On this day in 1983, revolutionary leader of the New Jewel Movement and Prime Minister of Grenada Maurice Bishop was assassinated. Six days later, the US invaded Grenada, cutting short the country’s popular socialist project. The defeat of the Grenada Revolution sands as a reminder that the capitalist world system - despite all its institutions, treaties, and agreements - is, at its core, built on violence.

From 1958 to the late 1970s, the People’s Communes combined collective production and local governance within the wider project of socialist construction in the People’s Republic of China. They transformed rural life by pooling resources, developing productive capacity, and expanding social services. In part 3 of this 6-part series, we explore how the People’s Communes emerged, how they operated, and how they contributed to the development of Chinese socialism.

The Paris Commune was the first working-class government in history. As Marx wrote, “working men’s Paris, with its Commune, will forever be celebrated as the glorious harbinger of a new society.” In part 2 of this 6-part series, we explore some of the key lessons from the Paris Commune that have shaped revolutionary struggle since.

What is a commune? While communal structures are commonly associated with more anarchist or autonomist political projects, the commune has historically been a key element of socialist construction. In part 1 of this 6-part series, we recover an understanding of communes as located within a process of socialist transition.

This toolkit is a guide to help organisations analyse current conditions. An accurate understanding of the present is foundational for developing effective strategy.