Workers' Liberty

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Ideas for Freedom is an annual weekend of socialist debate and discussion hosted by the Alliance for Workers' Liberty. Its purpose is to facilitate discussion about the way forward for working-class, anti-capitalist struggle, help us develop our ideas and persuade activists to join the fight for socialism.

Draft agenda

Friday 11 July
at the Bread & Roses, 68 Clapham Manor Street, London SW4 6DZ

Film showing and social. We will be showing "At the River I Stand", a film about the Memphis refuse workers' strike, which Martin Luther King was supporting when he was assassinated.
US trade unionist and socialist Kim Moody, who was active at the time, will discuss the politics of race and class struggle in America in 1968 and today.

Saturday 12 July

11.30am
Registration

12 noon
i) Where the Chinese regime comes from: the working class, Maoism and the history of real Chinese communism. Speaker: Paul Hampton
ii) The politics of Simone de Beauvoir. Rebecca Galbraith and Saraid Dodd

1.20pm
Lunch

2.20pm
i) Inflation, pay and the union fightback. Pat Murphy, National Union of Teachers executive (pc); Kate Ahrens, Unison executive (pc); Chris Hickey, PCS (pc)
ii) LGBT politics, transphobia and the left. Jason Barker, Transfabulous; Faz Velmi, AWL
iii) Introduction to Marxism 1: The "other Trotskyism" - the historical tradition of the AWL. Daniel Randall

3.40pm
Break

3.50pm
i) Class struggle in France 1968 and today. David Broder, AWL; Alain Krivine, leader of the Ligue Communiste Revolutionnaire who was a leading participant in the French student movement in '68
ii) The Italian elections: massacre of the left. Cath Fletcher; Eddie Williams
iii) Introduction to Marxism 2: "Broad movment" or "revolutionary party". Heather Shaw

5.10pm
Dinner

6.10pm
i) World economy in crisis. Costas Lapavitsas; Andrew Kliman.
ii) Zimbabwean workers' fight against neoliberalism and dictatorship. Mike Sambo, International Socialist Organisation Zimbabwe

8pm
Close

Social @ "Phibbers", 203 Holloway Road (ten minutes from venue)

Sunday 13 July

11am
i) Marxism vs anarchism: a debate. Sacha Ismail, AWL; speakers from "platformist" anarchist group Liberty & Solidarity
ii) The idea of Antonio Gramsci. Peter Thomas
iii) Introduction to Marxism 3: Marxism and women's liberation. Rosie Woods

12.30pm
Lunch

1.30pm
i) "Alternatives to capitalism". Sean Matgamna
ii) Forum: what is the way forward for climate change activists? Louise Gold, Workers' Climate Action; Paddy Gillett, Plane Stupid; Aled Dilwyn Fisher, Green Left.
iii) No turning back: women workers' struggles 1968-2008. Clara Osagiede, RMT cleaners' grade secretary; Becky Crocker, AWL and RMT activist

2.50pm
i) The Russian revolution in retreat. Simon Pirani
ii) Forum: workers' representation after Bournemouth. John McDonnell, Labour Representation Committee; Janine Booth, AWL
iii) Introduction to Marxism 4: What fascism is and how to fight it. Pete Radcliff

4.10pm
The fight for workers' liberty. Clara Osagiede, RMT activist; Unison local government worker; Notts Stop the BNP; speaker from the Jeunesse Communiste Revolutionnaire, French socialist youth movement

4.30pm
Close
Cheap food, free creche and accommodation.

Email: awl@workersliberty.org
Phone: 020 7207 3997