armed forces are conditioned into being desensitized robots by encouraging them to kill in the presence of the slightest misbehaviour.

Now, more than ever, we need to express solidarity with comrades from all over the world. As we demonstrate our aspirations through resource-sharing, mutual aid and cooperation in our localities, we should stay connected to strengthen mutual protection.

In solidarity!

 

(translation of text in photo: Free our comrades now, detained in the Metro Jaya Regional Police)

For links, visit:

https://palanghitamanarkis.noblogs.org/post/2020/05/05/calling-for-anarchists-global-solidarity-action/

 

Survival of the Fittest in the Time of Pandemic

People often equate Charles Darwin’s notion of “survival of the fittest” with competition. People think that the natural way of the world requires some sort of battle. This is also often translated in how we deal with other people. “It’s either myself or others,” that’s how many people justify cruelty and domination. But if we think closely, survival of the fittest does not always mean competition.

Survival of the fittest simply means that if a specie is not able adapt to the changes in the environment, that’s when it starts to die out. If your fur is not thick enough, then you might die in the winter of Alaska. If your fur is too thick, then you would die like a Siberian Husky in the tropics. If you can not grow claws, you might not be able to catch prey, or be able to climb tress to avoid predators. Strength is not enough in survival. If we only consider strength, then no animal now can match the dinosaurs who were much bigger in size and appetite. They have walked the earth for millions of years, but eventually, they became extinct because they were not able adapt to climate change.

As pointed out by a former Russian prince turned biologist and anarchist named Peter Kropotkin, few people realize that mutual cooperation is as much a factor of evolution as competition. If we think about it, there are quite a number of species which might have not survived if they did not practice cooperation amongst themselves or with other species. Canines work in packs. Gigantic sea mammals like whales and sharks may die of parasites if they did not allow smaller fishes to ride on their backs. Bees (which are prehistoric in origin) or ants can not survive without the hive or colony.

Another misconception which may arise here is the conception of the alphas. Herds and packs tend to have alphas but these alphas are not there to terrorize their own specie. Alphas become alphas because they have the capacity to protect and search for food. Their position is not permanent. Being alpha in the animal kingdom does not have a time frame. Quite different from the human conception that alphas should reign for as long as six years even when he or she is not capable of feeding and protecting the group. We should also take note that in many species, alphas are of the female gender.

In the bee or ant colony, there are also roles taken by each individual. There’s the “queen”, the “soldiers”, and the “workers”. But this is entirely different to how we look at queens, soldiers, and workers in the human context. In the colonies of such arthropods, the queens are also replaceable, the soldiers do not harass the workers, and in contrast, the workers can become the heroes. In colonies, the queen or the soldiers do not have authority over workers. They do not make rules and they do not assert self-righteousness. Each individual act on their own will and understanding to preserve the colony. When a worker finds a good tree to establish shelter, it dances, to tell the others of the location, so others can verify if the claim is true. They require a constant check and balance similar to how internet open-sources work. Dictatorship does not work in nature.

Of course, there are instances where competition is evident in many species. But take note that this is only true when resources are scarce. In the human world, resources are more than enough to feed everyone in the world for multiple times. Scarcity is a myth repeatedly told by hoarders. Competition is only acceptable in scarcity, not in the abundance that we have now. Poverty and hunger, therefore, are crimes committed to the poor, most especially during a pandemic.Thankfully, instead, we witness cooperation almost everywhere during these times.

Survival of the fittest is not only about competition. Survival is also about adaptation and mutual cooperation.

May 1, 2020

Safehouse Infoshop

Bed Time Stories x Karamdaman

Karamdaman

 

May tumamang karamdaman
Hindi natin namalayan
Agwat, nagsilitawan
Sa mahirap at mayaman
Makisayaw, makisabay
Ay hindi na natutunan
Di pala magkakapantay
May gutom’, may nauumay.

Nang ipagkait ang araw,
Panglaw lamang ang dumalaw
At pangakong araw-araw
Bigas, sardinas at sabaw.
Buwis na ipinapataw
Sa amin babalik rin daw
Ang pangakong balang araw
Kailan ba matatanaw?

Tuloy ang pagbabakuran,
Demolisyon at patayan
Si neneng balingkinitan
Sa checkpoint napapagtripan.
Pananakot ang puhunan
Bawal ang malasakitan
Bilyon ang ipantatapal
Sila na daw ‘magbibilang.

‘Wag sana akong sisihin
Sa’king mga napapansin
‘Di sakit ang sinusupil,
Kundi ang laya ko’t giliw.
Kung buhay, di mahalaga,
Walang silbi’ng disiplina.
Kung mabagal ang pagsalba,
Tulungan ang isa’t isa.