What is the best type of group to join?

[Melbourne Lefty]

OK Im a young person in Melbourne, Australia and while I have been kicking around on the net for a while I am thinking about getting involved in a group or groups in my area.

I am not sure what type of group I would fit into so I just want to know from peoples own experiences here.

What is the best type of group to join?

And for any fellow downunderuns what groups are the best in Australia and why?

[butterfly]

There are probably people round here in the know-how about which groups are 'best'.
Two groups I have been casually involved with down here are the Socialist Alliance and Resistance.

[butterfly]

http://www.socialist-alliance.org/melbourne/

http://www.resistance.org.au/melbourne

[apathy maybe]

I direct you to http://www.revleft.com/vb/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=849 which has a lot of links to groups, and information.

Which sort of group should you join? It depends. I would say "don't bother joining anyone" at this point in time.

Hang out with the Socialist Alliance/Resistance, and learn what they do and think. Hang out with Socialist Alternative, and learn what they do and think.
Hang out with the anarchists (Barricade Books is an anarchist group in Melbourne (http://barricade.org.au)), and learn what they do and think (talk to folks at Barricade Books to find more anarchist groups in Melbourne).

Asking "what group should I join" is silly, unless you actually know what you think you are. butterfly directed you to SA/Resistance and you will find others doing the same. But, having done some stuff with them in the past, I would suggest that they aren't the "best" group for me. They like to stand for election, and condemn other groups (especially the anarchists). SAlt also hate everyone else (apparently)...

What do you want to do again?

[Bilan]

For a Melbourne kid, I recommend two groups: The Socialist Party (http://www.socialistpartyaustralia.org/) or the anarcho-syndicalist federation. (http://asf-iwa.org.au/)
Two of the best organisations in Melbourne. The former is very active, the latter is becoming increasinly so - we do have some members on this forum who are members of both (though most aren't active on the forum).

Talk to bombeverything for the ASF. I can't remember the SP members Revleft name (if you want to get in contact with him, PM me).

Yup

[Poum_1936]

http://www.broadleft.org/index.htm

A site with pretty much any revolutionary grouping under the sun.

Browse the groups in your region, check out their respective websites. Take your time, don't rush into anything. And it's up to YOU to decide.

[Melbourne Lefty]

Thanks everybody.



Which sort of group should you join? It depends. I would say "don't bother joining anyone" at this point in time.


Hmmm..

I just want to get involved in activism beyond the net and my local circle of friends.

My parents are from England so I hear lots of stories about factional fights in the SWP and anarchists fighting the national front from them, but you are right I dont really know WHAT I am.

As much as I hate labels it would be a help. I spend WAY too much time on the net~!:lol:


Hang out with the anarchists (Barricade Books is an anarchist group in Melbourne (http://www.anonym.to/?http://barricade.org.au)), and learn what they do and think (talk to folks at Barricade Books to find more anarchist groups in Melbourne).

I dont live that far away from there so I might pop around when they are open and have a chat.


and condemn other groups (especially the anarchists). SAlt also hate everyone else (apparently)...


My sister went to a couple of meetings at the Melbourne town hall with the socialist Alternative people, according to her they hate pretty much everyone who is not in their group [I may be wrong this is all second hand].

Thanks for the ideas everyone, will just have to see how it goes.

[apathy maybe]

The thing to remember, is that if you find a good group (and I haven't spent enough time in Melbourne to know which groups are good, as opposed to merely being tolerable), then it doesn't matter what you are, they'll accept you (so long as you don't try and work against them etc.).

I would suggest, for that reason, don't spend too much time with SAlt or SA unless you actually agree with them. Instead, hang out with anarchists, because they aren't as cultish at the very least. (Not that SA folks are always, but some of them are.)

You also don't need to join an explicitly political group to be active. Look for your local Food Not Bombs (ask at Barricade), talk to your local Stop the War group (I think ask at Trades Hall, say hi to Seth in the book shop for me), etc.

Work out what you are comfortable with, and doing. (Do you think it's wrong to smash police cars? Do you think that charity work (don't work with a Christian group whatever you do, Food not Bombs is where it's at) is beneath a real revolutionary?)

There are folks in Melbourne on this board (including really cool folks like bombeverything, except I don't think she comes on much any more :(), hit them up for contacts, and, if you aren't too creepy, they might even be willing to meet up with you (personally, I don't do that any more, even if I were to be in Melbourne, I'm trying to keep on line separate from off line).

[Charles Xavier]

I don't know much about them but the Communist Party of Australia, looks decent, http://www.cpa.org.au/ . (http://www.cpa.org.au/)

However it really depends on what you believe in and your idea of what to do.


Read some of the programs of the various organization see what you agree with, you need to find the fact for yourself.

Why not get some of the leftist Newspapers and see if you like whats in there.