SADTU Eight Political Schools

Foundation for eight political schools for Trade Unionists

SADTU and the SACP are preparing a series of eight political schools.

A provisional study programme for these schools is given below. There is no guarantee that the eight political schools will follow this scheme closely, or at all, but a provisional plan is better than no plan.

Texts have been selected so as to assist participants to do some systematic preparatory reading. Links are given to downloadable files, and to web pages.

The whole course is set up to allow participation, in various ways, of comrades who are unable to attend the residential schools, in addition to those who will be lucky enough to attend in person.

The prepared course is accessible to all through the medium of e-mail, through the Internet, and through affordable hard-copy printed material.

Booklets

Those items marked on the programme with asterisks (*) are available, together with many other texts, in booklet form from outlets of Jetline Print on Demand, in many parts of South Africa. Use the following links to learn and use the Jetline system:

click here

click here

Blog

There is a dedicated blog for these schools at http://sadtu-eight.blogspot.com/.

E-mail Forum

There is also a dedicatee Google Group at http://groups.google.com/group/sadtu-eight which is set up to work as a dialogue forum. You can request an invitation to join. The SADTU Eight Blog and the SADTU Eight E-mail Forum are linked together, but are separate from the SADTU Political Education Forum.

Foundation for eight political schools for Trade Unionists

Linked where possible to MS-Word or PDF downloads, or otherwise to web pages.

Some Potential Discussions	Priority Reading	Supplementary Reading
1. Education
·   Orientation ·   Overview of the 8 political schools ·   Extension of the 8 political schools to non-attenders ·   Communication and electronic dialogue: Blog, e-mail ·   Freire and Critical Pedagogy ·   Education in School, University and Society ·   SADTU policy ·   Government policy	·   This programme ·   Pedagogy of the Oppressed, C2* ·   “What is the purpose of Political Education?”* ·   Procedure of meetings* ·   Tony Buzan, Use Your Head, Conspectus* ·   Introduction to CU “Basics” course* ·   Developing a new generation of leaders, Nzimande ·   Visionary SADTU document	·   On Proletarian Culture , 1920: Lenin ·   ANC election manifesto framework (Education) ·   Polokwane resolution on education ·   ANC January 8th statement, 2008 ·   ANC January 8th statement, 2009 ·   ANC January 8th statement, 2010 ·   ANC Policy Framework for Education & Training, 1994
2. Political Economy
·   Political Economy is not “Economics”: Why? ·   Political Economy as class analysis, with examples ·   Marx’s Critique of Political Economy: “Capital” ·   Surplus Value ·   “Economism” and the need for a working-class Party	·   The State and Revolution, Lenin, Chapter 1* ·   18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, Marx* ·   Chinese Revolution and Chinese Party, 1939, Mao* ·   Mao, People’s Democratic Dictatorship, 1949* ·   CU Introductions to Capital, V1* ·   Capital Volume 1, Chapter 1 parts 1,2 and 4, Marx* ·   CU Introduction to “The State and Revolution”*	·   Amilcar Cabral, Unity & Struggle (UNISA, book) ·   Marx’ s Economic Doctrine, 1914: V.I. Lenin ·   3 Sources and 3 Component Parts of Marxism, Lenin* ·   Analysis of Situations, Relations of Force, 1933: Gramsci ·   Value, Price and Profit, Parts 6 to 10, Marx * ·   Intro to a Critique of Political Economy, 1857, Marx* ·   Marxist Economic Theory, 1962 : Ernest Mandel ·   Beyond Capitalism, 1995: Meszaros
3. Gender & Class Struggle
·   The common origin of the class and gender struggles ·   The bourgeois family and its challenges ·   No woman, No revolution ·   Gender struggle as a component of the NDR ·   A dedicated, mass, democratic women’s movement ·   The future of women and the proletarian family	·   The Social Basis of the Woman Question, Kollantai* ·   Women – Caste, Class or Oppressed Sex,1970: Reed* ·   Origin of Family, Private Property, & State, C9, Engels* ·   FEDSAW, NEC vs Membership, Cheryl Walker* ·   Umsebenzi Online on Women, 2006-2009, Nzimande* ·   Postmodernism, Hindu nationalism, Vedic science, Nanda* ·   CU Introductions “No Woman, No Revolution”*	·   S A Women’s Charter,1954: FEDSAW* ·   ANCWL, Short History & points from 2003 Constitution* ·   PWM Base & Founding Documents, & Declaration, 2006* ·   On Status and Tasks of Women, Compilation, Lenin* ·   Work Among Women, 1921: 3CCI* ·   Women , Race  and Class, Chapter 13, Angela Davis* ·   Socialism and Gender Equality, 2001: Orr ·   Tweedie Contra Orr
4. Trade Unions and Class Struggle
·   What is a “Revolutionary Trade Union”? ·   Revolutionary proletarian Party: Needed, or not? ·   Theory of Vanguard, Mass, and NDR ·   Theory of ruling decisions ·   Current ruling decisions: SADTU ·   Current ruling decisions: COSATU ·   Expansion of union membership in SA ·   One sector, one union; one country, one federation	·   What is to be Done?, extract, Lenin* ·   Worker Solidarity and Unions, MIA* ·   Negotiations, MIA* ·   Critique of the Gotha Programme, Marx* ·   Reform or Revolution?, Rosa Luxemburg* ·   African Socialism revisited, Nkrumah* ·   COSATU 2015 plan ·   SADTU vision and strategic plan	·   Value, Price and Profit, Parts 6 to 10, Marx* ·   Mike Miller on organizing ·   Trade Unions, Tweedie ·   COSATU 10th Congress Resolutions ·   SADTU Constitution ·   Latham, Relevance of Gramsci’s theory for today ·   The African Miners Strike of 1946, Naicker* ·   Simons & Simons, Class & Colour, Battle for the Unions ·   S & S, C & C, Class Struggle & National Liberation ·   Luckhardt & Wall, Apartheid & the Black Working Class ·   Luckhardt & Wall, The Struggle Continues ·   2002, Labour Relations Act, Amended ·   2002, Basic Conditions of Employment, Amended
5. Internationalism, Anti-Imperialism, War, Peace
·   A struggle of which we are still a part ·   Was Nkrumah right? Must Africa unite, or submit? ·   Are we pacifists now? ·   Current struggles: Haiti, Somalia, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Colombia, Venezuela ·   COSATU commitments: Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cuba, Western Sahara, Palestine ·   SA’s mission: to organise and mobilise Africa against Imperialism – or, to be Imperialism’s bridgehead?	·   Imperialism, Highest Stage of Capitalism, C 7, Lenin* ·   March 1850 Address to Communist League CC, , Marx* ·   On the Time for Armed Struggle, 1974, Pomeroy* ·   1,000 Days of Popular Unity Rule in Chile, Teitelboim* ·   Neo-Colonialism, Last of Imperialism, 1965, Nkrumah* ·   The Struggle for Democracy & Culture, 2003, Shivji* ·   The Massacre of Cassinga [and after] Piero Gleijeses* ·   CU Introductions to Anti-Imperialism, War and Peace*	·   Amilcar Cabral, Unity & Struggle (UNISA, book) ·   1st International, Inaugural Address, Marx* ·   Nascent Trend of Imperialist Economism, 1916, Lenin* ·   30 after Angola and 49 after Granma, Fidel Castro* ·   Pacifism and Violence, 1938, Christopher Caudwell* ·   Strategy & Tactics, Morogoro, 1969, ANC* ·   Beyond Vietnam, Time to Break Silence, 1967, King* ·   Political & Military in Revolutionary War, 1967, Le Duan* ·   How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, C6, Walter Rodney* ·   SADTU International Relations Policy ·   COSATU International Relations Policy ·   SADTU International Relations Resolutions ·   COSATU International Relations Resolutions
6. National Democratic Revolution
·   NDRs, 19th century and earlier: Marx and Engels ·   20th Century NDR theory: Comintern; Lenin ·   Black Republic Theses and Origin of the Alliance ·   From Congress of the People to Strategy and Tactics ·   Current NDR Theory: Slovo ·   Constitutionalism vs. Power to the People ·   Unionisation, Sectoral mass democratic organisation (e.g. women, old people); Organs of People’s Power; transition to socialism.	·   Critique of the Gotha Programme, Karl Marx* ·   Report on National & Colonial Question, 2CCI, Lenin* ·   Black Proletariat, ICU, Black Republic, Cradock Letter* ·   Strategy and Tactics, Morogoro, 1969, ANC* ·   SA Working Class and the NDR* ·   Building hegemony on NDR terrain, 2009, SACP* ·   CU Introductions to the NDR*	·   Class Struggles in France, Defeat of June 1848, Marx* ·   Address to the Communist League, March 1850, Marx* ·   Manifesto, Baku Congress of the Peoples of the East* ·   Moses Kotane, C2, The National Question, Bunting* ·   Some Aspects of the Southern Question, Gramsci* ·   Call to the Congress of the People, Freedom Charter* ·   Nzimande on Organs of People’s Power ·   Mike Miller on organizing ·   David Moore, Second Age of the Third World* ·   Shivji, The Struggle for Democracy & Culture*
7. Development is Class Struggle
·   Development is Class Struggle ·   Petty-bourgeois, Capitalist, and Proletarian Development ·   The RDP was reformist, anyway ·   Proletarian mission: full employment, no poverty. ·   Can there be capitalism with full employment? ·   Can there be full employment under capitalism? ·   How do we crate full employment, practically?	·   The Housing Question, Part Three, Engels* ·   Housing by People, C1, C6, Who Decides, Turner* ·   Luxemburg, Reform or Revolution, C2, 7, 9 & 10* ·   On Co-operation, Lenin* ·   The Brutal Side of Capitalist Development, Moore* ·   Marx, Capital, Chapter on unemployement* ·   SACP Resolutions from the SNC ·   CU Introductions to Development, Rural and Urban*	·   Working Class in England, C2, Great Towns, Engels* ·   Petty-bourgeois and Proletarian Socialism, Lenin* ·   The Tax in Kind, Lenin* ·   Lenin, Role and Functions of the TUs under NEP* ·   SA Green Paper on National Strategic Planning* ·   Critique of the Gotha Programme, Marx* ·   Communist Manifesto, Bourgeois & Proletarians* ·   Communist Manifesto. Proletarians & Communists* ·   Frantz Fanon, Pitfalls of National Consciousness ·   The RDP (1994 Manifesto of the ANC) ·   China’s leap to 21st century, Michael Sachs
8. Philosophy and Class Struggle
·   Philosophy and Religion; Liberation Theology ·   I am a communist because I believe in freedom ·   Theory: a necessity ·   Post-State systems	·   Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right, 1843, Marx* ·   Liberation Theology, Scripture, History, Falkiner/Boffs* ·   Liberty, a Study in Bourgeois Illusion, 1938, Caudwell* ·   Cuba - A Nation Becoming a University, 2005, DuRand* ·   How The Marxists Buried Marx, 1998, Smith* ·   20th CPSU Congress, 1956, Khrushchev, Extract* ·   New tools for Marxists, 1995, Ron Press* ·   CU Introduction to Philosophy and Religion*	·   The Weapon of Theory, 1966, Cabral* ·   Soul of Man under Socialism, 1891, Oscar Wilde* ·   Organic Intellectuals, Critical Ped, McLaren, Fischman* ·   Death of the Subject Explained, 2002, Heartfield* ·   Necessity of Theory (Dialego Part 1), 1976* ·   Theory of Action (Dialego Part 2), 1976* ·   Postmodernism, Hindu nationalism, Vedic science, Nanda* ·   The State and Revolution - Withering Away of the State* ·   Developing a new generation of leaders, Nzimande ·   Amilcar Cabral, Unity & Struggle (UNISA, book)

This foundational set for eight political schools for Trade Unionists is adapted from the eight Generic Courses prepared by the Communist University for the use of self-organising study circles without a lecturer.

Communist University on the SACP web site