Occupying Language (Occupied Media Pamphlet Series) by Marina Sitrin & Dario Azzellini

Author:Marina Sitrin & Dario Azzellini [Sitrin, Marina]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: occupy, radical, language, democracy, movement
Publisher: Zuccotti Park Press
Published: 2012-09-17T16:00:00+00:00

AFFECTIVE AND TRUST-BASED CONSTRUCTION

OPENLY DEFINED: Political action and organization based in a relationship of mutual trust, and caring, for the other and the collective.

The current global movements are not only attempting to create the most horizontal and directly democratic spaces, but through new protagonism they are also creating new subjectivities. A part of the grounding for these changing relationships to one another is a base of trust and a growing feeling of care and affect. This is not to be confused with creating intentional communities “outside of society,” such as alternative communes, or with creating relationships that are not linked to the idea of acting together for the transformation of society. For example, dancing or cooking together might support a process of building a trusting base for political action, but without action and organizing, it is only dancing or cooking.

In Argentina, the movements began speaking of política afectiva (affective politics) as a way of discussing the caring and loving relationships that they felt were growing—and in fact were necessary as a part of the new social construction. They also clarified the challenges to organizing a movement based in love, since many people often do not take the concept of love seriously in a movement. In a macho society, it can be difficult to reach out to new neighbors and workers and ask them to join the “love movement.” As Toty reflects below:

We can have really difficult discussions and disagree, but we all stay part of the organization. We try to love each other. It’s difficult. Imagine being in a neighborhood like La Matanza, which is full of really tough men, men who have lived, and still live, a violent, macho life, and we’re talking about new loving relationships. No, it isn’t easy, not even to talk about, let alone practice. This is part of our changing culture, and as we change, we notice how much we really need to.15

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