Welcome to the first edition of Socialist, a magazine written by and for democratic socialists across the globe. This is the first magazine of its kind anywhere (there are others which provide a more parliamentary perspective), and we hope to provide a youthful and lively publication that keeps you informed as well as inspired by our movement, its history, and of course, our future.
Having an international approach, we have chosen English as our language. Considering the extent to which it has become the international language, it makes the most sense to reach the widest possible audience. However, we do hope, when and where possible, to translate major articles into French, German, and Spanish for your convenience.This is not a promise, it is an intention.
Our political affiliation is diverse, mostly supportive of parties of the Socialist International and the New European Left Forum. But every political situation has to be judged in the context of its own time and place, so our general support for more familiar forms does not exclude other and more desparate forms of the struggle for democracy and liberation. Our politics however, whether on the left edge of social democracy or the pragmatic side of the radical left, are united by their commitment to the idea that now more than ever, the world needs a new socialist vision to combat the forces of capitalism gone mad. You can read our political statement on page 3.
Our goal is to bring socialist politics to you in an affirming and more modern way than most political journals, stressing what it is to live a life of modern socialist principles, and thinking about how to apply them in what is an increasingly hostile environment for socialists. As the publication of Change, you can trust us to be direct and to the point about the issues we cover. And while we are members of various socialist and social democratic political parties, we are not beholden to any particular party or their positions, nor are we a mouthpiece for them, right or wrong. Our goal is to talk and write socialism here, recognising that it is not perfect, not a religion, but just the way we think things should be. To us, that involves an ongoing and gradual process towards democracy in our economy as well as in our social life. The world's problems certainly will not be solved by a magazine any more than they will be solved by a political organisation. But what we do hope to do is spread the notion that that process of true social change is exactly what is needed as we head into a new century with all the possibilities it holds. We believe that the democratic socialist movement, in its various forms from political parties to trade unions to social movements, is the only vehicle which can bring about that change. But in order to do that, it has to listen and move with the people, and that is what we, for our small part, are seeking to do here.
Andrew Hammer, on behalf of the Editors.