''Alternative libertaire'' (''AL'', "Libertarian Alternative") was a French anarchist organization formed in 1991 which publishes a monthly magazine, actively participates in a variety of social movements, and is a participant in the Anarkismo.net project. In 2019 the organization merged into the Union Communiste Libertaire (UCL, "Libertarian Communist Union") Alternative Libertaire, now UCL, identifies with various tendencies within the

libertarian socialist Libertarian socialism, also known by various other names, is a left-wing,Diemer, Ulli (1997)"What Is Libertarian Socialism?" The Anarchist Library. Retrieved 4 August 2019. anti-authoritarian, anti-statist and libertarianLong, Roderick T. (20 ...

current of anarchism including

anarcho-communism Anarcho-communism, also known as anarchist communism, (or, colloquially, ''ancom'' or ''ancomm'') is a political philosophy and anarchist school of thought that advocates communism. It calls for the abolition of private property but retains res ...

and anarcho-syndicalism. It was also a member of the International Libertarian Solidarity network.

Ideology

The organization identifies with the revolutionary workers' movement drawn from the split in the

First International The International Workingmen's Association (IWA), often called the First International (1864–1876), was an international organisation which aimed at uniting a variety of different left-wing socialist, communist and anarchist groups and trad ...

(the International Workingmens' Association) in 1872. This was in opposition to the Marxists, whom

Mikhail Bakunin Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin (; 1814–1876) was a Russian revolutionary anarchist, socialist and founder of collectivist anarchism. He is considered among the most influential figures of anarchism and a major founder of the revolutionary s ...

regarded as authoritarian. Alternative Libertaire's practical and ideological background has been summed up by the organisation as continuing from the following groups: * Bakunin and his supporters within the First International. * The revolutionary syndicalists of the French CGT before 1914. * The Makhnovists, and the ''Organizational Platform'' proposed by the exiled Russian anarchists. * Spanish anarcho-syndicalism, the Spanish Revolution 1936 and in particular the actions of the

Friends of Durruti The Friends of Durruti Group (in Spanish, ''Agrupación de los Amigos de Durruti'') was an anarchist group in Spain, named after Buenaventura Durruti. It was founded on 15 March 1937, by Jaime Balius, Félix Martínez (anarchist), Félix Martínez ...

group. * The Libertarian Communist Federation (FCL) and the ''Libertarian Communist Manifesto'' by Georges Fontenis in 1954. * The Union des travailleurs communistes libertaires (Libertarian Communist Workers’ Union, UTCL), the works of

Daniel Guérin Daniel Guérin (; 19 May 1904, in Paris – 14 April 1988, in Suresnes) was a French libertarian-communist author, best known for his work '' Anarchism: From Theory to Practice'', as well as his collection ''No Gods No Masters: An Anthology of ...

and the ''Libertarian Communist Project'' of 1986.

Activity

Today Alternative Libertaire is developing its political action on two fronts: * The building of an alliance of social movements, to give political weight to the politics of the people against the institutionalised left. * The building of a libertarian communist current which fuels and is fuelled by the activities of the social movements. AL militants are particularly involved in struggles in the workplace and in the unions, in the CGT or in SUD (sometimes in the CNT), in the fight against unemployment, for the

right to housing The right to housing (occasionally right to shelter) is the economic, social and cultural right to adequate housing and shelter. It is recognized in some national constitutions and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International ...

, in the

environmental movement The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement), also including conservation and green politics, is a diverse philosophical, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues. Environmentalists a ...

and in the fight against patriarchy. Alternative Libertaire endeavours to link these conflicts in today’s society with the perspective of a break with capitalism and the state.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Alternative Libertaire 1991 establishments in France Far-left politics in France Defunct anarchist organizations in France Libertarian socialist organizations Defunct platformist organizations Anarchism in French Guiana Anarchist Federations Political organizations established in 1991 Political organizations disestablished in 2019