See the ABCF website: www.abcf.net

SUPPORT THE

WARCHEST

The Anarchist Black Cross Federation

Who we are? What do we do and why?

What is the Anarchist Black Cross?

The origins of the ABC date back to the 1905 Revolution in Russia. It
was originally formed as the Anarchist Red Cross to organize aid for
Poliical Prisoners and their families as well as organize self-defense
against polltical raids by the Cossack army. During the Russian Civil
War, its name changed to the Anarchist Black Cross to avoid confusion
with the International Red Cross, also organizing relief n the country. It
has continued, at times very sporadically. serving its purpose of organ -
izing aid for Political Prisoner and Prisoners of War (PP/POWS) for
over 100 years,

In the 80s, the ABC began to grow and resurfaced once again in
the North America. Since then the ABC name had been kept alive on
the continent by a number of completely autonomous groups scattered
throughout the North America and has grown to support a wide variety

of prison issues.

What is the ABCF?

In May of 1995, a small group
of ABC collectives merged into
a Federation whose aim was to
focus on the overall support
and defense of PP/POWs.

Political Prisoners & Prisoners
of War are not in prison for
committing social "crimes", nor
are they criminals. Different
PP/POWSs participated in pro-
gressive and ~ revolutionary
movements in varying levels,
some in educational and com-

munity organizing, others in
clandestine armed and offen-
sive people's armies. All are in
prison as a result of conscious
political action, for building
resistance, building and leading

movements and revolution... for
making change.

Many of us in some way or
another are part of these very
movements, part of that resist-
ance that PP/POWSs helped to
build. As people continuing to
struggle for change, we are
obligated and it is our duty to
support those people who are
in prison as a result of strug-
gling to make change.

“Political Prisoners
& Prisoners of War
are not in Prison for
committing social
‘crimes, "nor are they
criminals.”

“Making sure PP &
POW's are a part of
their own support is
crucial and one of the
greatest strengths of
the ABCF”.

Though some have a wider
definition of Political Prisoners,
we maintain that even if the
definition of Political Prisoner
was expanded and widely
accepted to include social pris-
oners of conscience, it needs to
be clear that those prisoners
who went to prison as a result
of political action taken on the
street would still demand our
priority support. For move-
ments to support other prison-
ers before we support the pris-
oners who have gone to prison
for building the very move-
ments we now participate in is
backwards and criminal.

How do we support
PP/POWs?

Making sure PP/POWs are a
part of their own support is cru-
cial and one of the greatest
strengths of the Federation. We
directly communicate with as
many PPIPOWs as we can. A
large part of this communica-
tion is working together with

hem (0 find out what they need
and how we can practically pro-
vide this support. The ABCF
has established a Prisoners’
Committee made up of 5
PP/POWSs who have shown the
most interest in our work and
helping it grow. These
PP/POWs serve on the ABCF's
Prisoners’ Committee (PC) for
a one year rotation before
another 5 PPIPOWS are select-
ed.

We also produce information
about PPIPOWS, the struggles
they came from and the move-
ments they represent.
Booklets, fliers, video/audio
tapes, Tisweat shirts and cal-
endars are produced featuring
these prisoners. This, not only
informs people about their exis-
tence and daily struggle behind
bars, (where the struggle con-
tinues), it heightens their visibil-
ity in our communities. Funds
raised from sales are also sent
to PP/POWs,

Raising material assistance is
a crucial responsibility in the
support for PP/POWS. It is not
uncommon to find that
PP/IPOWs are left with no finan-
cial support to pay for phone
calls or postage stamps to
communicate with their fami-
lies, friends and supporters.
Not enough money to pay for a

Mews _subscription, o buy
books. No funds to get proper
footwear or summer/winter
clothing. If we call these prison-
ers our comrades, we cannot
allow this to continue, and we
don't. We do so in part through
the Warchest Program and the
Anarchist Subsistence Pro-
gram.

Since 1994 the Warchest has
collected monthly donations
from our own ABC groups and
monthly or one-time pledges
from other supporters from
around the country. With these
funds, we provide reliable non-
partisan financial support of
monthly checks of up to S60 to
those revolutionary PP/POWs
who are receiving the least
financial support to our knowl-
edge.

The Anarchist Subsistence
Program is like the Warchest,
except it is designed to support
those PP/POWs who come
from our own anarchist/anti-
authoritarian community. Our
first Anarchist Subsistence
Program campaign provides a
check and 40 postage stamps
every month to a New Afrikan
Anarchist POW.

Still, financial support and
communication are but two
forms of direct support needed

to demonstrate to their keepers
PP/POWS are not forgotten.

As enemies of the state, they
serve the hardest time. The
government often attempts to
lock them away from their fami-
lies, friends and supporters. We
must not allow them to be iso-
lated. When geographically
possible we go into prisons and
visit PP/POWS. This also brings
the harsh reality of political
imprisonment much closer to
supporters. It reminds us that
PP/POWS are not only names
and figures, pictures on our
shirts and leaflets, but people
with personalities and personal
needs. And if we forget this or
neglect to include it in our work
o defend them, our foundations
will soon become weak. For
more information, get in touch.

Political Prisoner Jaan Laaman