What is Mass Practice?

The Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist League follows the leadership of the
Maoist Internationalist Movement (MIM) and the examples of the Black
Panther Party, Young Lords Party and American Indian Movement in
implementing mass practice as part of the structure of our work.

Mass practice is understanding the conditions of the people, understanding
which tactical battles are most important at a given time, and taking
action to oppose the most accessible aspects of  imperialism. Mass
practice is taking what we learn from the people, putting it into practice
and then changing our practice based on the peoples criticism. 
Without mass practice, RAIL would not remain focused against the primary
means of oppression. We rely on mass practice not only to determine our
campaigns and individual efforts, but to keep us on track as an
organization.

Mass practice is thoroughly engaging in political struggle, research,
observation and participation with people who are oppressed under the
current system. Having contact and consistent communication with our
brothers and sisters under lock and key is a way for us to learn about the
material conditions and the general level of repression in prisons. Having
contact with the revolutionaries in the Philippines and in the Mohawk
Nation and Puerto Rico is an important way both for us to learn about the
conditions in nations under imperialism and to direct our educational
efforts within u.s. borders. Learning from the masses as well as from
history is essential to conducting the most effective agitation against
oppression.

Our correspondence and direct work with prisoners and the oppressed
instructs RAIL on the issues that desperately need our attention. This
gives us a better and more direct source of information than the bourgeois
media, and an avenue for receiving criticism and correcting our errors. In
our work with prisoners, RAIL publicizes prisoners accounts of their
conditions and builds campaigns that directly address their needs. Part of
mass practice is then also getting criticism from masses we are organizing
with on the results of the campaigns and programs.

Many organizations or groups do work similar to RAILs, conducting research
and exposure of U.$. militarism for example. But it is important to us
that we not only talk about the ways militarism abuses Third World
peoples; we must use that information and work directly with those most
oppressed. Many organizations are more interested in rallies or publicity
on campuses. With RAIL, youll see us encouraging people to write to
prisoners and work with them directly to oppose oppressive conditions
rather than focusing on more frequent rallies.

Not everyone is going to agree with RAIL on many issues, we appreciate
that. We seek activists who are enraged by brutality in prisons, by denial
of prisoners mail, by strip mining in the Philippines, mass sterilization
of Third World wimmin or by the hundred-years U.$. occupation of Puerto
Rico and the 500+ years u.s. occupation of a large stretch of North
America. You should devote your efforts to that political work that most
compels you.

As you investigate RAIL alongside other organizations and decide where to
devote your time, we encourage you to work with us on tasks that directly
address the needs of the oppressed. Listen to what prisoners and their
families say about their living conditions and to what Filipino peasants
say about the U$ military. Use this information along with the information
you read in the mainstream papers to develop your opinions about the
current system. Then use your own time in the organization that most
steadfastly works in the interests of the oppressed.