We want Long Term Commitments... Not Temporary Ones!

by Khalfani Khaldun

The idea for this article arose out of a discussion several comrades were having during an early morning dialogue class initiated by an active comrade named Talib Becktemba. This is personal and political, but not purposely directed at any one person, group or organization. But it is pointing out behavior patterns, contradictions and relationships of unprincipled activities. In doing this we combat liberal politics in our organization and our movement.

Mobilization of the oppressed masses entails a deep conviction of the heart and an unshakeable commitment. We must overstand that to mobilize people we must create a stable and functional structure in the form of an organization. Where these organization(s) develop programs, policy, and a national approach toward why we must be grounded. We are now living in an era where organization based on a firm individual and collective commitment ensures our success in rebuilding. Meetings and gatherings are only held annually to affirm the commitments of anyone that wants to take part in these efforts. This practice prevents people from being associated with our organizations that are sincere about commitment and the many sacrifices it entails. Because when we commit ourselves to a movement, group, organization, or to support work on behalf of conscious prison elements who are a part of our many formations, we accept the shouldering of all responsibilities that this entails. People are held accountable for what they do or don't do relative to these commitments.

Alliances and Strategic Relationships

We of the Republic of New Afrika overstand the importance of our collective commitment and responsibility. This is why we have a structure where commitment is essential to our overall growth and development as Nations colonized within this Amerikan Empire. Dealing with our particular reality, we by the practices set forth in our New Afrikan Creed i.e. the New Afrikan Declaration of Independence acknowledge our commitment and our willingness to sacrifice our lives so that these aims are reached. This is why number 10 of our New Afrikan Creed states: i will give my life, if that is necessary. i will give my time, my mind, my strength, and my wealth because this is necessary.

By the people committing firmly to this, we accept that in our goals aspiration for revolution we may lose our own lives. We are willing to die to protect the people and move the people into revolutionary consciousness. So in our attempt to join amongst our ranks other revolutionary individuals, groups, and organizations, our dedication and self-determination toward our unshakeable commitments are discussed in the early beginning. So that after we have established a strategical alliance we all will overstand one to the other what will be expected of us.

In the New Afrikan Declaration of Independence point 10 states: We seek to end kolor and klass discrimination, while not abolishing salubrious diversity, and to promote self respect and mutual understanding among all people in society. Our commitment to this point of the Declaration enables room to build, organize, struggle, across kolor lines. This is why We have alliances with North American anti-Imperialist formations, anarchist formations, anti-racist formations. However our relationships are based on a principled political foundation. We present a sound and very political method in establishing these alliances so that none of our objectives are misunderstood nor taken for granted.

Revolutionary Organization Structure

Every organized formation must function on a stabilized structure that their work and responsibilities flow from. But every organization is not politically mature enough to qualitatively forge change in each individual and when this occurs, we experience regression and stagnation in our growth and development.

New Afrikan Revolutionary Nationalism and the politics of North American anarchists are in agreement as far as the total destruction of this system. But New Afrikans see things about total autonomy a little different. We feel that total autonomy leaves room for alot of reckless abandonment, lawlessness, chaos. So it seems like a very immature vision.

We feel after the destruction of the systems of authority, we must through a collective process (people's vote) delegate and choose skillfully, New Afrikan men and women who are capable of moving the people forward. Place these people in strategic positions, each respective and responsible to the other. No dictators and big I's or little you's. Democratic centralism will flow throughout our society. But without some rules, policies, responsibility, there will be no accountability. People who alter our development for reactionary purposes Must Be Held Accountable. This is why we have a Creed and Declaration. This is necessary when a Society attempts to maintain discipline and order of any kind. We affirm our position in these matters by saying that the only care and objective will be to educate and elevate the people economically and politically to such a degree that after awhile, after they are stable and disciplined, no such Government will soon be necessary, and the state after losing its political or cohesive character, will automatically grow into a completely free Society. This is why the people see how Marxist theory does not reject the anarchist program completely. We both champion the aspirations of the wage earner and seek the abolition of the wage system. However, Marxism quarrels with the seeming impatience of anarchism as well as its willingness to ignore the 'Scientific dialectics' of evolution and laws. Which supposedly determines the orderly direction of history. Both systems are nevertheless impelled by a common and Genuine desire to extinguish the evils of kapitalism through the abolition of wage labor, the way and means of commodity exchange, and most of all, the needless misery, inequality, and exploitation characterizing the relationship between the have-nots and the kapitalist.

In "You Can't Blow Up a Social Relationship", some anonymous authors express an earlier point clear: You can't blow up a social relationship. The total collapse of this system would provide no guarantee about what replaced it. Unless a majority of people had the idea, and organization sufficiently for the creation of an alternative system, i.e. Society. We would see the old system reassert itself because it is what people know, what they are used to, what they once believed in and what existed unchallenged in their own personalities.

Proponents of terrorism and guerrillaism are to be opposed because their actions are authoritarian, because their ideas, to the extent that they are substantial, are wrong or unrelated to the results of their actions (especially when they call themselves liberationists or anarchists) because their actions produce either repression with nothing in return, or an authoritarian regime. This is why we stress emphasis on order, policy, rules, and discipline.

Casualties and Sacrifices In Revolutionary Struggle

In July of this year two revolutionary activists under the structure of Anti-Racist Action and Unity Skins were killed in Las Vegas. Daniel Shersty, 20 years old was a North Amerikan youth. Lin "Spit" Newborn, 25 years old was New Afrikan. Being active on the front line or behind the scenes doing revolutionary work we must prepare ourselves for eventual casualties. Our commitments will also entail great sacrifices. When Afrikan people create alliances across racial lines, each party must accept these realities. To do otherwise will be the result of one's own political immaturity. Then our actions after such casualties will be either a reflection of a people prepared to move forward and continue to forge struggle, or it will reflect the lack of our conviction and self-determination to move forward by giving up or abandoning one's responsibilities for re-building.

People that are not conditioning themselves to face the possibility of Death -- theirs or that of comrades, family, children, friends are not or have not seriously reviewed what this work entails. Our alliances on the inside must confront also these realities and its sacrifices. We are subjected to many forms of retaliatory harassment because of our stance on revolutionary Politics. Our parole's are denied. Our sentences are extended. We are placed in isolation units our entire prison terms, slandered by the oppressor, our families threatened. So we are both confronted with these issues inside and out. But again when we commit ourselves to rebuilding a Nation, we accept everything that comes along with that. Some of us will lose our own lives. New Afrikan Independence Movement organizers, members, cadre elements, and underground elements overstand this.

But What About Our Alliances?

i have read and been privileged to many anarchist newsletters, books, mission statements, etc. To illustrate my example on the vagueness of one's commitment i quote the structure guide and constitution of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF). While we have engaged in some constructive work that was beneficial and principled, i have never gotten a firm overstanding of what their anarchist commitments were. We are not advocating that people go out and get killed willingly. But we are saying that this must be overstood. Death Don't Need No Invite.

On page 3 of this constitution, it states the ABCF recognizes the subjectivity that may arise in evaluating prisoners. Our collective judgment will be based on the prisoners overall personal, political history and accountability in action. What about emphasis place on collective commitments? Nowhere in this constitution is an adherence to a unshakable commitment or to struggle without cease. i agree with the 4 basic foundation principles which are:

1. unity of purpose
2. tactical unity
3. collective action and discipline
4. internal democracy

i believe the time has come for all practitioners of Revolutionary politics to affirm our commitments outside and inside these camps. If your not willing to give your life, your time, wealth, patience for the sake of the people, you're in the wrong group. What you are prepared to do and not do should be understood. That way if you choose to step down or away for a moment your actions won't be viewed as a betrayal. If you step away for legitimate reasons, your actions when you return will reflect the same. Your disappearance, stopped communications, will show a lack of a principled unshakeable commitment. We become strong as individuals and as a collective by becoming stable, patient, disciplined, and ultimately we develop a worldview/politics that is politically mature.

How Do We Develop This Political Maturity?

As individuals belonging to groups and various organizational structures must first stabilize their group, their movement, by educating and building consciousness in all concerned members. Establishing programs, discipline, code of conduct, emphasize the importance of commitment. By doing this we deal with home base first. We establish group or organizational identity, focus, and stability.

In book Nine of our Vita Wa Watu Journal, it deals with always being on the go. Never allowing themselves to become grounded in their own pursuits. But always moving from one demonstration, project or protest to the next denies growth and personal and collective development. This book covers alot of issues, but it clearly gives the example that no one can become politically mature always on the go. So we must commit ourselves to one thing at a time. Move from one project after another in a process of stages.

Exposing Unprincipled Behaviors and Relationships

Prison advocacy groups, support networks, and organizations all have or should have a code of conduct they operate on dealing with prisoners. One that combats liberal politics and function on principles. We salute all the groups that have aided us on the inside who have given us principled support, as opposed to opportunist support. Alot of groups function as 2-3 people formations, but release information as if your a large groups of organized people. This is deceptive behavior. When you write us letter stating your support of us but fail to follow through, again this is deceptive. When you ask us to submit various writings i.e. poetry to your groups newsletters, but never respond to us after it is received, this is not the conduct of principled people. When you use the notoriety of our names and political contributions inside to legitimize your group, then abandon us this is unprincipled activity. That must be exposed. Alot of this has happened to me personally and our comrades collectively. To not expose this behavior is to engage in liberalism. When we do something counter-revolutionary you hold us accountable, then you also must accept constructive criticism and be also held accountable equally.

Alot of these relationships are based on alot of opportunism and personal gains. Which is very contradictory and a violation of our revolutionary politics. When you join us in creating fundraisers, which may or may not be originated by you it does not mean that you are justified in stealing money that is supposed to go to our freedom campaigns. If it was an agreement that resources should be generated and divided equally that's how principled people do things. these contradictions must be exposed when and where ever they surface. this is not a blanket statement, meaning all groups are acting this way, but for those groups that are this serves as your warning. Such activities have discouraged alot of comrades from dealing with people. that is a big problem. Anything i.e. anyone who serves to alter our process of reaching the people is not a friend, comrade or our ally. It is an enemy force. What do we do with such a thing? We destroy it and move on.

These unprincipled relationships and activities alter genuine development so it must be challenged, corrected, and resolved. If we allow these behaviors to exist in our movement i.e. groups, friendships, nothing good can come of it. Combat Liberalism.

Suggestions and Solutions

Some of these issues expressed in this piece i have been affected by personally and politically. Overstanding that contradictions will exist but this don't mean we allow them to linger around uncorrected or unchallenged. Some of my solutions expressed may apply or they may not, but they are solutions all the same. i have an obligation to make some suggestions that may help us on the inside challenge these behaviors and move forward:

(1) When groups contact prisoners to aid us publicize our struggles please from the onset explain what you can and are willing to do. Affirm your commitment to the duration but if it will be temporary then this should be expressed.

(2) Prisoners should challenge the legitimacy of outside networks commitment to revolutionary struggle, advocacy work on behalf of the prisoner, and expose any liberal or reactionary tendencies that may emerge.

(3) When groups seek to align themselves with New Afrikan formations it should be discussed before hand to what extent ones are prepared to commit. This cuts down the potential for future discrepancies.

(4) Groups who solicit prisoners contributions of political writing, poetry, memberships that this not be done for opportunist reasons. Please be straight up with us, we deserve better.

(5) Groups that get involved in our freedom campaigns that seek to help us we appreciate your help. But we want your loyalty and devotion in being honest about resources gained, spent, shared, which will only help us enhance our relationships.

(6) Monies made off creative pamphlets by groups/organizations should be agreeably worked out and shared equally between prisoner and support group or groups.

Appreciation

i thank Raze the Walls in GA, Ruchell McGee Defense Fund in South Bend, IN, Claustrophobia in Baltimore, MD, Philly ABC, ARA in Canada, NALF and all other formations that have surrendered principled support, time, resources, and patience in my attempts to liberate from prison. i appreciate your help and you guidance.

UHURU SASA!

i believe in the community
as more important than the individual.
-- Number 3 of our New Afrikan Creed

Brother Khalfani X. Khaldun #87304
P.O. Box 30 GAS 2-4D
Pendleton, IN 46064

Note: i welcome all comments, criticism, disagreement. Please distribute this widely. Power to the people who don't fear freedom.

References

(1) African Anarchism: The History of a Movement by Sam Mbah and I. E. Igariwey
(2) Spear and Shield Book 9
(3) "New Afrikan Revolutionary Nationalism and Anarchism" by Prince Imari A. Obadele

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