Avalanche - The Anarchist correspondence zine Avalanche-EN-13 | Page 3

Editorial April 2018 Each project one engages with comes with expectations. Expectations for something that is not already there, for something that goes beyond the sum of the components. I would even say that they form the main part of what motivates me to put my energy in a long-term project. This sounds evident, but in practice is far from it. A lot of times we are motivated by other factors; the certainty of habit, the contentment of social approval, the accom- plishment of learning or applying skills, the affirmation of belonging, the affection of mutual support etc. Rather than a confirmation, the expectations I’m hinting at are about a transformation. But at the same time they are intentional. To imagine the potential of a project and to find ways to realize this potential, is something different from hoping for positive side-effects or assuming results will follow necessarily. In Avalanche we have wanted to focus on these projects that come from an understand- ing of the social environment and a projection of own desires in that context to construct an autonomous path aimed at an insurrectionary intervention. As one starts and advances on that path, hypotheses are experiment- ed with. Expectations are satisfied or frustrated. The same is true for the project of Avalanche. The in- ternational correspondence contained in Avalanche was imagined to contribute to several dynamics; between anarchists across borders to have common reference points to facilitate a discussion that sharpens perspec- tives and deepens affinity, to transmit experiences in a less fragmented way (more coherent than the echoes of actions and repression) so that they become a shared history and a resource to take inspiration from, to mo- tivate other anarchists to explore a project of direct ac- tion and self-organizing, to invite those who don’t have an inclination to communicate about their projects and experiences to reflect and share. Written down these expectations seem overly ambitious – even pretentious, surely for what is only a publication. But we would also not be content with direct, practical results, with boxes to tick, with a pragmatic approach. [email protected] avalanche.noblogs.org Even so at times we have to evaluate, to look back where we come from and to get a sense of the direc- tion to take. And Avalanche has had its merits. I’m not going to write down a list of my satisfactions and frus- trations with this project, everybody can think of their own and they will be different. There is one crucial fac- tor in this project, and that are the contributions about ongoing projects of struggle. To put it blunt, there are few and not only received contributions but also pro- jects. Specifically looking at autonomous struggles by anarchists aimed at intervening in their social sur- rounding with direct action and self-organizing, lately there has been a scarcity. This assessment – if it is shared – can be a starting point for a reflection, debate and – possibly – new projects. But in the meantime, to keep Avalanche with its intentions going in such a context seems a misdirected effort. And so this will be the last issue of Avalanche. In no way does this mean that the aforementioned inten- tions of this project have become irrelevant or obsolete. Despite, or rather because of, the fact that increasingly more people are constantly connected through devices to – digital – others, a substantial exchange or discus- sion is still the exception. An ongoing dialogue starting from and strengthening affinities is an urgency when reductive identities are imposing themselves more and more. Other projects of correspondence will take on these challenges. Also projects of struggle will be for- mulated again. Reinvented, as we are not tempted to hit the repeat button. Nor are we afraid to go back to the beginning and attempt, again. For those who conforming to this society is a nightmare, subversion will always be a matter of life. Battling the winds arriving over the ocean, longing for the mountains. |3|