Emma Clancy
"Time is short. If we do not change the world now, there may be no 22nd century. Capitalism has destroyed the ecological equilibrium of the earth. It is now or never!" — Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez speaking to thousands of activists at the World Social Forum in Caracas in January.
He continued: "We are not here to waste our time. We must urgently build a new socialist movement." Resistance is taking these words to heart, and has started preparations for its 35th national conference, to be held July 8-10 in Sydney. How to build the movement for socialism in the 21st century will be the theme.
Hundreds of young activists from around the country will have a chance to hear firsthand from international activists from Venezuela, Indonesia and New Zealand. Apart from the political discussions, the conference plans to include a "seditious" art exhibition and cultural performances.
National coordinator of Resistance Fred Fuentes, who has just returned from the Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly bureau in Venezuela, said, "We will be hosting a youth leader from the Frente Francisco de Miranda, someone who will give us a picture of just how involved young people are in the revolution in that country, but who will also be able to talk about the political explosion that is happening across the Latin American continent. Revolutionaries around the world have so much to learn from the process that is taking place in Venezuela, and we are eager to use this conference to build closer links between revolutionary youth in Venezuela and Australia.
"This will help us strengthen the campaign in solidarity with the Venezuelan revolution against US aggression."
Amy McDonell, Canberra Resistance organiser and activist in the ACT Network Opposing War, said that the US-led occupation of Iraq is another critical issue in global politics today. "It demonstrates the human catastrophe caused by the US empire's drive for profits. We will be discussing how we can help boost the anti-war movement in Australia, how to unite anti-imperialist youth to demand that Australian troops are withdrawn from Iraq and that Australia does not participate in any future US-led invasions."
According to conference organiser Kiraz Janicke, who also recently returned from Venezuela, "The critical thing we learned from the revolutionaries in Venezuela was the importance of building the struggle for socialism in our own country. Here, working people are facing the biggest attacks on our rights for 100 years, and we have to be part of the struggles against the Howard government's attacks on trade unions and students, and against its racist drive to divide us and crush our civil rights."
Janicke said that a young leader of the Indonesian People's Democratic Party (PRD), which is leading the struggle for workers' rights there, will also be a special guest, allowing for a rich discussion on the impact of corporate globalisation in the Asia-Pacific region. She added that Resistance is hoping that a Unite unionist from New Zealand involved in organising young, casual workers in the "Supersize my pay!" campaign will also be able to attend.
[The conference will be held from July 8-10 at Glebe Town Hall in Sydney. Phone (02) 9690 1230 for more details.]
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, March 15, 2006.
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