Today the vibrant student movement which spoke out and organised against the invasion of Iraq in 2003 is virtually non-existent. Meanwhile the occupation of Iraq goes on, with well over 100 000 Iraqis dead and the vital infrastructure of the country in ruins. This summer’s meeting of the G8 in Scotland let only a few crumbs fall from the imperialist table, and the impoverishment of Africa and much of the rest of the world continues to deepen. In Britain, under cover of the so-called ‘war on terror’, the repressive powers of the police state continue to increase, with arbitrary house detentions, horrific treatment of asylum seekers and the implementation of shoot-to-kill policies on the street of London.

We feel that there is a need for a student movement able not only to challenge Britain’s part in the occupation of Iraq, but also to stand up to racism suffered by students in Britain, in schools, colleges, universities, and on the streets. To do this our movement must be truly independent from and in opposition to all of the imperialist political parties, and this includes the Labour Party, the very party which has sent British troops into Iraq and which has passed the most repressive and authoritarian laws for decades. This year Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) societies across Britain, from London to Glasgow, have set themselves the task of rebuilding such a movement, but we can’t, and won’t, do it alone. We invite all progressive students and local student groups to join with us in building cooperative actions against British imperialism, both in Britain and abroad.

On Saturday 29 October we will be organising the first national conference of the Student Anti-Imperialist Network (SAIN) in Newcastle. Tickets are £3 including lunch, and affordable transport is being organised from London, Manchester and Glasgow. At the conference we hope to work out a programme of basic joint principles and actions. We will be dealing with issues such as war and imperialism, national liberation struggles, capitalist exploitation and racial and sexual discrimination, neo-liberal globalisation, socialism and democracy, and education and health. We want all students and student groups who are serious about fighting the current system of war and poverty to get involved in this, and to bring their experiences and ideas to the conference to help in building SAIN. To book tickets and find out about transport to the national conference in Newcastle, contact  frfi_northeast@yahoo.com.

We hope to hear from and to work with you soon.

In solidarity,