![]() ![]() Who is Jo Freeman? Jo Freeman, University of Chicago Student, Image: University of Chicago In that context, reading Jo Freeman’s “The Tyranny of Structurelessness” is still relevant today. So when some of the French “Yellow Vests” wish to coordinate their efforts, they face some burning questions: who are you representing? why do you think you can make decisions? what is your agenda? It relates to one of the most difficult problems an organiser has to face: how to structure a group of equals. This radical choice has a price: when everyone is equal, everyone is equally accountable, which means no one is in charge. Structures separate people and give them a different status: Why would anyone build a hierarchy in their own social movement? By rejecting those structures, activists create spaces where everyone is equally welcomed and given a chance to participate in any way they like. Why? Because they feel a formal structure goes against one of their core values: equality. They all are reluctant to organise themselves in a formal way. ![]() What do the French “Yellow Vests”, the activists of “Occupy” and the Spanish “Indignados” have in common? ![]()
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