BY KATH O'DRISCOLL
MELBOURNE — Socialists and anti-corporate activists from around Australia will descend on this city for the 29th Resistance national conference from June 29 to July 3. They will be joined by international guests from Pakistan, Nepal, Cuba, Indonesia, East Timor and Korea.
The conference theme, "We have a world to win — fight for socialism", reflects Resistance activists' belief that the movements for social justice, environmental sustainability and women's liberation need to join together in a united movement to create a society free of injustice.
"As well as helping to build international solidarity, the conference is a crucial forum for young radicals to plan our strategy to fight the Australian government's role in international oppression", Sam King, one of the conference organisers, explained.
The major focus of the conference will be the growing international movement against capitalist "globalisation", an upsurge symbolised by massive protests against the World Trade Organisation's ministerial meeting in Seattle last November.
Delegates will discuss the meaning of "globalisation" and its impact on the world, and assess the state and direction of the movement. They will also plan how to transform the growing anti-corporate sentiment amongst young people into an active commitment to fighting capitalism and organise Resistance's involvement in demonstrations against the World Economic Forum's Asia-Pacific Economic Summit meeting in Melbourne, September 11-13.
The conference will hear from activists involved in anti-IMF/World Bank and anti-corporate struggles around the region. A feature panel, "Fighting capitalism, from Seattle to Jakarta to Melbourne", will feature several of the international guests, including Rainer, a member of the National Student League for Democracy in Indonesia
"The conference will be an important time to increase international solidarity amongst activists in Australia. We realise that in our struggle against the IMF we are not alone. What we face is an international problem, that is, capitalism", Rainer told Green Left Weekly.
"Our new government is applying neo-liberal policies which are affecting all working-class people", he said. "In July, they will start privatising university campuses as a pilot project with more to follow in the future. The conference gives us an opportunity to share our experiences, find out what is happening and work out ways to fight corporate tyranny together."
Other speakers on the panel will include Rizwan Atta from the Labour Party Pakistan and members of South Korea's Power of the Working Class. Julian Coppens, a Resistance member and S11 Alliance activist, will speak on the campaign in this country. Kim Bullimore, a member of the Democratic Socialist Party and the Indigenous Student Network, will speak about the anti-Olympics campaign.
Solidarity with the people of East Timor has been a major priority for Resistance since the 1991 Dili massacre. Lurdes Goncalves da Costa from the Timorese Socialist Party (PST) will address the conference to explain the situation there since the departure of the Indonesian occupiers and what can be done to help rebuild the country.
Action as well as discussion is planned for the conference; a protest on June 29 outside Nike's city mega-store will draw attention to that multinational's oppressive work practises.
King points out that Nike is a classic example of corporate tyranny. It pays pitifully low wages and seeks to restrict workers' rights in its predominantly Third World factories. Resistance has joined calls by unions and anti-sweatshop campaigners for the corporation to sign the Homeworkers Code of Practice, which sets out fair and equitable conditions for outworkers.
Cultural events, a multi-media presentation and a world music dance party are also planned for the conference. It will be an inspiring experience, one which all those who want to fight for justice for all the world's people shouldn't miss out on (see advertisement on page 5 for details).