Young socialists plan campaigns
By Jacquie Moon, Bronwyn Jennings and Marcel Cameron
MELBOURNE — More than 220 activists gathered in Melbourne on July 11-13 for the 27th national conference of the socialist youth organisation Resistance.
Under the conference theme "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty", delegates discussed and decided on the organisation's political perspectives and campaigns for the next year.
Delegates, who attended from 12 cities including Perth and Darwin, represented a wide cross-section of Australian youth: university and high-school students, workers and unemployed, male and female, Anglo and Asian.
Resistance national executive member Sarah Peart reported to the conference on the revival of working-class struggle in many countries in the wake of the Asian crisis, and the continuing drive by capital to restore profits at the expense of working people and the environment. Particularly inspiring was the mass struggle which toppled Suharto in Indonesia. Delegates discussed some of the challenges confronting the young activists leading that struggle, and the need to step up solidarity efforts in Australia.
The conference assessed the impact of the Asian crisis on politics in Australia, noting the growing instability and polarisation. The discussion focussed on the reasons for the rise of Pauline Hanson and her racist, nationalist politics.
Campaigning against racism was identified as Resistance's immediate priority. The conference adopted plans for a national secondary school walkout against One Nation and racism on July 24 (July 28 in Brisbane). It also decided to support Democratic Socialist campaigns in coming elections which will present a broader, socialist alternative to the politics of racism and nationalism.
Workshops discussed strategies and tactics for a range of campaigns and movements, including the urgent need to build the Hiroshima Day anti-Jabiluka uranium mine demonstrations next month. Campaigning against government education cuts and in solidarity with union struggles, such as the MUA dispute in which many Resistance members were actively involved, was also discussed. Another workshop assessed Resistance's work in various student unions and the National Union of Students, and its use of official positions within those organisations.
Another major theme woven through the conference was women's struggle for liberation and the importance of Resistance's efforts to involve more young women in feminist campaigning. A feature panel analysed the origins of the oppression of women, some of the debates in contemporary feminism and the campaign to repeal all abortion laws in Australia.
Resistance reaffirmed its strategy of involving as many people as possible in public actions such as rallies, strikes and street marches as the most effective method of struggle for progressive campaigns and movements. Resistance national coordinator Sean Healy stressed that the biggest challenge for Resistance is to help transform the widespread anger and cynicism among young people in Australia today into active, organised rebellion.
A feature panel on the Indonesian democracy movement heard guest speakers Maria Indra from Students in Solidarity with Democracy in Indonesia and Nico Warouw, the European representative of Indonesia's People's Democratic Party. Both highlighted the central role of young people in the struggle to overthrow the dictatorship.
The conference was honoured by the attendance of Keshav Pandey, secretary of the Asian Students Association and greetings were also presented by Par-Parr of the All-Burma Student Democratic Organisation, Joaquin Santos of Fretilin and Craig Johnston of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.
A highlight of the conference was the multi-media presentation on the May-June 1968 student and worker uprising in France, and video footage of the inspiring mass picket in Melbourne which prevented Patrick Stevedores from moving cargo during the recent dispute between the company and the Maritime Union of Australia.
The conference rally featured the launch of the updated Resistance web page, and the fight against Adelaide City Council's attempts to prevent Resistance activists from distributing 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly in public places.
Aimee Lipscombe, a year-12 student from Melbourne, told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ that the conference "showed that young people are capable of forming their own political opinions and expressing them through action". Keara Courtney, a Resistance activist from Sydney University, said she was inspired by the conference. "It's fantastic to know there are so many young people out there who realise that the world needs to change and that they can do something about it.
To find out more about Resistance and its campaigns, contact the Resistance Centre nearest you (addresses on page 2.)"