Launch of Economic and Social Research Aotearoa (ESRA)

notices and features
8 years ago
Categories: activism, leadership, Left
Tags: ESRA, sue bradford, think tank

Welcome

Economic and Social Research Aotearoa invites you to join us in nurturing informed progressive debate in Aotearoa. We are a national think tank committed to high quality research and analysis based on a kaupapa of social, economic, ecological and Tiriti justice.

From the About page:

What’s the story behind ESRA?

Since the 1980s many on the left have lamented the lack of any major cross sectoral left think tank in Aotearoa New Zealand capable of combatting the policies of neoliberal capitalism and of promoting well researched alternatives and solutions.

Our story so far

In 2014 activist and former Green MP Sue Bradford started disseminating the results of her PhD research project A major left wing think tank in Aotearoa: an impossible dream or a call to action? After interviewing 51 academics and activists across the country her thesis had come to the clear conclusion that there was indeed a major gap and that substantial support existed for the establishment of one or more left think tanks.

…

By the time of ESRA’s launch in September 2016 the supporters’ network had grown to nearly 500 people drawn from activist and academic communities all over New Zealand. A first union-funded research project was underway, examining the work and living conditions of a particular group of migrant workers, and a number of other research streams and projects are at various stages of development. …