Rally for socialism & democracy trumpets support for struggles around the world

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Socialist Action, a revolutionary socialist organization in political solidarity with the Fourth International, held its 4th national convention over the July 4 week in the San Francisco Bay area.

The delegates, representing all the organization's local branches, discussed and passed resolutions and reports on the international prospects for socialism, the political situation in the United States, an assessment of the Socialist Workers Party, work in the women's rights movement, and plans for building the party in the months ahead.

International guests from Nicaragua, Poland, China, South Africa, France, Brazil, England, Denmark, Sweden, Argentina, El Salvador, and Panama participated in convention workshops. Highpoints were workshops conducted by South African and Polish revolutionaries which discussed prospects for socialist and political revolutions in those countries.

One of the highlights of the convention was a "Rally in Defense of Socialism and Democracy, " held at the First Unitarian Church in San Francisco on Saturday, July 7. The rally also marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Russian revolutionist Leon Trotsky.

Close to 250 people gathered to hear international representatives from revolutionary struggles throughout the world underline why the struggles for socialism and democracy are inseparable today. The featured speaker was Esteban Volkov, the grandson of Leon Trotsky, who is heading up an international campaign to clear Trotsky's name.

Other speakers were Sarah Nelson, executive director of the Christic Institute; Alain Mathieu, a leader of the United Secretariat of the Fourth International, Heidi Wallentine, an organizer of Seeds for Peace and the Redwood Summer; Rodrigo Ibarra, a leader of the Movement for Revolutionary Unity (MUR) in Nicaragua; and Terry Conway, a representative of the International Socialist Group (ISG) in Britain.

Also speaking were Socialist Action leaders Carole Seligman and Malik Miah; Karen Wald, a U.S. correspondent in Cuba; Chris Nteta, a supporter of South Africa's Black Consciousness Movement; Sun Rui-jun, an activist in the Chinese pro-Democracy Movement; Stefan Wolanski, a socialist activist in Warsaw; and Ocimar Munhoz, a member of the Struggle for Socialism current in Brazil's Workers Party.

The convention launched a drive, starting in September, for 700 new subscriptions to Socialist Action newspaper. A fund drive to raise $25,000 to pay for essential party-sustaining equipment and activities was also begun. Of this, $16,500 was pledged at the July 7 convention rally.

Readers are urged to help achieve both these goals—and better yet, to join Socialist Action!-The Editors important event. Books by Trotsky have not been published in the Soviet Union since the 1920s. I want to thank Walnut Publishers for their invaluable help in getting this edition published in the USSR."

Trotsky's ideas are crucial to the debate now raging in the Soviet Union, and it is very encouraging that they are beginning to find a wide audience. Walnut Publishing Co. has recently received five magazines published in the Soviet Union, some with editions of 400,000 to over 1 million, which have recently printed Trotsky articles, and there are many more.

Negotiations are underway to publish "Stalin" by Trotsky, and Socialisi Action has also learned that an agreement has been reached to publish the "Revolution Betrayed" this October in an edition of 150,000.

In order to continue to help the essential work of getting Trotsky published in the USSR, Walnut Publishing Co. is setting up a special Trotsky Publications Fund, and is asking all those who would like to see Trotsky being read in the USSR to contribute generously.

Please make contributions payable to Walnut Publishing Co./Trotsky Fund, 3435 Army St., Suite #308, San Francisco, CA 94110, or call Alex Chis at (415) 821-0458 for more details.