Really Really Free Market

The Really, Really Free Market (RRFM) movement is a non-hierarchical collective of individuals who form a temporary market based on an alternative gift economy.cite web |url=http://www.crimethinc.com/texts/recentfeatures/reallyreally.php |title=The Really Really Free Market: Instituting the Gift Economy |accessdate=2008-01-06 |work=CrimethInc.com ] The RRFM movement aims to counteract capitalism in a non-reactionary way. It holds as a major goal to build a community based on sharing resources, caring for one another and improving the collective lives of all. Markets often vary in character, but they generally offer both goods and services. Participants bring unneeded items, food, skills and talents such as entertainment or haircuts. A RRFM may take place in an open community space such as a public park or community commons.

Origins and spread

Participants from the SouthEast Anarchist Network (SeaNET) [ [http://www.anarcha.org/seanet/main.php SeaNET] ] held demonstrations using the first known Really, Really Free Market to protest the G8 summit. The first known Really, Really Free Market took place simultaneously in Miami, Florida, and Raleigh, North Carolina during the anti-globalization protests against the FTAA. [ [http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2004/06/07/16839171.php "Really REALLY Free Market Report" by Bill Simpich] ] The idea quickly spread across the United States.

The movement has emerged in diverse places such as North Carolina; New York City; Reno, Nevada; Cottage Grove, Oregon; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Austin,Texas, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the San Francisco Bay Area. North Carolina has an especially vibrant RRFM movement, with markets appearing in cities such as Wilmington, Raleigh, Greensboro and Greenville. [ [http://www.carrboro.com/reallyreallyfreemarket/ Carrboro's “Really, Really Free Market”] ]

In addition, Greenville, North Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Wilmington, North Carolina; Carrboro, North Carolina; Washington, DC; San Francisco, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Richmond, Virginia and Dayton, Ohio are home to monthly Really Really Free Markets. San Francisco's RRFM takes place the Last Saturday of Every Month in Dolores Park. Minneapolis' RRFM takes place on the second Saturday of every month. DC holds one the third Saturday of every month. Dayton's is held the first Sunday of every month in the community garden on East 5th Street. Wilmington's RRFM is held the last Sunday of each month at Greenfield Lake. DC's RRFM is held the third Saturday of every month in Dupont Circle. Grand Rapids, Michigan's RRFM is held the last Sunday of every month. Athens, GA witnessed its first RRFM on April 28th, 2007 as part of the May Day celebrations organized by Autonomous Athens. [ [http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/100207/news_20071002051.shtml/ Athens' "Really Really Free Market"] ] It has since become a monthly occurrence with event attendance usually in the hundreds.

References

See also

* Anarchism
* Anti-capitalism
* DIY ethic
* Direct action
* Mutual aid
* Give-away shop
* Food Not Bombs

External links

* [http://www.reallyreallyfree.org San Francisco's RRFM homepage]
* [http://www.bapd.org/greyet-1.html Event info on SF RRFM]
* [http://www.mango-a-gogo.com/scot/free.htm The Global Free Economy Project]
* [http://www.myspace.com/tcfreemarket Minneapolis RRFM Myspace Page]
* [http://www.carrboro.com/reallyreallyfreemarket/ Carrboro, NC RRFM Info]
* [http://www.myspace.com/renofreestore Reno Free Market]
* [http://www.baltimorefreestore.org Baltimore Free Store]
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReallyReallyFreeCharlotte/ Charlotte, NC RRFM Yahoo Group]
* [http://www.greenvillefreemarket.org/ Greenville, NC RRFM]
* [http://www.myspace.com/lancasterfreemarket Lancaster Free Market's Myspace Page]
* [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17512605917 D.C. RRFM Facebook Group]
* [http://www.milwaukeenetworkforsocialchange.org/]