The Old Market Autonomous Zone
Encyclopedia
The Old Market Autonomous Zone, or A-Zone, was founded in 1995, in Winnipeg
, Canada
by local activists Paul Burrows and Sandra Drosdowech, who also co-founded Winnipeg's Mondragon Bookstore. Its name is derived from "Old Market Square," the historic Exchange District in Winnipeg's downtown core area, combined with Hakim Bey's notion of a "Temporary Autonomous Zone
" (or TAZ). The Winnipeg A-Zone occupies a three-story building, originally built in 1899 and known as the "Imperial Dry Goods Building." Like many buildings in the area, it is classified as a heritage building by the City of Winnipeg. Since 1995, the building has been known locally as both the A-Zone, and sometimes the Emma Goldman Building. Along with Mondragon, the A-Zone has become a focal point of activism and organizing in Winnipeg since 1995. Both the overall space at 91 Albert Street, as well as member groups such as Mondragon Bookstore
& Coffee House have become a source of inspiration, as well as a travel destination, for activists, anarchists, anarcho-punks, vegans, and proponents of parecon
and worker cooperatives across North America, and beyond.
Past members include groups such as Food Not Bombs, Arbeiter Ring Publishing
, Urban Shaman (Artist Run Aboriginal Art Gallery), Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women, Amnesty International (Winnipeg), Okijida Warriors' Society, Manitoba Women in Trades and Technology (MBWITT), Dada World Data (DWD), and othershttp://a-zone.org/members/.
In 2007, the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre (r2c2) was founded on the third floor of the building, and according to the r2c2 website, functions as a "gallery and multi-purpose venue for social, political, and cultural events of interest to the anarchist, activist, and wider Winnipeg community."
, and revolution http://a-zone.org/principles/.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
by local activists Paul Burrows and Sandra Drosdowech, who also co-founded Winnipeg's Mondragon Bookstore. Its name is derived from "Old Market Square," the historic Exchange District in Winnipeg's downtown core area, combined with Hakim Bey's notion of a "Temporary Autonomous Zone
Temporary Autonomous Zone
T.A.Z.: The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism is a book by anarchist writer Hakim Bey published in 1991 by Autonomedia...
" (or TAZ). The Winnipeg A-Zone occupies a three-story building, originally built in 1899 and known as the "Imperial Dry Goods Building." Like many buildings in the area, it is classified as a heritage building by the City of Winnipeg. Since 1995, the building has been known locally as both the A-Zone, and sometimes the Emma Goldman Building. Along with Mondragon, the A-Zone has become a focal point of activism and organizing in Winnipeg since 1995. Both the overall space at 91 Albert Street, as well as member groups such as Mondragon Bookstore
Mondragon Bookstore
The Mondragon Bookstore & Coffeehouse is a political bookstore and vegan cafe located in The Old Market Autonomous Zone at 91 Albert Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada...
& Coffee House have become a source of inspiration, as well as a travel destination, for activists, anarchists, anarcho-punks, vegans, and proponents of parecon
Participatory economics
Participatory economics, often abbreviated parecon, is an economic system proposed primarily by activist and political theorist Michael Albert and radical economist Robin Hahnel, among others. It uses participatory decision making as an economic mechanism to guide the production, consumption and...
and worker cooperatives across North America, and beyond.
Purposes
The original aims of the A-Zone were to:- Bring together a diverse array of activists
- Share common facilities and equipment
- Network
- Strengthen communities of activism
- Foster a culture of solidarity and resistance to state-capitalism and other forms of concentrated power
- Help inspire and fund new projects and worker-run collectives
Member organizations
The A-Zone supports worker-owned businesses, whether worker co-ops or sole proprietorships, as well as grassroots activist groups and collectives, and in turn been supported by them, since starting in 1995. Current member organizations include:- Canada-Palestine Support Network (ISM-Winnipeg)
- Canadian Dimension Magazine
- Junto Local 91 anarchist library
- Mondragon Bookstore & Coffee HouseMondragon BookstoreThe Mondragon Bookstore & Coffeehouse is a political bookstore and vegan cafe located in The Old Market Autonomous Zone at 91 Albert Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada...
- Natural Cycle Courier
- Natural Cycle Cycleworks
- Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre
- Winnipeg Copwatch
- The Boreal Forest Network
- War on Music Records
- Amphibian Design
- Urban Eatin' Gardeners Worker Co-op
- ParIT Worker Co-op
- Spash Branding
- FemRev
- Cohort Custom Tickets
- G7 Welcoming Committee Records
Past members include groups such as Food Not Bombs, Arbeiter Ring Publishing
Arbeiter Ring Publishing
Arbeiter Ring Publishing is a worker-owned and operated independent book publisher and distributor that specializes in progressive, radical and anarchist literature . Founded by Todd Scarth and John K...
, Urban Shaman (Artist Run Aboriginal Art Gallery), Manitoba Action Committee on the Status of Women, Amnesty International (Winnipeg), Okijida Warriors' Society, Manitoba Women in Trades and Technology (MBWITT), Dada World Data (DWD), and othershttp://a-zone.org/members/.
In 2007, the Rudolf Rocker Cultural Centre (r2c2) was founded on the third floor of the building, and according to the r2c2 website, functions as a "gallery and multi-purpose venue for social, political, and cultural events of interest to the anarchist, activist, and wider Winnipeg community."
Principles
The A-Zone's core principles include a commitment to Participatory Economics (or Parecon), autonomy and solidarity, anti-colonialism "at home" and abroad, fair and equitable work, non-hierarchical decision-making, community economic developmentCommunity economic development
Community Economic Development is a field of study that actively elicits community involvement when working with government, and private sectors to build strong communities, industries, and markets...
, and revolution http://a-zone.org/principles/.
Further reading
- Only a Beginning: An Anarchist Anthology, by Allan AntliffAllan AntliffAllan W. Antliff is an anarchist activist, art critic and author who has written extensively on the topics of anarchism and art in North America....
(Arsenal Pulp PressArsenal Pulp PressArsenal Pulp Press is a Canadian independent book publishing company, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company publishes a broad range of titles in both fiction and non-fiction, and is noted for founding the annual Three-Day Novel Contest .Authors who have been published by Arsenal Pulp ...
, 2004). - Economic Justice And Democracy: From Competition To Cooperation, by Robin HahnelRobin HahnelRobin Hahnel is a Professor of Economics at Portland State University. He is best known for his work on participatory economics with Z Magazine editor Michael Albert. He is currently a visiting professor at Lewis & Clark College....
(Routledge, 2005) ISBN 0415933455
External links
- Old Market Autonomous Zone
- Anarchist Yellow Pages
- Anarchist Neighborhood Page from Infoshop.orgInfoshop.org- History :Infoshop was founded in January 1995 as the Mid-Atlantic Infoshop by Chuck Munson. Having previously co-founded an online archive of anarchist texts, the Spunk Library, in 1992, Munson established Infoshop as a general resource on anarchism, moving to the domain name Infoshop.org in 1998...
- Mondragon Bookstore & Coffee House Worker Co-op
- G7 Welcoming Committee
- Winnipeg Copwatch
- Urban Eatin' Gardeners Worker Co-op