Making the Movement Matter:

An Anti-Capitalist Conference

July 4 - 6, 2002 at the Ontario Institute for Studies In Education (OISE),
252 Bloor St West, Toronto. Featuring the following public forums and workshops

Thursday July 4, 7 pm

From Empire To Ashes : Fighting Imperialism Speakers: Samer Elatrash, a
Palestinian Liberation Activist Claudio Katz, an activist from Argentina
currently working in the unemployed workers' movements and in the
Neighborhood Assemblies Magaly San Martin, an activist in the Latin
American Coalition Against Racism and Ontario Common Front.

Friday, July 5, 7 pm

Another World Is Possible: From Anti-Globalization to Anti-Capitalism

A strategy session for the anti-globalization movement and a book launch
for David McNally's new book, Another World Is Possible: Globalization and
Anti-Capitalism. This session will also include report backs from the
Kananaskis and Ottawa anti-G-8 actions.

!!!Anti-Capitalist Workshops!!!

WORKSHOPS:

1. The Opening and Commodification of Queer Space Under Neo-liberalism

The last decade and a half has seen the opening and commodification of
queer space occur alongside the moral deregulation of capitalism and the
decline of the heterosexual family form. This workshop uses a historical
analysis of the relation between capitalism and social spaces to examine
current struggles around the commodification of queer space. It argues for
the development of a queer marxism, for queer class struggles against
commodification and ruling class notions of social respectability and
responsibility.

Presenter: Gary Kinsman (Sudbury New Socialist Group and author of The
Regulation of Desire).

2. Anti-War Movements: 1960's and Today

This session examines today's anti-war movement from a historical
perspective and attempts to develop successful movement building
strategies. The workshop addresses the power of the capitalist class, the
effects of neo-liberalism and racism on anti-war movements, the weakness of
the Left, and strategies, based on lessons from the 1960's, for rebuilding
the movement.

Presenters: Charlie Post (member of US socialist group Solidarity), Dani
(Detroit Solidarity organizer)

3. Organizing Against Global Capitalist Attacks in Our Communities: OCAP
and the Piqueteros

As many global justice activists are increasingly aware, "summit-hopping"
is not a viable long-term strategy for building movements. Two groups that
have been on the frontlines in their respective communities are OCAP in
Toronto and the Piqueteros (the unemployed workers' movement) in Argentina.
In this workshop, speakers from OCAP and the Piqueteros discuss the nature
of their work and the ways in which it fits into a longer-term vision of
fundamental social change.

Presenters: Stefan Pilipa (OCAP), Claudio Katz (Argentinean activist)

4. Anarcho-Communism and Local Struggles for Workers' Power

Much to the chagrin of Old School and Academic Leftists, the new
anti-capitalist movement is being organized increasingly under the banner
of revolutionary anarchism. This workshop focuses on Anarcho-Communist
strategies for re-building community-based working class movements. Topics
include: the role of local struggles in building anarchist movements; the
role of political organizing in facilitating radical agitation; and
strategies for popularizing anarchist politics within the movement.

Presenters: TBA shortly

5. No One Is Illegal: Taking on Immigration Canada

This workshop investigates how the immigration system acts as a crucial
tool of global capitalism. Participants will have an opportunity to examine
issues such as how immigration policies bar poor people and people of
colour from entering Canada, seek to control people when they get here,
and expel them when they are no longer economically or politically
"useful". Strategies for fighting back will also be discussed.

Presenters: Sarah Vance (OCAP)

6. Reform & Radicalism in the Canadian Labour Movement

This workshop looks at contending political trends in the Canadian working
class and labour movement throughout the 20th and the beginning of the 21st
century. In particular this workshop will look at working class
radicalization, its relationship to the trade union leadership, and the
role of socialists and workplace activists in building a militant,
democratic and class conscious labour movement.

Presenter: David McNally (Ontario Common Front and New Socialist Group,
author of _Another World Is Possible_)

7. The Canadian Security State: Anti-Terrorism and Class Struggle

The 'War on Terrorism' involves warfare abroad and the curtailment of
democratic rights and freedoms under the pretext of 'national security' at
home. In this workshop, Gary Kinsman highlights the class, racial and
sexual dimensions to the new Canadian National Security State. He
addresses the following questions: how has 'national security'been used
historically against workers and the oppressed? How has the current
Canadian State changed? How do class, race and sexuality fit into these
changes? Will the changes affect our activist work? And how should
radicals orient themselves towards state agencies?

Presenter: Gary Kinsman (Sudbury New Socialist Group and author of _Whose
National Security?_)

8. Crip Politics

This workshop will address the systemic oppression of people with
disabilities from anti-capitalist perspective and the need to fight ableism
within activism and beyond.

Presenters: Leah Dolmage (queer-dreamin, crip ally and aspiring yo-yo
champ, who collabarates with the Dis'n'tangle zine crew and the Toronto
care collective.) A.J. Rohmer (queer and disability rights activist and
member of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty.)

9. International Solidarity & Cross-Border Organizing

Governments around the world are pushing forward international trade
agreements, but labour unions and other social movements are still largely
nationally based. Following the slogan an injury to one is an injury to
all, this workshop will look at strategies for building international
solidarity and new forms of cross-border organizing.

Presenters: Bruce Allen (1st Vice-President CAW local 199) Claudio Katz
(Unemployed Workers Movement, Argentina) Others TBA

10. Intifada! Palestine and Third World Liberation

The struggle in Palestine has enormous implications for activists in the
global justice and anti-war and anti-imperialist movements. In this
workshop, Samer Elatrash and Mughir Hindi discuss the connections between
neoliberalism and the crisis in Palestine, the space of the Intifada in the
global struggle against imperialism, and the forms of "international
solidarity" that are required, including a divestment campaign and support
for the right of Palestinian return.

Presenters: Samer Elatrash (Palestinian Liberation Activist), Mughir Al
Hindi (Al-Awda)

11. Protest Tactics and Movement Building

Moving beyond the moralistic debate on violence versus non-violence,
activists need to be asking the political question of how we can build a
movement that is both broad and militant, one that aims to be a mass
movement but not "legitimate" in the eyes of the state, capital and media.
How does the CLAC's idea of "diversity of tactics" or the OCF's call for
"militant but discplined" action seek to overcome the falsely posed divide
between "militant" and "mass" forms of action, to be effective and dynamic
with an eye to drawing broader layers of people into our movements?

Presenters: CLAC, Shiraz Vally (OCF and New Socialist Group)

12. Grrrl Power, Then and Now

This workshop explores the trajectory of the feminist movement from the
early struggles around wages for housework to the present-day
anti-globalization movement. Speakers will discuss the role of feminism and
feminists in these movements. Particular attention will be given to the
obstacles preventing the spread of feminist ideas and principles in the
anti-globalization movement. Participants will explore ways to enhance
radical feminist ideas and forms of organising in today's struggles.

Presenters: Denise Hammond (Toronto New Socialist Group, active in Toronto
Mobilization for Global Justice) Sue Fergusan (Toronto New Socialist Group)

13. Fighting to Win and Socialism From Below

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) has made a name for itself
through its 'Fight To Win' methods of activism. According to OCAP, the
'Fight To Win' strategy also reflects its commitment to revolutionary
anti-capitalist change. In this workshop, speakers examine the intersection
of OCAP's Fighting to Win (FTW) strategy and the revolutionary politics of
socialism from below. Speakers ask how the Fight To Win strategy affects
where we organize, whom we organize with, the tactics we use, the
alliances we make, the messages we spread and the visions we present - and
how all of this is consistent with revolutionary socialist politics.

Presenters: Todd Gordon, New Socialist Group Others TBA

14. Organizing Against Police Repression

Both at demonstrations and in local communities, police presence has become
both greater and more violent over the last several years. In this session
presenters ask how are activists and community members fighting against
police brutality and why should this struggle be at the forefront of our
resistance to global capitalism?

Presenters: Susan Bender (Toronto New Socialist Group, Committee to Stop
Targeted Policing) Others TBA

15. Labour Activism from below: rank and file strategies

Socialists and radicals have always had a relationship to the labour
movement. Though taking differenct forms at different moments, this
relationship has always had to account for questions of strategy, tactics,
and the relationship of both of these to political analysis. This workshop
will focus on several questions which those interested in working class
organization have had to confront: what should be the relationship of
radicals to the labour movement? How should radicals relate to union
bureaucrats? What different strategies have socialists and radicals relied
on to build working class fightback? Why do we try to encourage activism
from below, and what does this mean anyway?

Presenters: Claudia White (CUPE 79), John Clarke (OCAP) Rodney Ward
(Association of Flight Attendants activist)

16. Beyond "Anti-Capitalism": Marx's Critique of Capitalism

This session tries to give meaning to popular terms such as
"Anti-Capitalism". It argues that any "anti-capitalist" project needs to be
informed by Marx's critique of capitalism as a system of alienated and
exploitative social relations. Presenter: Charlie Post (New York - Solidarity)

17. Colours of Resistance: Anti-Racist Community Organizing

This session analyses how race, class and gender congeal in global cities
like Toronto, especially around issues like immigration and
immigrant-rights activism. After witnessing the class, raced and gendered
responses of the Canadian State to September 11, this workshop highlights
the importance of anti-racist community organizing for rebuilding
anti-capitalist movements.

Presenter: TBA

18. Rhythm Activism: Music and Revolution

This interactive session examines the role of music in political action. It
includes a hands-on component where participants can engage in musical
dialogue and discuss the resistance some people feel towards making music
or using it as a political tool. This workshop aims to higlight the
relationship between music and the development of new political
sensibilities.

Presenter: Guerilla Rhythm Squad

Plenary Session

Anti-Capitalism: From Reflection to Action After two days of forums and
workshops on key issues and challenges facing anti-capitalist activists,
this plenary will pose a number of questions to conference participants
about the ways of developing anti-capitalist politics and struggle for the
coming year. Questions we'll seek to address include: What political tasks
should anti-capitalists prioritize for the next year? How can
anti-capitalists more effectively promote our politics within the broader
movements? Are common front strategies between different anti-capitalist
organizations useful political tools to pursue? How will we relate to
union activists and to union bureaucrats? ========

COMMIE FUNK

July 6th Party for your right to fight!

A night of hip-hop, latin, funk and electronic music in support of the
"Making the movement Matter Anti-capitalist conference". Featuring:

Lal (acoustic/electro set) Warsaw Pact Palenke Orchestra, Moonstarr,

With DJ Jackspade and more

Event takes place at the Comfort Zone, 486 Spadina, 9pm 19+, unwaged $5,
waged $10, solidarity $15 unfortunately the venue is not accessible for
wheelchairs, if people have other accessibility needs we would be pleased
to try and meet them. Please contact (416)532-3375 or (416)969-3209

=========

Conference Info

The Toronto New Socialist Group would like to invite you to participate in
Making the Movement Matter, an Anti-Capitalist Conference taking place July
4 - 6, 2002 at The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (252 Bloor
Street, Toronto).

Over the last few years, our activism has contributed to the development of
an increasingly radical resistance movement. Activists are challenging not
only the symptoms of the capitalist system, but also the nature of the
system itself. Anti-capitalists have been at the heart of this new moment
of insurgency and have played key roles in recent protests across Canada
and the United States. Slogans like "Another World Is Possible," "Take the
Capital" and "Fight to Win" suggest the potential of building a movement
dedicated to fundamental social change.

Unfortunately, we rarely get the opportunity to collectively discuss
anti-capitalist politics or share insights and experiences with those
living outside our own cities. Tactics; anti-capitalism as an organizing
principle; union bureaucrats; summit hopping versus local organizing;
problems with vanguardism in coalitions and strategies for fighting
oppression inside and outside the movement are all isssues we need to
collectively discuss. Making the Movement Matter hopes to provide a context
for these and other discussions.

The goals of the conference are to encourage discussion and reflection on
current anti-capitalist organizing; to enhance the networking capacities of
activists living in the Northeastern corner of the continent; and to
create a space for serious discussion on issues of theory and practice in
anti-capitalist organizing.

The conference will consist of daily workshops, evening forums and nightly
parties. The workshops will address the themes and objectives listed above.
The evening forums will address broader issues facing the movement.

Contact: makingthemovementmatter@hotmail.com Check the NSG website for
updates: www.newsocialist.org 416-969-3209