Editor's note: This piece is a part of the Daily Texan Forum featuring the campus political organizations involved in Student Government's political debate, moderated by The Daily Texan. The debate will be held on Sept. 28 from 6-8 pm in FAC 21.

The International Socialist Organization is building a socialist alternative in a world of poverty, oppression and war. Our organization participates in many different struggles for justice and liberation today, while working toward a future socialist society, free of all exploitation and oppression, and built on the principles of solidarity and democracy. We are a U.S. organization with branches and members in about 40 cities and connections to other socialists around the world. We organize in the here and now against injustice and for reforms that will benefit the working class and oppressed. Our commitment to the overthrow of capitalist society regularly enlists us in struggles against imperialism, settler-colonialism, racism, sexism, LGBTQ and ableist oppression. These struggles are important in their own right, but they are also essential building blocks for a movement to achieve a socialist society worthy of the name. We seek to preserve the memory of the working class, by discussing at our meetings and in our publications, the political issues and movements of today, along with the rich history of past struggles from below and the ideas of the Marxist tradition dedicated to achieving socialism. The ISO is not a talk-shop, however. We also use our meetings to organize. Recent work of the Austin branch has included leading struggles against racism in the Justice for Larry Jackson campaign, the Campaign to End the Death Penalty and the movement to Free Rodney Reed, the struggle for Justice in Palestine, the struggle for abortion rights on the steps of the capitol in 2013 and many others. We hold weekly Wednesday meetings in Parlin 203 from 7-8:30 p.m. and welcome members of the campus and Austin community to attend. You can also find us tabling outside the PCL on Wednesday afternoons. We are a dues-paying organization and all those wishing to join the ISO should speak to one of our members at tabling, during a meeting, by emailing [email protected] or by messaging us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ISO.Austin.

Correction: Authorship information has been updated.