Committees & Working Groups
All committees are led by members working together as volunteers. If you would like to get involved with these or start one of your own, contact us and we’ll connect you with the chair or coordinator.
Electoral & Legislative Committee
Our problematic political system favors the wealthy and stonewalls real reforms by limiting democracy and the opportunity for regular people to participate. This makes it all the more important for us to find ways to elect working people to local office, people who will represent their communities and listen to the concerns of those who are left out of the system every day.
Because DSA is not a political party, we are open to working to support anyone who wants to run for office in order to make our society better, through real structural changes and an emphasis on participatory democracy.
Ecosocialism Committee
Our Ecosocialism Committee believes that care for our environment and our community go hand in hand. We're promoting efforts to develop sustainable infrastructure through programs like the NY Build Public Renewables Act, while also focusing on what we can do in our own backyards.
For example, the Ithaca DSA Mutual Aid Garden grows produce to donate to local food banks. Join us to learn how you can help develop a people-first plan to build resilience and community in the face of the climate crisis.
Labor Committee
Democratic Socialism and a strong labor movement go hand in hand – worker power depends on the people standing together, both in their workplaces and in the broader movement to promote real democratic society.
Our labor work is currently taking the form of a Workplace Organizing Committee, a group of experienced volunteer labor organizers who can provide mentoring, education, trainings on useful organizing skills, one-off strategy consultations, ongoing organizer support for union campaigns, and other options to help you build solidarity and make changes in your workplace. Get in touch at ithacaworkplaceorganizing@gmail.com.
Political Education
First formed as the Jacobin Reading Group and later continuing as the Socialist Night School and Marxist Reading Groups, our education committee plans events and readings to discuss current issues in a way that broadens the horizons of what is possible.
Join us in our discussions of classic and current texts. All are welcome no matter how much familiarity you have!
The Political Education programs we offer vary over time. Email ithacanydsa@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook or Instagram for updates.
Housing Working Group
Our chapter’s housing committee has been active for years, working to promote housing justice in Ithaca. Our city has an unusually high cost of living that is getting worse, with luxury housing projects accelerating gentrification downtown and pushing more poor and working people out.
By speaking out in city meetings, organizing with the Ithaca Tenants Union, and working to enact legislation that will protect tenants and adopt rent stabilization, we hope to work towards real affordable housing in Ithaca. Beyond that, our true goal is to see extensive, expansive public housing and tenant cooperatives in our city.
Other Opportunities
We’re currently looking for members to lead a working groups on Medicare for All, to coordinate with YDSA on local campuses, to plan social events and outreach, and more.
The communications team supports the effective operations of the chapter by managing our social media pages, email listservs, cable TV series, radio, and website as well as various other needs – graphic design, photography, t-shirt and button making, and more.
If you have a passion or talent to contribute, we’ll support it.