GLOBAL REVOLT�GLOBAL 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
Please register on-line at: 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�the 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'Amato, leaders of the US International
Socialist Organisation,
* Luis Balbao, from Uni�n 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's 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's, trade union, refugee rights
and other movements.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Call to Participate
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�a cruel act that has
nothing to do with the struggle for a better world�the international
left has been galvanising against Bush and Blair's 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�socialism.
North and South people continue to rise up�against imperialist war,
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's 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�national and international�are 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�nearly 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 S�o 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
Gonz�lez case and the Cuban people's 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's practically impossible to lift the movement's 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 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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