World School of Communism: reading lists out now!

This June, revolutionary communists from around the globe will be meeting in Italy to found a new Revolutionary Communist International (RCI), as the banner for organising communists for world socialist revolution. You too can participate by signing up online. But in order to participate fully, we are asking for something from you: politically prepare for the event. We have prepared reading lists for all 15 sessions. But first we want to answer a question: we intend this International to become a worldwide party of revolutionary action. Why then do we need a reading list?

Lenin once said: “Without revolutionary theory there can be no revolutionary movement. This idea cannot be insisted upon too strongly at a time when the fashionable preaching of opportunism goes hand in hand with an infatuation for the narrowest forms of practical activity.”

In the same spirit, Engels before him explained: “socialism, since it has become a science, demands that it be pursued as science, i.e., that it is studied.”

Theory is a communist’s sharpest weapon. It is essential for anyone who considers themselves a communist to begin a serious and thorough study of Marxism. The theory of Marxism is not some sort of optional extra for communists. Basing itself on the highest point of development of philosophy, science and political economy, the method of Marxism gives us a tremendous vantage point, from which alone the road to communist revolution and the abolition of class society becomes clear. Only by applying the method of Marxism can we condense the accumulated experience and lessons of the working-class movement.

To victoriously overthrow the capitalist class, we must absorb these lessons into our bones, and build a party and an International on this basis. We must learn from past victories and defeats.

Marxism is not a lifeless dogma, but a comprehensive theory of the world, as well as a guide to action. It is the only theory that can aid the working class in its struggle against capitalism, and the only theory that can educate a leadership that will take the class to victory. For this reason, communists should take every opportunity to deepen their understanding of Marxist philosophy, economics, and historical materialism.

These ideas were developed to new heights by Lenin, Trotsky and the Bolsheviks, whose efforts were crowned with the victory of the Russian Revolution in 1917, the establishment of the first workers’ state in history, and the attempts to spread the revolution worldwide through the establishment of the Communist International in 1919.

In his life, Lenin led the way in forging the Communist International as a party of world revolution. The first four Congresses of the Communist International read like a school of revolution. But after Lenin’s death, exactly 100 years ago this year, the rise of Stalinism first sullied the banner of the Communist International and then abolished it entirely.

There has existed nothing like the Communist International in the last 100 years.

The World School of Communism this June, in founding a new revolutionary communist International, the likes of which has not existed for a century, therefore aims to retie the knot of history. In preparation for the founding of the RCI, we urge all comrades to read our founding Manifesto. But alongside this, there will also be many other sessions, themed around Lenin, Bolshevism and communism, to reclaim these marvellous ideas and traditions, and inculcate them in a new generation of communists.

This will be a week of the highest level political discussions, on topics that every communist should master, including the basic foundations of Marxism; the burning questions of today, including questions of war and imperialism; the lessons of the Russian Revolution, the Communist International and of the Stalinist degeneration of the Soviet Union; and Bolshevik tactics and lessons in party-building.

We do not have modest ambitions. We aim to achieve nothing short of the construction of an international revolutionary leadership that the working class deserves and needs in order to take power globally. We intend to begin laying the foundations today.

If you want to help us build it, if you want to join our fight for a communist revolution, you cannot miss this event. The entire School will be streamed online, with watch parties organised on every continent – this will give you an opportunity to meet other communists in your area and to benefit from real-life discussions.

The World School will be a week of political education and training. This is a serious endeavour and requires serious preparation. To make sure you are prepared to learn and to participate in discussions with your comrades, in order to give you the tools necessary to be able to benefit from the School as much as possible, we are publishing the reading lists for each talk.

Each reading list has a variety of suggestions for deepening your knowledge on the topic. They include shorter and longer articles, as well as books. Most topics also have a recommended podcast or video talk. They are now live on the schoolofcommunism.com website, you can find them by clicking on ‘Talks’ and then interacting with each individual topic.

Using these reading lists, you can begin the task of educating yourself in Marxism and preparing for the historic RCI founding conference. But don’t just do this work in isolation. Join your local branch, section or group of our International, and start discussing and building. The articles and books in these lists are a great starting point – but don’t hesitate to delve deeper! Check out our bookshop and subscribe to our theoretical magazine.

Communists of the world, sign up to your World School today!