"The emancipation of the proletariat is not a labour of small account
and of little people: only they who can keep their heart strong and
their will as sharp as a sword when the general disillusionment is at
its worst can be regarded as fighters for the working class or called
revolutionaries"

Antonio Gramsci.

An activist - or member - of the AWL is expected to:
n guarantee a regular minimum of participation at AWL meetings (e.g.
weekly branch meetings) and public activities (e.g. paper sales,
street stalls, distribution of workplace bulletins).

• educate themselves politically; take part in our study courses and
  events like our summer school and annual conference; take an active
  part in the debate and decision-making inside the AWL.

• be active in the trade union at their workplace; promote the
  organisation and basic politics of the AWL in the labour movement;
  and accept the democratic, collective discipline of the organisation
  in that work.

• sell AWL's publications (on the streets; door to door; in
  workplaces, colleges, and meetings).

• persuade others to join AWL.
• pay regular financial contributions to the organisation.

We invite people who support our main ideas but are not yet ready to
commit themselves as activists to be sympathisers. A sympathiser pays
a regular financial contribution and takes the AWL's publications.
Beyond that it varies. Some sympathisers do as much as full members
do (only they are not yet ready to sign up to continue doing that
regularly); others do very little but help financially.