Published bimonthly since 1986, AGAINST THE CURRENT is a Solidarity-sponsored analytical journal for the broad revolutionary left. The March/April issue features the Educational Crisis in California and the Unfolding Fightback with articles by students and workers in the University of California system. For International Women's Day there are reviews on gender, sexuality and liberation by Catherine Sameh, Chloe Tribich and Kate Flynn. Other articles include Malik Miah on Obama Forgets the Black Community, Michael Steven Smith on Lost Liberties in the Age of Obama and Kim Moody on the Crisis and Potential in Labor's Wars and coverage on Honduras and Gaza.
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Against the Current
International Viewpoint is the monthly English-language magazine of the Fourth International. IV is a window to radical alternatives world-wide, carrying reports, analysis and debates from all corners of the globe. Correspondents in over 50 countries report on popular struggles, and the debates that are shaping the left of tomorrow.
Put a Socialist in the Senate!
Dan La Botz, a 64-year old Cincinnati school teacher, has filed petitions with the Ohio Secretary of State to become the candidate of the Socialist Party for the U.S. Senate. La Botz, who needed 500 signatures to get on the Socialist Party primary ballot, filed petitions with approximately 1,200 signatures on Thursday, Feb. 18. La Botz, a long time labor and social movement activist, is the candidate of the Socialist Party of Ohio which is the state organization of the Socialist Party USA.
Read more...Keep up with the campaign!"
DanLaBotz.com
Buttons to Build the Movement
Order these eye-catching buttons to spread the demand for social and economic justice. If you don't have paypal, email us!
Reads Bail out People, not Wall Street!. Around the edge, these 2 1/8" buttons read "Free Health Care," "Defend Public Services," "Living Wage Jobs," "Free Higher Education," "Troops Home Now," "Rebuild the Gulf Coast," and "Affordable Housing."
Bright orange 1 1/2" buttons boldly demand: "Bring the Troops Home Now!" Wear one everywhere to start a conversation about why US occupation can never be a force for liberation, and people's needs should come before the massive military budget.
Produced during the massive immigrant rights demonstrations of 2006, these 2 1/8" buttons read, in Spanish and English: ¡exigimos Paz, Legalización, y Trabajos para Todos! we demand Peace, Legalization, and Jobs for All!
Videos from Solidarity's Educational Conference
November 14-15 in New York City, Solidarity held a successful conference featuring engaging talks on a number of topics. Click here to view these videos from "Their Crisis, Our Movements"
- Crisis of Capitalism, Challenge to the Movements (David McNally, New Socialist Group)
- The New Imperialism and The Global Fightback (Vivek Chibber, Christy Thornton, Jonah McCallister-Erickson)
- The State of Resistance in Communities & the Workplace (Normahiram Perez, Steve Downs, Penelope Duggan)
- Race and National Liberation Under Obama (Glen Ford, Lalit Clarkston)
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- Fired for Organizing at Work: Some Lessons
by Paul Fudder posted on 03/16/10
- Second Annual Convention of Labor Campaign for Single Payer, March 5-7, 2010
by Milton posted on 03/13/10
- Trail of Dreams, bound for DC, passes through Georgia
by Tim S posted on 03/12/10
- Chicago immigrant youth are Undocumented and Unafraid
by Isaac posted on 03/11/10
- Women's Day March in San Antonio Says “Ya Basta” to Abusive Treatment of Workers
by Chris posted on 03/10/10
- Tres resolutivos del Congreso Mundial de la IV internacional sobre México
by International Viewpoint posted on 03/9/10
- Disability and socialism
by Chloe posted on 03/9/10
- Pakistan: Women workers march in Lahore to observe International Women Day
by International Viewpoint posted on 03/8/10
- Salt of the Earth, Classic of Feminist Cinema [Full Video]
by Isaac posted on 03/8/10
- Solidarity with Haiti!
by International Viewpoint posted on 03/7/10
from the Webzine
- This is Only the Beginning
6 days 7 hours ago - Building North-South Solidarity
6 days 8 hours ago - Final Resolution, in English
6 days 20 hours ago - Response to Erik and Chloe on disability
6 days 21 hours ago - Solidarity's take on the Fifth International
6 days 22 hours ago - Socialists/Disability
1 week 7 hours ago - The FSLN and Solidarity
1 week 8 hours ago - Not facetiously or
1 week 1 day ago - Please download and submit a single-signer petition for the CDA
1 week 1 day ago - Crimson Ride Drivers--Update
1 week 3 days ago
One Year of Obama and the Democrats’ Debacle
Last fall, in the discussion that produced our analysis of “Obama After 200 Days,” we said it would be premature to speak of a “crisis” for the administration. A year after the euphoric 2009 inauguration, it no longer looks premature. People who looked to Obama and the Democrats for leadership are bitterly disappointed, and a very peculiar brand of rightwing politics has seized the initiative.
Read more...
Regroupment & Refoundation of a U.S. Left
As part of the preparation for our 2008 Convention, members of SOLIDARITY have begun a political document describing some perspectives for socialist renewal in the twenty-first century. We welcome responses to this initial draft of the document. Some of the themes here have also been developed in Solidarity's Founding Statement and our 1997 pamphlet, “Socialist Organization Today.”
New Pamphlet: Hell on Wheels
New from Solidarity! Long time transit worker activist Steve Downs has written a pamphlet charting the twenty year story of New Directions, a rank and file caucus in New York City's transit union that he helped build and develop - including the challenges of keeping the rank and file democracy movement alive after New Directions won control of the local.
Read an interview on Zmag.orgRead a review and order your copy today!
From Abortion Rights to Reproductive Justice
New from Solidarity's Feminist Commission, this leaflet responds to the right wing attack on reproductive freedom and argues that the movement must go beyond "pro-choice" to true reproductive justice. This socialist and anti-racist feminist agenda would take up issues such as access to health and child care, forced sterilization, and the division of "productive" and "reproductive" labor.
Download the pamphlet...
Blogs
Fired for Organizing at Work: Some Lessons
Last summer, I started working at an after-school program but was fired after only six months. Because I was not fired 'for cause' (failure to meet expectations, inappropriate behavior, etc.), - which is possible because there is no union contract - I was eligible for unemployment benefits. But because there's no union contract, they could fire me without any cause. The director later confirmed to a co-worker that I was fired for participating in discussions about her management policies.
Surprise, surprise! I got in trouble for organizing. I figured I'd send out a little report on some of my organizing efforts recently so that perhaps others can learn from my experiences as well.
The job was with an arts and academic support program for high school students in a densely populated, mostly low income African American and African immigrant neighborhood, serving approximately 200 youth per year. Staff includes mostly 'teaching artists' and tutors (about 12 of each.) I was the only social worker involved. There are also about 5 managerial staff.
I should mention that there're a lot of problems with the larger agency, including very conservative corporate politics (big advocate for conservative politicians, no structural accountability to community, very anti-union, board of directors are all corporate execs., etc.) and huge reliance on low-wage part-time workers; half the staff make between $10-20 per hour with no benefits. Other staff comes from AmeriCorps workers who get $19,000 a year with no benefits.
Second Annual Convention of Labor Campaign for Single Payer, March 5-7, 2010
The 2010 convention of Labor Campaign for Single Payer at the National Labor College, in Washington DC, showed a high level of commitment by the group to move ahead with the campaign for national s
Trail of Dreams, bound for DC, passes through Georgia
As the new year began, four students began a 1,500 mile walk from Miami to Washington, DC.
Chicago immigrant youth are Undocumented and Unafraid
Out of the Shadows and Into the Streets!
Women's Day March in San Antonio Says “Ya Basta” to Abusive Treatment of Workers
Much like its storied sibling, International Labor Day (May 1), International Women's Day often gets short shrift in the United
Tres resolutivos del Congreso Mundial de la IV internacional sobre México
POR LA LIBERTAD A LOS PRESOS POLITICOS DE CAMPECHE, MEXICO
México está viviendo un nuevo proceso de militarización y represión hacia los movimientos sociales y de oposición al gobierno
Disability and socialism
I recently attended an event at Bluestockings organized by the Rock Dove Collective, which coordinates a network of radical health practitioners who
Pakistan: Women workers march in Lahore to observe International Women Day
Labor Party Pakistan: Women's struggle for Economic justice & social protection will continue
Salt of the Earth, Classic of Feminist Cinema [Full Video]
In the yet-to-be written guide to badass feminist entertainment, the classic 1954 movie Salt of the Earth belongs right next to classic rap trio Salt-N-Pepa (any takers on that article?)
Solidarity with Haiti!
The earthquake that took place in Haiti on 12 January 2010 affected the entire country but hit the capital city Port-au-Prince and the neighboring region especially hard.