SEARCH has been operating since the early 1990s. In that time it has evolved in its activities and focus, but its values have been consistent.
We were established in 1990 to steward the assets of the former Communist Party of Australia (CPA) with the object of promoting “greater understanding in the community of the main factors affecting social life, influencing social development and advancing social wellbeing.” You can see some of our history via the Wayback Machine log of previous versions of our website, available here. Our Facebook page also records some of our more recent history and events.
SEARCH conducted a National Review in 2017 in which members' views and priorities were shared and discussed. The results of that National Review, as well as ongoing democratic consultation with members via regular elections and meeting, informs or current work.
SEARCH does not insist on a 'correct line' on issues, and we welcome members from different political parties and movements. As an organisation we are committed to democratic ecological socialism and strive to support the mass movements fighting for progressive change. We therefore invite you to join us for our events and action, read our publications and participate in our educational work.
Following the close-down of the New Left Party in March 1993, CPA members met in 1993 and 1994 to consider how to respond to these failures of the NLP project, and decided to consolidate the SEARCH Foundation as a vehicle for left political initiatives to rebuild a modern socialist vision and build unity on the left.
The first initiative was the Chris Hani Memorial Tour, hosting the first South African Communist Party delegation to Australia, in late 1994.
SEARCH sponsored the Beatrix Campbell speaking tour against neo-liberalism, political skills for trade unionists, the Just Republic campaign in 1997-98, the Now We The People campaign 1999-2005. We welcomed Beatrix Campbell back to Australia for another tour in 2017.
We supported the anti-corporate globalisation movement, and the huge 2002-03 anti-Iraq War protests.
From 2007, the SEARCH Foundation embarked on a Left Renewal program of Roundtables, the InspirActivism inter-generational training program, and the National Left Renewal Conferences of 2010 and 2013. The 2013 conference called for a network named Common Action, which produced a series of video clips in 2016-17 under the title, Let’s make an Economy for Everyone.
SEARCH maintains international solidarity with democratic and revolutionary movements in Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Zimbabwe, Iran, and in Latin America.