Currently no, although I was in an armed leftist group in the US for a few years. I’m still feeling the burn-out from that and all the struggles from being in a big-tent org.
I want to join PSL (I’m in the US) badly but unfortunately they don’t have a branch in the city I moved to. There is a DSA here but I don’t have the patience for that.
I posted a response and mentioned it towards the end, but see if you can contact PSL and become an at-large member. There are plenty of comrades in the same situation as you. The party offers plenty of support and assistance in helping set-up a branch, no one’s left alone to do it by themselves. Most branches start off like that, with a focus on recruiting to build up the ranks and become an official branch.
You can try joining as an at large member, but you’ll end up waiting a long time. The closest branch to me passed my information to the at large organizer about two months ago and I still haven’t heard anything, and that was after having applied to join in 2018. I love the PSL, but they need to work on bringing people in faster.
I can’t speak for other branches, but I know there have been issues of people wanting to join, even before the pandemic and the huge surge of interest because of BLM. The thing is that branches will not always be constantly recruiting; there can be holds due to a lot more interest (like now) or simply not enough resources at a specific branch. The vetting process and membership entry will take at the very minimum about half a year and could be increased, it won’t be as easy to enter as big-tent org for obvious reasons.
As for at-large membership, I’d say just anybody vying for that and to have a branch set up should just be patient and try and maintain communication. Keep in touch with any contact at the nearest branch or national if you’ve been set up with a contact there already. If there are any events you can go to with your nearest branch, try and see if you can make it despite any time/distance constraints. Signing up is one thing, but trying to be a constant presence at events/demos/protests etc. will show you’re dedicated to a revolutionary organization.
For example, I carried on with PSL when I first joined even though I hadn’t received a response in a month; turns out my contact had typed out a message but had just forgotten to send it! Just keep trying, different branches have different resources and varying priorities. I guess just be glad the process isn’t as rigorous as the one to join the CPC lol
Currently no, although I was in an armed leftist group in the US for a few years. I’m still feeling the burn-out from that and all the struggles from being in a big-tent org.
I want to join PSL (I’m in the US) badly but unfortunately they don’t have a branch in the city I moved to. There is a DSA here but I don’t have the patience for that.
I posted a response and mentioned it towards the end, but see if you can contact PSL and become an at-large member. There are plenty of comrades in the same situation as you. The party offers plenty of support and assistance in helping set-up a branch, no one’s left alone to do it by themselves. Most branches start off like that, with a focus on recruiting to build up the ranks and become an official branch.
You can try joining as an at large member, but you’ll end up waiting a long time. The closest branch to me passed my information to the at large organizer about two months ago and I still haven’t heard anything, and that was after having applied to join in 2018. I love the PSL, but they need to work on bringing people in faster.
I can’t speak for other branches, but I know there have been issues of people wanting to join, even before the pandemic and the huge surge of interest because of BLM. The thing is that branches will not always be constantly recruiting; there can be holds due to a lot more interest (like now) or simply not enough resources at a specific branch. The vetting process and membership entry will take at the very minimum about half a year and could be increased, it won’t be as easy to enter as big-tent org for obvious reasons.
As for at-large membership, I’d say just anybody vying for that and to have a branch set up should just be patient and try and maintain communication. Keep in touch with any contact at the nearest branch or national if you’ve been set up with a contact there already. If there are any events you can go to with your nearest branch, try and see if you can make it despite any time/distance constraints. Signing up is one thing, but trying to be a constant presence at events/demos/protests etc. will show you’re dedicated to a revolutionary organization.
For example, I carried on with PSL when I first joined even though I hadn’t received a response in a month; turns out my contact had typed out a message but had just forgotten to send it! Just keep trying, different branches have different resources and varying priorities. I guess just be glad the process isn’t as rigorous as the one to join the CPC lol