Resistance seminar on fighting racism
By Danny Fairfax
SYDNEY — Forty people, including a number of new faces, attended an anti-racism seminar held by Resistance on Saturday, October 10. The event sought to get to the heart of racism and how to defeat it.
Dean Saunders spoke on the One Nation party's unquestionably racist policies.
Sydney University ethnic affairs officer Maria Voukelatos spoke on the history of racism in Australia, from Aboriginal massacres to the white Australia policy to the policies of the Howard Government. "There has been racism in Australia since Captain Cook landed in Botany Bay", she said.
After workshops on high school work and an introduction to Resistance, speakers described how racism can be defeated.
Aaron Benedek reasoned that the best way to struggle against racism is through mass action involving the greatest number of people possible. Benedek also outlined the shortcomings of liberalism and ultra-leftism in not attracting people to take action.
Looking further into the future, Lucy Abrahams explained how socialism can eradicate racism, through ending institutional racism and educating people on the absurdity of racism.
"When people don't have the fear of where their next meal will come from, they will stop looking for near-sighted solutions such as blaming racial minorities", Abrahams said.
She observed that through socialism Cuba, a tiny Third World nation with a diverse ethnicity, has shown how to fight racism. While there may be racist individuals in Cuba, institutional racism is non-existent, and (unlike the Howard government) the Cuban government makes every effort to confront racism.
The seminar ended with Ryan Liddel explaining why anyone who seeks to be active in changing society and ending racism should join Resistance.
The seminar was followed by a film night, showing Barbakiueria and Malcolm X. The whole day was very enlightening, revealing information that they most certainly do not tell you at school.