{"id":2,"date":"2017-04-03T13:51:26","date_gmt":"2017-04-03T13:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2025-02-26T17:11:45","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T17:11:45","slug":"sample-page","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk\/?page_id=2","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOW WE FIGHT POVERTY AND WHY WE DO IT THAT WAY<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

A statement of principles by Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty<\/span><\/p>\n

ECAP organises to combat poverty on the principle of solidarity and self-activity in communities and workplaces, actively rejecting influence by\u00a0<\/span>any<\/span><\/em>\u00a0political parties. We work and fight alongside individuals facing poverty related problems and oppressive behaviour from the authorities. We also conduct wider campaigns on specific issues using the same principles of solidarity and self-activity. Our actions are practical examples of the differences we can make in our day-to-day lives by standing up for one another. But why does ECAP embrace self-activity and reject political parties?<\/span><\/p>\n

Poverty is no natural disaster but a result of how people organise the world. ECAP considers poverty to be an inevitable part of an economic system based on exploitation and profit. The use of debt to generate profits gave this system a few more decades of supposed stability. But the current global crisis has burst that bubble and now standards of living for waged and unwaged are under attack as the true nature of an exploitative economy is again exposed.<\/span><\/p>\n

ECAP regards calls for political elites to behave more fairly, appealing to an illusory ideal of \u2018democracy\u2019, to be fruitless in the long term. Politicians pursue the \u2018National Interest\u2019 which we take to mean the interests of the ruling class as we do not accept that exploiters and exploited share a common interest. To pursue change through\u00a0<\/span>parliamentary and electoral<\/span><\/em>\u00a0channels is to see our struggles dissipated, defused and co-opted. While states like to describe themselves as \u2018democratic\u2019 they are a world away from a truly democratic society. Their alleged \u2018democracy\u2019 has been adjusted over centuries to appear democratic while leaving the same fundamentally anti-democratic forces in power.<\/span><\/p>\n

But shouldn\u2019t we be \u2018realistic\u2019 and work within established power structures? ECAP considers that when the term \u2018realistic\u2019 is used in this way it is just a code for \u2018doing what the rich want\u2019. We do not accept that our struggles must forever obey this false logic. This is why ECAP believes that no political leadership can be trusted, that they are cynical and manipulative by nature. We instead propose that only solidarity based on recognition of shared interests can challenge the bankrupt, greed fuelled economic system.\u00a0 So we actively seek to encourage links between different sections of the working class, e.g. employed and unemployed, recent immigrants and long-term residents \u2013 we reject all forms of oppression that divide the working class.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We believe that with enough people direct action can make the rule of bosses and their political protectors unworkable. We aim to establish a truly democratic counter-power, pressurising authorities in the here and now and giving people a means to defend themselves in their daily lives, whilst simultaneously challenging the whole capitalist system, demanding and working towards a world without classes, borders and oppressive elites. <\/span>Such a world would do away with production for profit \u2013 instead people would co-operate as equals to directly satisfy human needs.\u00a0 <\/span>We recognise the importance of also combating other intertwined forms of oppression such as racism, as well as systems of gender based oppression such as patriarchy, misogyny and transphobia.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Note: We are working on a revision of the ECAP principles to include more content on the questions of imperialism and nationalism.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Interview with ECAP in Variant magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

Article about ECAP in Third Force News<\/a><\/p>\n

Interview with ECAP by Economic Survivor in ‘Activist Collective’ eBook<\/p>\n

Coverage of ECAP by Leith TV<\/p>\n

Article on ECAP in Morning Star<\/a><\/p>\n

Article on the Internationalists website<\/a><\/p>\n

Below – text of ECAP leaflet from some years back – but the general message remains as valid as ever<\/em><\/p>\n

Faced with any of these PROBLEMS ?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n