BY VIV MILEY
SYDNEY — Protests around the globe, from Seattle and Washington to Jakarta and Bolivia, have highlighted growing discontent with corporate "globalisation" and imperialism. From June 29 to July 2, the socialist youth group Resistance will discuss its own plans to help turn this discontent into active rebellion.
Resistance's 29th national conference will meet in Melbourne under the slogan "We have a world to win — fight for socialism". Activists will come together from around the country to discuss such issues as how young people can join the fight against corporate tyranny and against anti-people institutions like the World Trade Organisation, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Conference organiser Sarah Peart explained why there is the need for a conference such as this. "It will give activists a chance to share experiences, make assessments of the current political situation, and to plan campaigns and actions for the rest of the year", she said.
Organisers have also scheduled discussion on campaigns against the racism of the federal government, moved to do so by government denials that there ever was a stolen generation, its attacks on the rights of refugees and asylum seekers and its refusal to overturn the unjust mandatory sentencing laws in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Other workshops at the conference will discuss campaigns against environmental destruction and cuts to education, as well as feminism and solidarity with trade union struggles.
Peart says that plans are afoot to invite guests from organisations overseas to speak about struggles in their respective countries.
"For us, international solidarity and internationalism is at the very centre of our aim to change society", Peart said. She cited the example of mobilisations in 1999 which forced an end to the killings in East Timor as proof that such internationalism is necessary and possible.
One international guest already confirmed is a representative from Indonesia's National Student League for Democracy (the LMND), who will give an insight into its campaign against the new government's introduction of IMF-initiated austerity measures.
Peart cites the anti-IMF struggle in Indonesia as an inspiration for activists here. "The IMF and World Bank play such a huge role in directing the economies of Third World countries, at the expense of the majority of people", she said.
"Their restructuring packages are in reality nothing more than fronts for multinational corporations and Western imperialist governments to tighten their strangle-hold on world markets." Peart argued. "So when you see students and workers uniting together against that — that's pretty special. We could learn from that."
The conference will also be a chance for activists around Australia to organise their participation in September protests against the World Economic Forum summit in Melbourne. Resistance has pledged to organise contingents of young activists from every state in Australia to travel to Melbourne in September.
"Any person interested in protesting against the austerity measures imposed on Third World nations by organisations such as the IMF and WTO should definitely not miss this conference", Peart concluded.
For further details about the conference, contact your nearest Resistance branch (see advertisement this page).