Committee for a Workers' International

Committee for a Workers' International

Emblem

Map of sections by country
Abbreviation CWI
Motto "Struggle, solidarity, socialism"
Formation 21 April 1974
Type Association of Trotskyist political parties
Headquarters London, United Kingdom
Region served
Worldwide
Membership
46 sections
Main organ
 World congress
Website socialistworld.net

The Committee for a Workers' International (CWI) is an international association of Trotskyist political parties. In all the CWI has sections in over 45 countries worldwide and is represented on every continent.[1] Not all sections represent a sovereign state, for example, the Irish section covers both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, whilst in Canada there is a separate section for Quebec. The international also includes smaller affiliate groups, which are not regarded as full sections.

History

Original "Banner" emblem of the CWI

Founding

The founding conference of the CWI was held in London on 20 to 21 April 1974 and attended by supporters of what was then called the Militant tendency, from 12 countries including Britain, Ireland and Sweden.[2][3] In the early years of the international, sections generally pursued a policy of entryism into social democratic or labour parties. As such, the CWI was originally secretive because to organise openly risked the expulsion of its sections from the parties in which they were working.

End of entryism

The CWI largely ended its strategy of entryism in the early 1990s. The international developed an analysis that many social democratic parties had fundamentally changed in nature and become outright capitalist parties, their main example being the UK Labour Party. This was strongly resisted by Ted Grant, one of Militant's founders. After a lengthy debate and special conference in 1991 confirmed overwhelmingly the position of the CWI in the England and Wales section, Grant and his supporters sought official faction status within the organisation, which was granted for some time, but later was revoked by the leadership.[4] The revocation of faction status thus expelled Ted Grant and his supporters, who went on to form the International Marxist Tendency.

Since their Open Turn CWI sections have, in a number of countries, stood candidates under their own name. The CWI has elected members of regional legislatures or local councils in Sweden, Germany (members of The Left), Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Ireland, where they have 3 TDs in Dáil Éireann. In the 2005 Sri Lankan presidential elections the CWI affiliate, the United Socialist Party, came third (with 0.4%).[5]

Supporters of the CWI launched a youth organisation, International Socialist Resistance, in 2001.[6]

New mass workers' parties

CWI members played a leading role in founding the Scottish Socialist Party. However the SSP broke with the CWI in 1999, with a minority of members loyal to the CWI establishing the International Socialists. When Tommy Sheridan resigned from the SSP in 2006 and established a new party in Scotland, Solidarity, the International Socialists joined in conjunction with the Socialist Workers Party.

CWI members stood as National Conscience Party candidates in the 2003 Nigerian legislative elections, winning 0.51% of the national vote. In Germany CWI members have been active in the new WASG since its foundation in 2004 and in December 2005 were elected part of the new leadership of its Berlin district that ran candidates on a clear anti-cuts programme in the 2006 Berlin regional election, gaining 3.1% and several borough council seats, but the Berlin WASG later merged into Die Linke. In Brazil CWI members helped found the P-SOL Socialism and Liberty Party after left wing parliamentarians were expelled from the PT.

In the 2011 Irish general election the CWI's Irish affiliate, the Socialist Party won two seats in the Dáil as a part of the wider left group, the United Left Alliance which won five seats in total in Dáil Éireann.[7] However, one of the elected members of the Socialist Party has since left the party to continue as an independent.[8] In the by-election in Dublin West in 2014, the Socialist Party gained a second seat in the Dáil again, and a third seat in the 2014 Dublin South-West by-election as part of the Anti-Austerity Alliance.

Structure

[9][10][11]

World Congress
Deliberative organ		 International Executive Committee
Executive organ		 International Secretariat
Administrative organ
  • Held every 3 to 5 years;
  • Attended by delegates from the CWI's national sections;
  • Responsible for establishing the international's programme and policies;
  • Grants recognition of new sympathising sections;
  • Elects the International Executive Committee.
  • Composed of members from across the CWI elected at the world congress;
  • Responsible for the CWI's policies in between congresses;
  • Elects the International Secretariat.
  • Conducts the day-to-day work of the CWI;
  • Responsible for carrying out the directives of the IEC, to which it is accountable;
  • Prepares documents and reports for review and approval at IEC meetings.

Sections

Groups and Sections is the name given to political parties that are members of the CWI.

Section Name English Translation
 Australia Socialist Party
 Austria Sozialistische LinksPartei Socialist Left Party
 Belgium Linkse Socialistische Partij / Parti Socialiste de Lutte Left Socialist Party / Socialist Party of Struggle
 Brazil Liberdade, Socialismo e Revolução Freedom, Socialism and Revolution
 Canada Socialist Alternative
 Chile Socialismo Revolucionario Revolutionary Socialism
 China 中国劳工论坛 China Worker
Cyprus Northern Cyprus Cyprus Νέα Διεθνιστική Αριστερά / Yeni Enternasyonalist Sol

Nea Diethnistike Aristera

 New Internationalist Left
 Czech Republic Socialistická alternativa Budoucnost Socialist Alternative Future
 England and  Wales Socialist Party
 France Gauche révolutionnaire Revolutionary Left
 Germany Sozialistische Alternative Socialist Alternative
 Greece Ξεκίνημα

Xekinima

 Start
 Hong Kong 社會主義行動

Sekuizyuji Haangdung

 Socialist Action
 India New Socialist Alternative
Republic of Ireland Northern Ireland Ireland Socialist Party / Páirtí Sóisialach
 Israel and  Palestine حركة النضال الاشتراكي / מאבק סוציאליסטי

Ma'avak Sotzialisti / Harakat a-Nidal al-Ishtiraki

 Socialist Struggle
 Italy Controcorrente Countercurrent
 Ivory Coast CIO Côte d'Ivoire CWI Ivory Coast
 Japan 国際連帯

Kokusai Rentai

 International Solidarity
Azad Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir Kashmir CWI Kashmir
 Lebanon اللجنة لأممية العمال - لبنان

al-Lajnah Lammyah al-Amal – Lubnan

 CWI Lebanon
 Malaysia Sosialis Alternatif Socialist Alternative
 Netherlands Socialistisch Alternatief Socialist Alternative
 Nigeria Democratic Socialist Movement
 Pakistan Socialist Movement Pakistan
 Poland Alternatywa Socjalistyczna Socialist Alternative
 Portugal Socialismo Revolucionário Revolutionary Socialism
Quebec Quebec Alternative socialiste Socialist Alternative
 Russia Социалистическая Альтернатива

Socialistecheskaya Alternativa

 Socialist Alternative
 Scotland Socialist Party Scotland
 South Africa Democratic Socialist Movement
 Spain Socialismo Revolucionario Revolutionary Socialism
 Sri Lanka එක්සත් සමාජවාදි පකෂය / ஐக்கிய சோசலிச கட்சி

Eksath Samajavadi Pakshaya / Aikkiy Cōcalic Kaṭci

 United Socialist Party
 Sweden Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna Socialist Justice Party
 Taiwan 國際社會主義前進 International Socialist Forward
 Tunisia البديل الاشتراكي

Al-Badil al-Ishtiraki

 Socialist Alternative
 Turkey Sosyalist Alternatif Socialist Alternative
 United States Socialist Alternative
 Venezuela Socialismo Revolucionario Revolutionary Socialism

Associated organisations

See also

References

  1. ↑ Contact us, join the CWI!. socialistworld.net. Retrieved 17 July 2014
  2. ↑ Taaffe, P. 2004. A Socialist World is Possible. CWI Publications & Socialist Books, p.67
  3. ↑ Taaffe, P. 2004. A Socialist World is Possible. CWI Publications & Socialist Books, p.52
  4. ↑ The 'Open Turn' debate. marxist.net. Retrieved 17 July 2014
  5. ↑ United Socialist Party (CWI) comes third in presidential election. socialistworld.net. Retrieved 17 August 2007
  6. ↑ 500+ at Brussels ISR conference. socialistworld.net. Retrieved 17 july 2014
  7. ↑ Elections Ireland: 31st Dáil. electionsireland.org. Retrieved 17 July 2014
  8. ↑ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0903/breaking6.html
  9. ↑ Taaffe, P. 2004. A Socialist World is Possible. CWI Publications & Socialist Books, p.51
  10. ↑ Building the socialist alternative around the world, socialistworld.net, 27 December 2002.
  11. ↑ Thesis for the International Executive Committee (IEC) of the CWI 2013, socialistworld.net, 22 November 2013.
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