[Marxism] Revolutionary Work in Our Times: A Strategic Dialogue (Chicago, Jul 31 - Aug 2)

[Paul Lefrak <lefrak@xxxxxxxxx>]

I think this is an excellent initiative open to socialists and anarchists
interested in revolutionary change.  A number of different organizations in
the U.S. are planning it.

For more info, see:  http://www.revolutionarywork.org/

>From the description:
 Revolutionary Work in Our Times

*Revolutionary Work in Our Times* is a three day gathering of
revolutionaries and social movement organizers. At this year's strategic
dialogue, we'll talk about left strategies to confront the economic crisis
in the age of Obama.

Our goals:


   1. *Deepen our strategic clarity *by creating spaces to sum up our
   political practice and to expand our analyses and visions through dialogue
   and mutual education.
   2. *Create dialogue and collaboration *between revolutionaries who are
   coming out of social movements and revolutionaries who are based in
   explicitly left organizations.
   3. *Lay groundwork* for new, stronger, more unified revolutionary
   organizations.

Revolutionary Work in Our Times is a space where revolutionaries can draw
lessons from the history of peoples' struggles, talk about the challenges
and opportunities we face, and discuss our visions for building a more
powerful movement and a stronger left that can defeat capitalism, racism,
heterosexism, ableism, xenophobia, and gender oppression. These
conversations will sharpen our strategic thinking and build deeper unity
between people engaged in social movement work.

We invite...

*Members of socialist and anarchist organizations* who are interested in
building a more unified left deeply connected to social movements.

*Left activists and organizers *who are rooted in social and environmental
justice movement work. Cultural workers, artists, healers, young people,
elders, and other conscious folks who are interested in strengthening their
revolutionary vision.

*Comrades who are interested* in incorporating race, sexuality, ability,
immigration and gender into our analysis of capitalism, placing our struggle
in an international framework, building more powerful left organizations,
and taking a non-dogmatic approach to left theory.

*Please invite people who have experience engaging in revolutionary study,
strategy, and dialogue. For organizations, please do preparatory political
education with your members so they don't expect introductory level
discussion. *

There will be limited scholarship resources (both financial support and
alternative housing arrangements) available. We need participants' help to
increase this scholarship fund. This year, we are trying to amplify
scholarship availability, so we strongly encourage non-profit organizations
and individuals with access to resources to provide extra support.

*BACKSTORY*

A circle of revolutionary organizations, study groups, and social movement
organizations decided to get together and work on joint projects to build
unity on the left.

We did a panel workshop at the US Social Forum in 2007 "Revolutionary
Consciousness, Strategy, Vision and Organization in the 21st Century." Over
200 people, mostly from the social movement left, attended this workshop
(and it would have been much larger if we had a bigger room).

We planned a Revolutionary Summer School which took place in New Jersey last
summer 2008; you may have been there or heard about it. Last summer, about
200 people came together - with the majority people of color and working
class people, with large percentages identifying as women or trans as well
as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer - for dialogue about revolutionary
theory and strategy.

Since that time, Left Turn and Malcolm X Grassroots Movement have joined the
planning team. We have been in consultation with many organizations across
the country on how to make sure this next strategic dialogue is relevant,
useful, and fun. We welcome your input!

~Revolutionary Work In Our Times Planning Team.
The current avatar of RWIOT includes Bay Area Activist Study Circle, Freedom
Road Socialist Organization/Organización Socialista del Camino para la
Libertad <http://www.freedomroad.org/>, League of Revolutionaries for a New
America <http://www.lrna.org/>, Left Turn <http://www.leftturn.org/>, Malcolm
X Grassroots Movement <http://www.mxgm.org/>, New York Study Group, and
Solidarity <http://www.solidarity-us.org/>.

You can reach us at revolutionaryworkinourtimes@xxxxxxxxx if you have any
questions, ideas, or feedback (or just want to tell us how excited you are)!
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