International conferences and gatherings

AUSTRALIA: Climate Change | Social Change -- A conference to strengthen radical social action to stop climate change. April 11-13, 2008. Sydney Girls' High School, Cleveland Street, near ANZAC Parade, Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia.

CUBA: International Conference on the Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century. Havana, Cuba, May 5-8. Palacio de Convenciones.

CANADA: A World in Revolt -- May 22-25, 2008 at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 252 Bloor Street West (St. George Subway Station), Toronto.

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Climate Change | Social Change -- A conference to strengthen radical social action to stop climate change. April 11-13, 2008. Sydney Girls' High School, Cleveland Street, near ANZAC Parade, Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia.

The world is teetering on the brink of unstoppable climate change. Many now recognise the need for serious change in the way we produce and use energy, our transport systems, food production, urban design and forestry practices. Yet politicians are still mouthing platitudes while allowing corporations to continue to profit from polluting our atmosphere and destroying our ecosystem.

The need for social change has become an urgent part of preventing catastrophic climate change. Can the market fix the problem? What is the real record of carbon trading? How can we build a social movement capable of averting this disaster? What models and experiences can offer real solutions?

To strengthen the exchange of ideas and contribute towards that urgent action Green Left Weekly is organising the Climate Change | Social Change conference from April 11-13, 2008, in Sydney.

Featuring international speakers:

Speakers from Australia include:

  • Stephanie Long — Friends of the Earth Australia's international climate justice spokesperson; works on FoE International's climate change campaign

  • Mark Diesendorf — Institute of Environmental Studies, University of NSW

  • Jim Green — Friends of the Earth anti-nuclear campaigner

  • Dick Nichols — author of Environment, Capitalism and Socialism

  • CamWalkerFriends of the Earth, Melbourne

  • John Rice Adelaide Ecosocialist Network

  • Adrian Rice – Zero Emissions Network

  • Stuart Rosewarne co-editor of Journal of Australian Political Economy, and Capitalism, Nature, Socialism

and more....

Childcare
will be available on Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th April during conference session times. To allow us to have sufficient staff, please let us know by March 28th if you will require childcare.

If you would like to present a workshop, exhibit your artwork or register interest in the conference email climateconf@greenleft.org.au. Workshop submissions close on March 16, 2008.


To receive updates about the conference, send an email to climatechange_socialchangeconf_announce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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International Conference on the Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century
Havana, Cuba, May 5th to 8th. Venue: Palacio de Convenciones

This conference celebrates the 50th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution
which occurred on January 1, 1959.

These are times of special importance for the destiny of humanity, given the increase
in imperialist aggression and its confrontation with the resistance of peoples from
all corners of the globe, who are engaged in important struggles that involve transformative
socialist praxis. The Institute of Philosophy, through its "Permanent Workshop
for the Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century" extends an
invitation to its fourth Conference. Its purpose is to provide a space for debates
the elaboration of proposals among social and political activists, scientists
and all those interested in the construction of the new world which is both necessary
and possible.

With the passage of 125 years since the death of Karl Marx, the strength of his
work and its permanent capability to be enriched is demonstrated by the actions
of all those who struggle for the emancipatory ideals announced 160 years ago in
The Manifesto of the Communist Party.

How can we contribute today to "the emancipation of the modern proletariat,"
to forge "the consciousness of its own situation and needs, and the consciousness
of the conditions required for its own emancipation?" This is a challenge
which today is more urgent than ever, given the continual and accelerated destruction
of all our spaces of mutual coexistence, a process which is driven by the internal
logic of capital.

The IV International Conference on "The Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges
of the 21st Century" will hold sessions, grouping the debates around three
axes of analysis and elaboration of proposals:

I. The nature of capitalism, imperialism, and their contemporary contradictions.

II. The articulation of revolutionary subjects, the construction of a new militant
internationalism, social movements, classes and contemporary forms of class struggle
in order to face and transcend the "system of multiple domination" of
capital.

III. The socialist alternative: the need to go beyond the reforms of capitalism,
the analysis of socialist experiences up to our times and practical proposals to
construct the communist society which allows and requires the full development of
human capacities in the current conditions of the revolutionary process.

The participants in the Conference who are interested may also attend the activities
that have been scheduled for the first of May, International Workers Day, and other
events with Cuban and visiting trade unionists on the 2nd of May. These events are
sponsored by the Confederation of Cuban Workers. There will also be Interactive
Sessions "Cuba in the 21st Century: Socialism, Politics and Economy" with
the participation of distinguished Cuban specialists, that will be held before the
Conference. To attend these additional activities please contact the Organizing
Committee prior to March 31st.

CONFERENCE Registration fees: 150 CUC for presenters and attendees; student fee:
50 CUC. Cubans will pay their fees in Cuban pesos. All travel and accommodation
arrangements, travel to and from the conference site, etc. are being handled by
the conference official tour operator Alejandro Vasallo (Cubatur; email: eventos2@cbtevent.cbt.tur.cu)

All requests for participation should be submitted via e-mail to the Organizing
Committee as indicated below. Those interested in presenting papers should submit
their abstracts prior to the 20th of March 2008. The maximum length of all papers
should be 10 pages double spaced (8 x 10 format) with 12 point font (maximum characters
20,000 including spaces). Abstracts should be one page and not exceed 2000 characters
and should be submitted either on a disk or via e-mail with Microsoft Word for Windows
95 or later versions. All papers that are submitted will be published in advance
on the web pages of the conference (Cuba Siglo XXI and the Portal of Cuban Philosophy),
with the exception of those who ask that their work not be published. Languages
for the conference are Spanish, English and Portuguese.

Each presenter will have a maximum of 15 minutes for their presentation in order
to provide the maximum time for discussions and debates. All those whose papers
have been selected for presentation in the panels will be advised by the 31st of
March. Those whose papers are not selected for presentation will have the option
of presenting their written work in Poster (120 x 80 cm) presentations, coordinated
in advance with the conference organisers.

All information on the conference will be periodically updated on the Cuba Century
XXI website (www.nodo50org/cubasigloXXI) as well as the portal of Cuban Philosophy
(www.filosofia.cu).

We will continue working for the strengthening of our unity and revolutionary action,
which today is not only possible but imperative for the continued existence of the
human species.

Organising Committee, Havana, Cuba. (www.nodo50.org/cubasigloXXI/)

Please submit abstracts and papers as well as any general information requests to:
Jesús Pastor Garcia Brigos jpastor@infomed.sld.cu;
Roberto Lima lima@filosofia.cu;
nchamah miller iac@cubaconfmarx21.com)

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A World in Revolt

Prospects for Socialism in the 21st Century
An international political education conference, May 22-25, 2008 at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 252 Bloor Street West (St. George Subway Station),Toronto, sponsored by Socialist Action-Canada, Socialist Action-United States, and the Socialist Unity League (LUS) of Mexico.

Thursday, May 22
7 p.m. Palestine, the Annapolis trap, and the Global Boycott Campaign -- Andy Pollack (SA-US, New York), Mazen Masri (Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid-Toronto) and Khaled Mouammar (President, Canadian Arab Federation).

Friday, May 23
4 p.m. Feminism, Anti-Racism and Immigrants' Rights – The Marxist View -- Sarah O'Sullivan (SA-Canada, Halifax), Jason McGahan (SA-US, Connecticut) and Rebecca Doran (SA-US, San Francisco).

7 p.m. Prospects for Socialist Revolution in Venezuela and Latin America -- Celia Hart (Havana, Cuba) and Ismael Contreras (Mexico City - LUS), with greetings from Mirna Quero de Pena, the Venezuelan Consul General in Toronto.

Saturday, May 24
10 a.m. Eco-Socialism or Barbarism -- Ian Angus (Editor, Climate and Capitalism - Canada).

12 noon A special lunch with Celia Hart (outstanding writer, educator, scientist, proponent of Trotskyism in Cuba) and Esteban Volkov (Mexico City - Trotsky's 82 year-old grandson).

1:30 p.m. The class struggle in Canada and Quebec -- Barry Weisleder (SA-Canada Federal Secretary) and Robbie Mahood (SA-Montreal)

4 p.m. U.S. Imperialism in Crisis: The failing war in Iraq and the Deepening Crisis at Home -- Jeff Mackler (National Secretary, SA-US, San Francisco) and Christine Gauvreau (SA and anti-war leader, Connecticut)

7 p.m. Was Che Guevara a Trotskyist? -- Celia Hart (Cuba), Esteban Volkov (Mexico), and Gerry Foley (International Editor, Socialist Action newspaper).

10 p.m. Social time at a nearby pub

Sunday, May 25
11 a.m. James P. Cannon and the Revolutionary Tradition in North America -- Bryan Palmer (author, professor of history, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario) and Gerry Foley (SA-US).

1 p.m. Labour's Retreat and its Coming Resurgence -- Bill Onasch (SA-US,Kansas City), Marty Goodman (SA-US, New York), and Barry Weisleder (SA-Canada).

Tickets: Prior to the conference, a four-day pass costs $30 (in U.S. or Canadian dollars).
During the conference, the weekend ticket price is $40. Or $6 per session (there are nine sessions in all).
Or pay whatever you can afford (no one will be turned away).
Please send cheques or money orders to: SA, 526 Roxton Road, Toronto, Ontario M6G 3R4.
For more information visit: www.socialistaction.org/ca.htm E-mail: barryaw@rogers.com Phone: 416 - 535-8779.