Fighting the system: young radicals' conference
By Sean Healy
"Fight the system" is the theme of the 26th national conference of the socialist youth organisation, Resistance. The conference, to be held in Melbourne July 3-6, is expected to attract more than 200 young activists from around Australia.
"We chose the theme 'fight the system' because we thought it describes what many young people believe today — that the way this society is run is totally wrong and that we have to fight that", conference organiser Sarah Peart told Green Left Weekly.
"Resistance branches have been extremely busy this year organising rallies and protests against racism and on university campuses against the privatisation of education. We've won a lot of young people to socialist ideas, and the conference will provide a great opportunity for us all to reflect on what we've achieved and make plans for the future."
The conference opens on the evening of July 3 with a public meeting titled "The Final Year of Suharto". Featured speakers include the international representative of the Indonesian People's Democratic Party (PRD), Nico Warouw, prominent East Timorese writer and activist Naldo Rai, the national coordinator of Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET), Max Lane, and representatives of Resistance and the Timorese youth group RNJT.
"This will definitely be a conference highlight. The situation in Indonesia, where the people — particularly the youth — are clearly fighting the system, is an inspiration to us all. And it's important also that people know what's going on, given the Australian government's support for Suharto and its complicity in the regime's crimes", Peart continued.
Other highlights include a feature panel on July 4 titled "Racism: what it is and how to fight it", which will include presentations on the history of working-class struggles against racism in Australia, on the strategy for defeating racism and on what the Hanson movement represents, including its connections to the Howard government.
One of the speakers will be Resistance member Alex Bainbridge, who was involved in organising the May 30 protest action against Pauline Hanson's visit to Newcastle.
"People need to know the real history of racism in this country and whose interests it has served", Bainbridge said. "It's no accident that racism is on the rise at the same time that the federal government and its big business backers are attacking social services, jobs and democratic rights.
"Racism is a tool deliberately used to foster divisions and to prevent working people fighting back. Pauline Hanson is doing a great job for John Howard and his backers — she both seeks to legitimise racism and makes Howard look like a moderate. Meanwhile, he's free to implement most of her policies", Bainbridge continued.
Another feature on July 4 (ironically Independence Day in the US) will be a talk on Che Guevara, the Cuban revolutionary who was killed in Bolivia by the US government 30 years ago.
Peart told Green Left that Che is prominent in the conference publicity because "He was a figure that many young radicals worldwide looked to as an example of someone who wasn't afraid to fight for a better, socialist world. Those young radicals included the founders of Resistance, and I think many Resistance activists and many other young people still look to Che for inspiration today."
Another conference highlight will be the panel, "Proud to be a feminist: rebuilding the women's liberation movement".
There will also be a range of workshops dealing with the environment and the history of trade unionism in Australia, as well as sessions providing a more general introduction to Resistance and socialist politics.
"A major aim of the conference is to explain socialist ideas to those who are just starting to investigate what we're all about", Peart added. "So the conference is designed to provide opportunities for questions and discussion, as well as to meet other activists from around the country."
Last year's conference was the first for Perth Resistance activist Justin Randell. "I was blown away — it answered a lot of the questions I had and gave me a very good idea of what Resistance's politics were. I think it was also good to see the extent to which Resistance is really out there, campaigning on the issues and putting forward a real alternative."
The conference will be held at the Resistance Centre at 14 Anthony Street in Melbourne. Resistance organiser Alison Dellit said, "We've got a month to publicise the conference with posters, fliers and press releases. With more than 200 expected, and more than 100 from Melbourne alone, the conference promises to be a major event on the left here."
For registration inquiries or more information, ring the Resistance national office on (02) 9690 1230 or the Resistance Centre in Melbourne on (03) 9329 1320.