As authoritarianism rises globally and progressive movements face intensifying pressure, the strategic case for alliance-building has never been clearer. In this four-part series, Building Alliances, Networks & Coalitions, we hear from organisers creating a different model of how movements coordinate, build collective power, and hold together across scale. We’ll explore what their work looks like in practice, along with the successes and the challenges and how to build sufficient coherence and cohesion to achieve their goals.
If you’re interested in how to build a strategic coherence, coordinate across scale, and how networks stay accountable, then this series is for you!
5th March – A Radical United Front: Lessons from the Kenya Left Alliance
Kenya Left Alliance (KLA), also known as ‘Kenya Left’, is a united front for progressive political parties, organisations, movements, and individuals that is necessitated by the struggle for a more just, free, non-sexist, non-homophobic, non-racist, non-exploitative, non-dominating, non-oppressive, non-ethnic, equitable, ecologically safe, prosperous, and dignified society that seeks the socialist path. KLA brings together leftist political movements, organisations and individuals into a radical united front under the clarion call: Revolution Now! Land, Food and Liberation (Mapinduzi Sasa! Ardhi, Chakula na Ukombozi). We’ll hear about how KLA unites struggles for just social order in Kenya and globally based on four key pillars: Socialism, Anti-imperialism, Pan Africanism and Feminism. KLA is clear on and committed to the better planet we want to see, building on the growing consciousness among oppressed and exploited people in both the global South and North of their common enemy. In the parlance of Kenyan politics, KLA fronts the alternative political leadership that Kenyans are yearning for.
Njuki Githethwa, an organiser with the Kenya Left Alliance – an alliance of progressive political parties, organisations, movements and individuals within Kenya, who have brought over 30 organisations together, including leftist political parties, movements, feminist collectives, student unions, cultural and artistic groups, radical academics and many more.
This session will also be co-hosted with the Solidarity Economy Association.