August 24, 2015 -- Scottish Left Project, posted at Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- We are pleased to announce the name under which the new coalition of the left being launched on August 29 will stand. Our name -- RISE, Scotland's Left Alliance -- reflects our political outlook and organisational make-up.

Respect: We stand for a society where we end racism, sexism, discrimination on the grounds of sexuality and where people of all backgrounds, colours and creeds are treated with respect and dignity.

Independence: We stand for Independence for Scotland. But our Independence is based on ending neoliberalism, austerity and the membership of NATO. We are for ending the monarchy and putting people in charge.

Socialism: We are for a social alternative to capitalism where people run the affairs of our society democratically and where the vast resources of society are utilised in common, rather than for the super-rich.

Environmentalism: We believe that environmentalism must be central to social change. Our world is being destroyed by the ruthless pursuit of profit over everything else. Sustainable ecology - where we maximise our enormous renewable energy potential to power Scotland -- at the heart of a radical vision for change.

The Scottish Left Project -- the process of dialogue and discussion through which RISE has come together -- will host the launch event on the 29th. This launch and the growing coalition around it contains a broad range of forces and social movements including anti-austerity campaigns, anti-racist activists, left organisations including the Scottish Socialist Party, trade unionists, cultural figures and academics. This provides a grassroots basis with national reach for building organisational infrastructure that will develop a mass campaign.

This is a product of the Scottish independence referendum and will develop in the spirit of a grassroots people's movement. RISE will bring a radical policy platform in to the political debate in 2016. This is being developed democratically through open policy forums of which there have already been over 30 all over Scotland in the run up to the 29th.

On August 29, hundreds of people will travel from all over Scotland to support the launch and take part in workshops. The range of speakers makes this a unique political movement in the Scottish context.