BY ROHAN PEARCE
MELBOURNE "We want to draw the link between war and corporate globalisation, and win people to the perspective that a movement against neo-liberalism and imperialism in a time of war needs to become an anti-war movement", Kylie Moon told the 31st National Resistance Conference, held at Victoria's Trades Hall on September 27-30.
Moon was reporting to the conference on "Australian politics under the Howard government". "The success of the global justice movement protests in taking on an anti-war focus, in particular the World Social Forum, and the 600,000 strong protest in Barcelona, have demonstrated what is possible", Moon told conference delegates.
A September 27 public meeting, titled "Fighting war, racism and corporate greed", launched the conference. The meeting was addressed by Milly Williams, an activist in High School Students for Refugees; Cam Walker from Friends of the Earth; Craig Johnston, a prominent militant in the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union; Resistance activist Kate Wilson; and Alex Kouttab, secretary of the Australian Arabic Council.
The conference, an annual event for the socialist youth organisation, had the theme "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty". Discussion was dominated by the further development of opposition to the government's refugee policies; Canberra, London and Washington's war-drive; and the recent discussions on greater socialist unity initiated by the Democratic Socialist Party.
The conference declared its support for the Socialist Alliance, and decided to work for greater unity among young socialist activists. Resistance's constitution was amended by the conference to include formal support for the Socialist Alliance. A panel was dedicated to discussion of socialist unity. The panel consisted of Dick Nichols from the Democratic Socialist Party, Carlene Wilson from Workers Power and Tom Barnes from the International Socialist Organisation (three organisations affiliated to the Socialist Alliance), as well as Corey Oakley from Socialist Alternative and Resistance national coordinator Simon Butler.
Butler said that Resistance wants to "convince the membership of the alliance that they would benefit from developing a relationship of close political solidarity with an independent socialist youth organisation like Resistance".
"For most of its history, Resistance has maintained this relationship with the Democratic Socialist Party and both organisations have benefited from this. This conference will be asked to vote to include a new section in our constitution declaring our support for, and pledging to build, the Socialist Alliance. We think that a fraternal relationship with an organisationally independent socialist youth organisation will be the best way the Socialist Alliance will be able to win more young people to its ranks."
Although there were disagreements among the panel participants over the direction of the Socialist Alliance, most agreed that further left unity is useful for the Australian socialist movement. Speakers indicated provisional support for several initiatives that would bring together the different socialist groups, including campus public meetings in orientation week next year and unified socialist caucuses at the National Union of Students annual conference.
Along with extensive discussion about Resistance's analysis of the war against Iraq, participants also discussed women's liberation, the struggle for refugees' rights and the growing international movement opposing neo-liberal globalisation. Pranav, an activist in Indian group Youth Activists for Social Reform, gave greetings to the conference.
In her report on Australian politics, Moon reported the successes Resistance had had on campuses around the country with its "refugee safe haven" campaign. "At the University of Western Australia, the student general meeting attracted more than 200 people and debate went on for two-and-a-half hours, despite having to change venues part-way through the meeting. Newcastle University also carried off a very successful meeting, and they followed it up with a referendum where 477 people voted for the safe haven, and 100 against. Successful student meetings were also held at the University of Wollongong, the Australian National University in Canberra, and La Trobe University."
The conference also adopted a manifesto for Resistance, titled Another World Is Possible: Fighting Against War and Racism. Butler told Green Left Weekly that the manifesto "spells out Resistance's response to the two big global political developments of the last few years: Firstly, the spectacular growth of the movement against corporate globalisation, this powerful new movement which won such an important victory at Seattle in 1999, and victories at many of the massive mobilisations against the corporate elite since then.
"Secondly, the White House's phony War on Terror. This 'endless war' is primarily aimed at stopping Third World nations defying US dominance. So, for example, the US government is pushing towards war with Iraq, not just because of the significant oil resources of that country, but also because Saddam Hussein has defied the US for a number of years.
"This new document doesn't just set out the case for opposing the War on Terror, but also how we need to oppose it. The manifesto discusses socialist perspectives for the anti-war movement.
"What the manifesto also does, is set out why Resistance thinks that protest movements are not enough to struggle for a just world. We believe that you need revolutionary organisations, and an anti-capitalist, socialist perspective to achieve global justice.
"It's a call to action for young people, pissed off at a screwed up, inhumane system. We don't just think that another world is possible, but it is also necessary and that organising and mobilising young people are going to be an important part of the struggle for a different, better world."
From Green Left Weekly, October 2, 2002.
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