By iso, on April 2nd, 2012
The Bitter Fruit of Racism in America: Trayvon Martin and the New Movement Against Racism
 Thursday, April 5, 6pm
at AS220 Mercantile Building
135 Washington St., Providence
For information, call 401-400-0373 or email info@risocialism.org.
RSVP on Facebook.
The horrific murder of Trayvon Martin has sparked a new movement against racism in America. Drawing its energy from much the same sources that sparked the Arab Spring revolutions and the Occupy Movement last year, this new movement is drawing thousands of people into activism for the first time. But big questions are posed by this murder and the response to it: why isn’t America “post-racial”? Where does racism come from? How can it be ended? Join us for this discussion.
Be sure to follow the coverage of the new anti-racist movement at socialistworker.org.
By iso, on March 4th, 2012
 Trotsky’s Theory of the United Front
Weekly Branch Meeting of the
International Socialist Organization, Providence
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 6pm
at the AS220 Mercantile Building
135 Washington St., Studio #206
For information, call 401-484-1733
or email info@risocialism.org.
RSVP on Facebook
Russian Revolutionary Leon Trotsky most clearly formulated the theory of the United Front, a particular tactic that aimed both to unite workers in struggle and also to prove the superiority of revolutionary politics in practice. While revolutionaries face a vastly situation today, there are still very important lessons to be learned from the theory. Join us at the weekly ISO branch meeting for this discussion!
Check out the original essay On the United Front
And also an abridged version with introduction from the International Socialist Review
By iso, on November 7th, 2011
The Communist Manifesto
Wednesday, November 9, 9pm
at Occupy Providence, Burnside Park
The Communist Manifesto is the founding document of modern socialism, a devastating critique of the capitalist system and at the same time a call for a new society built by the united action of workers the world over. Written over 150 years ago, the Manifesto is nonetheless completely pertinent to today’s discussions of why capitalism has failed the bottom 99% and what we can do to overcome it.Paul Hubbard will lead a discussion of history’s most important document for changing today’s world.
Recommended reading:
The Communist Manifesto on marxists.org
The Relevance of the Manifesto Today
Why we need a new women’s movement
Friday, November 11, 8pm (NOTE TIME CHANGE)
at Occupy Providence, Burnside Park
With the rise of raunch culture, sexism in our society has reached new lows. There are even discussions within the Occupy Movement about the role of sexism in dividing the movement, and the need to fight sexism within the movement itself. Yet shortly before the rise of this movement, this year saw the explosion of the Slutwalks, an international phenomenon that brought the question of sexism to the fore. What is the structure of sexism today, and how can we fight it most effectively? What contribution can the Occupy Movement make to the fight against sexism? And what would women’s liberation ultimately look like? Mary Rapien will kick off a discussion of what it will take to bring about a revolution in gender equality.
Recommended Reading:
Sparks of a New Women’s Movement
The Roots of Sexual Assault
For information, call 401-484-1733 or email info@risocialism.org.
RSVP on Facebook.
By iso, on October 31st, 2011
 What would Socialism look like?
Tuesday, November 1, 8:30pm
at Occupy Providence, Burnside Park
This is one of the most common questions that people coming to radical ideas first raise. It’s difficult to imagine a completely different society based on collective democratic control of all aspects of the society, not to mention the struggle to achieve it. But as Marx put it, “Communism is for us not a state of affairs which is to be established, an ideal to which reality [will] have to adjust itself. We call communism the real movement which abolishes the present state of things. The conditions of this movement result from the premises now in existence.” So if the seed of this “new society” is already present in the husk of the old, how do we make socialism blossom? And what will that look like?
The fight against oppression and the struggle for economic justice: what’s the link?
Thursday, November 3, 9:00pm
at Occupy Providence, Burnside Park
A big question for the Occupy Movement has been the question of special oppressions: racism, sexism, homophobia, nationalism. For some, these are “side issues” that are not directly applicable to the slogan “We Are the 99%”. For others–especially socialists–the struggle for the 99% must take into account the oppression of sections of that group. How are we to understand the differences–but also the linkages–in these struggles? Join us for this discussion of a pressing issue in the movement.
For more information, call 401-484-1733 or email info@risocialism.org.
RSVP on Facebook.
By iso, on October 24th, 2011
 Who are the 99%?
Tuesday, October 25, 9pm
at Occupy Providence, Burnside Park
RSVP on Facebook
The slogan “we are the 99%” has been extremely useful in galvanizing the new Occupy Everywhere movement against corporate greed. But if we are the 99%, why isn’t everyone (except the 1%) joining the protests? Why do some people in the 99% watch Fox News and vote Republican? Are the cops in the 99%? And how do the rampant racism and sexism in our society factor in to the question of the 99%? Join us for this open discussion!
The Original Occupation: The Paris Commune
Thursday, October 27, 9pm
at Occupy Providence, Burnside Park
RSVP on Facebook
The Occupy Everywhere movement has dramatically altered the political discourse in the United States and internationally – and it has brought thousands of new people in to political activism. This new political awakening has much to learn from its predecessor, the Paris Commune of 1871. For the two months that it occupied Paris, the Commune invented new forms of democracy and showed the potential for a human society based not on capitalist greed, but on the collective and cooperative efforts of workers. Join us for a discussion of this important chapter of our history and its lessons for today.
For more information, call 401-484-1733 or email info@risocialism.org.
By iso, on October 18th, 2011
 Thursday, October 20, 8pm
at Occupy Providence
Come and find out more about the alternative to capitalist greed and exploitation! Join the International Socialist Organization immediately after the General Assembly for a discussion of the real meaning of socialism and how we can leave the capitalist system in the dust. Discussion will be kicked off by Alan Hague, socialist, musician, and occupier.
(Note: in case of rain, we will hold the meeting in Wilson Hall 205 at Brown University.)
For information, call 401-484-1733 or email info@risocialism.org
RSVP on Facebook
By iso, on September 17th, 2011
 Thursday, September 22, 7:30 pm
Salomon Hall room 202, Brown University
For information, call 401-484-1733
or email info@risocialism.org
Attacks on abortion rights and Planned Parenthood driving you nuts? Daily doses of cat-calls and sex that sells pissing you off? The eruption of Slutwalks far and wide, from the first in Toronto to one here in Providence, RI on September 17, shows that many people are sick of the blame-the-victim approach to explaining sexual violence against women and the erosion of a woman’s right to choose. Join us for a discussion of how we got here, and how we can fight back.
Guest Speaker: Natalia Tylim, co-organizer of Slutwalk NYC and member of the International Socialist Organization.
By iso, on September 16th, 2011
 The State of Georgia is attempting to execute an innocent man – again.
The case against Troy Davis is built on sand. Troy’s case has long stood as one of the worst examples of the bias and flaws inherent in the death penalty system. He was convicted of murdering off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989, but there has long been compelling evidence of his innocence. Even so, Georgia officials are pushing to kill Troy – and have scheduled his execution for 7 p.m. on September 21. He was convicted largely based on the testimony of eyewitnesses, but seven of the nine witnesses who testified against Troy at his original trial have since recanted, with several saying they were coerced by police into falsely identifying Troy as the man who shot MacPhail.
RALLY and SPEAK OUT to stop the execution of Troy Davis! Join an international day of action!
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 5PM
Federal Building adjacent to Kennedy Plaza
Call 401-484-1733 for more information or to co-sponsor the rally!
By iso, on August 13th, 2011
 Thursday, August 18, 7pm Wilson Hall room 103, Brown University
For information, call 401-484-1733
or email info@risocialism.org.
Since Reagan fired the air traffic controllers and destroyed the PATCO union 30 years ago, workers have suffered through an uninterrupted assault on our wages, working conditions, and rights on the job. Though there have been some valiant struggles – the Hormel strike in 1986, the Illinois “War Zone” strikes in 1993-95, the UPS strike in 1997, and the short wave of strikes that followed it – nonetheless, unions have been hit hard. At the time of PATCO, unions organized 28% of workers in the US. Today, that number is less than 12% and falling. And, where public sector unions were previously considered safe, they too are now under the gun.
The current strike at Verizon shows much of the promise of organized labor, but also the challenges that a new labor movement will have to overcome: a determined scabbing operation, a company bent on making its profitable sectors non-union, and two political parties that agree on making workers pay for the economic crisis.
Join us for this discussion!
By iso, on August 3rd, 2011
 ISO Providence Weekly Branch Meeting
Thursday, August 4, 7pm
Wilson Hall 103, Brown University
For information, call 401-484-1733 or
…email info@risocialism.org.
While many on the liberal left were upset about the outcome of the Debt Ceiling Debacle, the truth is actually worse than they think. There can be no doubt that the final deal will be disastrous for workers and the poor in this country. But what makes it worse is that, for all the braying of the Teabaggers, the real attack was led by Obama himself. This was not an “abject surrender” on the part of the administration; the deal is in fact exactly what Obama said he wanted as early as 2009. The truth is that it’s the Democrats who want to inflict pain on working people – and we must build an alternative to their two-capitalist-party system if we want to have any hope of fighting back. We recommend this article from Socialist Worker as an important introduction.
Also at this meeting, we’ll discuss organizing for the Providence Slutwalk on September 17 and the upcoming Verizon Contract Deadline. Join us!
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Get Involved! Our Providence branch meets every Thursday at 6PM at the AS220 Mercantile Building, 135 Washington St., Studio 206. Our Brown University branch also meets Thursday at 7 PM in Salomon Hall 202, Brown University.
For more information or transportation assistance, contact info@risocialism.org or 401-484-1733. You can also find us on Facebook. |
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