Report on Committees of Correspondence Convention/Symposium
"Helping to Build a Progressive Majority "
By Mark SolomonIn a mood of urgency and optimism, delegates and observers from throughout the country gathered for the 5th National Convention of the Commmittees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism in Chicago, July 20-24. With the theme of the convention "Helping to Build a Progressive Majority "convention participants grappled with the political, organizational and educational requirements for realizing a powerful coalition of left and center to defeat the right in 2006 and 2008, and to set the country firmly on a path for peace, justice and equality.
Through panels led by prominent activists, debate and discussion centered on a "Peace and Justice Agenda" and an action program to advance the coalescing of a progressive majority. Workshops on peace and global policy, economic and social justice, constitutional rights and organizing youth discussed the basic programmatic and organizational elements needed for building left-center cooperation.
Recognizing the need to advance a socialist vision as essential to reinvigorating the socialist left and strengthening its role in building left-center unity, a panel probed the economic foundations and moral values that must define a resurgence of the socialist project. David Schweickart, author of "After Capitalism," focused on the building of a thoroughgoing democratization of the workplace through workersâ' control of societyâ's economic mainsprings. Dr. Mary Louise Patterson presented a moving "letter" from an imagined great- great-great grandchild writing from a socialist future, puzzled about a past world of oppression and war. Carl Bloice, CCDS leader, spoke of the fundamental achievement of equality and the elimination of all forms of injustice as an essence of socialism.
A panel on building the socialist left within the progressive movement featured Howard Wallace, a founder of the AFL-CIO's Pride at Work, and CCDS executive committee member Mildred Williamson who explored the interrelationships of class, race and gender as the decisive social bases and driving forces for building a progressive majority. Anti-war and CCDS leader Carl Davidson and Chicago political activist Ronelle Mustin offered examples of concrete methods for building grass- roots electoral coalitions and their current political contexts.
The convention was enriched by international guests Julio Chávez, mayor of Carora, Venezuela, Helmut Scholz, political coordinator of the new European Party of the Left, and by a stirring message from a representative of the African National Congress. Chávez, who was on a U.S. tour, brought cheers with his descriptions of how his city has been transformed by the empowerment of the community in all major decision- making including the cityâ's budget aimed at creating a better life for the majority. Scholz discussed the formation of an inclusive 18-party European left coalition working together to defend and advance the interests of workers, students, women, seniors, gays, national minorities and all who are negatively effected by corporate globalization.
An evening workshop led by famed poet Amiri Baraka on youth, culture and hip-hop was moved by Barakaâ's poetry that forged links between capitalism, war, racism, patriarchy and anti-Semitism while also stressing the vital ways in which the arts impact social change. A panel of young hip-hop activists explored the problems and prospects of that art form in advancing a powerful progressive movement.
A Peace and Justice Agenda and Plan of Work were adopted as working documents to be refined by the membership of CCDS in the process of contributing to defeating the right in coming elections and building a progressive majority. A special session was devoted to strengthening CCDSâ's Socialist Education Project. Among adopted resolutions were calls for an immediate cessation of wars and occupation in the Middle East, an end to U.S. intervention in Cuba and Venezuela, and for widespread support of the Conyers universal health insurance bill. Additional resolutions addressed the deepening of democratic participation within CCDS.
National co-chairs James Campbell, Leslie Cagan, Charlene Mitchell and Mark Solomon, were elected, as well as 15 members of the National Coordinating Committee. Another round of balloting to elect an additional 15 members will be held by membership mail ballot. The convention election results reflected CCDSâ'long-standing commitment to building a thoroughly multi-racial organization while advancing younger people from diverse political roots to leadership. For access to convention documents and for additional information on CCDS, please visit our website at: www.cc-ds.org
Symposium on "Fighting Back, Moving Forward: Strategies for Building a Progressive Majority for the 2006 and 2008 Elections"
A successful day-long symposium sponsored by the Committees of Correspondence Education Fund, preceded the CCDS convention. Following the format of the first symposium held in New York in December 2005, the theme of the 4 panels and a luncheon program took up the programmatic and organizational requirements for a powerful, winning coalition in 2006 and 2008. Topics covered were "Where Have All the Jobs Gone "and How to Win them Back?" "Connecting the Dots to Create a Unified Program for a Progressive Majority," "Strategies for Winning at the Polls in 2006 and 2008," and a concluding "summing up" roundtable.
Panelists included noted journalist and author David Bacon, AFL-CIO Deputy Organizing Director Sam Luebke, CCDS leader Carl Bloice, UFPJ National Coordinator Leslie Cagan, Nation Magazine political writer John Nichols, CCDS Co-Chair Mark Solomon, Chicago Justice Coalition leader Rev. Calvin Morris, Chicago Jobs with Justice executive director James Thindwa, Arab-American community activist Suzanne Adely, CCDS Co-Chair Charlene Mitchell and acclaimed scholar and activist Angela Davis who electrified a luncheon audience with a provocative challenge to the progressive movement to call for the abolition of the prison-industrial complex.
In examining the growing jobs crisis, Bacon, Luebke and Bloice zeroed in on issues of justice for immigrants in the face of worldwide attacks on workersâ' rights and living standards, on the need to generate union- protected job creation polices to curb the impact of de- industrialization, and the need to reassert the right to organize globally and locally.
Cagan stressed the urgent requirement for activists to connect their anti-war work with issues affecting jobs, health care, the environment and constitutional rights. Nichols dissected the impediments to building a progressive coalition and urged patient grass-roots efforts to reach out to neglected constituencies: rural populations, youth and especially the vast numbers of single mothers.
Solomon and Morris both emphasized the need to rapidly gather independent political forces grounded in the most essential issues to build pressure on those running for office, to develop open, inclusive approaches to the broadest groups in the center and to articulate core values that have been at the heart of the nationâ's political culture: fairness, honesty, and equal opportunity. The roundtable emphasized the essential claims rooted in the reality of social class, race and gender and the compelling need to "connect the dots" on all major issues affecting the lives and conditions of the vast majority of the population.
With greater clarity about what is needed to build a progressive majority, participants at the end of the symposium expressed renewed resolve to meet the challenge presented in the crucial present and in the critical days ahead.
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