V prvem delu o letošnjem, že 8. Balkanskem anarhističnem sejmu knjig (BASK), ki bo 5.-6. septembra v Mostarju. Pogovor z Alanom iz Mostarja o BASKu, antifa festivalu, post-vstajniški Bosni in Hercegovini in izzivom anarhistične politike v Mostarju. (ta del oddaje v angleščini zaradi lažjega deljenja informacij o sejmu in njegovem kontekstu v širši anarhistični skupnosti).

Najavi: Kung fu svobodnih rok v polnem teku dvakrat na teden v Tovarni Rog; mobilizacijsko-organizacijsko-benefit srečanje pred BASKom 2014 v Infoshopu na Metelkovi v četrtek 28. avgusta 2014, od 20h naprej.

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We turn our attention today to the Balkans as seen, understood, imagined and built by the anarchists of the region. After last year's inspiring gathering in Ljubljana they will be meeting, plotting and mingling at the Balkan anarchist bookfair again in early September this year. This time in Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After a brief introduction we will hear more about the bookfair directly from Alan, one of the Mostar comrades.

History teaches us that stakes are high in the Balkans, even more so in precarious times of ours when the usual balance of power is often challenged on both global geopolitical and local level. Sometimes by the genuine aspirations of people striving to build the world free from all exploitatin, but often also by dodgy interests working in the shadows.

As we all know it was in the Balkans that the first shots of the I. World War were shot a century ago. That war ended with mighty empires destroyed and promises of a new revolutionary and just world still not fully betrayed by the self-appointed avantgadist class. The Balkans remained a space of social and political experimentation throughout 20th century. It had its share of radical workers struggles and inspirational and to same extent successful revolutionary projects. It also had its share of military dictatorship, totalitarian one-party rule and war. Despite its many promises 20Th century ended with the war that tore Yugoslavia apart and stroke a huge blow to the vision of just, anti-capitalist and anti-nationalist future in the Balkans.

Now back to the present. The Balkans has not remained calm during the latest capitalist crisis that is – rather predictably – being used by global financial institutions to redistribute the wealth towards the already rich, using the forcefully imposed regime of austerity as a tool. That Greece has been a laboratory of not only the neoliberalism but also of the resistance against it is widely known. But in recent years mass protests against the continuous social destruction erupted in an unprecedented way in Bulgaria, Slovenia and to a lesser degree in Croatia. And while Serbia is being constantly on the edge of an eruption, some promising antiauthoritarian struggles against capitalist nigtmare are emerging also in Romania around the opposition to Rosa Montana gold mining project.

And in february this year Bosnia and Herzegovina was the site of the last and maybe the strongest expression of rejection of capitalist conditions that are being imposed on the people by the country's nationalist elites.

It is fitting then that Mostar, a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina will be a host to this year's Balkan Anarchist bookfair. Under the theme “Over the Walls of Nationalism” many anarchists and other anti-authoritarians of the Balkans and beyond will converge in Mostar in the early days of September this year.

We were speaking with Alan about the bookfair, the recent uprising in Bosnia and its aftermath, the pressing issues facing anarchists in local context of Mostar and about the role that anarchism and anarchists could have in a place that has been so devastated recently by capital and nationalism.

[Intervju]

The invite is open to all anarchist and antiauthoritarian groups, individuals, publishers, initiatives and projects from Balkan and beyond. Come and participate at the bookfair, in discussions and meetings which will help us build solidarity networks and strong anti-nationalist and anti-capitalist movement in the Balkans and beyond. All the latest information about the Balkan Anarchist Bookfair 2014 in Mostar can be found at the webpage: bask2014.wordpress.com or just search the web for Mostar Balkan Anarchist Bookfair 2014.

See you soon in Mostar! Vidimo se uskoro u Mostaru!