Educational Courses

Conter organizes regular “Socialism 101” courses for people new to left politics, who would like an introduction to radical theory and a grounding in the Marxist tradition. These courses run for eight to ten weeks, and require a modest time commitment from participants. All courses are free, but to participate, you are required to register and attend the full course.

We are currently developing a tranche of new “102” courses, which will be available soon.

Lectures

Conter organises lectures and public events for activists in Scotland on a wide variety of topics, from current events and political economy, to community organising strategies. We aim to bring leading activists and thinkers from across the world to engage with a Scottish audience on substantive issues. 

For information on future lectures, please visit our events page. Recordings of many previous lectures can be found in the video archive.

Forums

Conter organises monthly forums where members of the editorial board, and friends of Conter, discuss work in progress and debate contentious topics. This is a chance for individuals to get feedback on arguments they are developing in an article, where new research is first presented, and where you can come and debate the merits of UBI, whether or not there is a parliamentary road to socialism, and maybe even the role of Calvinism in Scotland today.

To attend Conter forums, and watch previous presentations,  you need to join the Conter community on Patreon.

Reading Group

We run a weekly reading group. This is a space where you can read and discuss classic and contemporary texts in the radical tradition, and get some help in understanding books that might be a little intimidating to read.

The reading group attempts to revive the spirit of classical working class self-education, which previously thrived in Scotland but is now noticeable by its absence. Central to the ethos of the group is that we learn together. In the words of James Connolly, we need “to rise with our class, not above it.”

There is no “teacher” in this space, nor is there a predetermined interpretation of the texts we read. Collective learning means developing together in a comradely environment, where all opinions are welcome, and no previous knowledge is required.
We meet at 5pm on Saturdays. The reading group is free, and open to anyone who wants to learn alongside others and discuss ideas in a critical but comradely way. We welcome individuals of all political persuasions, and of all educational backgrounds.

For information on all Conter educational events, please contact: reading_group@conter.scot