The International Socialist Organization was founded in 1977. From its inception, it has been committed to a political tradition of socialism from below, as opposed to the traditions of Stalinism, Maoism, and even some variants of Trotskyism. From the start the ISO emphasized the importance of realism—not getting ahead of what is realistically possible, without at the same time losing site of our revolutionary goals in the long term. Perhaps the most critical lesson of the history of all past revolutionary efforts—successful and unsuccessful—is that the working class needs its own organization, politically independent from the parties of the ruling class, to fight for its own aims and interests. In this meeting, we will examine how the ISO, one of the sponsors of Socialism 2017, has contributed to this process.