Does anyone know of a BASIC starter text for an introduction to SE social organisation ?

1. The Paris Commune (1871)

• Context: Following France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, Parisian workers and citizens established the Paris Commune as a self-governing entity.
• Structure: The Commune implemented democratic councils composed of elected delegates from neighborhoods and workplaces.
• Significance: It sought to reorganize society along socialist and cooperative lines, emphasizing workers' control, collective decision-making, and abolition of hierarchical governance.
• Outcome: The Commune was brutally suppressed by the French government after two months, but it remains a symbol of worker self-rule and direct democracy.

2. Soviets in Revolutionary Russia (1905, 1917)

• Context: Soviets (Russian for "councils") emerged during the 1905 Russian Revolution and played a decisive role in the 1917 revolutions.
• Structure: Workers, peasants, and soldiers formed councils to coordinate strikes, manage local governance, and challenge the authority of the tsarist state.
• Significance: Soviets became the foundation for the Bolshevik-led government after the October Revolution of 1917.
• Outcome: While initially decentralized and democratic, the soviets were later centralized under the Communist Party, losing much of their autonomy.

3. The German Revolution and Workers’ Councils (1918-1919)

• Context: During the collapse of the German Empire at the end of World War I, workers' and soldiers' councils (Räte) emerged across Germany.
• Structure: These councils represented the demands of workers and soldiers, advocating for socialism, democratization, and an end to autocratic rule.
• Significance: They challenged both the military and political elites, leading to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II and the establishment of the Weimar Republic.
• Outcome: The councils were sidelined as the Social Democratic Party negotiated compromises with the old elite, leading to their eventual dissolution.

4. The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

• Context: During the Spanish Civil War, workers and peasants in anarchist-controlled regions (particularly Catalonia and Aragon) established councils to manage factories, farms, and local governance.

• Structure: These councils operated on principles of direct democracy and collective ownership, often inspired by anarcho-syndicalist ideals.

• Significance: They successfully managed large portions of the economy and society, showcasing the potential of worker self-management.

• Outcome: The councils were eventually suppressed by both fascist forces and the centralized Spanish Republican government, supported by Soviet-aligned communists.

5. Hungarian Revolution (1956)

• Context: During the uprising against Soviet control, workers' councils emerged in Hungary to organize strikes and resist the government.
• Structure: These councils coordinated local governance and acted as a voice for workers' demands, including independence from Soviet domination.
• Significance: They symbolized grassroots resistance to authoritarianism and a desire for socialist democracy.
• Outcome: The revolution was crushed by Soviet military intervention, and the councils were dismantled.

Yugoslav Workers’ Councils (1949-1980s)

• Context: After World War II, Yugoslavia implemented a unique model of self-management socialism under Josip Broz Tito. Workers' councils were established to manage factories and enterprises.
• Structure: Councils were elected by workers and given significant control over production decisions, resource allocation, and local governance.
• Significance: They became a model of decentralized socialism and offered an alternative to both Soviet-style centralization and Western capitalism.
• Outcome: While initially successful, economic challenges and political centralization eroded their autonomy, and the system collapsed with the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

The Iranian Revolution (1979)

• Context: During the revolution that overthrew the Shah, shoras (workers’ councils) emerged in factories, oil fields, and workplaces.
• Structure: These councils organized strikes, managed production, and acted as revolutionary organs of power.
• Significance: They represented grassroots demands for worker control and democratic governance within the broader anti-Shah movement.
• Outcome: After the Islamic Republic was established, many of these councils were suppressed or co-opted.

8. The Solidarity Movement in Poland (1980s)

• Context: Solidarity began as a trade union movement but evolved into a broader struggle for workers' rights and political freedom under communist rule.
• Structure: Workers organized councils and committees to coordinate strikes and negotiate with the government.
• Significance: Solidarity became a powerful symbol of resistance to authoritarianism and played a critical role in the eventual transition to democracy in Poland.
• Outcome: The movement succeeded in ending communist rule, but the councils were replaced by more traditional democratic institutions.

refurbish pallet wood for public furniture in spain

2025-01-02 – 2025-01-10 | 10 am – 5 pm | workshop #BUENAVISTACERVERA in the art camp of CASAdelDRAGON in CERVERA del MAESTRE | Register now !

if you like to meet an alternative community, like-minded people, creatives, if you like to enjoy good weather in east spain and if you want to contribute to the social life of an amazing village in the mountains of maestrazgo in castellon.... join the workshop.

I'm not so familiar with the concept of dialectics but I know it consists of "thesis-anithesis-synthesis". so how can dialectical naturalism be explained according to that principle?

Anyone got movie recommendations for movies that are specifically about the topics of Rojava, democratic confederalism, Social Ecology, Murray Bookchin? It would greatly help if these movies were somewhere free to download or buy easily. It would also help even more if you know of ones in Spanish as well.

Thank you in advance.