Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Full programme for this year's annual political and cultural festival
Citation preview
Clerkenwell Green, London EC1 2nd - 3rd November 201321ST CENTURY
Austerity is working for the bankers & bureaucrats who run Britain! Now is the time for us to fight back!
The burden of this capitalist crisis falls on the working class with the poorer half of the population receiving just 12p of every pound of GDP - a 25 per cent fall since the late 1970s. Austerity isn't working for workers. Adjusted for inflation, the real value of pay has fallen by 7% since the start of 2008 costing the average worker £7000. But super rich incomes soar. The proportion of GDP going to profits has soared by 4%. Since the 1980s, top bosses have seen pay rises as high as 4,000%. The average chief executive now earns 145 times more than the average worker's wage. At the end of 2012, the real value of wages was more than £50 billion a year lower than in 2008. The ConDem government is using the crisis of their system to enforce permanent austerity, slash public services break with the welfare state and roll back every advance made by workers since 1945.
Austerity policies shift wealth directly and indirectly from the people to the big monopolies and to the rich. The masters of the capitalist system -buttressed by the World Bank, the IMF and the European Union - want the people to pay for the crisis. At the same time we face a crisis of political representation with Miliband's attack on the working class character of the Labour Party and the failure to offer a real policy alternative to attacks on working class livings standards. But the fightback is growing. The People's Assembly is gathering wide support with four thousand delegates from trade unions and community campaigns attended the assembly in June and local groups are springing up in every town and city across the country. Unions are preparing strike action for jobs and pay and to defend the NHS, education and public services. The Communist Party is one of many at the heart of this fightback. The party _ and the Morning Star - play a key role in
working with others to initiate and sustain the People's Assembly movement and in the unions and peace and solidarity movements.
A political festival of ideas,
discussion, debate, learning, music, poetry and more
politics, ideas, discussion, debate, culture, learning
What is 21st Century Marxism? The successor event to the annual Communist University (re-established back in 2006), it’s a vibrant weekend of politics & culture.
MARXISM
21st Century Marxism programme [! ]1
Unlike previous events held under one roof, this years 21st Century Marxism will be taking place in multiple venues in and around Clerkenwell Green. The focal point will undoubtedly be the
historic Marx Memorial Library and
there could not be a more fitting venue
for a political festival celebrating the role
and ideas of Marxism.
The MML was originally established In
1933 on the fiftieth anniversary of the
death of Karl Marx. At a delegate meeting
comprising trade unionists, veteran
socialists belonging to the Labour Party
and Communist Party, and
representatives of the Labour Research
Department and Martin Lawrence
Publishers Ltd., set up a permanent
memorial to the life and ideas of Karl
Marx. Whilst the Nazis were busy
burning books by Marx and others,
communists and socialists in Britain were
establishing a library to celebrate his
work.
The Marx Memorial Library and Workers
School (as it was then known) was
established at 37a Clerkenwell Green
holding study classes for workers in
science, history and political economy.
In 1934 Viscount Hastings, who had
studied under the great Mexican artists
Diego Rivera, executed a large fresco
style mural on the wall of the first-floor
reading room. Titled, the Worker of the
Future Clearing away the Chaos of
Capitalism, it illustrates events and
leading thinkers in the history of British
Labour.
Since its establishment the Marx
Memorial Library has been the
intellectual home of generations of
scholars interested in studying Marx and
Marxism The Library is home to an
impressive number and variety of
archives and collections including the full
run of the Daily Worker and Morning
THE VENUES
PUBS OF CLERKENWELL Whilst the pubs in and around Clerkenwell will no doubt play host to some of the ‘unofficial’ post event debates, the City Pride, the Green and the Crown Tavern will host some of the programmed workshops and sessions during 21st Century Marxism.
Marx Library is the focal point for C21 Marxism, hosting stalls and
sessions
THE CITY PRIDE
THE GREEN
THE CROWN TAVERN
21st Century Marxism [! ]2
Bernal Peace Library, Klugnmann
Collection and an extensive Photograph
Library. It continues to rely on the
support of socialists, communists and
progressives to continue its work as one
of the foremost institutions serving the
British Labour Movement and working
people, in preserving their past and in
providing practical education for the
future.
The aim of the Marx Memorial Library is
the advancement of education,
knowledge and learning by the provision
of a library of books, periodicals and
manuscripts relating to all aspects of the
science of Marxism, the history of
Socialism and the working class
movement. It is an independent
organisation, and a registered charity,
financed by its members and affiliates. It
is not controlled by any political party or
interest group. The Management
Committee is elected from and by the
membership. The Library has some
40,000 volumes in the lending section
covering a range of subjects including
Marx, Engels, Lenin, the Spanish Civil War
and the History of Socialism and the
British Labour Movement.
The reference collection has an extensive
holding of journals dating from the
1850's. These include The Red Republican
(published 1st English translation of Marx
and Engel's Communist Manifesto), Votes
for Women (the Suffragette Journal) and
Commonweal (William Morris);
approximately 43,000 pamphlets and
numerous original materials and books,
many of which are unavailable elsewhere.
The Library's stocks are continuously
updated and represent a unique resource
under one roof.
!Tours of the MML will be available during
21st Century Marxism, for more info and to
see some of the incredible items held in the
collections at the MML visit:
www.marxlibrary.org.uk
Just round the corner from the Marx Library,on Clerkenwell Close, St James Church will host the major rallies on the Saturday of 21st Century Marxism
CRYPT & WELLST JAMES CHURCH
Clerkenwell Green also plays
host to the annual London May Day
march
21st Century Marxism [! ]3
FROM EVERY CORNER No other event in Britain brings speakers from so many different corners of the globe - not just from Western Europe & the US
NO EMPTY SUITS All of our speakers are steeped in the traditions and experience of struggle through the labour and progressive movement in their country
BREADTH OF IDEAS The CP is the main organiser of C21 Marxism but most of our speakers from Britain are progressives from other parties and traditions TH
E SPE
AKER
S This years 21st Century Marxism features several leading international guest speakers from across the globe, as well those from the labour and progressive movement in Britain. Attila the Stockbroker is a renowned left-wing comedic political poet Harsev Bains is general secretary of the Association of Indian Communists Ben Chacko is deputy features editor of the Morning Star and secretary of the William Rust branch of the CP Andy Chaffer is a member of the Executive Committee of the Communist Party and the LGBT commission Bob Crow is general secretary of the Rail & Maritime Transport workers’ union (RMT) and a member of the TUC General Council. Jeremy Corbyn is the Labour MP for Islington North Tony Conway is a trade union and community activist Bob Crow is general secretary of the RMT union and a member of the General Council of the TUC. Prof Mary Davis is a past member of the UCU Executive and the TUC Women’s Committee. Her books include Comrade or Brother a history of the British Labour Movement and Class and Gender in British Labour History: Renewing the Debate (or Starting It?) Ann Field is former national officer of the GPM sector of Unite John Foster is Secretary of the CP, Emeritus Professor Social Sciences University of the West of Scotland, author of Class Struggle and the Industrial Revolution (1974) and The Politics of the Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Work-In (jointly with Charles Woolfson 1986) and more recently pamphlets on the European Union, the National Question and the Crisis of the British Economy.
Lindsey German is convenor of Stop the War Coalition and a member of the People’s Assembly signatories group. She is also the author of numerous books on Women and Socialism as well as co-authoring a People’s History of London. Bill Greenshields is chair of the Communist Party, Trade Union organiser for the People’s Charter. Bill is a past president of the National Union of Teachers and a member of the People's Charter National Commission. Gasoub Ghadban is a leading member of the Palestinian People’s Party Alex Gordon is past president of the Rail & Maritime Transport workers’ union (RMT) Robert Griffiths is general secretary of the PC, chair of Searchlight Cymru and the author of SO Davies - a socialist faith, Driven by Ideals - a history of ASLEF and Granite &
Honey - the Phi Piratin Story. Tina Hogg is a co-founder of
Disabled People Against the Cuts Carolyn Jones is director of the Institute of Employment Rights.
Jerry Jones is a member of the CP’s economic commission and
the author of Land Value for Public Benefit.
Linda Kaucher is a campaigner on the EU's international trade agenda and will talk about the US/EU free trade agreement'. Dr Shafee Khider is a leading member of the central committee and the Political bureau of the Communist Party of Sudan. Mariela Kohon is the director of Justice for Colombia Chris Matlhako is international secretary of the South African Communist Party. Erwin Marquit is the editor of Nature, Science & Thought Paul Mezaros is from Hope not Hate. Tommy Morrison is Scottish Secretary of the CP, secretary of Clydebank TUC and chair of West Dunbartonshire Unison !
Each year’s C21 Marxism brings a
fresh crop of speakers from Britain &
overseas!
!21st Century Marxism programme [! ]4
This year’s international guests feature speakers involved in leading struggles across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Romaine Phoenix is the chair of the Coalition of Resistance, a spokesperson for the Green Party Trade Union Group and a member of the People’s Assembly signatories committee. Vera Polycarpou is a member of the Central Committee of AKEL (Progressive Party of Working People in Cyprus) and is a member of the Foreign Affairs committee on the European Parliament for the European United Left. Jane Powell is the librarian of the Marx Memorial Library. Louise Raw is the author of Striking a Light-The Bryant & May Matchwomen and their place in History Alvaro Sanchez is a counsellor at the Venezuelan embassy in London.
Navid Shomali is secretary of the international department of the Tudeh Party of Iran and secretary of the Co-ordinating
Committee of Communist Parties in Britain. Graham Stevenson is the convenor of the CP History
Group, a member of the CP Political and Executive Committees and formerly Unite national organiser & president of the European Transport Workers Federation Peter Tatchell is a veteran campaigner for LGBT rights in Britain and internationally.
Jonathan White is the editor of Building an Economy for the People - An alternative economic
and political strategy for 21st Century Britain
RALLIES SEMINARS WORKSHOPS EDUCATION CULTURE
Sit back and listen to leading speakers from the labour & progressive movement in Britain and special guest speakers from overseas
Panel discussions plus a Q&A session from the floor
Attendees get involved in smaller, detailed, collective debate
Come along and learn a new skill or sharpen your understanding of Marxism
Hear, see, participate in politics through music, film, poetry & art
Read and follow
discussions online. Details
on p8
CHRIS MATLHAKO
GASOUB GADBAN
VERA POLYCARPOU
21st Century Marxism programme [! ]5
!9.00-
10.00
AMRE
GIST
RATI
ON &
ORI
ENTA
TION
MAR
X M
EMOR
IAL L
IBRA
RY (M
ML)
10.00
-11.0
0AM
WOM
EN IN
STR
UGGL
E:
YEST
ERDA
Y &
TODA
Y Lo
uise
Raw
, Liz
Payn
e W
orks
hop
MM
L - M
ain
BROA
DENI
NG TH
E BA
TTLE
LINES
Bi
ll Gre
ensh
ields
W
orks
hop
THE G
REEN
PUNC
TURI
NG TH
E W
ESTM
INST
ER B
UBBL
E Je
rem
y Cro
byn
MP
Wor
ksho
p TH
E WEL
L
WHO
OW
NS B
RITA
IN?
Jerry
Jone
s W
orks
hop
CITY
PRI
DE
11.15
AM-1
2.15P
MON
TO A
GEN
ERAL
STR
IKE?
Gr
aham
Ste
vens
on, T
ony
Conw
ay, C
aroly
n Jo
nes
Sem
inar
M
ML -
Main
AGAI
NST C
UTS,
FOR
WHA
T?
Jere
my C
orby
n M
P, Lin
dsey
Ger
man
, Bill
Gree
nshi
elds,
Jona
than
Whi
te (C
hair)
Se
min
ar
THE W
ELL
SOCI
ALIS
M, T
HE O
NLY
HOPE
FO
R TH
E PLA
NET?
Ro
may
ne P
hoen
ix W
orks
hop
TH
E GRE
EN
12.45
-2.00
PMPE
OPLE
’S A
SSEM
BLY,
WHE
RE N
EXT?
Rom
ayne
Pho
enix,
Lind
sey G
erm
an, R
ache
l New
ton,
Bill G
reen
shiel
ds (C
hair)
Ra
lly, T
HE C
RYPT
2.15-
3.15P
MPE
ACE &
JUST
ICE I
N TH
E M
IDDL
E EAS
T Gh
asou
b Gh
adba
n, Na
vid
Shom
ali
Wor
ksho
p, M
ML -
Libr
ary
RED
STAR
RIS
ING
OVER
AF
RICA
Ch
ris M
atlh
ako,
Shaf
ee
Khid
er
Wor
ksho
p, TH
E CRY
PT
CHIN
A’S
GLOB
AL R
OLE
Ben
Chac
ko
Wor
ksho
p M
ML -
Main
LATI
N AM
ERIC
A IN
THE
FIRIN
G LIN
E Al
varo
San
chez
, Mar
iela
Koho
n W
orks
hop,
THE G
REEN
3.30-
5PM
FOR
WOR
KING
CLA
SS IN
TERN
ATIO
NALIS
M! G
haso
ub G
hadb
an, J
ohn
Fost
er, C
hris
Mat
lhak
o, Ve
ra P
olyca
rpou
, Nav
id
Shom
ali (C
hair)
Ra
lly, T
HE C
RYPT
Satu
rday
2nd
Nov
embe
r - R
allie
s, se
min
ars a
nd w
orks
hops
FILM
PLA
TFOR
M @
THE C
ROW
N TA
VERN
10AM
-4PM
W
atch
new
doc
umen
tarie
s, ne
ver b
efor
e see
n ar
chiva
l fo
otag
e and
old
class
ics. P
op b
y for
a br
eak
from
the d
ebat
es
or si
t in
on th
e pac
ked
prog
ram
me p
ut to
geth
er b
y pro
gres
sive
film
mak
ers P
latfo
rm FI
lms.
SEE P
AGE 8
FOR
FULL
DET
AILS
21st Century Marxism programme [6]
PROG
RESS
IVE S
TALL
S - M
AIN
ROOM
@ M
ML
Pop
along
to b
uy or
just
bro
wse t
hrou
gh so
me o
f the
lat-
est b
ooks
, pam
phlet
s and
qua
lity m
erch
andi
se fr
om so
me
of B
ritain
’s pr
ogre
ssive
orga
nisa
tions
.
! ! ! !9.30-
10.00
AMRE
GIST
RATI
ON &
ORI
ENTA
TION
MAR
X M
EMOR
IAL L
IBRA
RY (M
ML)
10.00
-11.0
0AM
DISA
BILIT
Y RI
GHTS
, OUR
FIG
HT N
OW
Tina H
ogg
Wor
ksho
p, M
ML -
Main
CHAV
S, SP
IVS
& PR
OLES
- CL
ASS T
ODAY
To
mm
y Mor
rison
W
orks
hop,
MM
L - Li
brar
y
PROS
PECT
S FO
R PE
ACE &
PR
OGRE
SS IN
PALE
STIN
E Gh
asou
b Gh
adba
n W
orks
hop,
THE G
REEN
SHOU
LD B
RITA
IN B
REAK
UP?
Jo
hn Fo
ster
W
orks
hop
MM
L - U
psta
irs
11.15
AM-1
2.15P
MBR
ICS
- A N
EW P
OLE F
OR P
ROGR
ESSI
VES?
Ch
ris M
atlh
ako,
Ben
Chac
ko, H
arse
v Bain
s Se
min
ar, M
ML -
Main
THE E
U - E
XIT L
EFT
Bob
Crow
, Lin
da K
auch
er, A
lex G
ordo
n (C
hair)
Se
min
ar, T
HE G
REEN
12.30
-1.30
PMSO
CIAL
ISM
, WHA
T’S
IN IT
FO
R W
OMEN
? M
ary D
avis
Wor
ksho
p, M
ML -
Libr
ary
CULT
URAL
COR
NER
Feat
urin
g Atti
la th
e Sto
ck-
brok
er
! THE G
REEN
Op
en m
ic se
ssion
, brin
g alo
ng a
poem
, son
g et
c.
LGBT
STR
UGGL
E - PA
ST,
PRES
ENT,
FUTU
RE
Pete
r Tat
chell
, And
y Cha
ffer
Wor
ksho
p, M
ML -
Main
WHA
T DOE
S UK
iP S
TAND
FO
R?
Robe
rt Gr
iffith
s W
orks
hop,
MM
L - U
psta
irs
1.45-
2.45P
MDE
FEAT
ING
THE F
ASCI
STS
Paul
Mez
aros
W
orks
hop,
MM
L - Li
brar
y
SOCI
ALIS
M, W
HAT’
S IN
IT FO
R M
E?
Erwi
n M
arqu
it, A
nn Fi
eld
Wor
ksho
p, M
ML -
Main
3.00-
4PM
SOCI
ALIS
M YE
STER
DAY
& TO
MOR
ROW
Al
ex G
ordo
n, Er
win
Mar
quit,
Rob
ert G
riffit
hs
Sem
inar
, MM
L - M
ain
Sund
ay 3
rd N
ovem
ber -
Ral
lies,
sem
inar
s and
wor
ksho
ps
21st Century Marxism programme [7]
BACK
2 BA
SICS
@ M
ML S
ATUR
DAY
& SU
NDAY
Ar
e you
new
to M
arxis
m or
just
wan
t to s
harp
en u
p yo
ur u
nder
-st
andi
ng? A
ll wee
kend
we’l
l be r
unni
ng ed
ucat
ional
sess
ions t
o he
lp yo
u ge
t to g
rips w
ith k
ey co
ncep
ts S
ee P
age 8
for s
ignu
p
CAM
PAIG
NING
ACT
IVIS
T SKI
LLS
@ M
ML S
ATUR
DAY
& SU
NDAY
Ha
ve yo
u ev
er w
ante
d to
lear
n ho
w to
writ
e a le
aflet
, can
vass
effe
c-tiv
ely, s
et u
p a b
log or
give
a sp
eech
? All w
eeke
nd yo
u ca
n lea
rn
skills
from
expe
rienc
ed p
rofe
ssion
als. S
ee P
age 8
for s
ignu
p
GET INVOLVED IN AND FOLLOW THE DEBATE ONLINE AT: www.communist-party.org.uk www.marxism21.org.uk www.morningstaronline.co.uk
twitter: #21marxism @communists1920 @communist_party @M_Star_Online !youtube: communistparty1920 PartyCommunist
Back 2 Basics sign-up What is Marxism? ! !! ! q Capitalism=exploitation! ! q The working class today! ! q What’s to learn from history?!q The State & revolution! ! q
Fill in and send to CP or hand in to the registration desk. You will be notified if/when the session will take place.
Campaigning activist skills How to canvass! !! q How to write a speech! q How to design materials! q How to use the web!!! q How to use media release!q
Fill in and send to CP or hand in to the registration desk. You will be notified if/when the session will take place.
The CP site will carry
reports of all C21 Marxism debates
Communist Party Ruskin House, 23 Coombe Rd London CR0 1BD 02086861659 [email protected]
New
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1095&bih=657&tbm=isch&tbnid=oc8r43CCUpWpOM:&imgrefurl=http://variety.com/&docid=F5eAc2W_VQ2mVM&imgurl=http://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/film_reel.jpg&w=800&h=600&ei=i8FyUsTDL4fT7Ab-h4H4DQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:24,s:0,i:172&iact=rc&page=2&tbnh=185&tbnw=248&start=8&ndsp=19&tx=149&ty=74 http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1095&bih=657&tbm=isch&tbnid=oc8r43CCUpWpOM:&imgrefurl=http://variety.com/&docid=F5eAc2W_VQ2mVM&imgurl=http://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/film_reel.jpg&w=800&h=600&ei=i8FyUsTDL4fT7Ab-h4H4DQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:24,s:0,i:172&iact=rc&page=2&tbnh=185&tbnw=248&start=8&ndsp=19&tx=221&ty=32
10am Our History A series of unseen clips & footage from the archives on: the Spanish Civil War; Lenin; CP Congress in Birmingham; Willie Gallagher; Tom Mann; Harry Pollitt; Hyde Park Anti-Fascist rally and more
10.30am Fifty Fighting Years A tribute to the journal ‘Labour Monthly’, documenting the struggles of the British Labour Movement from 1921-1971. Featuring Rajani Palme Dutt and R Page-Arnott
The People’s Assembly A new short promotional film from Platform Films
11.15am Justice for the Shrewsbury Pickets A new film re-examining the political events surrounding the arrest of 24 Shrewsbury building workers and the shocking imprisonment of three of them, six months after the successful 1972 building workers’ strike. The film includes film material from the original campaign to free Des Warren and Ricky Tomlinson (star of TVs Royle Family), jailed for three years and two years on conspiracy charges after the original criminal charges were dropped.
12pm The People’s Flag The first episode in the seminal documentary series charting the history of the British labour movement
1pm Strike The legendary 1925 Sergei Eisenstein
The Real Story of the Thatcher Funeral A new short film from Platform Films
2.30pm The Miners’ Campaign Tapes In 1984 a group of independent film and video makers including Platform Films decided to show their support for the miners’ strike. On the picket lines, at the marches and in the soup kitchens, they
recorded the testimonies of striking miners, their wives and supporters,in a fight against the anti-strike propaganda
dominating the mainstream media. These are the videos they produced, a testimony to solidarity and activism, tackling issues which continue to occupy us today: the right to demonstrate, police tactics, political double-speak and the role of the media. They document a cataclysmic episode of British history.
3pm The Miners film A documentary on the industrial action by miners in the
winter of 1973-4 which helped to bring down Edward Heath’s Tory government. The film charts this crisis from
inside the labour movement, but also reflects the miners’ historical and political understanding of it, informed by memories of the 1926 General Strike and analysis of the failures of nationalisation, energy and employment policies.
Join Us, Join Labour
A short film from the GMB union arguing for members to become politically involved
NUT Rally For Education
Films, documentaries,
never before seen archive footage
and more
FILM PLATFORM @ THE CROWN TAVERNSATURDAY 2ND NOVEMBER 10AM-4PM
21st Century Marxism programme [8]
