Whether it is the global financial crisis, endless wars, runaway climate change or the millions of people starving in the Third World, the symptoms of an international capitalist system in deep crisis are all around us. This crisis threatens the very existence of humanity, and peoples around the world are responding with resistance, rebellions and revolutions.
Some of the most determined resistance to capitalism today comes from Latin America. The Venezuelan revolution’s “socialism of the 21st century” is building on the Cuban Revolution in providing examples of what popular power can achieve. The indigenous people of Bolivia, led by President Evo Morales, are challenging the West’s “business as usual” response to climate change.
In El Salvador, Nicaragua and around Central America, after decades of civil war the people’s struggles for genuine democracy are deepening. In Ecuador and Uruguay, workers and indigenous people are fighting for, and winning, progressive change.
Latin America Solidarity Conferences set for Melbourne and Sydney are forums for all people wanting to learn about, learn from and build solidarity in Australia with the people’s power movements in Latin America. The main areas of discussion are the themes “Imperialism, war and resistance”, “Popular power and people’s governments”, “Workers’ struggles, workers’ rights and workers’ control”, “The battle for environmental justice and survival” and “Building solidarity in Australia and internationally”.
A range of international guests has been invited, including, Alina Canaviri Sullcani (a leader of the Indigenous and Rural Women’s Federation of Bolivia “Bartolina Sisa” and of the Movement towards Socialism), from El Salvador Dr. Guillermo Mata Bennett (FMLN representative in the lower house), from Venezuela Gonzalo Gomez (Apporea news service) and from Uruguay Washington Belleti (Movement for Land and against Poverty).
The conferences are being organised by the Latin American Forum-Victoria and the Latin American Social Forum-Sydney and being held on October 8-9 in Melbourne at Trades Hall and October 16-17 in Sydney at the NSW Teachers Federation. For more information, contact the organisers in Melbourne at laf.victoria@gmail.com or 0421 957 341 or 0425 182 994 and in Sydney at asfsydney@gmail.com or 0425 324 621 or 0413 310 452.