Freiburg’s Anarcha-Feminist Reading Circle is a realm for those who are interested in reading about and discussing feminism and anarchism, as well as the ties between the two camps of thought.
Here we can work collectively to identify and challenge hierarchies, constrained gender norms and privilege in our own lives through reading provoking literature, discussing current events through an anarcha-feminist lens, and sharing personal experiences and ideas.
This is a space to be collective, to be heard, and to learn from others. We seek to provide a realm for UNlearning and healing from the damaging affects of patriarchy on a personal level as well as contributing to the broader agenda of reconciling and reshaping societal constructs related to sex and gender. We hope to achieve this through a balance of analyzing literature and sharing personal experiences.
We would be very thankful to have as many perspectives as possible. We welcome all who are interested in participating, including but not limited to cis-gender men and women, the LGBTQ community, both young and old, and those with all ranges of experience within the fields of anarchism and feminism, from academic to those with budding interests. We would like everyone to feel welcome to participate who is willing to listen to others and open themselves up to the challenge of confronting all the struggles that are tied up in sex and gender. NO misogynists, fascists, racists – hate is unwelcome.
The direction and focus of this reading circle/ weekly meet up will be determined collectively by those who attend. The kinds of books we read and discussions we have are up to all of us to decide on together. The structure of this meet up is, in no way, static of fixed. It is intended to be fluid, adapting to our collective needs and interests, which are subject to change over time.
Why call it an “Anarcha-Feminist” reading circle? In an article archived in The Anarchist Library, author Kytha Kurin explains “Anarchism, with its recognition that the process of making a revolution can’t be separated from the goals of that revolution, appeared to understand the political in much the same way that feminism did. Anarchists recognized that an authoritarian, exploitative movement could not possibly create a non-authoritarian, non-exploitative society. But what anarchist theory recognized, feminists demanded”.
Anarchists call for a society without hierarchy, without a more powerful faction that suppresses the voices and the needs of the others. Feminism calls for the social, political and economic equality of all people, regardless of sex or gender.
For us, feminism is a process of identifying, challenging, and unlearning gender norms and the hierarchical relationship that is facilitated by gender. The goals of anarchism innately encompass the goals and process of feminism, and we agree that without feminism playing a major role in the process of redefining human interactions, the existence of hierarchy and inequality will continue to plague our best efforts
Why the name “Sheherazade”? Stories help us to understand things that our consciousness has long repressed. Stories show us worlds as they could exist. They take us away from the present and into the core of what motivates and worries us.
In “1001 Nights“, the young Sheherazade tells her mistrustful husband a new story every evening, the end of which she leaves to be told on the following day. Anxious to find out the end of the tale each night, the husband holds off on his commitment to kill his wife out of fear she could betray him. Instead, he listens for one thousand and one nights, entranced by Sheherazade’s tales.
Sheherazade is able to break the spell of mistrust, violence and possessiveness, which the Persian king developed toward all women. She is able to help him heal through imaginative storytelling, which recreates realities for both the listener and the narrator herself.
In this same sense of healing, we also want to become narrators and story tellers, to break the spells that constrain our freedom of expression and define how we experience the world, and to reshape our own futures.
Potential topics of reading and discussion: historical waves of feminism; anarchism and the overlap with feminist goals; sex vs. gender/ identity; religion; patriarchy; monogamy and other relationship dynamics; marriage; role of media; role of consumption/ capitalism; intersectionality of gender, race, and socio-economic privilege
This meet up has been organized mainly in English in effort to be more inclusive for (hopefully) a larger and more diverse population. Please do not feel unwelcome or incapable of participating if you are not confident speaking English *There will be capable, bilingual German/English speakers, and hopefully others with a variety of linguistic abilities who can help facilitate understanding.