For starters, I’m so sorry I haven’t blogged for long time. I got distracted. But I am committed to the work of FemPeacePower and all its related projects. I will blog more regularly from now on! (In a month from now I will be traveling to India where I will be living in an intentional community for three months. I am especially excited to blog from there, with new perspectives and opinions to share.)
I listened to the first podcast featuring T and Ramona SkyLink on anarcha-feminism, and it got me thinking about exactly what that is and how anarchism and feminism are linked and related. I guess I just want to clarify for people what anarcha-feminism is, since I really don’t know much about it myself and am just trying to make sense of it all. Anarchism and feminism are inherently tied together because they are both all about breaking down patriarchal hierarchies and power structures. Many people think that anarchism and feminism are essentially necessary constituents of one another; they go hand-in-hand. And, as Ramona SkyLink mentioned, part of anarchism is allowing local communities and struggles to develop and grow, which can be an integral part of feminism, too.
This is interesting to me because I’ve been thinking about anarchism recently, having as of late come to know a few individuals who call themselves anarchists and practice the philosophy of anarchism. Oftentimes anarchy is seen negatively because sometimes actions taken by adherents are rash and destructive. Even if they make statements or progress in some form, often anarchists are seen as irresponsible and misguided. For example, it seems to me that on the campus of the Evergreen State College, an institution known for the radical thinking of its students, the general view of anarchy is that it is a great philosophy in theory, but in reality it is hard to achieve and those students who try to do so are a bit foolish and idealistic. I have a lot more to learn about anarchy, but these are my initial, mostly uninformed, opinions.
When anarchism is combined with feminism, then, I suppose it can be both a positive and a negative thing. Those who believe in the philosophy of anarchism almost surely believe in the philosophy of feminism, and vice versa. But could the actions- sometimes seen as imprudent and destructive- taken by some anarchists cause harm to the feminist label attached to anarchy? Personally I think that putting the influences of both of the philosophies together, if done in an appropriate way, could have an immense amount of power and potential. But if the actions taken by radical activists in the name of anarchism continue to be seen by some as irrational and destructive wastes of time, might the anarcha-feminist movement be branded with that same stigma? And wouldn’t that be a bad thing for the feminists, who, in general, seem to have more of a peaceful, less radical agenda than anarchists? Or are feminists, by associating themselves purposely and directly, with anarchism, making a statement that they believe in the radicalism of anarchy and believe it helps their cause?
I enjoyed the quotes read by the participants, especially the one fr. Thanks for a thought-provoking first podcast; keep up the good work!
