We are bringing you interview with Abolishing the Borders from Below, one of quite new, but very important and succesfull group with "base" in Germany.

How and when was formed ABB, who founded it?

For better understanding a formation of such a group like "Abolishing the Borders from Below" has to be mantion that it was formed by east european activists living constantly in German city of Berlin. There were various reasons why we have decided to form such a specific group. Some of us have just made not the best experiances by working in groups consisting mostly of german activists. Some felt a language barrier so they were looking to work in collective were they could express themselves fully. The others have joined this project because they start to like the main idea. First talks about starting this initiative were made shortly after events in Genova (G8 summit) and were in the spirit of "there is a need to bring a fresh wind to anarchist structures around the continent". On the other hand, the east-eauropean activists living in Berlin were acting together on different projects already since years. Unfortunatly it was more from one ocassion to the another, but it was usualy a great experiance. Than it comes an idea that for better results and just to make some things more easy for everyone we could coordinate our ideas and activities. The first meeting to discuss this concept took place in October 2001 when different proposals of cooperation and ideas for common activities were brought.

Already few weeks later such a projects like "Abolishing the Borders from Below" an anarchist courier from Eastern Europe, as well as internal ABC-structure and east-european libertarian librery have started very intensivly. Meanwhile apart of library we have opened a printing room and are short before open a regular office (this in colaboration with two other groups). From begining we are consequently holding a solidarity actions (ambassies occupation, financial support etc) with anarchist structures and activities in Eastern Europe and are involved in co-organization of such an events like anti-border camps, anti-capitalist international protests, independent cultural gatherings etc. Of course we are active on the local level as well.

How many people is in editorial collective now ?

We are just a small collective with no ambitions of growing or searching for new members to join but we are of course open for everyone likes to do it. All togehter there has to be about 15-20 persons which are involved in all these projects I have mentioned. With different level of dedication of course. There are some more which are joining us rather ocasionally but they are almost always with us when it is really necessary. The editorial collective of the publication are forming 6-7 persons.

How many issues was published and in which periodicity?

In December 2002 "AbolishingBB" # 7 will be out on which one we arejust working - that is why you have to wait so long for our response this time. It is from begining bi-monthly publication with ambitons of become to be a monthly-one but we are still not ready to take this task.

What are goals of ABB? What do you write about and who write in this magazine?

I understand that you ask about goals of publication not the collective activities as the whole ... that's good, it makes the answer more easy ... he, he. So the goals of "AbolishingBB" are written pretty clear on editorial page of our magazine. It is basicly about to help the anarchist structures around the continent to know each other, to tighten cooperation, to recognize a common aims and to better understand differences and problems. It is as well an attempt to bring an anarchist movement in Eastern Europe from isolation and this way help it to develope. We strongly believe that continual exchange of ideas, tactics, experiences and materials with similary minded groups from other regions of Europe will help eastern anarchists to operate much more effectivly.

But there is an interesting thing happend. While from begining we were focusing on helping to build this kind of bridge between anarchists from the east and the rest of Europe, suddenly we have recognized that in between our publication helps a lot to bring together many anarchist groups from the east ! It has happend so fast that we even have not realized it until many people start to tell us about it. It is great and now we see it as a good begining of the process which we have aimed originaly. But just to make it clear - "AbolishingBB" as a publication is and will stay as a tool in hands of anarchists around the continent to learn how to communicate and work together. Nothing else. We don't want to stay in the middle of anything new, we just wish to provoke and motivate people to start do things in a new more effective way.

For "AbolishingBB" are writting about dozen of great corespondents from almost all regions of eastern Europe sending their regulary reports. We are basicly coordinating this flux of information and complating the rest from other sources of information which are available for us. Well, the best work here is deffinitly made by our correspondents. In this meaning we could say that the collective of "AbolishingBB" is much more wider than people leaving in Berlin.

How often is published and how many copies is printed?

We started with 1000 copies. Pretty fast we have realized that there is a big interest around "AbolishingBB" so we were trying to increase issue but it was exactly the time of our the biggest financial crises. Now everything looks much better and we can print about 2000 issue.

How it is distributed?

We are still forming a good working network of distributors around the continent (and not only), so that in every region of Europe we have someone who is getting from us between 50 and 200 newspapers to distribute it in his/her region. It is still not everywhere working as good as we would wish but with every issue it seems to be better. In whole Europe it should costs about 50 cents. The libertarian librarys and infoshops are getting free exemplars so they should let us know if they are missing "AbolishingBB" on their shelves.

Do you call themselves anarchists, and what does it mean for you? Or do you think, that this label is not important for you?

This is a question everyone from collective should answer for him/herself - what is not possible right now. I can say that at least half of "the Abolishers" would call themselves anarchists and I would risk the statement that all of us are wishing to live our lifes and organize our activities based on anarchist prinziples. The fact is that part of my friends don't take it as neccesary to wear an anarchist label or to give any specific name to thier life principles. But there are some values which, I strongly believe, are common for all of us. These are: rejection of any hierarchical structures and authoritarian relationships between people, cultivation of such values like fiendship, solidarity and cooperation instead of competition. Some of us are already satisfied with fact of existance of these values in his/her own community, the others have the ambitions to propagate these values as wide as possible, but this difference is definitly not a problem for us. What is for sure - when we take a part of any biger actions under anarchist flags, nobody of collective has a problem with it. So at the end, there is a consent on anarchism as a description of our views and politics.

Your magazine have connect east-european movement - how do you look on its perspectives? Dou you think that there is possibility for bigger coordination and cooperation?

We believe that there are a big perspectives for continuation of development of this east-european cooperation. Our optimism is because we see from different sides a lot of will and dedication for that process. The great work of various EE anarchist groups during actions in Prague last week was a best proof on that. We will definitly continue our work to push it forward but it needs for sure to be discuss EE-wide what are the expectations and future goals of such a coordination. We could shortly point already now a few which we see. It is a common fight against rapidly growing criminalisation and elimination of anarchists structures in our region. It is putting our strenghts together to oppose such processes like economical globalisation or worldwide re-militarisation of the relationships on all possible levels of life. Both of these processes are very visible and crucial for general situation in our region. We would really like to see EE-wide discussion about possible development of new effective ways of anarchist activities, discussion which could be based on positive and negative experiences of different groups in their own regions. What we would like avoid is a creation of another elite of "international activists" knowing each other very good and having a "great cooperation" but at the end forming just another ghetto, circle of friends which are feeling good with their imaginated, changing nothing "east-european anarchist familly".

What do you think about menace, that "activists" remove from ordinary people and create new elite?

I can not understand why should we look on the case of "activists" separatly. I believe this is something completly normal and natural that people are moving around and looking for better place to live whoever their are - activists or not-activists. At the end, in most cases they will stay in the place where they can make real their dreams and plans the best. The question is what plans they have ? Another question is: who is an activists and who not ? Hundreds of thousends of argentinian people two years ago were not activists but they became from one day to another without having a time to think about it. Maybe in your city are leaving about 2 milions of activists too, who knows ? And maybe one day they will take their lifes in to their hands. And do you think it will be important from were they came ? But I know exactly on what is build your critisism. If you or anybody else have a feeling that such a groups like our one have an elitarian character because of this "aspect of migration", we would like to be inform about it and lead a discussion about it as it is putting whole sense of our principles in the completly new light. It's a pity that in this form of making an interview (via internet) we can not develope this discussion straight away but I can promise you that I will go soon with this issue to our collective meeting to see how the others see this problematic.

You live in Berlin, where is also published "AbolishingBB". What do you think about movement there and
also in whole Germany?

This is very big question and I am afraid I would need about two weeks time to tell you about all different aspects of German movement. There is so many groups and organizations, so many conflicts and interesting projects ... and the Germany as a country is very specitic place (because of the history but as well because of the present role it plays in the world) that I would suggest you to make an separete interview to get at least a bit complete picture of the movement in Germany. And as a first ... what movement exactly you have in mind ?

If you want to say something to czech anarchist, you have oportunity…

POZOR ... the revolution is around the corner ! And more seriously ... we would like to send you words of our full respect for taking the decission for another big mobilisation in Prague against second flux of the world bosses, and this after all long term repression which you have faced not such a long time ago after S26 and which ones for sure cost you a lot of strenght. We have to say that it is each time a very good experiance for us to work with Czech anarchist groups and that evolution of revolutionary processes in your local movement is very visible. We have a lot of personal friendships with many of you what help us to realised how interesting, honestly, dedicated and determinated people are among you.

And on the very end ... we would like to invite all anarchists groups from Czechia and Slovakia to use our publication for wider presentation of their ideas, politics and activities. We know many people would like to get more info about differences in ideas beetwen such a groups like CSAF, ORA-S or Feminist Aliance of 8.03. Not in order to deep in these differences but to could bettere understand your goals and visions. So feel in the future free in expressing yourself on our pages. I think that's all for now. Thanx a lot for your interest and giving a possibility for wider presentationof our project. In solidarity ... Abolishing the Borders from Below.