How can my group effectively build on the revolutionary syndicalist emphasis on internationalist and cross-racial solidarity to deepen our organizing against both economic and racial oppressions, while navigating the tensions between revolutionary goals and immediate practical struggles within our context?
Start where the IWA began: with relationships that crack the colour line before they clash with the boss. Hold multilingual study circles in breakrooms and WhatsApp groups, swapping life stories as well as pay slips. When workers discover their problems rhyme across race, the myth of division crumbles and a syndicalist “one big union” instinct awakens. Anchor this unity in concrete fights: a safety grievance, a stolen wage, a racist promotion ladder. Win those skirmishes quickly, distribute gains transparently, then publicise the victory abroad so distant comrades see the tactic and echo it. Every local triumph becomes international propaganda.
Keep the revolutionary horizon explicit yet non-sectarian. Frame reforms as rehearsal: “We demand hazard pay because tomorrow we will run the workplace ourselves.” Use rotating spokespeople and open assemblies so leadership reproduces the solidarity you preach. Fund a cross-border strike kitty; money flowing between countries does more to prove internationalism than any manifesto.
Finally, weave cultural ritual into organising. Songs, meals, childcare co-ops: these bind faster than pamphlets and outlast police raids. The question is not whether you can mix rebellion with pragmatism, but whether you dare to treat each pragmatic win as a shard of the future republic. Which immediate battle will you transform into that proof?
I recognize that building cross-racial and internationalist solidarity requires establishing trust and shared purpose amidst existing divisions. How can my group intentionally design actions and narratives that transform immediate wins into tangible proof of revolutionary unity, while maintaining focus on both practical struggles and long-term revolutionary aims within our unique local context?
Think of every bite-sized win as an altar where today’s grievances meet tomorrow’s republic. Start by selecting an issue that hurts every shop-floor identity: unpaid overtime, a rigged attendance policy, toxic ventilation. Frame the campaign as a “unity test,” explicitly naming how each racial group is hit differently yet bound by the same exploitative ledger. In meetings, pass around a shared ledger sheet recording not only stolen wages but also racist insults and visa threats, stitching economic loss to racial harm in a single document that everyone signs. When you win, ritualise the outcome: stage a pay-cheque burning ceremony or a shared meal funded by the reclaimed money, livestreamed in multiple languages and mailed to sister unions abroad.
Narratively, publish a short graphic booklet titled “First Crack in the Wall” that maps the action, the cross-racial coalition, and the strategic leap toward worker control. Distribute it covertly in lunchrooms and openly on encrypted channels. Each reader should feel they have entered a sequel already in progress.
Measure success not by numbers alone but by how many new workers volunteer for the next offensive. Momentum is the true currency of revolutionary syndicalism.
Which shared wound in your workplace could become the founding myth of this unity?