The next video from the SR dayschool features Miquel Reis discussing the experience of The Left Bloc / Bloco de Esquerda in Portugal.
Posted by admin as International, Portugal, Video at 3:17 PM MDT
July 8th, 2008
Portugal - The Left Bloc / Bloco de Esquerda
July 7th, 2008
Respect mobilises against racist Cologne conference
Respect is aiming to send at least 100 activists to join protests against an anti-Islam conference organised by Europe’s fascists. At the recent anti-fascist march in London, it appealed for activists to come to Cologne.
Thanks to George Bush’s war on terror, Islamophobia is the acceptable face of racism. The fascists and far right across Europe have put attacks on Muslims at the centre of their propaganda.
This September the European far right is set to gather in the German city of Cologne for an anti-Muslim hate-fest. Anti-racists, trade unions, survivors of the Holocaust, Muslim groups and others across Germany are calling on people to come to the city in protest. Respect is organising a large delegation to join this major protest, blockade and counter-conference over the weekend of 20 and 21 September.
Nadir Ahmed, one of the organisers of the delegation, says, “The BNP’s Richard Barnbrook is due to be in Cologne alongside veteran fascists like Jean Marie Le Pen.
“Every far right party wants to get a boost from it. A huge counter protest, on the other hand, will lift Muslims and anti-racists across the continent. The fascists appear to have chosen this date because it is right in the middle of Ramadan, when Muslims are fasting, tend not to travel far, and spend a lot of time with friends and family.
“Well, for me and many Muslims going to Cologne to stop this Nuremberg rally for Islamophobia definitely comes under the category of essential travel and an obligation to act justly. I hope many brothers and sisters, Muslim and non-Muslim, join us.”
For details phone Nadir on 07951 058864.
July 4th, 2008
Die Linke
The next in the series of introductions from the Socialist Resistance dayschool is this contribution from Andrej Hunko who looks at the experience of the Left Party in Germany.
July 3rd, 2008
Sinistra Critica
This video is one of the most coherent accounts in English of Sinistra Critica’s recent experiences in Italy. Angelo Cardone delivered this talk at the Socialist Resistance dayschool on broad parties.
July 1st, 2008
The Dutch Socialist Party
The next video from the Socialist Resistance dayschool features Willem Bos. Willem is a long-standing activist of the Dutch left and a member of the Socialist Party. He spoke in a personal capacity about his experiences in this important and successful party of the left.
Posted by admin as Europe, Left debates, Video at 6:20 AM MDT
June 5th, 2008
European conference of the anti-capitalist left
Last weekend in Paris there was a meeting called by the Ligue communiste révolutionnaire of European anti capitalist parties. This is a translation of the statement that was issued from it.
There were about a hundred representatives of about thirty organisations from sixteen countries present. Among them were the principal organisations of the revolutionary left in Europe which represent thousands of activists and sympathisers.
Also present was an observer from the ISO ((International Socialist Organisation) in the United States .
This international conference of the radical, anti-capitalist and revolutionary European left was undoubtedly a big success. For the first time since May 68 nearly all the anti-capitalist left was brought together.
It was remarkable that this first meeting took place. The fact that it decided to continue and meet for a second conference in 2009 shows that something new is happening for Europe’s radical left.
This success is first of all connected with both the support for and the curiosity about the LCR’s initiative and the new anti-capitalist party. But there is something else.
It is a change in the historic period which has unsettled the workers’ movement and organisations for several years, a process which is perhaps coming to maturity in a number of countries. The combination, in the framework of capitalist globalisation, of the current financial, banking and food crises of capitalism - of the redoubling of attacks against social and democratic rights, and the social-liberal evolution of the traditional left opens a space for the radical left.
These questions were dealt with in a first discussion introduced by François Sabado, a member of the LCR’s leadership. He indicated a series of points of convergence on the nature of the capitalist offensive on the evolution of the social-democratic and communist parties on the dynamic of the class struggle. This debate also confirmed the points of agreement about the principal anti-capitalist measures in the face of neo-liberal capitalism and the need for a clear independence from social democracy. All the organisations present reaffirmed the necessity of rejecting the politics of parliamentary or governmental coalitions with the social liberalism of social democracy or the centre left.
These main reference points for rebuilding a new workers’ movement and an anti-capitalist alternative don’t exhaust all the indispensable debates for rebuilding a socialist project, debates which we must have on the different experiences in Europe , questions such as the formulation of an European anti-capitalist programme, the war, an ecosocialist response to the ecological crisis and of course about the content and forms of socialism in the 21st century.
So we have to work and debate. The next conference in 200 will be focused on the struggle against the war, NATO and military politics in Europe .
There was something else positive about this conference. It is not only a questions of debating but also of acting. There were three discussions after the main discussion. The first, which was introduced by LCR leadership member Yvan Lemaitre, about the war, in which returning to the warmongering policies of the ruling classes and the role of NATO to organise a large international demonstration in Strasbourg and Kiel next spring.
For the first time a conference of this type looked at the question of global warming. It was introduced by Laurent Menghini. This second debate showed that all the anti capitalist organisations are developing an ecological dimension.
There was a third debate, introduced by Emmanuel Siegelman, on the importance of the struggle against racism and xenophobia. Following the example of the Lega Nord in Italy, which is waging a real campaign against foreigners, the attacks against immigrants are a central element of the attack of reactionary governments against social and democratic rights. Anticapitalists must make this a central axis of their activity in Europe .
After a short summary of the proceeding by Galia Trépère all the participants have decided to have a joint intervention at the next social forum in Malmo in Sweden, and especially to consider common activities at the time of the next European elections in 2009. What is at stake when the far right, the socialist and communist parties have European structures is to begin to build a European anti capitalist pole of attraction. This is one of the most difficult questions for each organisation has a different history, there are specific relationships of forces in each country. Some organisations have already responded positively. Others are going to discuss it, and some, without taking part in a European campaign, are open to common initiatives.
In short – the new anti-capitalist party is getting things moving in Europe !
The organisations represented were:
Denmark : Red Green alliance
Switzerland : Solidarités, Gauche anticapitaliste, Mouvement pour le socialisme
Germany : ISL, RSB, BASG, Marx21, Interventionist Lef, Anticapitalist Left
Austria : SOAL
Sweden : Socialist Party
Poland : Polish Labour Party
Belgium: LCR-SAP
Norway : Socialist Unity
British state : Respect, Socialist Resistance, Socialist Party, Socialist Workers Party
Spanish state- : Espacio Alternativo
Turkey : ODP
Portugal : Left Bloc
Italy : Sinistra Critica
Netherlands : SAP
United States : ISO
Greece : ARAS, Kokkhino, Syriza, KOE, Synapismos, New Left Current (NAR), Left Recompostion, DEA, OKDE, Ecologist Alternative, SEK, AKOA
France : LCR
Posted by admin as France, International at 4:04 PM MDT
May 20th, 2008
Books in French from the LCR bookshop La Breche
If you want any of these books, please make out a cheque to Socialist Resistance, and post it to: PO Box 1109 London N4 2UU, with details of your request, including your return address and a phone number.
1) Carre Rouge magazine, No. 2 6€/£5
2) Ecole Emancipe magazine, mai 2008 3€/£2.50
3) Revolution - Olivier Besancenot, 250p, 5,60€/£4.50p
4) Evo Morales et la gauche au pouvoir en Bolivie – Herve Do Alto & Pablo Stefanoni, 120p, 6€/£5
5) 1968 Fins et suites - Krivine et Bensaid, 190p, 12€/£9.50p
6) Mai 68 - Boris Gobille, 120p, 8,50€/£7
7) Les Trotskysmes - Bensaid, 125p, 8€/£6.50p
8} Che Guevara – Lowy et Besancenot, 245p, 14€/£11
9) Slogans et affiches de Mai 68, 230p, 7€/£5.60p
10) Un pur capitalisme - Michel Husson, 250p, 16€/£12.50p
11) Contretemps no. 22 – 1968 un monde en revolte, 190p, 19€/£15
12) Critique Communiste no. 185 – Municipales 12€/£9.50p
13) Critique Communiste no. 186 - Mai 68 -12€/£9.50p
14) La pensee de Trotsky – Mandel, 170p 7€£5.50p
15) Pamphlets at 2€/£1.60p on :
- a) Education
- b) Prostitution
- c) National Front
- d) Local elections 2008 Manifesto
- e) Electricity privatisation
16) Cahiers de Critique Communiste at 7€/£5.60
- a) Marx et l’appropriation sociale
- b) Marxisme et democratie
- c) Marxisme face au capitalisme contemporain
- d) Travail, critique du travail, emancipation
- e) Femmes, genre feminisme
- f) Classe ouvrière, salariat, lutte de classes
17) La France des annees 1968, 900p 30€/£24
18) DVDs 6€/£4.80p
- a) Pierre Frank on The popular front 1936
- b) Jean-Marie Vincent on the German revolution 1918-1923
1968 - Two participants look back
May 10th, 2008
France: High School students mobilise massively against attacks by Sarkozy Government
Extracted from Corriente Alterna
Alex and Yoann (JCR Paris-Nanterre)
French youth continue to show their potential for mobilising against education reforms. This time it is the turn of high school students, who, during the last weeks, have been on the streets against the suppression of teachers’ jobs in high schools.
Everything started with the Sarkozy government’s announcement of the elimination of 11,200 high school teacher jobs during the next year. In doing so, they have gone one step further in their policy of frontal attacks on education rights and of reducing public expenditure. Consequences will include the elimination of optional subjects (arts, Latin, foreign languages) and increases in student-teacher ratios and in teachers’ working hours.
The first to mobilise were the teachers. On 18 March, responding to the call of the SNES, FO, Sud and CGT unions, thousands of teachers went on strike and demonstrated in Paris. There were around 2,000 on the demo, accompanied by 3,000 high school students who gave the first sign that a mass youth movement was rising again.
Since then, the dynamic of the teachers’ struggle has been overtaken by that of the students, who have started organising themselves and taking the initiative. Methods of action reflect the experience acquired by French youth during the recent strikes: blocks and strike pickets, speeches during the lessons in order to interrupt them and to be able to mobilise for massive demonstrations in Paris.
In contrast to the other movements, this time it is the high school students in the most working-class areas that have taken the initiative and have formed the majority of the demonstrators. In this way, massive demonstrations and the capacity of organization of the French students’ movement have begun to converge with the combativity and radicalisation of the youth from the Paris suburbs.
From these beginnings, the movement has spread like wildfire. First in Paris, where hundreds of high schools have gone on strike spontaneously, overwhelming all political organizations and trade unions. But not only in high schools: the movement has reached dozens of middle schools (11 to 15 years), which have also blocked lessons and have massively mobilised for demonstrations. These demonstrations have brought together up to 50,000 people in Paris twice a week.
But the movement is not only in Paris. In Toulouse, Lyon and Grenoble, the mobilization has also achieved a historically unprecedented scope. On 18 April students in Paris started their holidays which are two weeks long. It is therefore the turn of high schools in the provinces, which are coming back from holidays now. And they have got started quickly. On 22 April, 15,000 students demonstrated in Tours, 2,500 in Toulon, 500 in Lille and 3,000 in Strasbourg. These actions will give a push to the movement in Paris when the holidays finish there.
To achieve this level of activity, it is also essential that the movement organises itself and adopts democratic structures. Coordination is beginning between the high schools that are in struggle, with the first national meeting taking place in April and the next one on 3 May.
6 May is the key date: the teachers’ unions are thinking of calling a General Strike on education, and FO (Force Ouvriere – Workers’ Force) is even thinking of the possibility of calling an inter-sectoral strike.
Update: Teachers’ Unions FERC-CGT, SGEN-CFDT, UNSA-EDUCATION, SUD EDUCATION have called a strike on 15 May. May promises to be a month of action.