Values and Goals

The Victoria Anarchist Bookfair Collective affirms and promotes mutual aid, direct democracy, direct action, anti-authoritarianism, autonomy and solidarity. We reiterate our opposition to capitalism, imperialism, patriarchy, heterosexism, racism, colonialism, statism and all other forms of oppression; we will not accept participants in the Victoria Anarchist Bookfair who perpetuate or promote such values.

The Victoria Anarchist Bookfair is a space to network, highlight, and aid struggles, both local and international. We strive to promote anarchist ideas through workshops, cultural activities and the bookfair itself. We have a spirit of openness towards different anarchist traditions, visions, and practices.

Our aims are threefold:

• to introduce anarchism to the public,

• to further elaborate upon current and historical anarchist ideals, and

• to foster dialogue between various anarchist tendencies.

Participants

The Victoria Anarchist Bookfair’s priorities concentrate upon the written & spoken word (books, pamphlets, zines, audio-visual materials) by individuals and groups including publishers, distributors, and action-oriented associations. We also accept, on a case-by-case basis, information and participation from community/activist groups, self-publishers, artists and vendors of materials such as buttons, T-shirts or patches who fit within these principles. We do not accept the participation of political parties or candidates in the bookfair.

Process

Decisions are made by consensus at Victoria Anarchist Bookfair Collective meetings. Projects planned for the Festival of Anarchy need only be discussed and agreed to at a Bookfair collective meeting, at which point they are autonomous.

Art by Gord Hill, used with permission