SEARCH Foundation

Template:TOCnestleft SEARCH Foundation was set up as a not-for-profit company in 1990 to preserve and draw on the resources of the Communist Party of Australia, and its archives.

The CPA was the most significant socialist party in Australia between its formation in 1920 and 1991, when it ceased operating.

Initially the Foundation supported the New Left Party, and the publications Australian Left Review, and Broadside Weekly. When these collapsed in 1993, the Foundation reassessed the situation and decided to initiate political activity itself, to encourage practical unity on the Left towards democracy, social justice and environmental sustainability, and to reach out to people coming from other traditions who share these goals.

Initiatives

• the Chris Hani Memorial Tour of South African Communist Party leaders of 1994
• the ‘Community over Market Solutions’ tour with Beatrix Campbell in 1996
• creation of Political Education for Trade Unionists training modules in 1996-97
• financial support for progressive community radio programs, such as Public Radio News and Radio 3CR’s Stick Together Show
• financial support for organisations and individuals for a range of projects, publications, radio and video documentaries about *progressive movements in Australia and the history of the left and labour movements in Australia
• the Just Republic campaign of 1997-99,
• the Now We The People initiative and its national conferences and campaigns from 1999,
• the vibrant campaign against unfettered free trade which had high points in Australia with the Melbourne protest against the World Economic Forum in September 2000, the campaign against the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement in 2003-04, and the APEC Leaders Meeting in Sydney in September 2007.
• international solidarity with the East Timorese independence struggle, the national democratic organisation BAYAN in the Philippines, the democratic movement in Zimbabwe and more recently, the democratic opposition in Iran, led by the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

Following the terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001, and the Bush Administration’s invasion of Afghanistan, and then the ‘Axis of Evil’ speech in January 2002, the Foundation committed itself to the anti-war movement, which had its peak in February 2003, but continues on.

• support for the many movements against the reactionary policies of the Howard government, particularly the 1998 Maritime Dispute, *the Reconciliation movement, support for asylum-seekers, and against the anti-worker law WorkChoices.

References

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