Real Internationalism: Inside the RAIZ International Project

  In this special episode, we are doing something a little different by introducing an urgent, concrete internationalist political project. We are joined by two representatives affiliated with RAIZ International.To protect the sensitive nature of their organizing on the ground, we have tailored this conversation to focus on their overarching strategic goals and material outlook without endangering any ongoing local initiatives.RAIZ International rejects the dominant trend of contemporary Western "solidarity," which often reduces internationalism to hollow press releases, moralistic posturing, or aesthetic digital templates. Instead, RAIZ operates on a model of concrete internationalism—rooting its efforts in the actual relations of production, global displacement patterns, and working-class organization.We discuss the material realities of their focus areas:The Colombian Context: Navigating the complex aftermath of displacement, land conflicts, and regional state violence, and tracing how those struggles connect directly back to Western imperialism and transnational resource extraction.The Migrant Labor Pipeline: How global capital forces displacement from the Global South into the centers of Europe, turning vulnerable migrants into hyper-exploited labor pools.Building Independent Working-Class Power: How RAIZ coordinates across borders to offer material support, link regional organizing struggles, and establish durable counter-institutions that empower workers directly rather than funneling them into state-vetted NGOs.If you are listening from Europe and hear about RAIZ initiatives or their upcoming speaking tour through local newsletters or radical community spaces, we highly encourage you to attend an event, stop by, and get involved. This is how we begin building a concrete, internationalist future with a real revolutionary outlook.Project Links & FundraisingOfficial Website: https://www.raizinternational.org/Fundraising Tour Support: https://chuffed.org/project/gira-venceremosSupport our analysis on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/varnvlogSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer