Despite some organizational problems over times and venues, the number of people and participation suggests to us that the gathering has proved of interest to people in the midst of the difficult situation Colombia is going through. We think this is because we not only talked about anarchism and libertarian ideas but also discusses current issues which affect us and people throughout the world.

There were four kinds of activities at the Gathering: firstly, a discussion/group dynamics activity on April 9 which playfully tackled the topic of anarchism and some of its basic principles like freedom, justice, mutual aid etc.

Then on the mornings of the 9th, 10th, and 11th we had “do it yourself” workshops which suggested to people how they could do things with few resources, like silkscreen printing, video, discourse analysis, and making a fanzine or homemade magazine.

Thirdly, there were afternnon talks on current issues like Palestine, the conflict in Colombia, globalization and public services, conscientious objection and anti-militarism, alternative media and the situation in the prisons. One positive outcome of these talks was a proposal for the concientious objectors in the National University to get together and organize anti-militarist actions. And together with some of the speakers it was agreed to arrange Palestine solidarity activities and a meeting of different organizations who have a similar take on the “new world order”.

On the other hand each topic discussed led participants to think of non-traditional, in some ways more libertarian solutions to current problems. Such is the case with the neo-liberal policy of privatizing public services. To counter this the independence of the public service providers from the state with direct workers control was suggested. This is a suggestion which should be elaborated upon and discussed as part of a debate about the public/private issue which involves different organizations and the workers themselves.

The fourth and final activity consisted of films, dance, theatre and photography, in which different cultural groups dedicated to social change took part.

By way of conclusion we think the main success of the gathering was the participation of people who didn’t belong to the groups who organized it. People who because of the situation in Colombia are looking for autonomous spaces in which to act and begin changing every aspect of life in a way which allows them to maintain their own identity whilst putting into practice solidarity rather than the competition which the big capitalists, technocrats and governments try and impose on us. We wish to thank everyone who took part and helped during the event and we hope this marks the beginning of ongoing joint work based on mutual respect.

By Coordinadora Libertaria Banderas Negras (Black Flags Libertarian Coordinating Body). The CLBN is a group of largely anarchist collectives mostly based in Bogota. Reports of previous gatherings and other events they have arranged, along with information on different member groups and more general information from Colombia can be found on their website: www.geocities.com/coordinadorabanderasnegras/