The past year has seen hundreds of thousands of young people take to the streets alongside other workers and trade unionists across the world.
Clare James
Some of the biggest protests have been against the threatened war in Iraq, with huge demonstrations taking place in many countries, including up to 400,000 in London on the 28 September and 200,000 in Washington.
The anti-capitalist movement, dominated by young people, has proved it is anything but dead, as some tried to make out after September 11.
Only two weeks ago, one million people marched through the streets of Florence, Italy against the war and against the Berlusconi government’s attacks on workers rights. This demonstration took place after the 40,000 strong European Social Forum (ESF) – (report in issue 277).
In June a huge anti-capitalist demonstration took place in Seville, Spain two days after a Spanish general strike.
International Socialist Resistance (ISR), launched in December 2001 in Brussels at a conference of over 500 young people, has participated in and helped to build many of these demonstrations and events over the past year.
In England and Wales, ISR has organised protests against the arms trade, against the war on Afghanistan and now the planned war on Iraq.
ISR is building campaigns for a living wage with no exemptions for young people, against big business involvement in and the privatisation of education. The campaign against education cuts was launched internationally on 15 March this year, with ISR groups across the world organising and taking part in protests, meetings and schools strikes.
The 23 November conference has been organised to officially launch ISR in England and Wales and to discuss and vote on what campaigns we should take up and what demands we should raise in them.
The conference will provide a basis to continue the brilliant work that has already been done through ISR in England and Wales over the next year.
Young people internationally experience the same problems, such as low pay, inadequate housing, casual work, poor quality education and a lack of services such as youth clubs, advice centres and places to develop interests such as music and sport.
Many young people are extremely angry at these attacks and at the prospect of war in Iraq and the continuation of wars in other countries. They want to get involved in campaigns and organise together for an end to war, poverty and terrorism and for a world run for need and not greed.
ISR aims to help link up the many struggles that are taking place across the globe by campaigning for socialist change. Only by freeing the world of capitalism can young people gain control over their own lives and conditions.
23 November 2002
10:30am – 5:30pm
University of London Union (ULU), Malet St, London, WC1
(nearest tube – Euston)
Tickets £4/£2
020 8558 7947 / [email protected] / PO Box 858, London, E11 1YG
South African students appeal
The Socialist Student Movement branch (the South African affiliate of ISR) in the educational institution Technikon South Africa (TSA) in Kwa Zulu Natal, has been banned following its uncovering of corruption on the Student Representative Council (SRC).
In addition to evidence of financial corruption, they found that the president of the SRC, who was not even a student at the TSA, was earning R6,000 (£600) per month from the post, signing performance agreements and acting as a management stooge.
This is an appeal to all readers but particularly those working in ISR and also in trade unions and community organisations, and affiliates of the CWI.
