1. THE POINT OF THE SITUATION

While the global changes occurring around the world clearly have distant roots, their effects are more tangible and destructive every day. Today we are facing deep social and ecological crises that are intertwined, and based upon, man’s domination of humanity that in turn causes man’s domination over nature. Murray Bookchin has thus expressed his concerns for the future of humanity:

“If we do not do the impossible, we shall be faced with the unthinkable”.

We are facing two important challenges: on one hand, to cope with the  senselessness posed by the capitalist system and all forms of oppression; on the other, to be proactive by offering a reconstructive and revolutionary vision for the development of an ecological society.

An ethic of complementarity based on the recognition of differences, horizontality, egalitarianism, mutual support, self-determination and decentralization should be at the base of social transformation.

Facing this situation, the collective Korov’ev was born in Udine.

2. OUR OBJECTIVES

 Our group wants to be a catalyst for social change: Through moments of collective discussion (debates, events and readings) we want to stimulate individual curiosity, so that people can effect change both inside and outside of themselves. Doubt is defined by Jorge Luis Borges as “one of the names of intelligence”, but it is too often forgotten and ignored in the name of conventional truths.

Our goal is to contribute to building a culture of resistance, the sum of all the things that we do to survive and resist under capitalism. The interconnection between our lifestyle and our political and social action is necessary to create a reconstructive vision of society, a culture in constant development with people, able to overcome the gap between activists and the rest of the world. The ultimate goal is to restore harmony and wellbeing for the creation of environmentally and socially resilient communities.

We develop various types of projects in the service of making the content fully accessible, enhancing the comprehensibility of the thesis and the argument. To achieve this goal we try and analyze (discover) and dirty our hands (engage) to build something new (transform). Starting from issues concerning the social and the community, the projects take shape in publications, graphics, photographs, videos and everything we want to experiment with, based on the collective knowledge shared by each of us.

3. OUR PRINCIPLES

We do not want just to criticize the outside world or propose alternatives: we want to live the alternative. We organize ourselves as we imagine the entire future society might be organized, and, respecting differences, we feel part of a community. We are careful not to replicate degenerative dynamics within the group; and in consideration of diversity we work for an inclusive society against any boundary, physical or mental.

 By adhering to the principle of freedom and respect of all, we oppose any form of domination and oppression in society. Our group defines itself as non-hierarchical (we do not have any boss), horizontal (every member has the same weight in decisions) and democratic (decisions are taken only after a thorough debate and always following the consensus decision-making process). We believe in feminism (gender equality), in environmentalism (respect for nature beginning with our territory), in anti-fascism and in anti-totalitarianism, in anti-capitalism (as the cause of the social and ecological problems we face today).

 Korov’ev is a non-partisan political group that views politics as the vehicle through which individuals can engage collectively and feel they are vital participants in the actions and decisions taken for the protection of the commons.

4. WHY KOROV’EV

«I am part of that power which eternally wills evil and eternally works good.» (Faust – Goethe)

Korov’ev is a character from the novel The Master and Margarita, by the Russian writer Michail Bulgakov.

This novel tells the story of the arrival in Moscow of a company of actors capable of black magic, who came from abroad under mysterious circumstances. It is discovered that they are the Devil incarnate with his most faithful henchmen, including Korov’ev, the devil’s valet. This strange character will come into contact with the ‘good’ intellectual society and, without bothering to proclaim uncomfortable truths, he will highlight all the hypocrisy and ignorance of these people. Against all odds, the small group will rise almost to become the defender of, if not the ‘good’, a deeply human egalitarianism or justice instead of the ‘official good’ masqueraded by the bureaucrats and elites as they trample continuously on the people for their personal and even futile ends. Just like the character of the novel Korov’ev, our group brings to light to uncomfortable or little-known discourses, seeking to delve deeper than appearances, to go instead to the root of facts and ideas.

«Those who have courage do not need reputation»