People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER)

Glenn Beck and other right-wing pundits have drummed up the fear of a socialist takeover of U.S. society. At a time when capitalism is throwing millions of people deeper into poverty and continuing to poison Mother Earth while engorging a few financial speculators, this is sadly more rhetoric than reality. Not only don’t we yet have a strong movement that can challenge capitalism, white supremacy and patriarchy, we also don’t have a vision that can unite our different struggles and we don’t have a movement that can play different roles at different times. But we have built organizations and institutions that could bring such a movement into being if we act in a coordinated way. And the times are on our side. It is the time for bold action for those of us who see the need to move beyond the capitalist system and who are building the capacity of oppressed and marginalized communities to fight for this change to take seriously the challenges of building a multi-issue, grassroots movement that can win liberation for all people and the planet. This workshop will bring together activists, organizers and leaders to explore a vision of a 21st century socialism that can unite our movements and to sketch out a plan to make this vision a reality— and to make the right’s worst nightmares come true.

Glenn Beck and other right-wing pundits have drummed up the fear of a socialist takeover of U.S. society. At a time when capitalism is throwing millions of people deeper into poverty and continuing to poison Mother Earth while engorging a few financial speculators, this is sadly more rhetoric than reality. Not only don’t we yet have a strong movement that can challenge capitalism, white supremacy and patriarchy, we also don’t have a vision that can unite our different struggles and we don’t have a movement that can play different roles at different times. But we have built organizations and institutions that could bring such a movement into being if we act in a coordinated way. And the times are on our side. It is the time for bold action for those of us who see the need to move beyond the capitalist system and who are building the capacity of oppressed and marginalized communities to fight for this change to take seriously the challenges of building a multi-issue, grassroots movement that can win liberation for all people and the planet. This workshop will bring together activists, organizers and leaders to explore a vision of a 21st century socialism that can unite our movements and to sketch out a plan to make this vision a reality— and to make the right’s worst nightmares come true.