Plans are under way for the 2008 Resistance national conference, to be held at the University of Technology, Sydney from June 27-29. This year's theme is: "war, racism, environmental destruction, homophobia, sexism … Turn anger into action!"
One of the conference organisers, Lauren Carroll Harris, spoke to Green Left Weekly about the motivation behind the conference. "Our generation has inherited a massive ecological crisis, governments continue to justify an illegal war for oil, the Rudd government has extended Howard's racist Northern Territory invasion: it's time to get angry."
"Resistance is a socialist youth organisation: we look at not only what is wrong with the world, but why — and how we can change it. Resistance argues that the injustices in the world today are fundamentally caused by capitalism, and believes that the only viable alternative is socialism: the democratic control of society and the economy by ordinary people, not corporations", she said.
The Resistance national conference will bring together young activists to discuss strengthening progressive campaigns and building a socialist alternative to capitalism.
Speaking at the conference will be Resistance member Fred Fuentes, aid to an adviser to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez; Kiraz Janicke, correspondent for Venezuelanalysis.com and Green Left Weekly in Venezuela; and Isaac Shuisha, Israeli citizen and Palestine solidarity activist.
Feature talks will include "Unfuck the world — what type of social change do we need?". There will be a broad range of panels and workshops, including:
•Rudd is no solution — taking on the ALP government;
•Our world can't wait — climate change and the environment;
•Confronting the empire — international resistance from the Middle East to Latin America;
•Introduction to Marxism;
•The Cuban revolution;
•The struggle for Indigenous rights;
•Feminism today;
•The battle for same sex marriage rights.
"Past generations have stood up against the great injustices of their time: slavery, Apartheid, fascism and war. They envisioned the world as it should be, not just as it was, and through their struggles achieved things once thought impossible.
"Now is not the time to despair. We need to get angry, get active and get organised. I encourage all Resistance members, supporters and anyone interested to attend and share their ideas for a better world", added Carroll Harris.
For more information, or for registration costs and details, call the Resistance national office on (02) 9690 1230, Brianna on 0439 694 505 or email