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IDEAS FOR FREEDOM 2014: Their class war and ours

Workers' Liberty | 20.06.2014 13:58 | Gender | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements | London

A weekend of socialist discussion and debate hosted by Workers' Liberty

Thursday 3 - Saturday 6 July
Mostly at University of London Union, Malet Street, WC1E 7HY

For more information and to book tickets online visit  http://www.workersliberty.org/ideas
 https://www.facebook.com/events/489211487873543


THURSDAY 3 JULY

Radical Walking Tour of East London
Meet 6pm, Bow Church DLR
 https://www.facebook.com/events/639354006158936

FRIDAY 4 JULY

A century of radical women's struggles, 1914-2014
7pm, The Exmouth Arms, Starcross Street, Euston NW1 2HR
Including: Jill Mountford on the women's movement during World War 1; film about the Grunwick strike; Unison activist Jean Lane on Women Against Pit Closures; SUArts President Shelly Asquith on women workers and students' struggles at London universities; RMT Women's Committee Chair Becky Crocker on transforming the labour movement
With food
 https://www.facebook.com/events/471451116332258

SATURDAY 5 JULY

10.45 Registration

12 Opening plenary: Their class war and ours – putting class struggle and socialism back on the agenda
Speakers: Sean Matgamna (Workers' Liberty); Beth Redmond (NCAFC national committee); Holly Fishman Crook (striker at the Ritzy cinema); Becky Crocker (RMT)

1.30 Lunch

2.50 Workshops
i. Marxism and intersectionality. Camila Bassi and Kate Harris
ii. WW1: How world war became world revolution. Stephen Wood
iii. Introduction to Marxism: How could a revolution happen in Britain? Liam McNulty
iv. Will there be a Labour government? What should the left demand of Labour? John McDonnell MP; James Elliot (Labour Students for Free Education); Gemma Short (Workers' Liberty)
v. How socialists in the late 19th century built a constituency for socialism. Paul Hampton

4.20 Break

4.50 Workshops
i. Introducing the Great Miners' Strike, 1984-5. Pete Radcliff
ii. WW1: The soldiers' revolt after the war. Alwyn Turner
iii. Is the far right winning over Europe's workers? Yves Coleman (from French journal Ni patrie ni frontières); Matt Cooper (Workers' Liberty); Theodora Polenta (Greek socialist activist)
iv. How can unions regrow? Ruth Cashman (Lambeth Unison secretary); Holly Fishman Crook (Ritzy striker); Jason Moyer-Lee (University of London IWGB President); professor Gregor Gall (Bradford University)
v. Ukraine: what should socialists say?

6.20 Break

6.30 Workshops
i. WW1: The shop stewards' movement and workers' struggles during the war. Edd Mustill
ii. The radical left after the SWP crisis. Simon Hardy (International Socialist Network national secretary and Left Unity national council); Edd Bauer (Birmingham Anti-Capitalists); Cathy Nugent (Workers' Liberty)
iii. How to fight inequality.
iv. Why we need an International. Maziar Razi (Iranian Revolutionary Marxists' Tendency); Martin Thomas (Workers' Liberty)

8.15 Food and social/fundraiser

SUNDAY 6 JULY

10 Workshops
i. Politics and class struggle in India after Modi's election. Jairus Banaji (SOAS); speaker from South Asia Solidarity
ii. The miners' strike and liberation. Jean Lane (Workers' Liberty); speaker from Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, plus a short film
iii. The left and Western military intervention. Rosie Woods (Workers' Liberty) debates James Bloodworth (editor, Left Foot Forward blog)
iv. Could socialism end all wars? Cathy Nugent

12 Lunch

12.55 Workshops
i. The socialist environmentalism of 2006-10. Stuart Jordan and Bob Sutton
ii. The international fight for LGBT rights. Paul Penny (London Transport RMT LGBT Officer, Workers' Liberty) and speaker from the African Out and Proud Diamond Group
iii. Migrants struggles in Britain: past and present. Vicki Morris (Workers' Liberty) and Shreya Paudel (NUS International Students' Officer)
iv. Revolutionary Jews. Daniel Randall
v. What's going on in Iraq? With Iraqi socialist speakers

2.20 Break

2.30 Workshops
i. Socialists and religion. Pat Murphy (Workers' Liberty, NUT national executive) and Yemisi Ilesanmi (Nigerian trade union, socialist and human rights activist)
ii. Why everyone loves a TV murder. With screenwriter Clive Bradley
iii. The miners' strike and the state. Jill Mountford
iv. Workers in the Portuguese revolution, 1974-5. Miguel Perez
v. How can socialism end women's oppression? Esther Townsend

4 Closing plenary

Free creche and accommodation, cheap food.

To book creche or accommodation, or for more information, ring 07796 690 874 or email  sacha@workersliberty.org

Workers' Liberty
- e-mail: sacha@workersliberty.org
- Homepage: www.workersliberty.org