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Announcement :: Miscellaneous |
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2004 Midwest Socialist Conference Updated Info |
Current rating: 0 |
by International Socialist Organization
Email: contact (nospam) internationalsocialist.org (unverified!)
Phone: 312-458-9380 |
29 Sep 2004
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COME TO CHICAGO for a day of discussion and debate at the Midwest Socialist Conference on everything from "Should Progressives Vote for Ralph Nader?" to "America’s Hidden Labor History" and "The Struggle for Palestine."
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2004 Midwest Socialist Conference
WAR, POVERTY, OPPRESSION
BUILDING A LEFT ALTERNATIVE
COME TO CHICAGO for a day of discussion and debate at the Midwest Socialist Conference on everything from "Should Progressives Vote for Ralph Nader?" to "America’s Hidden Labor History" and "The Struggle for Palestine."
Chicago, Saturday, October 9
University of Illinois-Chicago
750 S. Halsted.
For more information call 312-458-9380.
FEATURED SPEAKERS INCLUDE
Peter Miguel Camejo, 2004 vice presidential candidate, running with Ralph Nader
Keeanga-Yahmatta Taylor, gay rights activist and member of Equal Marriage Now!
Lee Sustar, contributor to Counterpunch and Socialist Worker, winner of a 2002 Project Censored Award
Alice Kim, National Organizer, Campaign to End the Death Penalty
Loretta Capeheart, Executive Board, University Professionals of Illinois, Local 4100
Bill Linville, 2004 Wisconsin State Coordinator for the Nader-Camejo Campaign
MIDWEST SOCIALIST CONFERNECE SCHEDULE
Registration (10:00-11:00AM)
Opening Plenary (11:00-11:30AM)
BUILDING A LEFT ALTERNATIVE
Republicans and Democrats are telling us everything depends on who is in the White House. But the most important issues—from the war on Iraq to wages and discrimination against gays and lesbians—aren’t going to be on the ballot this November. Should activists accept the "choices" on offer from Washington, D.C.? How can we build a movement that overcomes the idea of voting for the "lesser of two evils." SHARON SMITH explains.
Workshop Session I (11:45-1:15PM)
WILL THEY BRING BACK THE DRAFT?
Rumors that Washington wants to re-institute the draft have been circulating for months—ever since the Pentagon floated a call to fill dozens of draft boards. The floundering occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan may be giving a renewed urgency to the White House’s draft plans. With 140,000 troops in Iraq and 20,000 in Afghanistan, the military is stretched thin. John Kerry has said if Bush wins in November, he may bring back the draft. But Kerry has pledged to continue the occupations that are causing the crisis. JOE ALLEN and BOB QUELLOS ask—no matter who wins in November—will politicians bring back the draft?
WHAT DO MARXISTS SAY ABOUT ELECTIONS?
What attitude do Marxists take to elections and representative government? In the history of the socialist movement there have been two opposing views. One, reformism, argues that modern representative government gives workers the opportunity to achieve socialism by electing a socialist majority into office. The other argues for revolution, based upon the mass struggles of workers for direct workers’ democracy. JULIEN BALL argues for the revolutionary socialist tradition, and explains how and when Marxists do participate in elections, and why.
FROM STONEWALL TO GAY MARRIAGE: THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
A 1969 riot of gays sparked by a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York launched the modern gay liberation movement. The current struggle for gay marriage is the latest fight. KEEANGA-YAHMATTA TAYLOR recounts the history and politics of the fight for gay liberation and the lessons the struggle holds out for us today.
ORGANIZING THE UNORGANIZED: AMERICA’S HIDDEN LABOR HISTORY
The labor movement faces a crisis. Public sector unionization rates have fallen under ten percent. Millions of workers have no health insurance. Millions face the threats of layoffs and downsizing. But throughout history, the labor movement has gone through ups and downs. In the 1930s millions of workers—often led by socialists—organized unions, occupied factories and battled police and strikebreaking thugs. The lessons of how such struggles were fought and won can provide us with lessons and inspiration on how to rebuild a fighting labor movement. SAM JORDAN explains.
THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION: THE BOLSHEVIKS COME TO POWER
The Russian Revolution of October 1917 remains to this day the most decisive event of the international workers’ movement. The Russian events took place in the midst of the carnage known as World War I. The overthrow of the Tsar and the almost bloodless Bolshevik-led insurrection held out hope for millions across Europe as the world’s first workers’ government took power. ADAM TURL argues that although the revolution was eventually defeated by Stalin, the events of 1917 remain the high point of workers’ struggles and provide a model of the strategy and tactics needed to win real equality and democracy.
Lunch Break (1:15-2:15PM)
Workshop Session II (2:15-3:45)
THE STRUGGLE FOR PALESTINE
With U.S. backing and approval, Israel is intensifying it’s war against the Palestinians. At the same time the Palestinian movement faces its own crisis. With the Oslo "peace process" long exposed as a sham, more and more people are asking how we can win self-determination in Palestine. ERIC KERL will draw the connection between the U.S. occupation of Iraq and Israel’s occupation of Palestine—and put forward the case for a secular democratic state in all of Palestine.
SOCIALISM AND THE FIGHT FOR WOMEN’S LIBERATION
In April more than a million people marched in Washington, D.C. to defend abortion rights. But the overwhelming message was that those who care about women’s rights should vote for the Democrats in November. But for more than 20 years, with Democrats and Republicans in power, abortion rights have been chipped away and attacked. Women’s wages continue to fall behind men’s. Other issues, like free childcare, have been dropped from the political debate. How can we build a movement that really fights women’s oppression? To figure that out, we need to ask why are women oppressed? KYLA KLEIN argues that women’s oppression is rooted in class society, and that the struggle for liberation needs to attack women’s oppression at its roots.
THE FIGHT FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS: NO HUMAN BEING IS ILLEGAL!
Right-wing bigots in Arizona are pushing hard to get support for Proposition 200—misnamed the "Protect Arizona Now" ballot initiative. It would require Arizona residents to prove citizenship before registering to vote or apply for government services. And since September 11, 2001, attacks on Arab and Muslim immigrants have been on the rise, with thousands of people detained without charges. Politicians of both parties have used immigrants as scapegoats for problems facing workers and poor people in the U.S.. GIMENA GORDILLO and BRIDGET BRODERICK will explain the roots of the current attacks on immigrants and why all workers in the U.S. should support equal rights and amnesty for all immigrants.
ART AND REVOLUTION: CAN ART CHANGE THE WORLD?
Throughout modern history artists have often been a part of mass movements for social change. From the Russian and German revolutions to the artwork of Diego Rivera and the music of bands like Rage Against the Machine, artists have identified themselves with, and helped to build struggles against injustice. Can art change the world? What is the relationship between art and struggle? NICOLE COLSON lays out the socialist perspective on the question of art and revolution.
Workshop Session III (4:15-5:45PM)
WHERE DOES RACISM COME FROM?
For many people who become activists—Black and white alike—hatred of racism is a huge motivating factor. This is in contrast to some common assumptions about where racism comes from. One is that racism is a part of human nature and cannot be overcome. Another is that racism comes simply from bad ideas, and that if we change bad ideas, we can get rid of racism. ALICE KIM will argue that both of these assumptions are wrong—that we can defeat racism, by finding out what role it plays in our society and where it comes from, and connecting a multi-racial movement that fights racism at every step with the goal of ending racism once and for all.
THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ: THE CASE FOR WITHDRAWAL
"So what should the U.S. do?" is a question that opponents of the occupation of Iraq are often asked. Many people agree that the war is unjust and the growing violence in Iraq is proof that the U.S. shouldn’t be there. But at the same time, they think that the U.S. can’t just leave. The U.S. has a responsibility, goes the argument, to see through what it started. But, as ELIZABETH LALASZ and RACHEL COHEN explain, Iraqis have a right to self-determination and until all the troops pull out there will be neither justice nor peace in Iraq.
CLASS STRUGGLE IN LATIN AMERICA
From Bolivia to Venezuela and from Argentina to Brazil, mass movements have helped bring populist governments to power in recent years—but free-market "neoliberal" policies continue. The left is demanding more fundamental change—but many reject the Marxist theory of revolution as no longer relevant. LEE SUSTAR will examine those arguments and discuss the prospect of revolutionary change in Latin America today.
STOP THE ATTACKS: DEFEND PUBLIC EDUCATION!
The attack on public education is being felt in poor and working-class schools across the country. Chicago’s "Renaissance 2010" charter school plan is one of the latest attempts to turn a profit off public schools—and weaken teachers’ unions. Meanwhile, teachers and
students at the Chicago City Colleges and at Northeastern Illinois University are under attack and may go out on strike this October. Hear three union activists and teachers, from Northeastern Illinois University, the City Colleges and the Public Schools, discuss the attacks on our schools and a strategy to fight back.
REFORM OR REVOLUTION: HOW CAN WE CHANGE SOCIETY?
When the revolutionary socialist Rosa Luxemburg moved to Germany in 1898, it was the center of the largest socialist movement in the world. Within that movement there a huge debate was raging between revolutionaries who believed that socialism could only be achieved through workers seizing power and running society for themselves, and reformists who argued that revolution was no longer necessary. Luxemburg wrote the seminal pamphlet, Reform or Revolution taking on the reformists. 100 years later, her arguments on how to change society, and revolution and reform, remain as important as ever. KIRSTIN ROBERTS will explain what those lessons mean for us today.
Dinner Break (5:45-7:30PM)
Closing Plenary (7:30-9:00PM)
CAN WE DO BETTER THAN ANYBODY BUT BUSH?
Millions will go to the polls with the hopes of defeating the Bush agenda. Yet more and more it is hard to believe that Kerry will represent much of a departure from that agenda. Are we stuck with "the lesser of two evils?" Come to this discussion about the possibilities of building an independent, effective alternative to the Bush Agenda and whether "Anybody But Bush" is really the best we can do. ALAN MAASS and PETER MIGUEL CAMEJO take on the 2004 election.
Peter Miguel Camejo is a leading member of the California Green Party and is Ralph Nader’s running mate for Vice President in the 2004 Presidential Election. Peter Camejo ran for Governor of California twice, receiving hundreds of thousands of votes. In 1976 he ran for President as a socialist, gaining ballot status in 30 states. He marched in Selma, Alabama with Martin Luther King and was active against the War in Vietnam. Alan Maass is the editor of Socialist Worker newspaper and the author of The Case for Socialism, Haymarket Books, 2002.
The forum with Peter Camejo is also endorsed by the Green Alliance, Pilsen Greens, Solidarity and UIC Students for Nader.
Sponsored by the INTERNATIONAL SOCIALIST ORGANIZATION
For more information call 312-458-9380 or e-mail chicago_socialists (at) yahoo.com. Child-care is available, but let us know by October 5.
The ISO publishes Socialist Worker newspaper, available online at www.socialistworker.org |
See also:
http://www.socialistworker.org
http://www.internationalsocialist.org
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