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ADVISED BY THE OSLO SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS - OSE/INDECO
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ABOUT THE NORWEGIAN ANARCHIST COUNCIL (NACO):
The Norwegian Anarchist Council was founded and mandated by the Norwegian section of IFA-IAF - The Anarchist Federation of Norway, Anarkistføderasjonen i Norge (AFIN), at the Fourth Anarchist Biennial in Oslo medio December 1996, (see Christmas Report from AIT - Anarkistenes Informasjonstjeneste, 23.12.1996). The Anarchist Biennials are a series of international anarchist congress-seminars, starting with the first one in 1990, arranged by the North sections of IFA-IAF, i.e. the Northern Anarchist Confederation (NAC).
The 1996 Christmas Report from AIT recorded: This year we have not only greetings but a special present for the PM Thorbjørn Jagland who has put more (workers') councils on the agenda. We will not disappoint ...(the)... newly fledged PM. Perhaps most economic-political councils, Jagland's included, sometimes need a bit of competition... And the delegates of the people at the Storting may need some more consistent ideas to choose from when they shall express the will of the people in the best way. Since Norway at the present time is an anarchist economic-political system, the anarchist voice of opinion is of special interest...
Since December 1996 NACO has worked with firmness vis-à-vis the Storting and the council at the central administration, also called the state council (STACO), and other important branches of the Norwegian Anarchist system. The main resolutions of NACO, and their historical contexts, are reported at the links "NACO's Resolutions Etc." and "Folkebladet/IJ@"above, and at "More from Norway" at the link-page below. The NACO makes use of anarchist principles, i.e. socialism and autonomy, efficiency and fairness, the IFA-principles, the Oslo Convention, anarchist human rights & ethics and the economical-political map, related to concrete political situations, in the framing of the resolutions and direct actions. NACO is elected by the network of the Anarchist Federation of/in Norway, AFIN, at the International Anarchist Congresses - the Anarchist Biennials, as spokespersons for the federation and anarchist network in Norway, between congresses. In matters assumed controversial the network is consulted for discussion and the broadest possible consensus. Of course anarchists that do not agree are free to speak for themselves, and NACO is not a central committee, but purely an advising organ.
In an anarchy of low degree, as Norway is at present, with ca 54% degree of anarchy, and ca 46% authoritarian degree, see Dagens Næringsliv (The Industrial life of today, the main economical newspaper of Norway) no 2/3 june 2007 and Finansavisen (The Financial newspaper) Wednesday 17. October 2007, the politics are to a large degree formed via the discussion in the public space. NACO, via the AIIS, and most of the media in general, have an important role to play in this matter, attacking authoritarian tendencies and supporting the libertarian. NACO is a libertarian voice in forming the day to day practical politics in the Anarchy of Norway, via the public space, and is not so occupied with the anarchist ideal, although it is never forgotten.
The most of the other workers' co-operate councils initiated by Jagland & Co, collapsed after the commune elections in 1999 (se Dagsavisen 09. 12. 2001 p. 7), but the Anarchist Council is still going strong, forming a libertarian junction between the people and the bureaucracy broadly defined in Norway. Dagsavisen writes the council movement was a great success, and it still is for the anarchist council. Anarchists and other people who have cases to put forward vis-à-vis the Storting or the State Council (STACO) etc., may write a petition in an e-mail to NACO. If NACO supports it, they will frame a resolution and/or take other direct actions to promote the case. "State" here means central administration, not archy.
NACO sometimes works in co-operation with the Anarchist International Embassy, the Anarchist Federation of Norway (AFIN), the International Anarchist Tribunal (IAT) and the Anarchist International (AI), see links above, as well as the International Institute for Organization Research (IIFOR) see "links" below.
In 2002 the Norwegian shadow cabinet, i.e. the People's Council, as opposed to the Norwegian Council of State - the State Council (STACO), was officially founded as a branch of the Norwegian Anarchist Council, NACO. If STACO delivers significant non-libertarian/authoritarian advice to the Norwegian parliament, the Storting, the People's Council delivers libertarian alternatives to make competition and promote anarchist policy. The People's Council/ NACO works from the bottom, grassroots, and upwards. The NACO often makes resolutions based on the best of the material from other media, and gives it an anarchist approach.
NACO is a member of the Green Global Spring GGS with slogans: Less Than 1,5° C Global Warming! Drop Fossil Fuel! Green Energy! Full Employment! 5 % Green GDP growth! Small Income & Rank Differences! Down with the Gini-index to 20 %! Liberal Social-Democracy! Real & Green Democracy! Eco-Anarchy For Ever! Sufficient High Democracy Degree! Zero Population Growth!.
To see some more of NACO's resolutions, click on "NACO's Resolutions Etc." above.
To see even more of NACO's resolutions, use the anarchist search engine at Links and search for "Norges Anarkistråd" and "NACO".