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What is FELLA ?

The Foundation for the Libertarian and Anarcho Syndicalist Studies (FELLA) is an entity created by the Catalan CNT syndicates in February 1990 with the following aims:

1. Preserve the CNT archives from Catalonia.
    
2. Offer the opportunity to consult these archives to anybody who might be interested
    
3. Create an open space which other groups and entities within the Libertarian movement are welcome to share and participate thus establishing periodical contacts to carry out joint actions.
   As a sign of this open willingness we want to point out that, as a foundation, the FELLA statutes contemplate a most advanced democratic performance. These statutes create the figure of the so called "member" who works through the "members assembly" so that people who are not affiliated to the CNT can belong to the FELLA.
    
4. Encourage further studies on libertarian and anarcho syndicalist ideas and thought.

The activities that the FELLA performs can therefore be grouped in two big sections: - Material Archives - Diffusion of Ideology

1) Material Archives

One of the FELLA's central activities is the compilation and classification of documents, news papers, magazines, bulletins, displays, posters, books, stickers, booklets, leaflets, audiovisual material .. etc. Apart from all the material generated by the CNT, there is also material from other entities as well as material donated or purchased.

The FELLA currently has:

• A library with over 1500 titles, most of them classified as social subjects. An important part of them has been catalogued and computerized.
• A newspaper library with over 500 libertarian headlines dating from 1975 onwards, most of them catalogued and computerized.
• A Catalonia CNT internal documentation file dating from 1975. It is currently being classified.

In order to publish periodically the status of the documentary fund there is a bulletin called Quaderns d'Arxius ("Archives' Notebook") edited by the FELLA. There are three issues published until this day:

• Number 1 is a publications catalogue
• Number 2 is a book catalogue
• Number 3 is an extension of the publications catalogue

2) Diffusion of ideology

The other aim that the FELLA has is the diffusion of the Libertarian Movement ideology. With this aim some bulletins are published as well as conferences, exhibitions, book presentations, video shows, poetry shows …etc.. which is usually the result of collaborations with other libertarian groups. Whenever possible, The FELLA also collaborates in the edition of books or booklets.

There are two bulletins published regularly, the one already mentioned earlier Quaderns d'Arxius and the Boletín de la FELLA ("FELLA bulletin") which deals with different issues within the libertarian movement and lists all the forthcoming activities.

Amongs the activities that have taken place we would like to highlight the event Anarquisme: Exposició Internacional ("Anarchism: International Exhibition"):

• It took place in Barcelona in 1993
• It was organized by the FELLA with the Popular Encyclopedic Athenaeum and the Libertarian "Poble Sec" Athenaeum.
• The elaboration and process was shared by groups from Switzerland, Madrid and Italy.
• It was a total of 14 days with debates and exhibitions.
• Two graphic exhibitions were created: "Iberian Anarchism" and "International Presence of Anarchism".
• The exhibition on "Iberian Anarchism" is composed of 60 panels with photographs and texts that illustrate the most important events of over one century of Iberian Anarchism.
• The exhibition on "International Presence of Anarchism" is composed of 40 panels.
• Both have been exhibited in various cities throughout Spain, Italy and France.
• The rich content of the debates was collected in the book "Anarchism: International Exhibition", published in Barcelona in 1994.

We also want to point out that the work performed by the FELLA does not end with the diffusion of ideology:

• Over the last couple of years there have been two exhibitions and a set of debates and lectures to denounce the conditions of torture that prevail in prisons and to appeal for support towards people secluded in prisons: an exhibition and a cycle of conferences against the Death penalty, organized with the Mumia support group and another exhibition to denounce the conditions lived in Spanish prisons by those people under a specific regime called FIES.
• There have also been exhibitions on various issues: surrealism, the social effervescence of the 20s…etc.