Socialist Alternative
LeaderCollective leadership
Founded1986 (as Labour Militant)
HeadquartersVancouver, BC
NewspaperSocialist Alternative
IdeologyRevolutionary socialism
Marxism
Trotskyism
Political positionFar-left
International affiliationInternational Socialist Alternative
ColoursRed
Website
socialistalternative.ca

Socialist Alternative is a socialist group in Canada active in youth and student activities,[1] unions, environmental movements, and campaigns for economic and social justice.[2] Socialist Alternative works under the belief that capitalism is incapable of providing a society wherein the majority thrive.[3]

The group was founded as Labour Militant in 1986, a faction within the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP). It withdrew from the NDP in 1996 and called instead for the creation of a new workers' party due to the drift of the NDP and other social democratic parties around the world towards liberal policies, particularly the Third Way and Blairism as inspired by then British Labour Party leader Tony Blair. Labour Militant changed its name to Socialist Resistance before adopting the name Socialist Alternative in 1999[4]

In British Columbia, Socialist Alternative endorsed and campaigned for the BC Federation of Labour's "Fight for 15" campaign for a $15 minimum wage.[5]

It works closely with Alternative Socialiste in Quebec and is affiliated with International Socialist Alternative,[6] an international socialist organization. The ISA section in the United States, which has the same name, attracted attention in Seattle with the election of now-former city councillor Kshama Sawant in 2013.[7][8]

Political views

For general information about Socialist Alternative's politics, see International Socialist Alternative and Trotskyism.

References

  1. ^ http://undergraduateethnography.org/sites/default/files/papers/JUE%20Volume%202%20Issue%202%20%28whole%29.pdf#page=50[bare URL PDF]
  2. ^ "Endorsers - Social Housing Now!". www.socialhousingbc.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015.
  3. ^ "Who We Are".
  4. ^ "Socialist Alternative". www.oocities.org.
  5. ^ "Campaign Endorsers". Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  6. ^ "Listing of International Trotskyist Tendencies". www.marxists.org.
  7. ^ Brunner, Jim. "Sawant ally takes on powerful Frank Chopp in Seattle race for Statehouse | Local News". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  8. ^ "A Socialist Wins in Seattle". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
Categories