What is A4mation?

Dr. Thanatos of Ann Arbor

For the Winter Solstice (12.21.06 C.E.)

A4mation is a co-op collective based on individual dreams and run using activist and environmental principles. The project is currently based at the “A4mation House” in Ann Arbor (Michigan, USA), but large goals may lead A4mation to other areas in Southeast Michigan/Northwest Ohio and perhaps even further.

The short-term goal of A4mation is to build an alternative “village” with its own land, food, and power. Each member of the village will have autonomous space, but the majority will be communal land. As noted, the community will be morally and ecologically responsible, but it will be conventional in other aspects. It will, for example, have a town hall and a civic auditorium–The Vinyl Haven (q.v., link).

The most important aspect of A4mation is tolerance. In fact, there is only one rule: Anyone trying to control the group (or oppress members/projects in the collective) automatically removes themselves from the group. Meetings are conducted in accordance with the basic anti-prejudice guidelines originally outlined by Bill Moyers and Alan Tuttle for fighting masculine oppression (1) and later expanded (e.g., by Lisa Fithian) for fighting other forms of oppression (2).

A key to the success of A4mation is that, as noted, it is based on personal goals. It is really just a collection of people’s dreams. For example, one member’s dream is to own their own land, a second’s is to grow their own food, and a third’s is to responsibly power a city. Taking these simple dreams further, there are people with more complex dreams such as giving women the same respect as men, showing nonhumans the same respect as humans, and using only salvaged items to build all things. And of course, there are “career” dreams such as being a teacher in a progressive school, a performer in an alternative club, and a chef in a vegan restaurant.

By uniting these people and their dreams, A4mation has enough resources to “staff” the village─a place where people live their dreams instead of sacrificing them for others. And it will thus be a place full of passion instead of the apathy the present culture is producing. A4mation is not, however, a separatist state. Instead the project is fighting for change within modern society by setting an example of what can be achieved with big dreams and hard work. And it is doing so by obeying all the laws and morals of the communities in which it operates.

The inspiration for A4mation comes philosophically from “Situationalists” such as CrimethInc (3) and it comes pragmatically from “Survivalists” such as Zendik (4). And the ideas behind A4mation have been developed over years of experience. Primary among these experiences were those of Metamorphic Siren and those of Dystopia Incorporated. (Metamorphic Siren was housed in the Temple of Death and Life in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA and Dystopia Incorporated was housed in the United Christian Fellowship Center in Bowling Green, Ohio, USA) While these were successful projects, each encountered challenging (and eventually overwhelming) issues. These challenges, however, have now been overcome and A4mation is thus headed for great success.

The long-term goal of A4mation is for this “experiment” and those of similar groups to spread until the world is filled with dreams based on tolerance and passion. We recognize that just building the village is a life-long project, and it thus a “dream of a thousand generations” as that is how long it will likely take. But as Lao Tzu wisely said 2,500 years ago in the Second Book of Tao Te Ching, a long journey begins with a single step.

(1) Fithian, L. (2006). Anti-oppression principles and practices. http://www.rantcollective.net/article.php?id=17.

(2) Moyers, B., & Tuttle, A. (1979). Overcoming masculine oppression in mixed groups. Off their backs …

and on our own two feet [Men Against Patriarchy (Corp. Ed.)]. Philadelphia: New Society.

(3) Additional information about CrimethInc is available at their website: www.crimethinc.com.

(4) More data about Zendik is available at the their website: www.zendik.org.