International green left meeting set
By Claudine Holt
After the very successful 1990 and 1991 Socialist Scholars Conferences, plans are now under way to hold an International Green Left Conference in 1994. The gathering will be in Sydney over the Easter break, April 1-4.
The conference was initiated by the Democratic Socialist Party. It has already attracted very broad support from progressive organisations and individuals in the green and left movements. So far sponsors include Greens (WA) Senator Christabel Chamarette, former senator for the Australian Democrats Janet Powell, Australian Democrats Senator Sid Spindler, the national coordinator for the ANC Solidarity Network Algernon Van Der Hoeven, Fretilin representative Estanislav DeSilva, trade unionists and progressive academics.
Sponsoring organisations include Aksi (Indonesian Solidarity Action), Committee in Solidarity with Central America and the Caribbean, the Environmental Youth Alliance and the World Federation of Democratic Youth.
According to the conference organiser Reihana Mohideen, "A green left conference is the broadest and most appropriate way to facilitate the coming together of the various strands of an alternative politics.
"The events in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe have resulted in a major shake-up of the socialist movement around the world and have led to a rethinking and rebuilding in sections of the socialist left. In some countries mass formations representing an alternative politics have moved to centre stage, as is the case in South Africa.
"We aim to get representatives from these political formations and other green, left movements to participate in the conference. There will also be a strong focus on the Asian region with invitations sent to representatives from the democratic movements and
left parties in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, East Timor, Japan and Papua New Guinea."
International guest speakers who have been invited include well-known British socialist Tony Benn; author of How the Other Half Dies Susan George; Barry Commoner, author of The Closing Circle, The Poverty of Power and other writings on the ecological crisis; Nawal El Saadawi, Egyptian feminist and author of The Hidden Face of Eve.
So far confirmations have been received from Susan George and Vickramabahu Karunarathne, a leading Sri Lankan socialist and general secretary of the Nava Sama Samaja Party.