Keep your calendar free for Marxism 2014
Reviews of the Marxism 2013 Conference
Don't just take our word for it, read below for a series of reviews from some of the attendees and other organisations at the Marxism 2013 conference.
Green Left Weekly
Hundreds attend Marxism conference
Workers' Liberty
Big turn-out at Australian left conference
Kieran's Review
Review: Socialist Alternative’s Marxism 2013
The Peter George Report
Marxism 2013: A Huge Success
Brian S Roper's Blog
Marxism 2013 Conference in Melbourne, Australia
From Roberto Jorquera
Marxism 2013 was not only an inspiration but a guide to action. It reminded us of what is necessary and what is possible through discussion and debate. It provided a glimpse of what a united revolutionary socialist party could look and act like. It gave me confidence that the united path we have decided to take is both critical and very achievable.
The Revolutionary Socialist movement in Australia has entered a new stage one that we must not retreat from. The working class is crying out for an alternative, one that we can point to.
The comradely discussion that has opened up is something that we can all learn from and help us in developing more revolutionary cadre.
Che Guevara (1965) once wrote:
"We socialists are freer because we are more fulfilled; we are more fulfilled because we are freer.
The skeleton of our complete freedom is already formed. The flesh and the clothing are lacking; we will create them.
Our freedom and its daily sustenance are paid for in blood and sacrifice. Our sacrifice is a conscious one: an installment paid on the freedom that we are building.
The road is long and, in part, unknown. We recognize our limitations. We will make the human being of the 21st century — we, ourselves.
We will forge ourselves in daily action, creating a new man and woman with a new technology.
Individuals play a role in mobilizing and leading the masses insofar as they embody the highest virtues and aspirations of the people and do not wander from the path.
Clearing the way is the vanguard group, the best among the good, the party"
From John Scott
Marxism 2013: I am unashamed to confess that during Janey Stone's presentation "Resistance To The Nazis In Eastern Europe" the handkerchief came out a couple of times.Many years ago I had to press the pause button on reading about Nazism (and also Stalinism) because it was threatening to become a morbid obsession.I had by then read most of the major works on the subject; I have since resumed, although on a reduced scale.All in all M13 has been an impressive experience; the wishful bourgeois propaganda about the collapse of interest in socialism is belied by the fact that this event was larger than anything similar that I can remember from, e.g. the 70s, and by and large on a higher level without straying into the area of academic Marxism.I understand from someone in a position to know that all production norms have been gratifyingly over-fulfilled, so well done to all concerned & thanks for having me.
Marxism 2013 conference the biggest to date
The Marxism 2013 conference, held in Melbourne over the Easter weekend, was the biggest and the most successful to date. Some 1,140 people came to participate in debates and discussions and to hear stories of the struggle from Australia and the world.
As always, many highlights were provided by conference guests: John Pilger (investigative journalist and documentary maker), Billy X Jennings (Black Panther Party, USA), Gary Foley (Aboriginal Tent Embassy and Panther, Australia), Brian Jones (International Socialist Organization, USA), Surya (People’s Liberation Party, Indonesia), Gerry Rivera (PALEA, Philippines), Patchanee Kumnak (Thai socialist), Barry Sheppard (US socialist), Antony Loewenstein (author), Jeff Sparrow (author and editor, Overland journal), Bob Carnegie (trade unionist) and many more.
Part of the reason for the overwhelming success of the conference was the ongoing unity discussions between three of Australia’s Marxist organisations. While the conference is hosted by Socialist Alternative, this year the Revolutionary Socialist Party, Socialist Alliance and Green Left Weekly all supported the event and provided speakers.
The conference took place in the wake of the official merger of Socialist Alternative and the Revolutionary Socialist Party – which last week held a party congress and unanimously voted to dissolve the RSP and join SA. Kim Bullimore announced the merger in the opening night plenary session. Also speaking on opening night was Peter Boyle, national convenor of the Socialist Alliance, which is also in unity discussions with Socialist Alternative.
Marxism 2013 included the stream “Organising workers today”, which proved popular with workers attempting to rebuild the traditions of militant trade unionism. Other popular streams were “Anarchism versus Marxism”, and “Marxism for beginners”.
For the first time, the conference also organised a “School of Rebellion” for young people and children, which was provided free for all conference attendees with children/grandchildren etc. More than 30 students enrolled over the weekend. At one point the children rebelled against the official curriculum and voted to do something else – a sure sign that the school was successful in its aims!
Socialist Alternative would like to extend our gratitude to all of our international guests and to all who participated in the event.
Marxism 2014 will be held over the Easter weekend 17 to 20 April 2014. Put those dates in your diary now!
John Pilger pre-sale tickets now sold out
Anybody who missed out on a pre-sale ticket is welcome to queue from 12pm for a stand by ticket. It is recommended that pre-sale ticket holders arrive early to secure a good seat.
Pre-sale ticket holders must be registered and in the session no later than 1:45pm or else their seat may be allocated to a person in the stand by queue. Doors will be opening at 12:30pm
John Pilger will be signing books at conclusion of the session.
Interview with Billy X Jennings in the Sunday Age
There is an interview in today's Sunday Age with keynote Marxism 2013 speaker and Black Panther, Billy X Jennings.
You can read the article online here.
Don't miss out on seeing Billy X Jennings speaking on Saturday March 30th at 2pm Union House (Please note: NOT 3pm as The Age article states)
Tickets for the conference can be purchased online here.
For more information phone 0410 861 093.
Also read below about the interconnection between the American Black Panthers and the Aboriginal Black Power movement:
Aboriginal ‘Black Power’ activists from the 1970s join American Black Panther Billy X Jennings at a Melbourne conference
A member of the one of the most controversial African American civil rights organisations, the Black Panthers, is coming to Australia for the Marxism 2013
conference. At this conference he will be reunited with radical ‘Black Power’ Aboriginal activists, Gary Foley (founding activist of the Aboriginal Tent
Embassy) and Kelli McGuinness from the 1970s, and Marjorie Thorpe (original member of the Australian Black Panther Party).
Billy X Jennings is the first Black Panther to visit Australia in twenty years and will be speaking on his experiences in the Party from the 1970s onwards.
Jennings was one of the Party’s early members and travelled to Australia and New Zealand to help discuss through issues colonialism and racism in these
societies.
The Black Panthers had a significant impact on the movement for self determination and Aboriginal rights here in Australia. Gary Foley said of the impact of
the Panthers in a recent article.
“The young Kooris of Redfern saw striking similarities in the American experience and their own communities. They began to adopt and adapt the strategies
and tactics they were reading and hearing about in America. Thus when Redfern activists pondered the problem of police harassment in their own community,
they were drawn to consider methods adopted by a group called the Black Panther Party of America, operating in the San Francisco suburb of Oakland,
California.”
The Marxism 2013 conference will be the first time these three activists have met since the 1970s.
Jennings is the Party’s current archivist and will be touring with a display of original newspapers, photos and mementos. Kelli McGuinness will be
providing photos and articles from the period of ‘Black Power’ in Australia.
Billy X Jennings will be available for interviews from Saturday 23rd March till Thursday 28th March.
Events:
Gary Foley will be speaking at the conference on Friday March 29th at 7pm.
Billy X Jennings will be speaking at the conference on Saturday March 30th at 2pm.
Tickets for the conference can be purchased online here.
For more information phone 0410 861 093.
Massive Book Sale @ Marxism 2013
Marxism 2013 will be host to a massive book sale featuring over 4,000 left-wing radical books covering history, theory, politics, philosophy, economics, and more. The book stall will be available throughout the entirety of the conference on Level 2 of Union House.
Don't miss out on picking up a great bargain! Credit card and EFTPOS payment are also available for book purchases.
Reminder: Stall Market bookings closing soon
Please contact Cecilia on 0411 164 383 to register or for more information.
Book Launch at Marxism 2013
Revolution is for us: The Left and Gay liberation in Australia by Liz Ross
Book launching at the Marxism 2013 conference, Sunday 31st March @ 4pm
“The homosexual is essential to the sexual revolution; there can be no revolution, no liberation, without us.”
Australia’s Gay Liberation movement arose at a time in world history when revolution was in the air and gays wanted to be part of it.
It was the Left which championed revolution, which had a theory and practice of revolution – Marxism. But when it comes to Gay Liberation it is often asserted that the Left was backward and even hostile, that Marxism had no tradition of dealing with sexual oppression.
This book challenges those claims and shows that the Left – and the working class – was involved from the beginning in the earliest gay rights movements and was integral to the new Gay Liberation Movement. It also refutes the claim that the Left has no intellectual tools to explain the oppression of women and gays. Looking specifically at the Left and Gay Liberation in Australia, it uncovers a rich history – and an inspiration for the activists of today.
About Liz Ross
Liz Ross has been active in Women’s and Gay Liberation and socialist politics since the early 1970s. She is a founder member and now life member of the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives (ALGA). As a union delegate in the 1980s and 1990s she was involved in and has written extensively about workers struggles. Author of “Dedication doesn’t pay the rent! The 1986 Victorian Nurses Strike”, in Sandra Bloodworth and Tom O’Lincoln (eds.), Rebel Women in Australian Working Class History; Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win! Builders Labourers Fight Deregistration, 1981-94 and “Building Unions and Government Reform: the Challenge for Unions” in the Journal of Australian Political Economy. Since the early 2000s she has contributed to the debate about climate change as author of How Capitalism is Destroying the Planet, as well as conference presentations and articles. She is a regular contributor to Socialist Alternative magazine.
