Comunas

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Comunas

• By Jessica Grom, James Lewis, Steve Porter,
  Amber Young

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What is a Comuna?

• A system in which a country or city is separated
  into districts.
• This function can create decentralization. Much
  like the Middle Ages when feudalism divided up
  Europe.
• Comunas can be associated with Socialism as
  production and consumption in public ownership
  are shared.
• Countries around the world have seen Comunas
  implemented much like the 5 countries we will
  talk about Cuba, France, Argentina, The Soviet
  Union, and Venezuela
• In English speaking, they are frequently called
  Communes

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France

• In France, the commune is the lowest level in the
  division of government, the entire inhabited part
  of the country is divided into communes
• Communes can be large cities (like Paris) or
  small towns and villages
• There are about 36,000 in mainland France

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History in France

• Communes as whole date back centuries, medieval
  communes were common starting in the 11th century
  in Italy
• Communes spread to France in the 12th century
• Before the French Revolution, the lowest level of
  administrative division was a parish
• Communes were first formally established in
  France in 1789, at the beginning of the
  Revolution

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The Fourth French Revolution Décentralization

• After the Franco-Prussian War, the Parisian
  working class and parts of the military took
  control of the city government
• The Paris Commune was a communal-based city
  council that functioned for about one month in
  1871
• This began the radicalization of Communes, the
  working class revolt in the 1871 Paris Commune
  was source of inspiration and concern to Marx and
  Lenin
• Communes got more governmental power after the
  French governmental passed laws later in the
  1800s that gave more authority to municipalities

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Comunas in Buenos Aires, Argentina

• History of Comunas in Buenos Aires
• 1994
• In the capital city of Buenos Aires amended its
  Constitution becoming autonomous from the rest of
  Argentina to manage itself through its local
  government
• October 1, 2001
• Plans to implement Comunas in the Autonomous City
  of Buenos Aires begins
• Each Comunas would have a Community Board of 7
  members directly elected by each district as
  representatives of their own Comunas
• September 1, 2005
• 1777 Organic Act of 2005 enacts Comunas to be
  fully transitioned by the end of 2006

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Comunas in Buenos Aires, Argentina

• 1777 Organic Act of 2005
• Goals for the enactment of the Comunas
• Decentralizing the government
• Equality and Redistribution
• Ensuring sustainable development
• Restoring the cultural identity of the city
• Improving efficiency of the government
• Promoting direct democracy within the city
• Facilitating citizen participation

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Comunas in Buenos Aires, Argentina
The communes allow citizens to actively
participate in the decisions made regarding
budget, public spaces, security and access to key
services and processes managed by the Government
to exercise their citizenship. -comunas.buenosair
es.gob.ar/
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First Wave - Russian Empire

• First wave was Russia Empire
• Communes were called Mir
• Pre-dated Serfdom
• composed of peasants communities
• Sharing of Agricultural production
• Collect taxes

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First Wave - Russian Empire Continued

• Individuals in these communities relied on each
  other
• Elected a village elder and a tax collector
• Lenin supported this movement
• Survived Russian Revolution of 1917

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Second Wave Soviet Union

• Stalin reiterated the sharing of agriculture
• Stalin had a five year plan which included
  collectivization of farmlands
• In the 1930s nearly all of the farming lands were
  collectivized
• Collectivization of farmlands backfired when
  forced upon peasants- famine in the 1930s
  happened
• Collectivization was intended to also boost
  industrialization

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Fidel Castro

• Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born on August 13,
  1926
• Cuban Communist revolutionary and politician
• Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959-1976
• President of Cuba from 1976-2008
• First Secretary of Communist party of Cuba from
  1961-2011
• Politically he is a Marxist-Leninist

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Fidel Castro Continued

• He became involved in leftist anti-imperialist
  politics while studying law at The University of
  Havana
• Eisenhower ordered the CIA to overthrow Castro
• Under his administration the Republic of Cuba
  became a one-party Socialist State
• The United States unsuccessfully tried to
  assassinate Castro.
• Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961 and Cuban Missile
  Crisis of 1962

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Fidel Castro Continued

• In 1961, Castro adopted the Marxism-Leninism
  ideology.
• In 1965 he became the First Secretary of the
  newly founded Cuban Communist Party then lead to
  the transformation of Cuba into a one-party
  Socialist republic
• There were some social pros and cons. It brought
  about free healthcare and education but it halted
  freedom of the press.

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Cuban Comunas

• Comunas came about in Cuba in the attempt to
  decentralize the government and uphold to
  Communist ideology in Cuba
• The aims of the comunas are diverse.
• It is a territorial and political space where the
  purpose is to build socialism on a permanent
  basis. The people take charge of their education
  and political formation
• Some comunas are more advance than others as it
  is much more difficult to build comunas in urban
  areas

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Venezuela

• Chavez wants socialist communes
• Comunas are organized by territories
• Each comuna has different focal areas, i.e.
  fishing, production
• Comunas style governments will perform jobs that
  National government did

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Venezuela

• Comunas are not in the constitution in Venezuela
• this creates dissent from Chavez
• Comunas in Venezuela are communal councils
• They are local community-based self-governments

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Questions

1. What legislation in Buenos Aires set up comunas?
2. What is one criticism of comunas in Venezuela?
3. What was the focal point of communes in Soviet
   Union?

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Work Cited

• http//comunas.buenosaires.gob.ar/
• http//www.lacomuna12.com.ar/index.php?optioncom_
  contentviewarticleid46Itemid61
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buenos_Aires
• http//www.hostellingbolivia.org/images/hostels_mu
  ndo/2_1_1.jpg
• http//1.bp.blogspot.com/-HozNLYcefmo/TbfwrXPyjeI/
  AAAAAAAAAVY/5XIFEgbN6Dg/s1600/comunas.jpg
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivization_in_t
  he_Soviet_Union
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obshchina
• http//www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/history/mir
  -former-russian-peasant-community.html
• http//www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/384739/m
  ir

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ENDER MARCANO MAYELA ARMAS H. 2012.
Micro-missions to pave the way for territorial
reorganization in Venezuela VÍCTOR SALMERÓN.
2012. Transfer law jeopardizes local governments
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