about us

Each spring Left Forum convenes the largest gathering in North America of the US and international Left. Continuing a tradition begun in the 1960s, we bring together intellectuals and organizers to share perspectives, strategies, experience and vision. Last April's 2009 Left Forum, held at Pace University in New York City, included approximately 3,000 participants, over 200 panels, and 650 speakers from over 40 countries. For the US and the world, revitalizing an American Left has never been more urgent; Left Forum has a critical role to play in that undertaking.

Our work parallels and cross-fertilizes with the renewal of left strength elsewhere—from indigenous movements in Bolivia to the South Korean farmers to the electoral gains of European and Latin American left parties. Like many movements abroad, Left Forum seeks to link the critique of neo-liberalism to anti-capitalism, and to foster radical alternatives to the established order. Left Forum provides a context for critical engagement by people of different persuasions on the Left who, nevertheless, seek common ground. Please join with us for the 2010 Left Forum conference, taking place March 19-21 at Pace University in New York City

The members of the Left Forum board of directors are listed elsewhere on this site. Suffice to say we are all committed to a broad discussion. We come together for the purpose of hosting this annual event. The Left Forum enables others to discuss, debate, and engage their political stands with each other, but it does not take such political stands itself. Instead, it facilitates networking and other vital tasks among leftists. We do not share our mailing list with anyone. We are committed to holding admission fees well below the cost of our conference, and to continue to offer student, unemployed, and low-income fee categories and scholarships. To do this we depend upon larger and smaller contributions from people who find this conference an important event. We also appreciate people who are financially able to pay the higher-income fee for the conference.

This conference is expensive and we really do need your help. If you would like to send us a contribution now, please go to the "support" link (in the left margin on this page) and press the donate button or make out a check to: Left Forum, c/o Sociology/CUNY Graduate Center, and send it to: 365 Fifth Avenue New York, New York 10016-4309 Thank you and see you at the 2010 Left Forum, perhaps the most important of our conferences given the times we are living through and what we are called upon to do.

- Left Forum