Marxism 2011

[sylvestre]

Comme chaque année le Socialist Workers Party britannique organise 5 jours de débats, de concerts, de spectacles au cœur de Londres, du 30 juin au 4 juillet :

Highlights

The Arab Revolts

Meetings include Eyewitnesses to Revolution - hear from the activists who were there when it happened. Speakers include Egyptian revolutionary socialist Sameh Naguib, while Tariq Ali and Alex Callinicos analyse events, and Sami Ramadani and Haifa Zangana look at the prospects for Iraq.

We have a course of meetings about Understanding Revolution, as well as meetings on Marxism and the Middle East and Palestine and Zionism.

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Trade unions, the student revolt and the struggle against austerity

The British government is imposing cuts on a scale not seen since the 1930s - but there has been huge resistance, such as the student revolt and the TUC demo in March. How do we make these the start of something bigger that can beat the Con-Dems?

Speakers include Len McCluskey, leader of Unite, Britain's biggest union, Mark Serwotka, leader of the PCS, and grassroots activists. We have meetings on Austerity in Europe and The Police and Civil Liberties, as well as The Student Revolt and From the Welfare State to Austerity Britain, including Tony Benn.

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The return of Marx

The inability of mainstream economics to explain the crisis has led to an explosion of interest in Marxist ideas about economics and philosophy. we bring together many of the best known radical economists and philosophers. Our meetings range from basic explanations of Marxist ideas to cutting edge debates.

We have two courses of three meetings each which give a basic introduction to the Marxist method and Marxist economics. We have meetings on Capitalism and Crisis and a course on debates in Marxist economics.

We have a course on debates in Marxism and philosophy, and speakers at Marxism include István Mészáros, Alex Callinicos, Alberto Toscano, Peter Hallward, Nina Power and Terry Eagleton.

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Anti-racism and anti-fascism

Across Europe violence and discrimination against Roma and Muslims are on the rise. America has seen violent Islamophobic and anti-immigrant protests, while in Britain we have the English Defence League and the Nazi British National Party.

Marxism includes a rally in defence of multiculturalism with Salma Yaqoob, Martin Smith and Michael Rosen. As part of our Anti-racism and anti-fascism theme, Joint secretary of Unite Against Fascism Weyman Bennett speaks on how to fight the EDL, while Paul Gilroy looks at how the 1981 riots changed Britain.

Anarchism and autonomism

The student movement has thrown up a myriad of questions about strategy and tactics, and has seen many turn to anarchist and automomist ideas. We have a whole theme on Anarchism and autonomism as well as a debate between Andy Durgan and Stuart Christie on The Spanish Civil War.

What's wrong with America?

The hope that surrounded Barack Obama’s election has melted away. Still bogged down in Afghanistan, and still lacking a health service, America is suffering from high unemployment and the worst housing crisis in decades. We ask What's Wrong with America? - meetings look at the Wisconsin protests, the Tea Party, and America's hidden radical history.

Environmentalism

Meetings in our Environmentalism theme discuss Marxism and ecology; whether socialism would be sustainable; the myth that overpopulation causes famine and climate change; and nuclear power. And we examine the links between global warming, food crises and revolution.

Sexual liberation

The last few years have seen a growth in women’s and LGBT movements. As well as fighting sexism and homophobia here and now, there are more fundamental
questions too, such as why formal equality in the eyes of the law hasn’t led to the end of oppression.

Meetings on Women's liberation look at crucial issues like how we fight raunch culture, and the role of women in revolutions from Russia to Egypt, as well as looking at classics like Engels' Origin of the Family and addressing issues like class.

The LGBT liberation theme asks if religion is to blame for homophobia; how we best build solidarity against homophobia elsewhere in the world; and asks what sort of LGBT politics we need today. There's also a meeting on the hidden history of revolutionary LGBT struggles in Russia and Germany in the 1920s and 30s.