cessful Annual General meeting in Central London on September 3. The meeting discussed our priorities for the next year, including a separate discussion on Student work and the building of our own current.
We heard speakers from the Hands of Venezuela campaign and the Bolivia Solidarity campaign and on the Israeli pull out from Gaza and the success of the French campaign against the neo-liberal and militarist European Constitution.
The meeting elected a new Steering Committee and Editorial Board.
A number of the papers produced for the day appear elsewhere in this edition of Socialist Resistance; Phil Hearse on the situation after the London bombings (p10-11) and Alan Thornett on Respect (pp?). Jorge Martin's article on palso contains many of the points he made at the AGM.
We identified three key areas in the discussion around which we should build Socialist students and Anti-imperialism
On Respect we argue that " If Respect is to fulfil the vision of a fighting, militant, campaigning and national organisation that is able to take on and withstand the power of the British state It must develop stable and open structures and its own collective political life." Fighting imperialism
On Anti-imperialism we said
"All of our 3 priority areas of work are connected. AntiImperialism is a key axis of intervention for our youth work and Respect. The fight against neo-liberalism and imperialism is most advanced in Latin America. These struggles, especially the unfolding revolutionary process in Venezuela, are a source of inspiration and education for socialists and anti-war and anti-capitalist activists. Therefore we want to make anti-imperialism and Latin American solidarity a key part of our interventions. For an anti-imperialist working group.
At the same time we have to be active around the looming issue of climate change that threatens the planet. We have to relate these issues to all our areas of work. We have to ensure that Respect gives ecological issues a proper priority in its propaganda and its initiatives, and we need to build for the climate change demonstration in December."
In terms of student work we agreed a text which argued
"Politics has changed since the London bombings. Blair will attempt to regain the initiative by trying to divide us. Whilst the anti-war movement in Britain has been hugely successful up till now, we have to redouble our efforts and keep the movement on the streets and active in the universities."
The climate of fear surrounding Blair's 'evil ideology' campaign will result in attempts to police student societies, in particular Islamic societies in the universities. We must be prepared to defend them and set up joint defence campaigns If necessary.
The wider issue of civil liberties is now coming to the fore in the wake of both the police shooting and the proposed new anti-terror legislation. Anti-war activists are well placed. We can approach Muslim societies and ask for joint activities on a number of issues.
The September 24 Stop the War demo for Peace and Liberty is important. The atmosphere that the demonstration will create can act as a galvaniser into the new term.
We would welcome a mass Stalls We want students who join SR to sell the paper and do stalls themselves. A once-a -month public stall at a university can also advertise our meetings if they are done in good time, and with a welldesigned leaflet. campaign of civil liberties which could match the scale we have become used to. At present, the only activist groups that are up to that level of organisation exist within the networks around the anti-war work where most local groups have extensive contact lists.
For the purpose of the freshers fayres this should be done through the Stop the War lists, and if and when possible, separate groups can be established using these activist networks to build through.
There will be a 'one-off' student Respect paper, which is a recruiting tool. Respect branches can jointly take responsibility for a university and ask for people to help with the stall at freshers fayres.
Last year we stood a candidate in the student union elections. Maxy's campaign was based on opposition to war, fees, and for an independent students union. He won two thirds of the vote. It is a model for how Respect could stand in the elections next year.
The theme is movement and mass. Ideas develop through campaigning, and there is no substitute for being at the 'coal face'. The sharpest propagandists are the active ones and Respect students must be activists first and foremost. Socialist
We can build Socialist Resistance in the universities. The key is not quantity of workload since a stall once every two or three weeks for an hour is small scale. Quality is the watch word.
We should have regular SR monthly meetings in the universities on themes which will be attractive to people we work with.
Since 2003, Socialist Resistance has mobilised young people to the Fourth International Youth Camp that takes place every summer. We will continue to do so and will carry material in every issue.
page 24 of the scan
¡SUBSCRIBE to resistance, www.socialistresistance.net socialist No. 28. September 2005 Troops out of Iraq! Defend civil liberties!