DSA 2005 National Convention

The following report by David Knuttunen of Boston DSA summarizes the discussions leading up to the convention and the convention itself.

CONVENTION REPORT

by David O. Knuttunen

I am writing en route back from LA, where we have just wrapped up DSA's 2005 National Convention - and where I just got myself elected for my second (non-consecutive) term on DSA's National Political Committee, the governing body of Democratic Socialists of America between conventions. How I will find the time to serve is a bit of a mystery, but I have come away from this Convention feeling like there is new movement and vitality in DSA, and I needed to be part of it. Somehow, I will find a way.

This was my 7th DSA Convention, and for my money it was hands down the best of the last six. This may seem surprising, because the organization stands at less than half the size (in membership) that it had at my first Convention, back in 1993. But the retrenchment period seems to be over, as the numbers have started to come back up; DSA has shown an increase in membership for the first time in a number of years. And, perhaps, the shrinking of the organization has not been entirely negative. With the reduction in size has seemed to come a concentration of purpose and focus. The activists who remain are a fire-hardened group: dedicated to rebuilding an effective Democratic Socialist organization in the U.S., open to honest appraisals of DSA's strengths and weaknesses, and willing to make pragmatic decisions, and to work together to carry them out. For example, in contrast to the "laundry lists" of past Conventions, we passed a National Priorities Resolution that (1) is feasible in scope, and (2) is admirably integrated, such that it is easy to see how work done around one priority (e.g., DSA's campaign on the low wage economy) could be constructed in a way to also serve other priorities (e.g., socialist education and building organizational capacity).

Much of the new spirit in DSA was evident in the policy discussions on the dsamember e-list during the months leading up to the convention. Dsamember is an email discussion list established for the exchange of ideas between members of DSA. Although the line sometimes gets blurred, dsamember is primarily intended for organizational topics, rather than broad theory or general discussions of the political environment. (There is another list, the Democratic Left list, which serves the general discussion purpose). As the Convention approached, the NPC decided to make dsamember the official discussion list for Convention delegates, as well.

Early on, dsamember seemed to reflect a number of incompatible ideas about DSA, and about what we could and should be doing. There were debates about whether we could, and how much we should, try to educate about socialism; about whether we should put great efforts into organizing locals, or whether building locals was a failed strategy of the past, which should be replaced with a "networking" model, about how the convention should be structured (and whether there was, in fact, even any point in attending); about whether DSA projects should (or could) be determined at the national level, or only at the local, and about how many and what sorts of projects we should be working on. Representatives of the NPC floated a "political perspectives" document, and a draft National Priorities Resolution, which drew significant criticism, the former for being too broad and theoretical, not taking into account the realities of our organizational needs and capacities, the latter for being a "laundry list" of unattainable goals.

The discussion around these issues was often passionate, but stayed almost always on a respectful, cooperative, comradely level. When people did go over the line, such that apologies were in order, the apologies were forthcoming, and accepted. And the discussion was effective. We listened to each other, moderated our opinions and/or compromised when compromise was in order, but stuck to our guns when that was in order.

One effect of this pre discussion was a very well-run Convention. The organizers had listened to the criticism of past Conventions, and planned this Convention responsively. While some of the more radical suggestions on structure were not followed, the organizers very effectively planned what they referred to as a "Working Convention". Panel discussions were group discussions on issues and strategy, motivated by speakers from among our own activists, rather than the "talking head" events, where presentations by outside experts, with no real knowledge of our organization, were followed by "question and answer" periods, which we have often had in the past. Also, all resolutions were debated and moved by the entire Convention body; this replaced the practice of separate committees debating different resolution areas which had often felt undemocratic to delegates in the past.

The actual business of the Convention also went smoothly, thanks in large part to the dsamember discussions. There was some sharp debate, and some significant differences of opinion on some issues, such as whether we should pass a resolution calling for the NPC to initiate a strategic planning process (the resolution did not pass). But other issues, including the very important National Priorities Resolution, had been so thoroughly ironed out in advance, that they could be passed with only minor adjustments (if any) and very little dissent. On other issues, such as the locals vs. networks debate, we took an open approach; we will not stop trying to build and support our locals, but those who are interested in the network model will try to work on building issue- or campaign-based networks in parallel. (Personally, I think this is exactly the right strategy - the two are both important, and synergistic.) The NPC elections also went smoothly, and with good results. I know and respect all of my colleagues on this new NPC (except one, whom I have not yet met, but about whom I hear great things), and I could not ask for a better group of people to take on the work of moving this organization forward. Finally, we finished the essential business of the Convention in time to have a very valuable brainstorming session on Sunday about how we would go about implementing the Priorities Resolution, and got some commitments on who would do what. E-mailing lists for a number of support networks were developed.

More details of the Convention, including the text of the resolutions passed, will be posted to the National DSA web site, hopefully within the next few weeks. DSA activists and members who, like me, are fired up and inspired by these events should call or email us about how they can get involved.

The tone of the 2005 DSA National Convention and the discussion leading up to it, the quality of the discussion, the successful work of the convention, the valuable networking and exchange of ideas that took place there, all speak to the potential for a revival of Democratic Socialists of America. And it couldn't come at a better time. As we plunge madly into the second term of George Bush II, the American Emperor, this old U.S. of A. needs an effective Democratic Socialist presence like never before.