Fightback’s annual educational conference, held on July 3 and 4 in Wellington, gave around 80 attendants an opportunity for political discussion and debate around topics ranging from the housing crisis to combating rape culture. The opening session, “Where next for the Left?” featured a frank but constructive look at the state of left-wing politics in Aotearoa/New Zealand by Daphne Lawless from Fightback and left-wing blogger and disability rights activist Giovanni Tiso. This discussions covered the accessibility of left media, discussion and “toxic cultures” in some left organisations, and the need for freedom of discussion and unity around common goals.

Feminist Sandra Dickson gave a compelling presentation on work to prevent sexual violence by consent education. Fightback is involved in initiating a campaign to make education around consent and countering sexual violence compulsory in high schools. This discussion had the biggest attendance of any at the conference, indicating that fighting rape culture in Aotearoa is an issue of concern to many.

Other guest speakers included Tertiary Education Union president Sandra Grey (joined by Fightback speaker and student Ian Anderson) on transforming tertiary education, and Steve Flude from the Wellington Soup Kitchen (joined by Fightback speaker Joel Cosgrove) on homelessness and the housing crisis. The conference ended on a high note with Fightback member and Unite Union organiser Heleyni Pratley reflecting on the success of the campaign against Zero Hours contracts, which forced McDonalds and other fast-food employers to agree to provide guaranteed hours for their workers.

Audio recordings and notes from presentations and discussions will be available on the website.

Conference attendees continued their discussions in a more relaxed atmosphere at a fundraiser held by the Eyegum Music Collective, supporting Fightback’s conference in exchange for Fightback members helping facilitate Eyegum’s safer spaces process.

Asia-Pacific solidarity statement signed by Fightback (Aotearoa / New Zealand), originally published on Green Left Weekly.

We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with the people of Greece and the SYRIZA-led government as they prepare for a referendum on July 5, 2015, on whether to accept the continuation of the program of neoliberal austerity or chart a new course free from the debilitating stranglehold of the Troika — the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, and the European Commission.

We support the call of SYRIZA for a “no vote” as the only option for the people of Greece, especially the working classes, to assert sovereign control over the country’s economy and their own future.

We condemn the “troika” and their allied political institutions, for forcing their policies of neoliberal austerity, privatisation, deregulation, and savage cutbacks dismantling the public sector. We, therefore, hold the Troika responsible for the massive unemployment, increased poverty, greater social inequality, and a severe economic depression now being experienced by Greece.

The irony of it all is that the huge debts the Troika is demanding for repayment did not go to Greece but were used to repay private sector creditors such as French and German banks. In other words, these are onerous and illegitimate debts.

We had welcomed the election of the SYRIZA-led government on a program committed to ending the neoliberal austerity policies imposed by the EU creditors and we stand in solidarity with them as they struggle to implement an anti-austerity program.

The austerity program has been assessed as a colossal failure by leading economists worldwide. Despite this, the insistence of the EU creditors and their political and economic allies to resuscitate this failed program can only be construed as a cynical political manoeuvre whose real aim is to bring down the Syriza government, the first anti-neoliberal, anti-austerity government to be popularly elected in Europe.

SYRIZA was a product of the mass movements’ and working people’s struggles against neoliberal austerity promoted by unbridled capitalism. Similar political organisations have arisen across Europe, such as Podemos in Spain, a product of the anti-austerity “indignados” movement.

The spectre that haunts the European capitalist class is a “SYRIZA syndrome” spreading to other parts of Europe, particularly in Spain, with the election of an anti-neoliberal Podemos government. By bringing down the SYRIZA government, the capitalist hydra aims to strangle such a movement at its birth.

People from all over the world, in both developing and developed countries, have been struggling for the past decades against the imposition of a whole range of neoliberal measures — liberalisation, deregulation, and privatisation, including neoliberal austerity programs imposed by capitalist governments led by the US and its allies, through the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial institutions.

There has also been a long history of struggles against debt repayments and for the cancellation of odious and illegitimate debts. The world has experienced how debt burdens and neoliberal impositions have created havoc on economies, depleted natural resources, exacerbated inequalities, and impoverished peoples while siphoning off billions of dollars to global capitalist banks, giant corporations and imperialist governments.

We welcome the people of Greece into the struggle of peoples of the global South against neoliberalism, onerous debts and austerity.

Your struggle, is our struggle. Your victory, is our victory.

Initial signatories:
Eduardo C Tadem, University of the Philippines
Reihana Mohideen, Transform Asia
Ric Reyes, Philippines
Sonny Melencio, Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) Philippines
Jean Enriquez, World March of Women
Focus on the Global South
Mary Ann Manahan, Focus on the Global South, Philippines
Josua Mata, SENTRO, Philippines
Lidy Nacpil, Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
Socialist Alliance, Australia
Manarishi Dhital, Nepal
Cora Valdez Fabros, STOP the War Coalition, Philippines
Isagani Serrano, President, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM)
Amado Mendoza Jr, University of the Philippines
Teresa Encarnacion Tadem, University of the Philippines
Joseph Anthony Lim, Ateneo de Manila University
Jafar Suryomenggolo, Kyoto University
Socialist Aotearoa, New Zealand
Michael Treen, National Director, Unite Union of Aotearoa/New Zealand
Alab Katipunan, Philippines
Marcela Olivera, Red Vida, Bolivia
Benjamin Quinones, Jr, Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS) Asia
Fatima Gay Molina, Center for Disaster Preparedness (CDP) Philippines
Janus Isaac Nolasco, University Researcher, University of the Philippines
Aries Arugay, University of the Philippines
Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives (ARENA)
Alternative ASEAN Network (ALTSEAN)
Krishna Kumar KK, Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) India)
Maria Luisa Torres, Ateneo de Manila University
Maria Dulce F Natividad, University of the Philippines
Liga ng Makabagong Kabataan (LMK) Philippines
Nathan Gilbert Quimpo, University of Tsukuba
George Aseniero, Dapitan, Philippines
Awami Workers Party, Pakistan
Chris White, socialist, former Secretary of the United Trades & Labor Council of South Australia
Fightback (Aotearoa / New Zealand)

With the housing bubble set to burst (when rather than if), the National government selling state housing, and homelessness on the rise, housing and homelessness are key concerns for anyone concerned with social and economic justice. A discussion facilitated by Fightback.

Joel Cosgrove (Fightback) will speak on the political economy of the housing crisis.

Steve Flude from The Soup Kitchen will provide an outline of the Te Mahana, Wellingtons collaborative approach to homelessness and the prevention of homelessness.

Session for Fightback Conference 2015.

Free entry (koha appreciated).

Food and drinks provided. Special thanks to the Tertiary Education Union for a donation to assist with catering for this event.

Children welcome. Wheelchair-accessible. Please let us know if you need any assistance to make this event more accessible.

2:30-4pm, Saturday 4th July
St Andrews on the Terrace, Wellington
[Facebook event]

A look at tertiary education, capitalism and resistance. What is the purpose of education? What needs to change? How can we get there?

Speakers:
Sandra Grey, Tertiary Education Union President
Ian Anderson, VUW student and communist

Session for Fightback Conference 2015.

Free entry (koha appreciated).

Food and drinks provided. Special thanks to the Tertiary Education Union for a donation to assist with catering for this event.

Children welcome. Wheelchair-accessible. Please let us know if you need any assistance to make this event more accessible.

1-2:30pm, Saturday 4th July
St Andrews on the Terrace, Wellington
[Facebook event]