The Confederal Press
The Confederal Press
It is traditional that all the bodies of the anarcho-syndicalist union have to create their proper publications in which they express our particular way of seeing things. At national level the organ of the CNT is the “CNT”. It cannot be said that those who invented the name were very original, however we have become used to it. The “CNT” functions autonomously. In a congress or national plenary of regionals it is elected direction and a locality of residence, that will be in charge of all the relations with the same: Distribution, subscriptions, sale, printing, reception of articles, etc. The CNT is always open to debate and the expression of counterposed opinions and is fed by colaborations of the unions, of sympathetic persons, groups, etc. Its editorial is edited by the general secretary of the CNT. The editors of the CNT attend the meetings of the National Committee, with voice by without vote, and can be required to publish information for the different confederations.
The oldest confederal press is Solidaridad Obrera, organ of the Catalonian Regional CNT, founded in 1907.
The Anselmo Lorenzo Foundation
The FAL is the cultural foundation of the CNT. To it they go to end up its historical materials and archives. It is in charge now of the editing of books and cultural activities. The functioning of the FAL is autonomous, and its president is also elected at the National Plenary of Regionals or Congress. It receives the name of Anselmo Lorenzo because he was one of the first to introduce the IWA in Spain.
Affiliation
Anyone can voluntarily belong to the anarcho-syndicalist union, with the exception of police, soldiers and members of security forces. No ideological qualification is necessary to be in the CNT. This is because the CNT is anarcho-syndicalist, that is, it is an organization in which decisions are made in assembly, from the base. It is an autonomous, federalist structure independent of political parties, of government agencies, of professional bureaucracies, etc. The anarcho-syndicalist union only requires a respect for its rules, and from this point of view people of different opinions, tendencies and ideologies can live together within it. Ecologists, pacifists, members of political parties ... can be part of the CNT. There will always be different opinions, priorities and points of view about concrete problems. What everyone has in common within the anarcho-syndicalist union is its unique way of functioning, its anti-authoritarian structure.
Revolutionary syndicalism defends itself against the maneuvers which would convert the union into a tool of the political parties, or profit-making enterprise for some individuals, or a platform for leaders, or a personality cult, or a rigid ideological structure. Because of this the CNT usually repels hierarchical or authoritarian personalities. The CNT is an open structure, but its members have to know where it stands and for what.
