This is the 1993/94 charter of the Nigerian 
Awareness League.  The League has over 1000 
members in Nigeria and has suffered harsh 
state repression including the jailing of 
activists.

CHARTER OF THE AWARENESS LEAGUE


1.  INTRODUCTION:

The AWARENESS LEAGUE, NIGERIA, was founded 
as a social libertarian organisation 
inspired by and committed to the ideals, 
principles, objectives, goals, ends and 
purposes of revolutionary socialism and 
anarcho-syndicalism, characterised as the 
anti-theses of statism as well as their 
manifestations and institutions thereof.

With capitalism enmeshed in interminable 
crisis and its institutions - social, 
economic, political and cultural - 
increasingly succumbing to fatigue across 
the globe, the imperative for sustained 
struggle against the forces of capitalism 
has never been greater.  It is instructive 
to note that the crisis of capitalism has 
been most intensive and pronounced in the 
underdeveloped third world countries.

This is not surprising, to say the least:  
capitalism's chain was bound to break at its 
weakest links.  Essentially, however, the 
crisis of capitalism as well as its 
contradictions retain a global character 
expressed everywhere in burgeoning deficits 
and external debts, trade wars, rising cost 
of living and declining standard of living 
worldwide, industrial stagnation and 
institutional decay.

Inherent in capitalism's crisis is the ever-
present contradiction between labour and 
capital.  The process of this development 
takes the form of class conflicts.  At every 
point in time, the dominant class in society 
seeks to exploit its access to the means of 
production to appropriate a disproportionate 
value of social production to the benefit of 
its membership whose prerogative it is also, 
to decide what is to be produced, how and 
when.  Since they do not have any interest 
in preserving the prevailing order the 
disadvantaged (class (es)), on the other 
hand, persist in fighting for the overthrow 
of the system and the enthroning of a 
people-based order.

AWARENESS LEAGUE believes that an 
understanding of the structure, values, 
reflexes and tendencies of the capitalist 
mode of production in all its ramifications 
is crucial to understanding the origins and 
direction of the present crisis - including 
the class relations of production.  Indeed 
the cross current of economic ruptures such 
as inflation, unemployment and mass poverty 
set in motion by this development are 
necessary outcomes  of the unequal and 
exploitative character of the global 
capitalist intercourse expressed in the 
third world's peripheral participation in 
it.

Attempts so far to comprehend the crisis of 
capitalism have tended to exhibit an 
obsession with equilibrium in a world 
economy that has demonstrated an incredible 
capacity for change.  The approach fails to 
recognise the fundamental conflicts in 
production; the struggle for the control of 
surplus by the various arms and agencies of 
capital as well as the state which is 
central to capitalist production and crisis.

This is where revolutionary syndicalism 
comes in.  In contradistinction to the evils 
and failings of capital, AWARENESS LEAGUE 
posits syndicalism as a qualitatively 
superior alternative with capacity for a 
revolutionary transformation of society.  
Revolutionary syndicalism emphasises the 
overriding place of class unity, class 
cohesion and class consciousness among all 
workers, the peasantry and all other 
exploited social groups.  The primacy of 
sustained class struggle as an instrument of 
liberation from the yoke of capital is 
underlined by the fact that capitalism and 
capitalists will not give up without some 
fight.

2.  PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES:

The ends of class struggle as AWARENESS 
LEAGUE perceives it, constitute in the 
abolition of the state system, its 
structures, institutions, values, privileges 
and manifestations such as elections and 
political systems and legislative and 
judicial processes; their replacement with 
self-managing, self-governing and self-
accounting units organised along the lines 
of libertarian communism, while 
participation in them shall be on the basis 
of equality and the voluntary expression of 
the peoples' free will.  These ends do not 
however include the capture and or exercise 
of state (political) power either directly 
or indirectly or through the imposition of a 
dictatorship of the proletariat.

AWARENESS LEAGUE insists that a radical 
transformation of the existing land tenure 
and land ownership systems as well as of 
property relations is central to the 
achievement of the objective of the 
socialisation of the means of production.

Revolutionary syndicalism proceeds from the 
education of the masses and all working 
peoples, enhancement of their consciousness 
and their mobilisation towards the goal of 
socialisation of means of production using 
as instruments in this regard strikes, 
boycotts, sit-ins as well as other forms of 
mass action identified and sanctioned by 
members.  Besides, AWARENESS LEAGUE may 
forge alliances, seek collaboration and 
working agreements with other leftists and 
leftist organisations, anti- war movement as 
well as human rights activists, groups and 
mass organisations.

The AWARENESS LEAGUE upholds the principles 
and dictates of internationalism convinced 
that national boundaries and territoriality 
are but artificial creations.  The LEAGUE 
stands for and is committed to PEACE and 
rejects WAR, militarism, fascism and racism 
as well as the acquisition and development 
of technologies that promote war, militarism 
and, in turn, undermine peace and peaceful 
co-existence among nations.  The LEAGUE 
advocates violence only as a form of 
resistance to the violence and violent 
methods and tactics of the ruling class its 
agencies and collaborators or as a form of 
liberation struggle.  To this end, AWARENESS 
LEAGUE, as an anarcho-syndicalist and 
revolutionary socialist front proclaims all 
over the world and insists that no form of 
collaboration can exist between the ruling 
classes - the exploiter and their victims, 
the masses.

3. MEMBERSHIP

Membership and participation in the 
activities of the AWARENESS LEAGUE are open 
to all Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike, 
irrespective of age, gender, creed or clan.  
Provided that all such or prospective 
members are committed and subscribe to the 
ends, objectives and purposes of 
revolutionary syndicalism and pay the 
appropriate dues as may be prescribed from 
time to time.

There shall, however, be three categories of 
membership:

(i) STUDENT MEMBERSHIP:- This form of 
membership is open to students of high 
schools and secondary schools as well 
universities and polytechnics.  Student 
members are precluded film paying dues

(ii) ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP:- This form of 
membership is open to all categories of 
leftists who share in the goals and 
aspirations of revolutionary socialism and 
or persons who, as a result of the nature of 
their work or their places of residence are 
unable to participate in the day - to - day 
activities of the LEAGUE but who 
nevertheless share in the goals, 
aspirations, fears, ends and purposes of 
revolutionary socialism and anarcho - 
syndicalism.

(iii) FULL MEMBERSHIP: - This form of 
membership is open to all activists of 
revolutionary socialism and anarcho-
syndicalism. Full membership confers on 
activists full rights and privileges of the 
AWARENESS LEAGUE.

 4.  ORGANS:

(i) ANNUAL CONFERENCE:  There shall be held 
once in a year an annual conference to 
appraise and review the activities of the 
League, pronounce on policy and elect 
principal officers. The annual conference 
shall be the supreme policy - making organ 
of the LEAGUE. All fee paying members of the 
league are entitled to attend and vote at 
the annual conference. Proxy representation 
is not allowed.  All decisions shall be by 
simple majority vote.

(ii) CENTRAL WORKING COMMITTEE:

There shall be a central working committee 
made up of all principal officers of the 
LEAGUE and five ex-officio members elected 
by the ANNUAL CONFERENCE.

The committee which shall meet at least four 
times a year will be responsible for 
political and ideological education, 
organisation of workshops, publications and 
bulletins.

(iii)  BRANCHES:

Branches of the AWARENESS LEAGUE may be 
established in villages, towns, cities, 
local councils and states where there are at 
least 20 full or associate members.  
Branches are required to subscribe to the 
goals and objectives of revolutionary 
socialism as well as to the authority of the 
Annual Conference; Central working 
committee; and principal officers. Branches 
shall be headed by organising secretaries.

5.  PRINCIPAL OFFICERS:

The principal officers of the LEAGUE are:  
National co-ordinator, Secretary - General, 
financial secretary and Assistant Secretary. 
The duties and responsibilities of the 
principal officers include:

(i)  National Co-ordinator:

(a) The National Co-ordinator is the Chief 
spokesperson for the LEAGUE and is 
responsible for fashioning and designing 
policy papers for consideration by the 
annual conference.

(b) The National Co-ordinator shall, liaise 
develop and maintain links with all similar 
organisations abroad on the LEAGUE'S behalf.

(ii) Secretary General

(a) To handle the LEAGUE'S correspondences

(b) To supervise the day- to - day running 
of the secretariat.

(c) To produce the LEAGUE'S bulletins and 
publications

(d) To engage in research and writing of 
articles.

(iii) Financial secretary

(a) To keep record of all financial 
transactions by the LEAGUE

(iv) Assistant Secretary

(a) To assist the secretary-General 
especially in the production of bulletins, 
publications, research and writing of 
articles.

6.  FUND:

Every full member as well as associate 
member is required to pay a fixed annual due 
which may be prescribed from time to time by 
the ANNUAL CONFERENCE for the activities of 
the LEAGUE.

This may be supplemented by donations from 
members and individuals as well as similar 
organisations world wide.

 7. PUBLICATIONS:

(i)  The in - house organ of the AWARENESS 
LEAGUE shall be known as THE REVOLUTIONARY 
and shall be published on the minimum once a 
year.

(ii) The league shall, from time to time, 
publish other regular enlightenment and 
political education materials and' articles 
for members and the general public.

(iii) members may contribute articles and 
materials to any other leftist or human 
rights journals and periodicals as well as 
newspapers.
