When: Saturday, 1:30pm to 7:00pm
Where: O.I.S.E. – Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (Just above St George subway station)
What does it mean to be a revolutionary today? Can you be a revolutionary without a revolution? What exactly does a revolutionary do?
‘I am a revolutionary’ is a one-day conference that aims to discuss these and other questions about being an effective anti-capitalist activist. Organized by the International Socialists, the conference features four workshops that will discuss how to be a revolutionary in your workplace, on your campus, in your neighbourhood, and in the social movements.
Discussion will include what practical steps you can take on a daily basis as well as organizing over the long term. Everyone is welcome to participate and share their experiences.
Schedule:
1:30 pm Registration
1:45 pm Arming ourselves for the battle of ideas
- What do we mean by the ‘battle of ideas’? How do we challenge mainstream ideas about capitalism, the possibility of resistance, and human nature? How do ideas affect our ability to organize and resist capitalism?
3:00 pm Being a socialist at work
- What do you do at work if you’re a socialist? What if you don’t have a union, is it still possible to fight the boss? What if you have a union, but your leadership won’t fight concessions? How can you build the confidence of your co-workers to fight back?
4:15 pm Being a socialist in the classroom
- What should socialists do if they’re students? How should you relate to your student union or to the Canadian Federation of Students? Is it possible to organize a strike on campus? Why is it important to connect students to workers’ struggles?
5:30 pm Building resistance in your community
- How can you be an effective socialist in your neighbourhood? How can you build support for local community struggles? Is it important to organize resistance geographically, or should you focus on your workplace?
All workshops include a 15-minute introduction followed by an hour of discussion.
Readings are posted online. If you have time before the conference, please check them out:http://iamrev.wordpress.com/readings/
Registration: http://iamrev.wordpress.com/register/
Organized by the International Socialists