A new political organisation announced its launch in Cyprus on Tuesday, April 25.
“Afoa,” an abbreviation of the words autonomy, feminism, ecology and anti-capitalism, is a political formation representing the wider radical space on the island, the grouping said in its launch message.
“Working on the basis of Autonomy, Feminism, Ecology and Anti-Capitalism – concepts that define our name and identity – we want to create structures of political organisation and participation from Below and to the Left, shift the political spectrum leftwards through political rupture with the establishment, and lay the foundations for the envisioning and the building of a more humane and just world,” the organisation said.
Following in the footsteps of other global and local movements, afoa stressed it will fight for social and environmental justice, the abolition of patriarchy, and the elimination of all forms of discrimination and exploitation against nature and people.
“We want to propose another model of political participation in the public sphere, based on solidarity, the empowerment and self-organisation of our communities, and the direct involvement of individuals themselves in the issues that concern them,” afoa noted.
Operating on the basis of horizontal structures, the organisation aims to work through networks and partnerships, to formulate proposals for “comprehensive social change in Cyprus” which, among other issues, puts forward the interests of workers, the rights of migrants, members of the LGBTQAI+ community and people with disabilities, the protection of the environment, feminism, the peaceful coexistence of communities on the island, as well as inclusive education “away from ethnocentrism and religious indoctrination.”
Afoa has a diverse membership base, with people coming from different ideological backgrounds sharing common objectives and an understanding of the need for collective action.
“We believe that it is necessary and feasible to join forces and act as a broad progressive social front that can deliver social impact on the grassroots level as well as, potentially, through an institutional presence,” afoa said concluding its launching message.
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