Party for Socialism and Liberation holds 2nd national convention

From Feb. 18 to Feb. 20, members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation came to San Francisco for the party’s second annual convention. The convention, the party’s highest decision-making body, evaluated the party’s activities over the last year and took up a number of organizational and political questions to orient the party’s work for the coming year.

Photo: Bill Hackwell

PSL members attended from Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Jose, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and New Paltz, New York. The attendance reflected the rapid and dynamic growth that the party has experienced, particularly among young people, since its founding in June 2004. Since the first PSL convention, new offices have been established in New York City and Chicago.

During convention sessions, each geographic branch and internal department of the party presented a formal report of its work, which detailed recent experiences as well as perspectives for improvement.

A main theme of the convention was developing communist strategy and tactics in the coming period of mass radicalization and working-class struggle. Party members and leaders shared experiences in developing agitation and propaganda as a means to “facilitate the political development and the political organization of the working class,” in the words of Russian revolutionary leader V.I. Lenin.

Other political discussions assessed the situation of China within the world capitalist economy, the radicalization of Latin America, U.S. threats on Iran and the recent Palestinian election. The party evaluated its own work within the anti-war movement and the Cuban solidarity movement.

Since the PSL is still in its formative stage, organizational questions were prominent on the agenda. The party discussed an interim constitution, which will lay the basis for a more formal structure and bylaws. The interim constitution lays out the general structure of the party as well as the basic responsibilities of membership.

The convention also served as a rare and valuable opportunity for the party’s members from different areas to interact with one another and share experiences. For many members, it was their first time meeting comrades from other cities in person.

Thanks to the careful planning of the convention’s organizers, there was no wasted time throughout the convention. Facilitators and chairs maintained a high standard of professionalism in discussions and debates, which were conducted in a comradely spirit.

While a great deal was achieved throughout the weekend, the discussions were not exhaustive. A number of discussions, resolutions and lessons will be taken up again in the branches and leadership bodies in the months following the convention.