RAVE VOOR DE RAFELRANDEN
Mycelium as an example for a non-hierarchical society.
Like every year, we as Rave voor de rafelranden, stand up against the established society. For and with people who do not fit into it, and who do not want to. This demonstration is for the underground, the free thinkers, the activists and the makers. What was once ours has become unaffordable. We demand spaces to create, to play, to experiment and to exist. An Utrecht with space for everyone. We break through learned helplessness and together take back power over our own lives. We refuse to be reduced to consumers and spectators.
This year we again do more than just show resistance, we show what is possible.
What the world could look like —and should look like— according to us. A world of freedom, connection and harmony, a world based on anarchy. Something we rarely still see in mainstream society. However, there exists a place where this does happen: a place without hierarchy, without central control, where everything cooperates and strengthens one another. An invisible universe beneath our feet: the mycelium. Just as networks of fungi nourish, support and connect each other, so can we.
Mycelium- is a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae
While treetops above ground reach for solitary heights and appear individual, underground there are symbiotic fungi to be found, living side by side with tree roots, extending their threads: the long mycelial threads that connect a vast community of trees, plants and bacteria. They embody a way of relating rooted in the recognition of differences and the strength of a collective system. Mycorrhizal fungi create entanglements between different species. They are not only responsible for improving the transfer of nutrients between neighboring species, but also for facilitating an extensive communication network between distant relatives. They connect distant parts of the forest and thereby break through the limits of physical locality.
Like fungi, we exist underground and build a network there, seeking connection and kinship with our surroundings and helping that environment to develop. Like mycorrhizal fungi, we carry responsibility for maintaining difference and diversity as an instrument for emancipation, essential for the vitality of the symbiotic system we are part of.
Anarchism
Life does not evolve solely through competition, or survival of the fittest, but through continuous symbiotic interaction.
Anarchism is not chaos, but a resistance movement of conscious, deliberate rebellion. A movement of people who oppose oppression, exploitation, and every form of domination and imposed power that violates our freedom. It is the philosophy of a new social order based on a freedom not restricted by laws made by people; the theory that every form of government rests on violence, and is therefore wrong, harmful and unnecessary. A rejection of the state, capitalism, and all related institutions with hierarchically structured and imposed authority. Every form of government relies on coercion and is therefore not only unnecessary but also harmful.
We propose another world. A society based on self-governance, equality and autonomy. A world in which freedom is not limited by laws imposed from above. We invite everyone to experience what it is like to live together without judgment. How enjoyable it can be when we are given space to play and to be, without being judged or condemned based on financial status, productivity or success. Together.
Anarchism and Antifascism
We do not exist alone. Organisms are shaped by their diversity. The earth has evolved through a process of continuous differentiation and interconnection; a patchwork of relationships in which the past resonates into the future. Difference is the catalyst for change, for evolution. By cooperating with a multitude of different bodies, life becomes rich and full of new possibilities; it evolves cooperatively and collectively for the well-being of the community.
A world based on equality cannot exist alongside systems that glorify oppression and hierarchy. Therefore, resistance against fascism is inseparably connected to anarchism. Fascism revolves around authority, hierarchy and obedience. It glorifies the strong leader, suppresses dissenting voices and uses violence to maintain control. It operates through an all-determining “state.” For us, this is unacceptable. Our struggle is rooted in resistance against oppression, whether it takes the form of fascism, imperialism, occupation or state violence. We never choose the side of the state; its existence is inherently incompatible with our values. We choose people, the oppressed, those without a voice. That is why we will always resist systems that sustain inequality and violence. Our resistance does not stop at criticism. In practice, we build concrete alternatives through a DIY (Do It Yourself) culture that embodies our values of equality and self-organization.
DIY Culture
While humans chew up the world and spit it back out into a fusion of chemical sludge that marks territories, fungi actively respond to these profound transformations.
We build self-organization based on equality, inclusion, accessibility, participation and cooperation—without profit as a driving force. DIY is a way of thinking and acting that breaks the idea that we must depend on systems that determine what we need and how we obtain it. Instead, we choose to learn ourselves, teach each other, and engage in equal and collective decision-making. This means taking responsibility for our own lives, but also for the people around us. We show what is possible with nothing but our energy, ideas and the power of community. It offers a way to reclaim power and control over our own lives.
What we practice in DIY culture also requires physical space in order to exist. Autonomous spaces provide that room, where self-organization and independence can truly grow.
Free Spaces
We do not exist alone. Organisms are shaped by their diversity. The Earth has evolved through a process of continuous differentiation and interconnection; a patchwork of relationships in which the past echoes into the future. Difference is the catalyst for change, for evolution. By working together with a multiplicity of different bodies, life becomes rich and full of new possibilities; it evolves cooperatively and collectively for the well-being of the community.
Free spaces created by people themselves, where individuals decide what happens and how it happens, are places that deserve protection and (unfortunately) need it. As the Rave voor de Rafelranden, we stand behind these spaces and commit ourselves to their preservation and creation. We see free spaces as places organized from the bottom up, without government interference or reliance on subsidies to keep them going. We understand that in a highly regulated country like the Netherlands, complete independence from the state is nearly impossible, but minimizing that influence is essential to preserving their unique character. We see that spaces established and funded by municipalities are bound by rules and restrictions that prevent them from fully expressing what they could be.
Creative people should not be limited by being told what to do or expectations. They need the freedom to let their creativity run wild and to fully immerse themselves in it without having to think about profit, pleasing officials, or complying with imposed frameworks. Instead, the focus should be on creating something beautiful, something provocative, something that resonates in unexpected ways. Creatives deserve more space within our culture and we are here to claim that space!
Squatting
Fungi can fight back for their home by aggressively infecting non-native, human-planted forests at the slightest sign of weakness. When landscapes are exploited for profit and new species are introduced into unfamiliar territories, fungi become radical activists for the homeostasis of their bio-metropolis, attacking the source of the disturbance.
Free spaces show what becomes possible when we are given space. Squatting is how we claim that. For us, squatting is about creating space where it doesn’t exist. Reclaiming abandoned places and bringing them back to life. For living, for art, for connection. It is a way to not just sit and watch, but to actively change things. We don’t just squat buildings, we squat the system. Because squatting is more than occupying empty properties. It is resistance, an act of solidarity and collective spirit.
This is not a request for permission. This is a declaration. This is our moment. Our struggle. Our city. And we are here to reclaim it.
Our struggle does not stop at stones and buildings. It extends to everything essential for a free and dignified life, including food.
Food Freedom
In the face of the global environmental crisis, mycorrhizal fungi are crucial for strengthening the resilience of life in the soil. They are responsible for breaking down dead organisms and returning nutrients to the land.
The current food system makes people vulnerable and dependent. It prioritizes profit over well-being and creates inequality. Food is a right, not a commodity, and should never be controlled by corporations or elites. Food belongs to everyone. It is not something power should be exercised over. Food freedom is a way to reclaim power, to strengthen communities, and to become more independent.
Food freedom means deciding for ourselves how food is produced, distributed, and shared. Not driven by profit, but by need. Not controlled by companies, but sustained by communities. DIY plays a crucial role in this: growing food in gardens and neighborhood projects, sharing food through networks and collective kitchens, exchanging knowledge (from cooking to preservation). It is a way to reclaim autonomy and to care for one another, to become stronger and more independent.
Food is not a product, it is a right. And it belongs to everyone.
Free Art and Culture
It is through relationships that bodies express themselves and create new futures. We are never isolated beings; we are systems of entangled connections, and that must be recognized.
Just as food should belong to everyone, so too should the way we create and experience culture. Free art and culture are a natural extension of that same struggle for accessibility and autonomy. Art and culture are defining elements of every society. Art makes us think, connects us, and allows us to see certain subjects in new ways. It is an essential part of the cultural web, which also includes language, beliefs, and social practices. We believe that sharing and freely using these elements leads to a vibrant, thriving culture in which people can grow and develop. At the same time, we see that in today’s society, things like patents, copyright, and other forms of ownership cause culture to stagnate.
Of course, the free use of culture must come with sensitivity and respect for different forms, and it is important to recognize and value the origins of cultural elements. A free culture cannot exist in a world with borders; it requires freedom of movement. Culture is dynamic and constantly shaped by the flow of new and old influences. As long as only people from wealthy countries, or those born into privilege, can travel freely; culture will never reach its full potential. In that way, culture is shaped by those who can afford it, while others are excluded from participating in its development.
We want to move forward collectively and stand for free art and culture. We choose creation over profit, and collaboration over self-interest. We choose a flourishing culture over a rigid, hierarchical structure!!
Free Party
From our organs working together in harmony, playing a homeostatic song, to our gut flora and its vital role in digestion: we are a multiplicity. A union of multiple life forms that have differentiated from a single organism.
The free party scene is an essential part of free culture. It is a space where people come together in a temporary autonomous zone to create, to enjoy, to feel freedom, and to step outside the rule-bound world beyond. We want a world where autonomous zones are not criminalized but celebrated, where these spaces can more easily become permanent. We want to be able to create freely: without stages, queues, or assigned seats; without tickets; without fixed start or end times.
Free party is about reclaiming what is ours. It is about coming together in places that are left unused, yet claimed, where property is valued above human connection. Free parties are also about shared responsibility. Because a free party belongs to everyone, no single person is in charge of the whole, and we must all take responsibility together. This means leaving the space clean, caring for your own well-being and that of others, and making sure people treat each other with respect.
Composting the State
By working together and sharing resources, not in a hierarchical or isolated way, but in a mycelial way, rooted in rhizomatic entanglement and collaboration, a community can flourish, create, and evolve!
We refuse to stand by.
Today, and every day after this, we make our voices heard for self-organized spaces, built on community, not on profit, consumption, or production pressure.
We will not wait for policy to change. We cannot wait.We organize ourselves with care and shared responsibility.We build our own initiatives.We are here.To show what is possible through collective autonomy.For spaces where everyone can breathe freely and be themselves.
Mycelium as an example for a non-hierarchical society.
Like every year, we as Rave voor de rafelranden, stand up against the established society. For and with people who do not fit into it, and who do not want to. This demonstration is for the underground, the free thinkers, the activists and the makers. What was once ours has become unaffordable. We demand spaces to create, to play, to experiment and to exist. An Utrecht with space for everyone. We break through learned helplessness and together take back power over our own lives. We refuse to be reduced to consumers and spectators.This year we again do more than just show resistance, we show what is possible.What the world could look like —and should look like— according to us. A world of freedom, connection and harmony, a world based on anarchy. Something we rarely still see in mainstream society. However, there exists a place where this does happen: a place without hierarchy, without central control, where everything cooperates and strengthens one another. An invisible universe beneath our feet: the mycelium. Just as networks of fungi nourish, support and connect each other, so can we.Mycelium- is a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphaeWhile treetops above ground reach for solitary heights and appear individual, underground there are symbiotic fungi to be found, living side by side with tree roots, extending their threads: the long mycelial threads that connect a vast community of trees, plants and bacteria. They embody a way of relating rooted in the recognition of differences and the strength of a collective system. Mycorrhizal fungi create entanglements between different species. They are not only responsible for improving the transfer of nutrients between neighboring species, but also for facilitating an extensive communication network between distant relatives. They connect distant parts of the forest and thereby break through the limits of physical locality.Like fungi, we exist underground and build a network there, seeking connection and kinship with our surroundings and helping that environment to develop. Like mycorrhizal fungi, we carry responsibility for maintaining difference and diversity as an instrument for emancipation, essential for the vitality of the symbiotic system we are part of.AnarchismLife does not evolve solely through competition, or survival of the fittest, but through continuous symbiotic interaction.Anarchism is not chaos, but a resistance movement of conscious, deliberate rebellion. A movement of people who oppose oppression, exploitation, and every form of domination and imposed power that violates our freedom. It is the philosophy of a new social order based on a freedom not restricted by laws made by people; the theory that every form of government rests on violence, and is therefore wrong, harmful and unnecessary. A rejection of the state, capitalism, and all related institutions with hierarchically structured and imposed authority. Every form of government relies on coercion and is therefore not only unnecessary but also harmful.We propose another world. A society based on self-governance, equality and autonomy. A world in which freedom is not limited by laws imposed from above. We invite everyone to experience what it is like to live together without judgment. How enjoyable it can be when we are given space to play and to be, without being judged or condemned based on financial status, productivity or success. Together.Anarchism and AntifascismWe do not exist alone. Organisms are shaped by their diversity. The earth has evolved through a process of continuous differentiation and interconnection; a patchwork of relationships in which the past resonates into the future. Difference is the catalyst for change, for evolution. By cooperating with a multitude of different bodies, life becomes rich and full of new possibilities; it evolves cooperatively and collectively for the well-being of the community.A world based on equality cannot exist alongside systems that glorify oppression and hierarchy. Therefore, resistance against fascism is inseparably connected to anarchism. Fascism revolves around authority, hierarchy and obedience. It glorifies the strong leader, suppresses dissenting voices and uses violence to maintain control. It operates through an all-determining “state.” For us, this is unacceptable. Our struggle is rooted in resistance against oppression, whether it takes the form of fascism, imperialism, occupation or state violence. We never choose the side of the state; its existence is inherently incompatible with our values. We choose people, the oppressed, those without a voice. That is why we will always resist systems that sustain inequality and violence. Our resistance does not stop at criticism. In practice, we build concrete alternatives through a DIY (Do It Yourself) culture that embodies our values of equality and self-organization.DIY CultureWhile humans chew up the world and spit it back out into a fusion of chemical sludge that marks territories, fungi actively respond to these profound transformations.We build self-organization based on equality, inclusion, accessibility, participation and cooperation—without profit as a driving force. DIY is a way of thinking and acting that breaks the idea that we must depend on systems that determine what we need and how we obtain it. Instead, we choose to learn ourselves, teach each other, and engage in equal and collective decision-making. This means taking responsibility for our own lives, but also for the people around us. We show what is possible with nothing but our energy, ideas and the power of community. It offers a way to reclaim power and control over our own lives.What we practice in DIY culture also requires physical space in order to exist. Autonomous spaces provide that room, where self-organization and independence can truly grow.Free SpacesWe do not exist alone. Organisms are shaped by their diversity. The Earth has evolved through a process of continuous differentiation and interconnection; a patchwork of relationships in which the past echoes into the future. Difference is the catalyst for change, for evolution. By working together with a multiplicity of different bodies, life becomes rich and full of new possibilities; it evolves cooperatively and collectively for the well-being of the community.Free spaces created by people themselves, where individuals decide what happens and how it happens, are places that deserve protection and (unfortunately) need it. As the Rave voor de Rafelranden, we stand behind these spaces and commit ourselves to their preservation and creation. We see free spaces as places organized from the bottom up, without government interference or reliance on subsidies to keep them going. We understand that in a highly regulated country like the Netherlands, complete independence from the state is nearly impossible, but minimizing that influence is essential to preserving their unique character. We see that spaces established and funded by municipalities are bound by rules and restrictions that prevent them from fully expressing what they could be. Creative people should not be limited by being told what to do or expectations. They need the freedom to let their creativity run wild and to fully immerse themselves in it without having to think about profit, pleasing officials, or complying with imposed frameworks. Instead, the focus should be on creating something beautiful, something provocative, something that resonates in unexpected ways. Creatives deserve more space within our culture and we are here to claim that space!SquattingFungi can fight back for their home by aggressively infecting non-native, human-planted forests at the slightest sign of weakness. When landscapes are exploited for profit and new species are introduced into unfamiliar territories, fungi become radical activists for the homeostasis of their bio-metropolis, attacking the source of the disturbance.Free spaces show what becomes possible when we are given space. Squatting is how we claim that. For us, squatting is about creating space where it doesn’t exist. Reclaiming abandoned places and bringing them back to life. For living, for art, for connection. It is a way to not just sit and watch, but to actively change things. We don’t just squat buildings, we squat the system. Because squatting is more than occupying empty properties. It is resistance, an act of solidarity and collective spirit.This is not a request for permission. This is a declaration. This is our moment. Our struggle. Our city. And we are here to reclaim it.Our struggle does not stop at stones and buildings. It extends to everything essential for a free and dignified life, including food.Food FreedomIn the face of the global environmental crisis, mycorrhizal fungi are crucial for strengthening the resilience of life in the soil. They are responsible for breaking down dead organisms and returning nutrients to the land.The current food system makes people vulnerable and dependent. It prioritizes profit over well-being and creates inequality. Food is a right, not a commodity, and should never be controlled by corporations or elites. Food belongs to everyone. It is not something power should be exercised over. Food freedom is a way to reclaim power, to strengthen communities, and to become more independent.Food freedom means deciding for ourselves how food is produced, distributed, and shared. Not driven by profit, but by need. Not controlled by companies, but sustained by communities. DIY plays a crucial role in this: growing food in gardens and neighborhood projects, sharing food through networks and collective kitchens, exchanging knowledge (from cooking to preservation). It is a way to reclaim autonomy and to care for one another, to become stronger and more independent.Food is not a product, it is a right. And it belongs to everyone.Free Art and CultureIt is through relationships that bodies express themselves and create new futures. We are never isolated beings; we are systems of entangled connections, and that must be recognized.Just as food should belong to everyone, so too should the way we create and experience culture. Free art and culture are a natural extension of that same struggle for accessibility and autonomy. Art and culture are defining elements of every society. Art makes us think, connects us, and allows us to see certain subjects in new ways. It is an essential part of the cultural web, which also includes language, beliefs, and social practices. We believe that sharing and freely using these elements leads to a vibrant, thriving culture in which people can grow and develop. At the same time, we see that in today’s society, things like patents, copyright, and other forms of ownership cause culture to stagnate. Of course, the free use of culture must come with sensitivity and respect for different forms, and it is important to recognize and value the origins of cultural elements. A free culture cannot exist in a world with borders; it requires freedom of movement. Culture is dynamic and constantly shaped by the flow of new and old influences. As long as only people from wealthy countries, or those born into privilege, can travel freely; culture will never reach its full potential. In that way, culture is shaped by those who can afford it, while others are excluded from participating in its development.We want to move forward collectively and stand for free art and culture. We choose creation over profit, and collaboration over self-interest. We choose a flourishing culture over a rigid, hierarchical structure!!Free PartyFrom our organs working together in harmony, playing a homeostatic song, to our gut flora and its vital role in digestion: we are a multiplicity. A union of multiple life forms that have differentiated from a single organism.The free party scene is an essential part of free culture. It is a space where people come together in a temporary autonomous zone to create, to enjoy, to feel freedom, and to step outside the rule-bound world beyond. We want a world where autonomous zones are not criminalized but celebrated, where these spaces can more easily become permanent. We want to be able to create freely: without stages, queues, or assigned seats; without tickets; without fixed start or end times.Free party is about reclaiming what is ours. It is about coming together in places that are left unused, yet claimed, where property is valued above human connection. Free parties are also about shared responsibility. Because a free party belongs to everyone, no single person is in charge of the whole, and we must all take responsibility together. This means leaving the space clean, caring for your own well-being and that of others, and making sure people treat each other with respect.Composting the StateBy working together and sharing resources, not in a hierarchical or isolated way, but in a mycelial way, rooted in rhizomatic entanglement and collaboration, a community can flourish, create, and evolve!We refuse to stand by. Today, and every day after this, we make our voices heard for self-organized spaces, built on community, not on profit, consumption, or production pressure.We will not wait for policy to change. We cannot wait.We organize ourselves with care and shared responsibility.We build our own initiatives.We are here.To show what is possible through collective autonomy.For spaces where everyone can breathe freely and be themselves.
TO BUILD OUR OWN FUTURE.
WE ARE HERE.
TO BUILD OUR OWN FUTURE.
WE ARE HERE.
