GLOBAL REVOLT=97GLOBAL LINKS
2nd Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference
March 29-April 1, 2002, Sydney, Australia
DISCOUNTS FOR REGISTRATIONS RECEIVED IN 2001:
AUD$100 for waged, AUD$50 for unwaged/part-waged, and AUD$30 for high
school students
To register on-line go to: www.global-revolt.org
For all those concerned about the destructive impact of neoliberal
globalisation; for all those active in the anti-corporate/anti-capitalist
movements; for all those campaigning against Bush and Blair's war on the
Afghan people; for all those who want to see a stronger, united,
internationalist left=97the 2nd Asia Pacific International Solidarity
Conference is not to be missed.
Join a diverse range of activists from all around the world in discussions
of how we can advance global solidarity, coordinate the struggle against
the war, and build stronger links for the cause of fundamental social
change on a global scale.
Official participants so far:
Dita Sari, a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party in Indonesia and
Chairperson of the Indonesian National Front for Workers' Struggle (FNPBI),
Farooq Tariq, General Secretary of the Labour Party Pakistan,
Sonny Melencio, Chairperson of the Socialist Party of Labor of the
Philippines,
Wilson Fortaleza, President of Sanlakas, Philippines
Victor Briz, President of BMP, Philippines
Powes Parkop, a leader of Melanesian Solidarity, Papua New Guinea
Maung Maung Than, Free Burma Action Committee
Dr Nasir Hashim, Chairperson of the Malaysian Socialist Party
Satya Sivaraman, radical Indian TV documentary producer,
The Seraiki National Party president Abdul Majeed Kanjoo, from Pakistan,
Alain Krivine, a leader of the French Revolutionary Communist League and a
member of the European parliament,
Alex Callinicos, British Marxist intellectual, from the Socialist Workers
Party of Britain,
Boris Kagarlitsky, Russian Marxist writer and political commentator,
Ram Seegobin, leader of Lalit, the principal revolutionary socialist
organisation in Mauritius,
Dale McKinley, South African Marxist and activist,
Malik Miah, Barry Sheppard and Caroline Lund from Solidarity in the US,
Ahmed Shawki and Paul D=92Amato, leaders of the US International Socialist
Organisation,
Luis Balbao, from Uni=F3n de Militantes por el Socialismo in Argentina.
The Portuguese Left Bloc
The Communist Party of India (Liberation),
The Power of the Working Class in South Korea,
The Socialist Party of Timor,
The Communist Party of Nepal (UML),
The Labour Left Collective from South Africa, and
The Turkish Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP).
The Cuban Communist Party is unconfirmed but has indicated keen interest, as
has
The Scottish Socialist Party.
There=92s also been interest from left parties and anti-corporate activists
from many other countries, including Malaysia, Burma, Thailand, New Zealand,
Cyprus, Denmark, Canada, Norway, Germany, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Israel,
Palestine, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan and
Nicaragua.
Australian participants include the Democratic Socialist Party, Resistance,
Green Left Weekly, ASIET and the International Socialist Organisation, as
well as a wide array of activists from the anti-war, global justice,
women=92s, trade union, refugee rights and other movements.
A Call to Participate
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A new spirit of resistance, renewal and cooperation is alive among the left
around the world.
Even in the face of the September 11 tragedy=97a cruel act that has nothing to
do with the struggle for a better world=97the international left has been
galvanising against Bush and Blair=92s hypocritical exploitation of the
tragedy for their own terror on the Afghan people. Even before the bombs
began raining down, thousands mobilised across the world to voice their
opposition. These multiplied once the war began. The anti-capitalist left
has been at the forefront of many of these mobilisations.
This follows a decade of rethinking and reorganisation by the left in many
countries, which has been greatly invigourated by the global movement
against neoliberal globalisation since Seattle 1999, culminating in the
upheaval in Genoa this July.
Certainly the capitalist neoliberal offensive of the last 25 years has
inflicted heavy defeats on the working class internationally; certainly the
social and political universe has changed a lot during the course of the
20th century; and certainly many who used to be on the left have given up
the struggle.
But after the wave of confusion and despair following the collapse of the
Soviet Union popular movements have been fighting back, reflecting the
stubborn reality that the diseases of capitalism are more alive than ever,
as is the need for a fundamentally different way of organising
society=97socialism.
North and South people continue to rise up=97against Third World debt, against
the devastation of our environment, against the deepening exploitation of
women, against the denial of national rights and the marginalisation of
indigenous peoples, against rural poverty and landlessness.
>From Seattle to Washington, Melbourne to Quebec City, Prague to Nice to
Genoa, the explosive protest movement against neoliberal globalisation has
shaken the confidence of the world=92s rulers. Here in Australia the September
11-13, 2000 blockade of the World Economic Forum in Melbourne sparked a new
mood of hope and enthusiasm on the left. The May 1 blockades of stock
exchanges in eight Australian cities followed it up. Then the planned
October mobilisations against the Commonwealth Business Forum and
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting were, following the latter's
cancellation, seamlessly converted into people's marches against war and
racism
Against this promising background new left parties and alliances are
developing and new links=97national and international=97are being developed
between parties with very different traditions. The radical left is
rebuilding on new foundations.
Asia Pacific
These trends have been strongly felt in the Asia Pacific region. New parties
have been formed, like the Peoples Democratic Party in Indonesia, the Power
of the Working Class and Socialist Party in South Korea, and the Socialist
Party of East Timor. The left in the Philippines continues a process of
clarification and recomposition. The Labour Party Pakistan grows and draws
working class leaders together in its ranks. The LPP is currently organising
a very courageous struggle against both the US war and the religious
fundamentalist gangs. On October 15, they led an anti-war demonstration of
1000=97nearly half of them women - which was shut down by the military.
In India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia,
Australia and other countries, parties coming from very different
traditions - Maoist, Trotskyist, traditional Communist - have developed
comradely collaboration and discussion.
These processes became regional with the successful 1st Asia Pacific
International Solidarity Conference (Sydney, April 1998), which was
attended by more than 750 people, including 67 representatives from
non-Australian left parties and organisations. The Marxism 2000 Conference
(Sydney, January 2000), the Socialism 21 Conference (Kathmandu, November
2000) continued the trend. And the first left conference in Indonesia for
more than 35 years - the Asia Pacific Peoples' Solidarity Conference in
Jakarta, in June - made a valuable contribution to regional collaboration
in spite of its disruption by police and right-wing militia..
A similar spirit of searching for new ways of working together exists in
Europe and Latin America. In Europe, left alliances and new parties have
grown in Portugal, Denmark, France, Italy and Turkey. The militant
alternative being built by the Scottish Socialist Party and the British
Socialist Alliance marks the strongest effort by the left there since 1945.
Anti-capitalist left parties from many different traditions are starting to
meet on a Europe-wide basis.
The ten-year experience of the Sao Paulo Forum, the insurgent Zapatista
movement and Porto Alegre's 15,000-strong World Social Forum (January 2001)
all indicate the strong desire for new forms of resistance. They also
underscore the ever-urgent need for a resolute fight against imperialism
and its international institutions, and for a revolutionary transformation
of society.
At the same time, despite Washington's increasingly desperate efforts to
discredit and crush it, revolutionary Cuba still stands as an inspiration
for all peoples' struggles. The victory in the Elian Gonza1lez case and the
Cuban people=92s ongoing mobilisations against the US blockade, the Free
Trade Area of the Americas and Third World debt have strengthened the
position of all of us who are resisting the system.
Issues and debates
The conference agenda will be wide-ranging.
At its centre will be discussion of what political demands to press in the
developing movement against neo-liberal globalisation and how to escalate
the struggle against its military offshoot - the global imperialist "war
against terrorism". How to maintain the momentum? Around what demands and
alternatives?
For example, the demand to abolish the WTO, World Bank and IMF has greater
support than ever, even among many previously reticent NGOs. More people
demand unconditional cancellation of the Third World debt. And how exactly
can preferential trade treatment for the Third World be won? What role
should the UN have in achieving international justice? Such are the core
issues.
Another theme will be internationalist solidarity versus narrow
nationalism. Fighting the dead-end of chauvinist protectionism has been a
hard battle in Australia, where, as in all privileged imperialist
countries, it's been the scourge of the trade unions and labour movement
politics.
Another unavoidable question for the movement - which so far has been
rather ignored - is how to go beyond capitalism, beyond the new Cold War of
a world for or against terrorism painted by Bush and Blair. The thorny
question of socialism.
At times this issue appears disguised as a debate over the very right of
socialist parties to be part of the united front of resistance and to put
their viewpoint within the movement. However, if left parties are excluded,
it=92s practically impossible to lift the movement=92s field of vision beyond
demands on, and reforms to, capitalist states and institutions.
The conference will devote many plenaries and workshops to aspects of
building socialist parties in today's conditions. What sort of socialist
renewal, regroupment and alliances are possible and desirable? What sort of
party is needed? Should it be on a broadly anti-capitalist basis or do we
need revolutionary Marxist parties right away? How should parties relate to
the different networks and spheres of struggle? What sort of relations
should exist between different national parties? How structured an
international network should we aim for? How can contact and collaboration
between parties coming from different traditions and different continents
be improved?
Contact us
We are calling for international sponsors and partners in this important
conference. If your party, union, social movement or community organisation
can attend, contact us as soon as possible so your input can be added in.
If you would like to present a paper or workshop, let us know now so we can
plan and advertise the agenda well in advance.
If you look to build a more powerful and effective movement against the
scourge of neoliberal globalisation and imperialist war, if you look to
strengthen the struggle for the anti-capitalist and socialist cause, you
should not miss the 2nd Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference.
The conference is being organised by the Asia Pacific Institute for
Democratisation and Development. The conference secretariat in Australia is
presently based in the national office of the Democratic Socialists, who
will also be participants at the conference.
For more information, visit the conference website at
<www.global-revolt.org>
Email us at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or write to: PO Box 515, Broadway
2007, Australia.
Telephone: (02) 9690 1230 (From outside Australia: 61-2-9690-1230); Fax:
(02) 9690 1381 (From outside Australia: 61-2-9690-1381).
--
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