Which of these organisations should I join, Sydney AUS.
March 9, 2018 5:27 AM Subscribe
Hey, I'm a uni student currently living on occupied Darug land, and travelling into the city for uni several days a week. I'm looking to get more involved in activism and things this year and was wondering if anyone on metafilter had comments on either joining the IWW (barebones site right-now), or continuing my just initiated relationship with either Solidarity or the Socialist Alliance.
I've done a little teensy bit of stuff for GetUp before, just phone stuff, not even leaving the house. I want to be more active than whatever I can do from behind a computer/phone and beyond that, I'm not particularly confident in their theory. I've also joined my uni's queer action collective, and I intend to go to what rallies and things I can in association with that. I don't present as particularly queer though and my experiences are somewhat limited, so I was even a little scared to join in the first place and would like to be involved with something I feel a little more comfortable being active in.
I don't know that I've ever heard a bad thing about the IWW. Just thinking of the grand old union makes my head spin with hope for a better future. But it's not an organisation (henceforth org) thats been very active in Australia in recent decades and I don't know whether it could be viewed as a waste of my time in some way or hopelessly naive to think that industrial unionism could challenge or even help the established trade union system here in any way. I mostly want to join them, but I don't really know what they do specifically here in greater Sydney.
I've just come off talking to a Solidarity member about getting involved with them further, I'm not actually sure but I may have actually joined them already in a sense. They seem good, describe themselves as unconventional Trotskyists which is not anathema to my beliefs as I understand them.
I've also definitely joined the Socialist Alliance, or at least their youth group. I'm shying away from them, but still without really knowing the core of their beliefs. I'm feeling quite overwhelmed by all the different groups and fairly frequent contact from them regarding attendance of things.
I'm still really unsure of and relatively newly come into my radical leftist views over the past 4 years since tumblr feminism brought me into the left. I'm only 21, so I'm aware these things may/will continue to shift and form over time but I want to be involved and participating in these things now, while I am young and able and possessed of more time. I want to be involved with a larger group that can teach me more about organising and collective action but am unsure where I should go.
I want an org that is yknow, intersectional, anti-imperialist etc. I don't mind if they're involved in direct action. I want an org that will show solidarity in a wider spirit while still condeming the corrosion of the centre left and their rampant neoliberal ways.
Perhaps this is asking way too much, but if anyone has any opinions on the three main orgs I've mentioned here or even wants to pitch another option (provided they have local presence). No matter what, I'm going to try and be aware of the more general, widespread events but I feel I should try and be involved with something specific. Any advice welcome.
I've done a little teensy bit of stuff for GetUp before, just phone stuff, not even leaving the house. I want to be more active than whatever I can do from behind a computer/phone and beyond that, I'm not particularly confident in their theory. I've also joined my uni's queer action collective, and I intend to go to what rallies and things I can in association with that. I don't present as particularly queer though and my experiences are somewhat limited, so I was even a little scared to join in the first place and would like to be involved with something I feel a little more comfortable being active in.
I don't know that I've ever heard a bad thing about the IWW. Just thinking of the grand old union makes my head spin with hope for a better future. But it's not an organisation (henceforth org) thats been very active in Australia in recent decades and I don't know whether it could be viewed as a waste of my time in some way or hopelessly naive to think that industrial unionism could challenge or even help the established trade union system here in any way. I mostly want to join them, but I don't really know what they do specifically here in greater Sydney.
I've just come off talking to a Solidarity member about getting involved with them further, I'm not actually sure but I may have actually joined them already in a sense. They seem good, describe themselves as unconventional Trotskyists which is not anathema to my beliefs as I understand them.
I've also definitely joined the Socialist Alliance, or at least their youth group. I'm shying away from them, but still without really knowing the core of their beliefs. I'm feeling quite overwhelmed by all the different groups and fairly frequent contact from them regarding attendance of things.
I'm still really unsure of and relatively newly come into my radical leftist views over the past 4 years since tumblr feminism brought me into the left. I'm only 21, so I'm aware these things may/will continue to shift and form over time but I want to be involved and participating in these things now, while I am young and able and possessed of more time. I want to be involved with a larger group that can teach me more about organising and collective action but am unsure where I should go.
I want an org that is yknow, intersectional, anti-imperialist etc. I don't mind if they're involved in direct action. I want an org that will show solidarity in a wider spirit while still condeming the corrosion of the centre left and their rampant neoliberal ways.
Perhaps this is asking way too much, but if anyone has any opinions on the three main orgs I've mentioned here or even wants to pitch another option (provided they have local presence). No matter what, I'm going to try and be aware of the more general, widespread events but I feel I should try and be involved with something specific. Any advice welcome.
Best answer: You might also want to check out the Socialist Alternative. I ran into the Sydney Uni chapter a while back and they seemed like a nice bunch. And they seem to tick your boxes on intersectionality...etc.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 10:06 PM on March 9, 2018
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 10:06 PM on March 9, 2018
Best answer: have you considered joining the 'left renewal'-ish grouping within the NSW Greens? obviously quite a different structure to the other groups but since you've helped out with GetUp maybe you're open to that? I live in melbourne and wish I could join :(
posted by Roger Schredderer at 10:59 PM on March 9, 2018
posted by Roger Schredderer at 10:59 PM on March 9, 2018
Response by poster: Hey ppl, thanks for the input. I'm going to go to a few reading groups with the Trotskyists but am not planning to commit too seriously in that regard. I'm not considering running for office, something much more in the vein of talking lots about and flyering, etc.
Socialist Alternative, or SAlt as we call them, are widely considered a little suspect as an org on campus, unfortunately, because their events always seem cool. I try not to discount them but I won't be joining them myself.
As far as the Greens go, I'm still open to some of their stuff and will probably end up at some of their rallies etc to show solidarity but am not sure I want to openly stan for them right now.
I joined the IWW, I don't think much will come of it at this point in time, but I feel good about having gone with that and being in their newsletter etc as I am a big fan of their style of action.
posted by AnhydrousLove at 8:44 AM on March 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Socialist Alternative, or SAlt as we call them, are widely considered a little suspect as an org on campus, unfortunately, because their events always seem cool. I try not to discount them but I won't be joining them myself.
As far as the Greens go, I'm still open to some of their stuff and will probably end up at some of their rallies etc to show solidarity but am not sure I want to openly stan for them right now.
I joined the IWW, I don't think much will come of it at this point in time, but I feel good about having gone with that and being in their newsletter etc as I am a big fan of their style of action.
posted by AnhydrousLove at 8:44 AM on March 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by parmanparman at 9:01 PM on March 9, 2018