The International Socialists is a Canadian Trotskyist group. It is part of the International Socialist Tendency, of which the British Socialist Workers Party (SWP) is the most prominent group. The I.S. publishes an English-language fortnightly paper, Socialist Worker, a French-language monthly, Résistance!, and an annual theoretical journal Marxism. The organization also holds an annual Marxism conference every spring in Toronto, modelled on the much larger Marxism conference of the British SWP. Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... The International Socialist Tendency is an international grouping of organisations around the ideas of Tony Cliff, founder of the Socialist Workers Party in the UK. It has sections across the world, however its strongest presence is in Europe, especially in the UK, Greece and Ireland. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Socialist Worker is the name of several socialist/communist newspapers. ...

Leadership

The highest decision making body is the annual convention, which meets annually, and is comprised of delegates elected from local branches by dues-paying members. The convention then elects a steering committee which is responsible for the day to day running of the organization. The steering committee has varied in size over the years, from a low figure of seven to a high figure of ten. Branches also elect members of a National Committee which holds weekend meetings twice a year, and a one day meeting prior to the annual May conference called "Marxism". Only delegates can vote at either the convention or the National Committee, but any member can participate in the discussion. Conventions and National Committee meetings are usually preceded by the publicaiton of bulletins, which are open to any member of the I.S..

Early history

The initial cadres consisted of members of the Movement for an Independent Socialist Canada (better known as the Waffle), which had been forced to leave the social democratic New Democratic Party in 1972. A group of students at York University in Toronto formed a Marxist study group, and came into contact with left-Shachtmanites in the International Socialists (USA), an American group founded by Hal Draper. The Waffle (also known as the Movement for an Independent Socialist Canada) was a radical wing of Canadas New Democratic Party and later an independent political party. ... The Waffle (also known as the Movement for an Independent Socialist Canada) was a radical wing of Canadas New Democratic Party and later an independent political party. ... This article is about the Canadian political party. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... York University (French: Université York), located in Toronto, Ontario, is Canadas third-largest university and has produced several of the countrys top leaders in the fields of law, politics, business, space sciences, and fine arts. ... Marxism is both the theory and the political practice (that is, the praxis) derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... Shachtmanism was a form of Trotskyism associated with Max Shachtman. ... The International Socialists were a Trotskyist group in the United States. ... Hal Draper (1914-1990) was an American socialist activist, Marxist, Left-Shachtmanite, and author, perhaps best known for his role in the Berkeley, California Free Speech Movement. ...

After the collapse of the Waffle in late 1974, the group organized itself as the Independent Socialists in February 1975. This reflected the roots of the I.S. in the Waffle, which had a "left-nationalist" analysis of Canada's place in the world economy. But the name was in contradiction to the internationalist approach of the I.S., and by 1976, the group voted to rename itself the International Socialists. From 1975, the I.S. published a monthly paper alled Workers Action. In 1985, the paper was renamed Socialist Worker. The Waffle (also known as the Movement for an Independent Socialist Canada) was a radical wing of Canadas New Democratic Party and later an independent political party. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The I.S. is often identified as the "state-capitalist" group -- reflecting the position of the I.S. that, from 1928 on, Russia was no longer a workers' state, but state capitalist. This is in contrast to Leon Trotsky's position that the Soviet Union was a degenerated workers state. The state capitalist position was not actually central to the group's founding in 1975. Several prominent members adhered to the "bureaucratic collectivist" position associated with Max Shachtman. But by the late 1970s, the majority position in the group was clearly "state capitalist", outlined most clearly in Abbie Bakan's pamphlet, "The Great Lie." There are multiple definitions of the term state capitalism. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Leon Trotsky (Russian:  , Lev Davidovich Trotsky, also transliterated Leo, Lyev, Trotskii, Trotski, Trotskij, Trockij and Trotzky) (November 7 [O.S. October 26] 1879 – August 21, 1940), born Lev Davidovich Bronstein (), was an Ukrainian-born Bolshevik revolutionary and Marxist theorist. ... In Trotskyist political theory, degenerated workers states are states where capitalism has been overthrown through social revolution and the property forms have changed into a collectivized planned economy, but where the working class has lost its political power and socialist democracy has been replaced by a form of dictatorship. ... Bureaucratic collectivism is a theory of class society. ... Max Shachtman (September 10, 1904 - November 4, 1972) was an American Marxist theorist. ...

During the 1980s, the group was heavily involved in women's struggles, playing an important role in mobilizing support for a woman's right to choose in Canada, largely as a participant in the broader Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics. Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Abortion in Canada is not limited by law. ...

From 1985 to 6, when the I.S. was no more than 80 members, a crisis led to the division of the Toronto branch. The Toronto Central branch represented the majority and was led by David McNally. The Toronto East branch represented the minority faction and was led by Abbie Bakan and supported by the Montreal branch. The crisis caused leading members of the Socialist Workers Party in the UK to write an open letter of concern, urging the unity of the Toronto branch. Some attributed the dispute to personal animosities between leading members. But there was also a tension between a tendency towards propagandism by the majority, and an emphasis on an interventionist perspective by the minority. This article is about the year. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Professor David McNally, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada ... Professor Abigail Bakan: Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. ...

A united steering committee slate was put forward and elected at the 1987 convention of the I.S., addressed by Alex Callinicos, leading member of the SWP. The two Toronto branches fused into a single branch. That year, for the first time, the I.S. counted more than 100 members, and continued to grow through the late 1980s and into the early 1990s – intervening into the campaign to defend abortion clinics in Toronto, helping to build the movement against the war in the Gulf, and building in the student movement across the country. It is in this period that the I.S. also began to flesh out its position on the national question in Quebec, even not being able to operate to any degree in French in Quebec. Alex Callinicos Alex Callinicos (born 1950 in South Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)) is a Marxist intellectual (a contradiction in terms) and a member of the Central Committee of the Socialist Workers Party. ...

Two pamphlets published in this period ("Downturn: The Origins of the Employers' Offensive and the Tasks for Socialists" by Paul Kellogg, and "Quebec: From Conquest to Constitution" by Abbie Bakan) provide useful background material. Also useful is "Origins of the International Socialists" by Abbie Bakan and Philip Murton^[1] Paul Kellogg was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1879. ... Professor Abigail Bakan: Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. ...

The 1990s

The I.S. grew rapidly in the early 1990s, from 150 to 340 members in 1993-94 alone according to the group's claims. Further growth was achieved during the "Days of Action", a series of one day general strikes between late 1995 and 1998 against the ruling Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by Premier Mike Harris. During this period of growth, the publication of Socialist Worker - the organization's paper - became fortnightly rather than monthly. A general strike is a strike action by an entire labour force in a city, region or country. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party (PC Party of Ontario, also known as Tories) is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. ... The Premier of Ontario is the first minister for the Canadian province of Ontario. ... Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945, in Toronto, Ontario) was the twenty-second Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. ...

The unexpected and rapid growth of the group during this period led to a large split in 1996. A section of the organization argued that there were new possibilities for growth in the 1990s, and a more interventionist, activist organization was necessary. Another section of the organization thought that the interventionist perspective was based on an overly-optimistic analysis of the period, and were loathe to move too far away from a propagandist, educational orientation. The section arguing for a more interventionist line carried the day at the November, 1994 convention, Socialist Worker began appearing bi-weekly in January, 1995, and the organization began publishing a monthly French paper. One year later, several leading members (including David McNally) resigned, and a faction emerged called the Political Reorientation Faction (PRF). The PRF produced a document rejecting the International Socialist Tendency's analysis of an upswing in class struggle during the mid-1990s, and the Leninist conception of the party. Within weeks, members of the PRF left the I.S. to form the New Socialist Group prompting criticism from the I.S. majority for quitting rather than engaging in a proper political debate. The departing minority, however, argued that their position in the I.S. had become untenable and that their right to debate and organize were not tolerated by the majority. Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... The International Socialist Tendency is an international grouping of organisations around the ideas of Tony Cliff, founder of the Socialist Workers Party in the UK. It has sections across the world, however its strongest presence is in Europe, especially in the UK, Greece and Ireland. ... Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party. ... The New Socialist Group is a Trotskyist organization led by professor David McNally of York University in Toronto, Ontario. ...

Recent history

The I.S. has participated in several important campaigns since the rise of the anti-capitalist movement following the Seattle protests of late 1999. The I.S. participated in the large Quebec City Summit of the Americas protests in Quebec City, in April 2001 and, were also present in the smaller G8 Protests in Calgary, Alberta in June 2002. The Quebec City protests marked the launch of Résistance!", the monthly French-language publication of the I.S. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Protest activity surrounding the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999, which was to be the launch of a new millennial round of trade negotiations, occurred on November 30, 1999, when the World Trade Organization (WTO) convened in Seattle, Washington, USA. The negotiations were quickly overshadowed by massive and controversial street protests... The Summit of the Americas held in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, on the weekend of April 20, 2001, was a round of negotiations regarding a proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. ... Nickname: Motto: Don de Dieu feray valoir (I shall put Gods gift to good use; the Don de Dieu was Champlains ship) Coordinates: , Country Province Agglomeration Quebec City Statute of the city Capitale-Nationale Administrative Region Capitale-Nationale Founded 1608 by Samuel de Champlain Constitution date 1833 Government... The snake march, on the morning of June 26, 2002, in Calgary. ... This article is about the Canadian city. ... Motto: Fortis et liber(Latin) Strong and free Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Official languages English (see below) Government - Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong - Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 28 - Senate seats 6 Confederation September 1, 1905 (split from Northwest Territories) (8th [Province]) Area Ranked...

The I.S. played a role in organizing the Canadian anti-war movement, through unions, student organizations and community activist organizations. Leading I.S. members remain involved in some of the larger anti-war groups across the country, notably in Toronto and in groups such as the Canadian Peace Alliance. The I.S. argues that the mass mobilizations against the war in 2002, 2003 (read article Three hundred thousand march against war) – particularly the huge demonstrations in Montreal – prevented the Liberal government from actively participating in the Iraq war (see article by Abbie Bakan, Why Canada didn't go to war). This has been challenged by other groups on the left. The Canadian Peace Alliance / Lalliance canadienne pour la paix (CPA/ACP) is Canadas principal umbrella peace organization with more than 140 member groups representing 4 million Canadians. ...

The International Socialists have also been involved in Project Threadbare, a campaign to defend Muslims and South Asians against the Canadian government's post-9/11 national security policy. This policy has been controversial. I.S. members and others believe that it is prone to abuse by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. The I.S. and other individuals stopped working in Project Threadbare in the spring of 2004 following the occupation of an MPs office by members of the coalition acting without a mandate of the entire coalition (read statements: Aftermath of Sgro Occupation, Founding and Organizing Members Leave Threadbare). RCMP redirects here. ... “CSIS” redirects here. ...

Student component

Since the mid-1980s when the group took a political turn towards the student movement, much of the I.S.' work occurs on university campuses and most of their members are either university students or joined while in university. It was once quite active at the University of Toronto where one member became president of the Student Administrative Council as part of a broader left wing slate. The University of Toronto (U of T) is a public research university in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

The group is active at York University, the University of Toronto, Trent University, and the University of Victoria. Its largest influence among students is in Ottawa, especially at Carleton University where it is one of the largest political groups with leading members in the Carleton University Students' Association, the Graduate Students' Association, CUPE Local 4600 and the Student Coalition Against War. Originating from the Carleton I.S. branch, the I.S. has now launched a student-oriented publication, The Agitator. The I.S. has a lesser presence at the University of Ottawa and several Cégeps in Gatineau. York University (French: Université York), located in Toronto, Ontario, is Canadas third-largest university and has produced several of the countrys top leaders in the fields of law, politics, business, space sciences, and fine arts. ... The University of Toronto (U of T) is a public research university in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Trent University is a liberal arts oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. ... The University of Victoria (usually known as UVic, though originally as U of V) is located in Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (northeast of Victoria). ... This article is about the university in Ottawa, Ontario. ... The Carleton University Students Association (or CUSA) is a non-profit corporation that represents the undergraduate students at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. ... The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE, French: Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique) is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector - although it has in recent years organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well. ... For the university in Ottawa, Kansas, see Ottawa University. ... Motto: Fortunae meae, multorum faber[1] Location of Gatineau in Quebec, Canada Coordinates: , Country  Canada Province  Quebec Administrative Region Outaouais Amalgamated 2002 Government  - Mayor Marc Bureau  - Governing body Gatineau City Council  - MPs Lawrence Cannon, Richard Nadeau, Marcel Proulx  - MNAs Roch Cholette, Stéphanie Vallée, Charlotte LÉcuyer, Norman MacMillan...

Political stances

Unlike much of the mainstream left in Canada, the International Socialists oppose Left Nationalism, which argues that Canada is a colony or dependency of the United States. The I.S. maintains that Canada is a leading capitalist country with an independent ruling class that carries out its own acts of imperialism. At the same time, members of the I.S., including members of its steering committee, were also members of the left nationalist Council of Canadians as recently as 2002. The Council of Canadians is a left-wing think tank in Canada that was founded in 1985. ...

The group supports international socialism and Québécois and First Nations struggles for self-determination, up to and including independence. In Quebec, the I.S. does not, however, support the separatist Parti Québécois. The I.S. is involved in Québec Solidaire, a merger of the Union des Forces Progressistes and the Option Citoyenne. The province of Quebec shown in red. ... First Nations is a Canadian term of ethnicity which refers to the aboriginal peoples located in what is now Canada, and their descendants who are neither Inuit nor Métis. ... The Parti Québécois (PQ) is a political party that advocates national sovereignty for the Canadian province of Quebec and secession from Canada, as well as social democratic policies and has traditionally had support from the labour movement. ... Québec solidaire is a broadly left-wing and sovereignist political party in Quebec, Canada, that was created on February 4, 2006 in Montreal. ... The Union des forces progressistes (UFP) is a left wing political party in Quebec, Canada. ...

The International Socialists argue for "critical support" of the New Democratic Party on the federal and provincial levels. In 2003, members of the I.S. worked on Joe Comartin's NDP leadership campaign despite the fact that I.S. members generally do not join the NDP. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Joe Comartin (born 1947) is a Canadian labour lawyer and politician. ... The 2003 New Democratic Party leadership race to replace New Democratic Party of Canada leader Alexa McDonough ended January 25, 2003 with the first ballot victory of popular Toronto city councillor Jack Layton. ...

Criticism

Some in the NDP view IS electoral support for the NDP as an attempt to recruit its members. Other groups and individual leftists are critical of the I.S.'s orientation toward movements, claiming that it tries to take over groups and dominates them in an undemocratic manner, particularly in Toronto where the I.S. is strongest. Smaller socialist groups, such as the International Bolshevik Tendency and the Spartacists, and various anarchists describe the I.S. as left social democrats who are insincere about militancy and revolution. Socialist Action argues that the I.S. does not involve itself in campaigns it cannot recruit from and criticizes its role in labour politics for over-adapting to union bureaucracy. [1] The International Bolshevik Tendency is a Trotskyist international organisation. ... The International Communist League (Fourth Internationalist) (formerly the International Spartacist Tendency) is a Trotskyist international organisation. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... For other uses, see Revolution (disambiguation). ... See also Socialist Action (UK). ...

The I.S. is also criticized for its role in the peace movement in Toronto where it has an influential position in the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War. The June 30th Committee, an independent Toronto anti-war group, argues that TCSW was decisively influenced by the I.S. to sabotage their demonstration on June 30, 2004. It did so by calling a demonstration for the same time and location as the J30 demonstration and then proceeded to split the demonstration. One account can be found Toronto's Now Magazine [2] TCSW and I.S. members dispute this account. Other detractors argue that the I.S. did the same thing again for an emergency rally in November 2004 called by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty. A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war (or all wars), minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Newspaper stubs | Toronto media | Canadian alternative weekly newspapers ... The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is a group of anti-poverty activists in Ontario, Canada, that uses direct action to fight for the rights of the poor and homeless. ...

The I.S. has been criticized for its alleged role in undermining an anti-racist demonstration in Ottawa in May 1993. Strong criticisms of the I.S. were made in the second edition of Warren Kinsella's book Web of Hate and in the anarchist magazine Arm the Spirit. [3] Regarding this incident, the Spartacist League produced a leaflet entitled "Love the liberals, trust the cops, and be somewhere else". This article is about the capital city of Canada. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Warren Kinsella in his basement Warren Kinsella should not be confused with Canadian author W. P. Kinsella. ... Anarchist redirects here. ... Popularly referred to as the Spartacist League or the Sparts, the International Communist League (Fourth Internationalist) — formerly the International Spartacist Tendency — is a Trotskyist international organisation based primarily in the United States. ...

External links

• International Socialists web site
• International Socialist Tendency
• Origins of the International Socialists, on the Socialist History Project web site
• Canadian International Socialist faction fight documents (1986)
• Documents from 1994-96 Canadian IS faction fights

References