Affiliation and the Red & Anarchist Action Network

RAAN has tended to describe its active participants in terms of affiliation rather than "membership". This is derived from the network's conception of itself as a permanent contradiction (relationship; dialectic), unorganized in the sense of refusing the exigency to authorize participation in the process it embodies. Communism - loosely defined as the ongoing and global evolution of liberatory humanization against all forms of exploitation - progresses as a result of the pre-existing and undeniable (material) facts of existence. As a result, the process(es) of resistance recognized by an anarchist-communist body such as RAAN cannot assign to itself an overarching, static formation (regardless of how specialized or self-defining its character) in opposition to the fluid conditions and necessities perpetually dictated by reality. Instead, autonomous individuals can choose to associate one or more of their radical activities with the concept of RAAN, in the process creating both a powerful symbol and diverse collection of dialogues. In situations where multiple affiliates come together to accomplish certain tasks, various forms of "fixed" or temporary/transitional organization in the network's name may become appropriate or even preferential. Therefore, one does not "join" RAAN in the same way that you might be able to buy a membership in a political organization through dues or the selling of a newspaper. The Red & Anarchist Action Network is an international tendency of independent, sometimes-anonymous individuals and groups who act under the network's revolutionary principles. In this sense, "membership" in RAAN exists only through action (including principled criticism), and all that is necessary in order to get involved with the network is to agree with and familiarize yourself with its fundamental ideology and then act off of that affiliation. The network views itself not as a Party (or Federation, etc.) but as a tendency in the strictest definition of the term: a prevailing movement in a given direction. The three principal texts of RAAN (which are utilized as points of departure in this system of affiliation) are:

The RAAN Principles & Direction - The P&D is the founding and original document of RAAN. Written collectively over many months, it is the product of hundreds of debates and lays out the network's most uncompromising points of unity. The RAAN Principles of Action - The PofA arose out of the accelerating activity of RAAN, and was the final network-wide document created before total decentralization. This text sets out in explicit detail the system of autonomous action through affiliation that characterizes the network's tendency. The RAAN Principes of Organization - The PofO lays out the seven organizational principles of RAAN for those who want to establish a formalized, above-ground and network-affiliated presence in their area. Some ideas on how to go about this are also discussed.

We would also strongly recommend exploring The Functioning of a Network (A "No Bullshit" Policy VS. The Lethargy of Activism) as well as the Seven Theses on the Orientation of RAAN, as both texts contribute important insights into RAAN's unique self-conception. Those who are interested in organizing or taking part in a pre-existing network presence can most effectively get in touch with the dispersed sections of RAAN via the online community. This website can be used to submit news about your group and/or RAAN-affiliated actions in your area, thus adding to the network's visibility and making it possible for us to render a more accurate picture of its overall experience. Because the RAAN entity considers you an affiliate once you have not only chosen to act under its principles but have then also used that focus to build tangible improvements in your life and community, we have chosen to focus on cataloguing only the history of action itself.
IMPORTANT: Redanarchist.org and its maintainers do not have any authority or control over the groups and actions that tie themselves ideologically to RAAN. There are no structures in place for the approval or rejection of any given form of (anti)organization or offensive anti-statism on behalf of the network's uniting principles aside from the principles themselves, nor is there any single "official voice" mandated to represent the network's totality. As documenters of RAAN's experience and ongoing contribution to the historical tendency of communism, we merely reserve the right to collect the available information in the interest of forming the most objectively complete picture of this specific anti-authoritarian formation.