My Experience at Marxism 2012 #5
Channel: JessicaMarks1968
Date: 2012-04-10

The following article is from "Big turnout for Marxism conference in Melbourne," an editorial published in Socialist Alternative on 9 April (http://www.sa.org.au/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=7276:big-turnout-for-marxism-conference-in-melbourne&Itemid=393). (http://www.marxismconference.org/)

This year's Marxism conference was attended by 925 people.

The stories of resistance from around the world -- Afghanistan, Palestine, the US, the Philippines, Europe, Egypt, Bahrain, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Chile were truly humbling and incredibly inspiring. Some of the biggest sessions were those of John Pilger, Malalai Joya and Gary Foley.

The sessions were structured around the key issues facing workers and the oppressed around the world today. In particular, the austerity that is sweeping the globe and the resistance to it were constant themes in presentations and discussions.

Many sessions were devoted to looking at the ways our rulers are trying to wind back the clock on living standards -- from the neoliberalisation of education in Chile to the attacks on workers and peasants in Asia; and from the dismantling of welfare states in Europe to the creation of a third world workforce in the United States.

Yet for all the attacks, resistance in one part of the world is flowing through to resistance in other countries and regions. It was striking how many of the international speakers claimed inspiration from each other -- whether the continuing resistance to occupation in Palestine, the Occupy Wall Street movement, the general strikes in Europe, the campaign for democracy in Thailand, the student movement in South America or the Aboriginal rights struggle here in Australia.

The advertised conference by-line was "Revolution in the air". It became clear over the course of the weekend that the radicalisations occurring around the globe can be summed up in the often-used slogans: "One world, one pain; one struggle, one fight!"

Socialist Alternative would like to extend our gratitude to all of our international guests and to all who participated in the event, including many comrades from around the Australian left.