Uri Gordon (anarchist)

Uri Gordon
אורי גורדון
Image of a man with brown hair and grey beard smiling in front of a wall with many colourful activism posters
Gordon in 2023
Born1976 (age 47–48)
Israel
Alma materUniversity of Oxford
Known forAnarchist theory
Notable workAnarchy Alive! 

Uri Gordon (born August 30, 1976 in Israel) is an anarchist theorist and activist. He is editor of Freedom.[1][2] Gordon is considered "one of the leading theorists of anarchist movement politics."[3] He has lived in Israel and Great Britain and worked with organizations including Indymedia, Peoples Global Action, and Anarchists Against the Wall.

Scholarship

Gordon received his doctorate in political theory from Oxford University in 2005.[4] His dissertation formed the basis of his book Anarchy Alive! Anti-Authoritarian Politics from Practice to Theory, published by Pluto Press.[5] Gordon has taught at British universities including Loughborough and Durham and at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Ketura, a Kibbutz north of Eilat.[4]

As of October 2024, his work has been cited in over 1,500 academic publications.[6] Gordon is editor of the book series Contemporary Anarchist Studies at Manchester University Press.[7] Besides his scholarly work, Gordon has contributed to Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post.[4]

Activism

Uri Gordon first became involved in the environmental movement, and now advocates for a new, heterogeneous, bioregional, feminist, and action-oriented grassroots anarchism.[4] He considers anarchism to be an "ideology of survival."[8] He further describes anarchism as prefigurative action by which adherents do not wait for major societal change to begin living according to their ideals of horizontal and cooperative relationships.[4]

As a member of Anarchists Against the Wall, he has been a prominent member of the Israeli radical left, active in supporting Palestinian efforts to dismantle the "colonial infrastructure" of segregation barriers throughout the region.[9][10] Recently, in a discussion with Mohammed Bamyeh on the "No State Solution," he has argued for "modes of a multicultural existence and even radical democracy that are not fundamentally opposed to religious practice or tradition, that are moving... towards equality."[2] He also notes that the first necessity is an end to the current violence in Gaza.

Selected publications

  • Gordon, Uri. 2023. Leviathan’s Body: Recovering Fredy Perlman's Anarchist Social Theory. Anarchist Studies 31.1. pp.58-81[11]
  • Gordon, Uri. 2018. Prefigurative Politics between Ethical Practice and Absent Promise. Political Studies 66.2. pp.521–537[12]
  • Gordon, Uri. 2018. Revolution. In Anarchism: A Conceptual Approach, eds. B. Franks, N. Jun, L. Williams. London: Routledge.
  • Gordon, Uri. 2017. Democratic Deficit in Israel’s 2011 Tent Protests: Chronicle of a failed intervention. In Protest Camps in International Context: Spaces, infrastructures and media of resistance, eds. G. Brown, A. Feigenbaum, F. Frenzel, P. McCurdy. Bristol: Policy Press. pp.221-242
  • Gordon, Uri, and Ohal Grietzer. 2013. Anarchists against the Wall : Direct Action and Solidarity with the Palestinian Popular Struggle. Edinburgh: AK Press.[13]
  • Gordon, Uri. 2008. Anarchy Alive! : Anti-Authoritarian Politics from Practice to Theory. London: Pluto Press.[14]

References

  1. ^ "About". Freedom News. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  2. ^ a b The No State Solution: A Dialogue with Palestinian Mohammed Bamyeh and Israeli Uri Gordon. Camas Books & Infoshop. 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2024-06-06 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Kinna, Ruth; Prichard, Alex (2019-09-02). "Anarchism and non-domination". Journal of Political Ideologies. 24 (3): 221–240. doi:10.1080/13569317.2019.1633100. hdl:10871/30200. ISSN 1356-9317.
  4. ^ a b c d e Green, David B. (2008-11-24). "A conversation with Uri Gordon". Haaretz. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  5. ^ Poole, Steven (2008-03-22). "Rock, race and riots". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  6. ^ "Uri Gordon". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  7. ^ "Contemporary Anarchist Studies". Manchester University Press. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  8. ^ "Anarchy Alive / Uri Gordon talks with Tasos Sagris – Void Network". voidnetwork.gr. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  9. ^ Cyber Dandy (2022-11-11). Fredy Perlman, International Events, and Anarchist Practice with Uri Gordon. Retrieved 2024-06-06 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ Barrows-Friedman, Nora (2014-02-14). ""We won't turn our backs": Palestinian activists determined to remain in Ein Hijleh". The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  11. ^ Gavroche, Julius (2023-06-29). "Reading Fredy Perlman with Uri Gordon". Autonomies. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  12. ^ "Prefigurative Politics between Ethical Practice and Absent Promise". The Anarchist Library. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  13. ^ Reviews of Anarchists against the Wall:
  14. ^ Reviews of Anarchy alive!: