UFFA
Encyclopedia
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The house provides a location where youths are free to hang out, spending their time by attending concerts, playing Foosball and socializing with their friends. In the weekends, concerts with bands (usually local or regional punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
-bands) like Rama Lama -das Pönkabteilung, Mob 47
Mob 47
Mob 47 is a hardcore punk band which formed in Stockholm, Sweden in 1982, originally under the name of "Censur". In 1983 the band members changed the name to what it's now called "Mob 47" when singer Mentis entered the band. During their early years they played with the legendary band Anti Cimex....
, Brutal Kuk, Bitre Barn, Tomrom are held.
Political stance
UFFA is politically active and has, among other things, participated in anti-racist demonstrations and demonstrations against the NATO summit in Åre. They are against racismRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
, sexual discrimination and capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
. In contrast to the attitude of Marxist UngMob/Blitz
Blitz (movement)
Blitz is an anarchist, communist and socialist youth community in Oslo, Norway, founded in 1982. The group has often been criticized for their use of violent methods of political protest.- The house :...
Environment in Oslo, UFFA is predominantly anarchist in view, and has locally been clearly less militant than Blitz has been in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. This approach was made possible through the decision of the Trondheim police and politicians to take a relatively pragmatic approach to the phenomenon of youthful autonomy. Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
has an extended, far-reaching radical tradition which informed the municipal approach in setting up a relationship with UFFA, and harsh confrontations, as between the conservative management of Oslo municipality and Blitz, were avoided. UFFAs external positions promoting anarchy and autonomy are in clear contrast to their marked willingness to cooperate internally on political and administrative matters, both in relation to the UFFA-house and in the nearby Svartlamo neighborhood.
The balanced local approach does not completely suppress strong political action. In December 2006 people from both UFFA and Blitz participated in the violent demonstrations supporting their compatriots in Copenhagen, and several were arrested. UFFA and Svartlamo'n blocked traffic on Trondheim's streets but let public transport through. The demonstration picketed the Danish Consulate.
History
UFFA was established in 1981, and has been in continual operation since then. The original location in Kjøpmannsgata burned in 1982. UFFA signed an agreement with Trondheim municipality and resumed shortly after at the current premises on Innherredsveien (taking over the defunct Østbyen kindergarten).UFFA was established as an independent place, where everyone can do what they want.
UFFA includes a number of facilities that encourage youth to seek their own identity and structure. One example is the Ivar Matlaus Bokkafé. The café is named after a Norwegian anarchist named Ivar Mortensson-Egnund
Ivar Mortensson-Egnund
Ivar Mortensson-Egnund was a Norwegian author, journalist, theologian, researcher, translator, writer, philosopher and advocate of nynorsk . He was born in Alvdal North Østerdal...
, who among other things, lectured the Norwegian people about politics, religion and social issues. One of the lectures he held was named “Matløysa i Noreg”. Translated to English it means “Foodless in Norway”. After this lecture he was called “Ivar Matlaus” – or “Foodless Ivar” in English.
Activities
At UFFA the youth are enabled to do whatever they have an interest in. Participant can, as an example, form a theater group, participate in political meetings, paint graffiti, be a chef in their café, or "run around naked and scream like an elephant." Specific activities include:- Kafè Knaillhard - city hardest vegetarian cafe - youth are encouraged to participate
- Ivar Matlaus BokkaféIvar matlausIvar Matlaus Bokkafé is an anarchist literature café located in Trondheim, Norway. The book café is operated on an idealistic and collective basis, and specializes in underground and non-profit literature. Books and literature can be purchased at Ivar Matlaus, but it is also acceptable to read the...
(named after the Norwegian anarchist nicknamed Ivar MatlausIvar Mortensson-EgnundIvar Mortensson-Egnund was a Norwegian author, journalist, theologian, researcher, translator, writer, philosopher and advocate of nynorsk . He was born in Alvdal North Østerdal...
) - a bookstore and cafe which specializes in selling underground music, fanzines, political literature, etc. - Aksjonsgruppa [AG-UFFA] - The "action group" organizes of demonstration and political activism
- Bandgruppa - The "band group" operates the practice room
- Lydgruppa - provides technical support including light and sound for concerts and maintenance of audio equipment
- Bookinggruppa - The "booking group" books bands and organizes concerts
- Pressegruppa - The "press group" promotes concerts, prepares and maintains websites, develops press releases, etc.
- Stuntfilm - arranges both weekly and special film showings at UFFA and promotes film production
The broader context
UFFA shares characteristics with a number of anarchistAnarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
communities in Scandinavia. Other examples include the Blitz (movement)
Blitz (movement)
Blitz is an anarchist, communist and socialist youth community in Oslo, Norway, founded in 1982. The group has often been criticized for their use of violent methods of political protest.- The house :...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, the Ungdomshuset
Ungdomshuset
Ungdomshuset was the popular name of the building formally named Folkets Hus located on Jagtvej 69 in Nørrebro, Copenhagen, which functioned as an underground scene venue for music and rendezvous point for varying autonomen and leftist groups from 1982 until 2007 when—after prolonged conflict—it...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Kafé 44
Kafé 44
Kafé 44 is a café and concert place on Tjärhovsgatan 46 in Stockholm, Sweden. The café is operated by three non-profit groups that together run the café, Bokhandeln INFO, Dagfiket and Scen 44. INFO is an anarchist bookstore, Dagfiket is the café open during the days and finally Scen 44 is the part...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and Freetown Christiania
Freetown Christiania
Not to be confused with Christiania, Norway, another name for Oslo.Christiania, also known as Freetown Christiania is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood of about 850 residents, covering 34 hectares in the borough of Christianshavn in the Danish capital Copenhagen...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.