The Socialist Alliance's seventh National Conference will take place over January 2-5.
The conference will discuss plans for the Socialist Alliance's major campaign areas, such as environment and climate change, women's rights, queer liberation, strengthening trade unions, standing up for refugees, Latin American solidarity and many more.
Elected delegates will have the right to vote on resolutions and policies, but the conference is open to the public. All are welcome to come along and join in on discussion.
One very important issue, of which readers of Green Left Weekly will be well aware, is the struggle for Indigenous rights. This is especially needed today because the Rudd Labor government has continued with the discriminatory Northern Territory (NT) intervention.
A legacy of the Howard era, the intervention strikes at past gains of the Indigenous rights movement, such as limited rights to control their own land. Every Australian citizen is guaranteed the same rights — unless you're an Aboriginal person living in the NT.
But Aboriginal people are fighting back. One of those leading the charge is Richard Downs, elder of the Ampilatwatja community, north-east of Alice Springs.
After two years of the government failing to honour its promises, the community defiantly walked off the township and settled outside the intervention's jurisdiction — to set up a free community.
Seeking help for his community's new home, Downs toured around the country in October to shed light on the injustices of the intervention and ask for solidarity — and he got it.
Money, items and messages of moral support arrived. In particular, unions such as the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union and the Maritime Union of Australia, have donated money to sink a water bore for the camp. Other unions also expressed their support. The tour raised about $20,000 in donations.
Although a small start, it is an inspirational chapter in a larger campaign. It is a campaign the Socialist Alliance is helping to build.
Downs will speak at the January 2 public meeting to launch the Socialist Alliance conference.
Indigenous leaders and Socialist Alliance members Pat Eatock and Sam Watson will also take part in major conference sessions.
Watson will be part of a main plenary session on January 3, which will be followed by a workshop on Aboriginal rights at 4pm to discuss the Socialist Alliance's plans for this campaign in 2010.
On January 5, Eatock will take part in an educational workshop titled "Building the Left-Indigenous alliance", which will examine the remarkable history of Australian socialists' involvement in the struggle for Aboriginal rights.
For conference details, including the full agenda and registration, visit www.socialist-alliance.org.