Table of Contents

Introduction Part I: The Left and the New World 1. Profound Changes in the World 2. Profound Discontent among Much of Humankind 3. Towards the Creation of an Alternative Social Bloc Part II: The Crises of 'Party' and Why we Need a New Left Political Culture 4. Crisis of Theory 5. Programmatic Crisis and the Crisis of Credibility 6. The Organic Crisis 7. The Theory Underlying this Concept of Party 8. Politics as the Art of Making the Impossible Possible 9. Why we Need a Political Organization Part III: The New Political Instrument 10. The Characteristics of the New Political Instrument 11. A New Paradigm for Internal Organization Part IV: From Reforms to Revolution: The Bolivarian Revolutionary Process 12. Local Governments: Signposts to an Alternative Path 13. The Left and Reform 14. The Bolivarian Revolution - Is It a Revolution? Notes Index

Promotional Information

Answers the question, what future is there for the left, faced with the challenges of the twenty-first century? This book addresses the crisis facing the left. It offers hope to those who believe that we can build a different world. It is aimed at activists as well as Latin American scholars.

About the Author

MARTA HARNECKER is the director of MEPLA, a research organization on the history of popular movements in Latin America. Her recent publications include Understanding the Venezuelan Revolution, a book of interviews with Hugo Chavez.

Reviews

Full of observations, analyses and reflections which are extremely useful for the times we live in. Harnecker’s personal knowledge of so many social and political movements makes this book particularly important.
*Francois Houtart*

For Harnecker, politics is the art of discovering the potential in the present in order to make possible tomorrow what appears impossible today. In this book she does just this for Latin America and in particular Venezuela. But first she ditches the dogmas of the past with a disarming frankness. The result is an original and valuable contribution to rethinking left politics.
*Hilary Wainwright, author of Reclaim the State*

Marta's ideas about what the left should be doing is a great tonic; and not just for those in Latin America but for those of us on the British left in these dying days of Blairism.
*Hugh O' Shaughnessy, Tribune*

Here in Britain, we still have a lot to learn about participatory democracy and this book is an excellent place to start. Charley Allan recommends Marta Harnecker's in-depth study of left-wing movements to anyone aiming to change the system.
*Revolutionary Links, Morning Star*

This book is an illuminating overview of the revolutionary left, particularly in Latin America, and its failings in the second part of the 20th century. Essential reading for all those who are trying to revive the left to meet new challenges.
*Samir Amin*