Workers Solidarity Movement

Awareness League

The Awareness League in Nigeria is to become the first African section of the IWA. Readers of Workers Solidarity will remember the League from the reports of the jailing of four of its members by the state for opposing the military coup there. The international appeal launched on this occasion raised nearly $2000 dollars, saw pickets and demonstrations in many countries including Ireland and resulted in the publication of over 54 articles in languages including Japanese and Hindi. The four comrades were released.

Anarchists operating in what's called the 'third world' face extremely difficult conditions. European anarchists returning from visits to Nigeria have described the extreme poverty and repression the A.L. operates under. This has included raids on meetings and the arrest and detention of all those attending. The need for all sorts of material aid including literature has been stressed.

We have sought to provide solidarity by printing one hundred copies of the A.L.s manifesto and sending them to Nigeria. Their opening paragraph reads

"The AWARENESS LEAGUE, NIGERIA, was founded as a social libertarian organisation inspired by and committed to the ideals, principles, objectives, goals, ends and purposes of revolutionary socialism and anarcho-syndicalism".
The appearance of a large anarchist organisation in Africa will play a vital role in spreading the idea of anarchism throughout that continent. It also underlines the relevance of anarchism for those struggling everywhere in the world, from the richest to the poorest of countries.
 

Originally published in Workers Solidarity 44, Spring 1995