The Socialist 26 January 2006

Striking to save jobs & services

Fight cuts and closures

United action planned

City greed hits workers' pensions

PCS youth conference success

'Crisis in working class political representation'

Time for a new mass workers' party

A socialist world is necessary

An antidote to cuts, lies and corruption

Morales' presidential victory - a new phase in the class struggle

Chile: First woman president elected

Venezuela: Nurses protest in Caracas

Blair's 'high wire act' - heading for a fall?

Lincoln fights to defend council housing

Homophobia isn't the exclusive preserve of any religion

Scaring children into believing in Jesus

Previous issues, etc

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ISR/Socialist Students' conference:

A socialist world is necessary

Socialist Students is a national student organisation with active members in over 70 universities and colleges in England and Wales. We have been building campaigns against fees, cuts and closures, against war, terrorism, racism and repressive legislation, for decent pay for student workers and for trade union rights at work.

Zena Awad, Socialist Students national co-ordinator

We have a proud record of linking up with the youth organisation International Socialist Resistance (ISR) and with workers in struggle, while putting pressure on local students' unions and the national NUS to put their resources into active campaigns in the interests of students and workers.

Our generation is not going to accept the system of war, poverty and environmental destruction - one that is run by the rich and for the rich. This is why we need to get organised through democratic discussion in order to develop successful strategies alongside workers and the oppressed internationally.

All Socialist Students members are urged to come to our annual conference to take part in the discussions on the different issues. You decide what issues we take up and campaign on by sending resolutions to be debated at the conference.

We will also vote on the democratic structures of Socialist Students to coordinate the work nationally and between the regions. Now is the time to consider nominations for the different positions to be elected on the day.

Our annual conference will shape our campaigning work and material for the following year and is a preparation for the battles ahead of us. This is an essential event for democratic debates on socialist ideas and to plan activities on and off campuses.

"Unlike the stage-managed conferences of the mainstream political parties and the often dull students' union meetings, ISR and Socialist Students conference will be a democratic and exciting opportunity for students and young people to discuss politics, socialism and how we can change the world!"

Thomas House, University College London

"The conference will be a great opportunity to hear from other Socialist Students societies - to hear about how they take up the issues we all face and to discuss and develop a national plan of action."

Mark Cuthbert, Newcastle University

"I'm looking forward to going to the conference to meet other members from around the country, exchange ideas and experience in terms of campaigns and have democratic discussions."

Emma Linacre, University of Manchester

"It is an important event, to learn from the year gone, in order to go forward next year. Also, it is good for new members to have a say in the plans for the year ahead."

Leah Jones, Northumbria University

"It is a great opportunity to realise the potential to build the movement and to be motivated by all the young people involved. It is also a great chance to build contact with other Socialist Students, be inspired and gain confidence. I could not encourage people more to take part in this great event."

Hannah Walter, Durham University

ISR/Socialist Students' conference

Saturday 4 March 2006, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1 near Holborn Tube station

www.anticapitalism.org.uk
www.socialiststudents.org.uk
anticapitalism@hotmail.co.uk 020 8558 7947

Student protest in Nottingham

Eighty people gathered on Nottingham University campus on a rainy Saturday morning to protest outside the Labour Party's Policy Forum.

Martyn Crooks, Nottingham

Young people and students, angry at the occupation of Iraq, tuition fees and nuclear power, wanted to show Blair that he wasn't welcome in Nottingham.

The police surrounded us on all four sides once the protest had reached the front entrance of the building where the meeting was being held. They tried to move us on to a 'designated protest area' and threatened to arrest people if we didn't move within ten minutes. No-one moved, so they allowed us to stay but they wouldn't let anyone leave the protest.

Socialist Party members were able to speak to everyone there, especially the youth who had not come with any other group. The otherwise high-spirited and good-humoured demo almost ended in confrontation when the police refused to let people leave. Meanwhile Blair was flown in by helicopter and entered the building by a side entrance.

In this issue

Striking to save jobs & services