The first day of the Ecosocialism 2022 conference brought together聽many activists involved in climate, union and solidarity campaigns in Newcastle on October 1.
The Community organising in a world of climate crisis, rising poverty and聽privatisation panel heard from Jacquie Svenson from Newcastle Climate Change Response.
Svenson聽explained the new draconian anti-protest laws in New South Wales showed聽that 鈥渄irect action can鈥檛 be ignored鈥. They聽mandate聽much higher fines as well as imprisonment. However, she pointed out that聽Tasmania successfully overturned its anti-protest law.
She said the NSW law鈥檚聽punitive and manifestly undemocratic聽intention聽raises the possibility of聽provoking more resistance聽as the climate crisis becomes undeniable to everyone except the fossil fuel lobby.
Erin Killion, from the Hunter Jobs Alliance (HJA),聽gave聽an inspiring outline for a rapid and just transition from coal in the Hunter Valley.
She said talk of 鈥渏ust transitions鈥 needs to become concrete as coal workers聽want to know how to keep their jobs and take climate action. They know coal is a boom and bust cycle and the companies run when the going gets tough. But, she聽added, no-one wants their town to become a ghost town.
HJA is working towards establishing a Hunter Valley Statutory Authority to聽support workers and create new jobs as the region heads into a period of unprecedented economic change. The idea is to establish聽a local authority, not subject to聽the political expediency of聽election cycles, which includes the local community, business,聽unions聽and government.
It聽could also聽show the major parties that 鈥渢he idea聽of bringing manufacturing and renewables to the Hunter聽is聽both聽popular and safe to adopt鈥.
HJA learned a lot from the experience of Collie in Western Australia, Killion said. When coal mines closed there, locals worked hard with unions, business and government to ensure the town flourished.
Some of those workers are soon due to visit the Hunter Valley people.
Sam Wainwright, a Socialist Alliance co-convenor, described the WA government鈥檚 massive fossil fuel expansion plans.
He said federal Labor鈥檚 43% carbon reduction target was not based on science: it was already going to happen and, anyway, it is not enough. Wainwright described Australia鈥檚 gas exports聽as聽a 鈥渞ort鈥. Australia has overtaken Qatar in聽gas聽exports. The challenge, he said, is to create a united front in the climate movement, capable of organising sustained mass protests.
Kerry Bashford gave a fascinating account of the recent history of the LGBTQ聽rights movement, and argued strongly for solidarity with the trans community that is currently under fierce attack.
A panel on decolonisation, colonial liberation and dismantling the war machine heard from聽Dr聽Sabrina聽Syeed, who revealed a gaping hole in Bangladeshi history 鈥 the lack of any history written about its struggle for independence. Dr Sara Motta gave a fascinating account of politics in Colombia and Dr Janaka Biyanwita described how the uprising in Sri Lanka is organising despite the brutal crackdown on dissent and protest.
Parameswary聽Elumalai, a Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) organiser, described how the PSM, a small party, had helped win the minimum wage as well as employee insurance for聽Malaysian聽workers.
A final panel on elections, activism聽and聽the parliament of the streets heard from the Greens, the Animal Justice Party and the Socialist Alliance聽and demonstrated the need for progressive groups to work together to bring about real change.
[Register聽for other 聽throughout October. One ticket entitles you to join all sessions, which are also being organised face-to-face.]