Committee for a Workers' International (1974)

For other uses, see Committee for a Workers' International (disambiguation).

Committee for a Workers' International

Emblem
Abbreviation	CWI
Successor	International Socialist Alternative and Committee for a Workers' International (2019)
Formation	21 April 1974
Type	Association of Trotskyist political parties
Headquarters	London
Region served	Worldwide
Membership	35 sections (until 2019)

The Committee for a Workers' International (CWI) was an international association of Trotskyist political parties. Today, two groups claim to be the continuation of the CWI.

History

Founding

The origins of the CWI can be traced to a group of British trotskyists which were expelled from the USFI in 1965, ^[1] after disagreements regarding the Colonial Revolution, Gurrilerism, Studentism and the post war boom. But it is not till 1974 that they set about building an international. 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 Militant (or the Militant tendency), from 12 countries including Britain, Ireland and Sweden. ^{[2] [3] [4]} 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and his supporters sought official faction status within the organisation, which was granted for some time, but later was revoked by the leadership. ^[5] Ted Grant and his supporters were expelled and founded the International Marxist Tendency.

Since their Open Turn CWI sections have, in a number of countries, stood candidates under their own name. One section has representation in a state parliament, the Socialist Party, which at its height had three TDs in Dáil Éireann in the Republic of Ireland. The CWI also has elected members in a number of regional legislatures or local councils in Sweden; (Germany) (members of The Left); Pakistan; Sri Lanka; and the United States, where Socialist Alternative elected Kshama Sawant to Seattle City Council in 2013 and again in 2015. ^[6] In the 2005 Sri Lankan presidential elections the CWI affiliate, the United Socialist Party, came third (with 0.4%). ^[7]

Supporters of the CWI launched a youth organisation, International Socialist Resistance, in 2001. ^[8]

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. ^[9] However, one of the elected members of the Socialist Party has since left the party to continue as an independent. ^[10] 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.

Split

See also: International Socialist Alternative § History

In 2018 and 2019, a dispute developed in around the questions of socialism and identity politics, ^{[11] [12]} the role of the trade unions and the working-class movement, and under what programme and how Marxists should organise internationally and domestically. This led to a multifaceted split. The dispute divided the leading bodies of the CWI, with International Secretariat and International Executive Committee taking conflicting positions.

One group, which had founded the “In Defence of a Working Class and Trotskyist CWI” (IDWCTCWI) faction in November 2018 in support of the CWI's International Secretariat, declared in July 2019 that they had refounded the CWI. ^{[13] [14]}

A second group, in support of the majority of the CWI's International Executive Committee, declared itself the CWI Majority in August 2019 and renamed itself International Socialist Alternative on 1 February 2020. It asserted that the CWI had not dissolved but that the IDWCTCWI had split from the CWI. ^{[15] [16]}

A third group, which had split from the IDWCTCWI earlier, declared it had left the CWI entirely and formed International Revolutionary Left in July 2019. ^[17]

Structure

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.

^{[18] [19] [20]}

Sections

Section	Name	English Translation	Alignment
Australia	Socialist Action (formerly the Socialist Party)		IS [21]
Austria	Sozialistische LinksPartei Sozialistische Offensive	Socialist Left Party Socialist Offensive	ISA [22] CWI (2019) [23]
Belgium	Linkse Socialistische Partij / Parti Socialiste de Lutte	Left Socialist Party / Socialist Party of Struggle	ISA [22]
Brazil	Liberdade, Socialismo e Revolução	Freedom, Socialism and Revolution	ISA [22]
Canada	Socialist Alternative		ISA [22]
Chile	Socialismo Revolucionario	Revolutionary Socialism	CWI (2019) [23]
China	中国劳工论坛 Zhōngguó Láogōng Lùntán	China Worker Forum	ISA [22]
Cyprus	Νέα Διεθνιστική Αριστερά / Yeni Enternasyonalist Sol Nea Diethnistike Aristera	New Internationalist Left	IS [21]
Czech Republic	Socialistická alternativa Budoucnost	Socialist Alternative Future	ISA [22]
England and   Wales	Socialist Party Socialist Alternative		CWI (2019) [23] ISA [24]
France	Gauche révolutionnaire	Revolutionary Left	CWI (2019) [23]
Germany	Sozialistische Alternative (SAV) Sozialistische Organisation Solidarität - (Sol) [25] Offensiv	Socialist Alternative Socialist Organisation Solidarity Offensive	ISA [22] CWI (2019) [23] [25] IRL [17]
Greece	Ξεκίνημα Xekinima	Start	IS [21]
Hong Kong	社會主義行動 Sekuizyuji =Haangdung	Socialist Action	ISA [22]
India	New Socialist Alternative		CWI (2019) [23]
Ireland (Republic and North)	Socialist Party / Páirtí Sóisialach Militant Left RISE		ISA [22] CWI (2019) [23] N/A
Israel and   Palestine	حركة النضال الاشتراكي / מאבק סוציאליסטי Ma'avak Sotzialisti / Harakat a-Nidal al-Ishtiraki	Socialist Struggle	ISA [22]
Italy	Resistenze Internazionali	International Resistance	ISA [22]
Ivory Coast	Militant Côte d'Ivoire	Militant Ivory Coast	ISA [22]
Malaysia	Sosialis Alternatif	Socialist Alternative	CWI (2019) [23]
Mexico	Aternativa Socialista México	Socialist Alternative Mexico	ISA [22]
Netherlands	Socialistisch Alternatief	Socialist Alternative	ISA [22]
Nigeria	Democratic Socialist Movement Movement for a Socialist Alternative [26] Revolutionary Socialist Movement		CWI (2019) ISA [26] IS [21]
Poland	Alternatywa Socjalistyczna	Socialist Alternative	ISA [22]
Portugal	Socialismo Revolucionário	Revolutionary Socialism	IRL [27]
Quebec	Alternative socialiste	Socialist Alternative	ISA [22]
Romania	Mâna de Lucru	Hand of Labour	ISA [22]
Russia	Социалистическая Альтернатива Socialisticheskaya Alternativa	Socialist Alternative	ISA [22]
Scotland	Socialist Party Scotland		CWI (2019) [23]
South Africa	Workers and Socialist Party (WASP) Marxist Workers Party [28]		ISA [29] CWI (2019) [23] [28]
Spain	Izquierda Revolucionaria	Revolutionary Socialism	IRL [27]
Sri Lanka	එක්සත් සමාජවාදි පකෂය / ஐக்கிய சோசலிச கட்சி Eksath Samajavadi Pakshaya / Aikkiy Cōcalic Kaṭci	United Socialist Party	CWI (2019) [23]
Sudan	البديل الاشتراكي al-Badil al-Ishtiraki	Socialist Alternative	ISA [22]
Sweden	Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna	Socialist Justice Party	ISA [22]
Taiwan	國際社會主義前進 Guójì Shèhuì Zhǔyì Qiánjìn	International Socialist Forward	IS [21]
Tunisia	البديل الاشتراكي al-Badil al-Ishtiraki	Socialist Alternative	ISA [22]
Turkey	Sosyalist Alternatif	Socialist Alternative	IS [21]
United States	Socialist Alternative Independent Socialist Group		ISA [22] CWI (2019) [30]
Venezuela	Izquierda Revolucionaria	Revolutionary Socialism	IRL [27]

Associated organisations

• Youth against Racism in Europe

See also

• List of Trotskyist internationals
• Revolutionary socialism

References

1. "Ted Grant – Programme of the International".
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. "A History of the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI): Foundation".
5. The 'Open Turn' debate. marxist.net. Retrieved 17 July 2014
6. "King County Elections" (PDF). your.kingcounty.gov. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
7. United Socialist Party (CWI) comes third in presidential election Archived 10 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine . socialistworld.net. Retrieved 17 August 2007
8. 500+ at Brussels ISR conference Archived 22 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine . socialistworld.net. Retrieved 17 July 2014
9. Elections Ireland: 31st Dáil. electionsireland.org. Retrieved 17 July 2014
10. "Daly departure to hit allowances". The Irish Times .
11. "Socialist Party documents illustrate criticism from international comrades". The Irish Times .Irish Times
12. Sell, Hannah; secretary, Socialist Party deputy general (29 February 2020). "Socialists debate identity politics -" . Retrieved 29 February 2020.
13. Sell, Hannah. "Britain: Socialist Party conference overwhelmingly supports refounding CWI". socialistworld.net. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
14. "Taaffe expels his majority – Weekly Worker". weeklyworker.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
15. Koritz, Joshua (26 July 2019). "Bureaucratic Coup Will Not Stop CWI Majority from Building a Strong Revolutionary Socialist International! | Socialist Alternative" . Retrieved 5 August 2019.
16. Alternative, International Socialist (4 February 2020). "Announcement || Welcome to Our New Website!". International Socialist Alternative.
17. "Founding Congress of the International Revolutionary Left". Izquierda Revolucionaria. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
18. Taaffe, P. 2004. A Socialist World is Possible. CWI Publications & Socialist Books, p.51
19. Building the socialist alternative around the world, socialistworld.net, 27 December 2002.
20. Thesis for the International Executive Committee (IEC) of the CWI 2013, socialistworld.net, 22 November 2013.
21. "Launching Internationalist Standpoint". 31 January 2021.
22. "Bureaucratic Coup Will Not Stop CWI Majority from Building a Strong Revolutionary Socialist International!". 26 July 2019.
23. "CWI-Worldwide |".
24. "A new chapter for revolutionary socialism in Britain". socialistalternative.net. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019.
25. "Der Kampf für Sozialismus geht weiter". 8 September 2019.
26. "Introducing Movement for a Socialist Alternative". International Socialist Alternative. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
27. "Inicio". Izquierda Revolucionaria. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
28. "The Founding of the Marxist Workers Party". marxistworkersparty.org.za. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019.
29. "The Workers and Socialist Party remains a force for working class unity". 7 September 2019.
30. Bilsky, Jacob; Group, Independent Socialist (19 March 2020). "United States: Private healthcare exposed as Trump throws money at markets -" . Retrieved 19 March 2020.

External links

• A history of the CWI
• A selection of documents arising from the 2019 split - A selection of documents from both sides of the 2019 debate
• Continuing the Fight for International Socialism - ISA perspective on the split.