WHAT IS “ALTERNATIVES”? 

“ALTERNATIVES” – it is all-Russian Social Movement in the support of the social initiatives, which provides different directions of social, political, educational and research activity:

 “ALTERNATIVES”- it is the democratic left movement, involved into the struggle against the all forms of oppression of working people, against capitalist globalization as a part of Russian and international anti-globalist movement, for the social liberation;

“ALTERNATIVES” – it is the Foundation “Alternatives” and International Association “Scholars for Democracy and Socialism”, annually organizing conferences, seminars, research and publishing projects in the sphere of socialist, anti-globalist and labor movement;

“ALTERNATIVES” – it is the left quarterly “Alternatives”, which aim is: to establish the dialog between the researches, who support the socialist ideas, and militants of the socialist and labor movement in the different parts of the world;

“ALTERNATIVES” – it is the University of the Modern Socialism, based on the self-organization of the youth.

ALL-RUSSIAN SOCIAL MOVEMENT

“ALTERNATIVES”

All-Russian social Movement in support of social initiatives - “Alternatives” (about 50 regional departments, near 1000 militants), established in the end of 2000 on the basis of the Association “Scholars for Democracy and Socialism” (existed from 1993) and some other groups.

Our main goals are:

Main spheres of our activity:

1.     Distribution of the truth information on the capitalist globalization and creation of anti-globalist movement in Russia altogether with other organizations, rather national and international.

The representatives of our movement participated in the World Social Forums I (2002), II (2003) and in the preparatory meetings of WSF III (2004). The organized group of the members of “Alternatives” as a part of joint Russian delegation actively participated in the European Social Forums in Genoa (2001), Florence (2002), Paris (2003) and London (2004).

In the 2002-2004 “Alternatives” taking part in the organization of the regional Social forums in Russia (Siberian Social Forum – twice, Ural Social Forum, Moscow Social Forum, Voronezh Social Forum).

2.     Support of the independent Trade-Union and Labor movements.

From autumn 1999 it were organized:

3.     Social education of the Youth: annual program of University of modern socialism during 4 years with our participation in teaching. University based on self-organization of youth (2-3 lectures and seminars every week).

4.     Theoretical work (social movements, grass-root democracy, democratic socialism, globalization and so on). We publish (during 13 years, since 1991) international quarterly “Alternatives” (1000 copies), which is only one socialist magazine in Russia, supporting itself by international council and regularly publishing foreign authors; more then 10 books every year; annually we organize conferences and seminars in Moscow and Russian regions with participation of 100-400 peoples.

The main conferences were:

Among them, also there are the annual conferences, devoted to the problems of the working class and labor movement (history and modernity).

5.     Political and organizational activity. The movement participated in different political actions – independently or in collaboration with other non-stalinist socialist organizations, trade unions, NGOs. Movement itself unites the militants with different political position – left social democrats (members of Marxist platform in United Social-Democratic Party), radical socialists, non-stalinist communists including trotskysts, and others.