Hugh Caffrey
Socialist Students held an excellent first north-west conference on 16 February, bringing together student activists from Salford, Stockport, Lancashire, Liverpool and Manchester.
Guest speaker Ian Pattison outlined recent student struggles around the world. Movements in Quebec and Chile, together with the Indignados movements in southern Europe, the ‘Arab Spring’ revolutions and the mass strikes in Greece and South Africa, all have lessons for students in Britain.
Mass youth and graduate unemployment, said Ian, “is becoming a revolutionary issue across the world”.
Organisations like Socialist Students can act as a lever to a wider student struggle, and inspire industrial action by organised workers.
Discussion centred on how to build effective student organisations, including challenging the right wing in student unions and the NUS.
Making plans
Our second session heard reports from Socialist Students across the region. Members at every university in the North West have taken part in all the national events and many local ones too.
Plans were agreed for closer work between Socialist Students groups, launching Youth Fight for Jobs groups, and developing new student groups.
The meeting closed by agreeing to hold these conferences regularly, and to build for local public meetings.
We’re holding three ‘Greece in Revolt’ public meetings as part of Katerina Kleitsa’s speaking tour, on Wednesday 27 February as follows:
- Salford: 12-2pm, University House, Salford University Peel Campus
- Manchester: 3.30-5pm, Manchester University Student Union, Oxford Rd
- Liverpool: 6.30-8pm, the Casa (downstairs), 29 Hope Street, L1 9BQ
More information: 07769 611 320 or [email protected]
Go to www.socialiststudents.org.uk to see all ‘Greece and Portugal in Revolt’ national speaking tour details
