Educate, activate, organise
By Kim Collins
CANBERRA — Over the past two weeks, the Canberra branch of Resistance has been holding educational seminars on revolutionary politics.
"Young people and revolutionary struggle: The experience of the sixties" was one of the inspiring subjects covered. That session included discussion of the May/June '68 revolutionary movement in France, the anti-Vietnam War movement in Australia and overseas, and the rise of the women's liberation movement.
Other topics covered were "What a socialist society would look like", and "How capitalism doesn't function". These sessions presented socialists' analysis of sexism, racism, unemployment, environmental destruction and the role of the state.
A feature talk on the Cuban Revolution was a highlight of the seminars because it provided insights into how a socialist society is built and how internationalism and democracy must be at heart of every successful revolution.
A session titled "Can we make a revolution?" completed the series and took up the role of a revolutionary party, as well as the question of whether or not a revolution is possible in a First World country.
The response of one participant summed up the success of the seminars: "I learnt more in a couple of hours with Resistance than I have in a few weeks at school!"