Summer School – 6th to 8th July 2012 (Birmingham)
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}”>Just a little reminder about the party’s Summer School this year which will be held between July 6th and 8th at Harborne Hall, Birmingham. This year the theme will be ‘Protest’.
CONFIRMED TALKS
The Occupy Movement: Ian Barker (Occupy Norwich) and Stair (SPGB)
The Arab Spring: capitalism, imperialism and religion or democracy?: Janet Surman
What did the Romans do for us?: Bill Martin
Protest and the Environment: Glenn Morris
Policing the Protests: Mike Foster
Venue: Harborne Hall, Old Church Road, Harborne, Birmingham B17 0BE
http://www.harbornehall.co.uk/
Worldwide, people have reacted to the political and economic crisis with new forms of protest. From the Arab Spring uprisings to the Occupy Movement, activists are rejecting traditional forms of political assembly, and are looking for new ways of organisation.
But what will be the consequences of these new battles in the class war? Will these protests result in any lasting, positive change for the working class? Could they point towards a revolution? Or will they go the way of all reformism and just prolong the capitalist system which traps us all?
The Socialist Party’s weekend of talks and discussion will examine protests in all its forms – its aims, methods and effects.
BUY TICKETS ONLINE http://www.worldsocialism.org/
spgb/catalog/summer-school Full residential cost (including accommodation and meals Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) is £140. Concessions of £110 and £80 are available.
Here’s another reminder of this year’s Summer School. please let me know if you’re interested in attending.
Just about a month to go to this year’s Summer School and very few places are still available. The programme of events with approximate timings appear below:- Friday 6th July 7.30pm – The Arab Spring: capitalism, imperialism and religion or democracy?: Janet Surman Saturday 7th July 9.30am – Policing the Protests: Mike Foster 2.30pm – The Occupy Movement: Ian Barker (Occupy Norwich) & Stair (SPGB) 7.15pm – What did the Romans do for us?: Bill Martin Sunday 8th July 9.30am – Land, Sea and Air – worth protesting about?: Glenn Morris Social evenings on the Friday and Saturday Bookstalls – Licensed Bar BUY TICKETS ONLINE http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/catalog/summer-school Full residential cost (including accommodation and meals Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) is £140. Concessions of £110 and £80 are available. To book a place, send a cheque (payable to The Socialist Party of Great Britain) to Flat 2, 24 Tedstone Road, Quinton, Birmingham B32 2PD E-mail spgbschool@yahoo.co.uk with any enquiries http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/event/summer-school-6th-8th-july-2012-birmingham-0
Less than two weeks to go so if you haven’t already booked you might still be able to:-http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/catalog/summer-schoolAnyone wanting a lift up to Birmingham from London or the South-East should contact Mike Foster:-“Mike Foster” <spgbschool@yahoo.co.uk>,
If you’d like to book a place, please let me know before the end of the weekend, as the venue have asked for a list of attendees. Many thanks.
Friday evening session – The Arab Spring: Capitalism, Imperialism and Religion, or Democracy?32 people listened to a most interesting exposition given by Janet SurmanBearing in mind the twists and turns of the different national uprisings, and attempting to view events through a socialist lens away from the western norms and measuring sticks, how shall we interpret the original and ongoing aims of the various protests? What and whose are the gains and losses? How compatible are the different cultures and the wider religious impulses with socialism? What, if anything, can we learn from the developments of the last eighteen months, and what can we expect for the future? Saturday morning session – Policing The ProtestsA talk given by Mike Foster to an audience of around 30 gave an overview of the tactics used to restrict and weaken those who dare to protest. Often a protest is remembered more for how the police responded to it than for what the protest was actually about. Images of kettled demonstrators and coppers with riot shields, raised batons and tear gas tend to stick in the memory. But protests aren’t only policed in such overt ways. Legislation allows the police to stage-manage demonstrations before they have even begun. And The Guardian has reported extensively on the spying and infiltration of radical groups by undercover agencies.
Saturday afternoon session – The Occupy MovementDiscussion between Ian Barker (Occupy Norwich) and Stair (SPGB)Has there ever been a protest movement as dynamic, imaginative, practical and global as the Occupy Movement? But it seems that most of its energy and hope was focused on just a few short months. Was the movement just a flash-in-the-pan, or will it prove to be a crucial part of the emancipation of the working class?The Occupy Movement encompasses the views of many different people. Ian Barker, who has been involved in Occupy Norwich, gave his own thoughts on the movement’s aims, strengths and difficulties. Stair presented the views of the SPGB on how the movement fits in with capitalism as a whole, and whether it has been a viable way to challenge the system. Saturday evening session – What Did The Romans Do For Us?This talk was not about Romans. It had nothing to do with Romans. It was about stories. Stories of protest, and the stories protestors tell.Taking at its basis an examination of how four hundred years ago Shakespeare’s Coriolanus presented a two thousand year old myth of a parable of a protest in response to real protests of the day, this talk looked at how the play in turn has shaped and in return been shaped by the events. In turn, it looked at the metaphors of protest, and how the many headed hydra becomes the people.It also attempted to relate all of this to a lump of mouldy cheese discovered in the pouch of ‘Captain Pouch’, otherwise known as John Reynolds, a tinker who led the Midlands Revolt in 1607…………….
Summer School’s over for another year, and hopefully everyone who battled their way through the rain to get there had a good time. I certainly did. Thanks very much to the other speakers for giving such clear and thought-provoking talks, and for taking the time and effort to put them together. The discussion after each session was lively and interesting, too. It’s not often enough that we get the chance to chat and chew over ideas together. Roll on 2013’s summer school (although I need a bit longer to recover from this one before I can think about next year’s!). Thanks are also due to Dave, for helping out with the publicity.
Sunday morning session – Land, Sea and Air… Worth Protesting About?The fundamental components of our planet are under serious threat, so how does capitalism deal with these problems and can we all relax in the knowledge that everything will be alright?Glenn explored and gave examples of the damage that is being caused to our environment and sought to explain why a society based around a profit system cannot and never will provide a solution to the problems. A few pictures of Summer School here:-http://www.meetup.com/The-Socialist-Party-of-Great-Britain/photos/9608972/
I add my thanks to all who contributed to make the 2012 Summer school such a positive and enjoyable event. In addition to the talks and post-talk discussions which were extremely lively with plenty of input there were informal small group discussions continuing throughout all ‘spare’ time. From breakfast time until the early hours one could always find a group to latch on to in order to listen and talk some more about the many topics that interest us – without the usual ‘Yeah, but—‘ to spoil it.It was great to meet up again with comrades old and new, young and old and to have the stimulation and motivation to carry me over some of the more depressing incidents we all have to deal with in our daily lives. If you’ve never attended one of these events I heartily recommend it – and I look forward to meeting next year’s attendees.
Hot from the Audio-Visual Department The audio mp3 files from last year's Summer School on 'Protest' can now be heard on the Party's website via the following links: Janet Surman – The Arab Spring http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/audio/arab-spring-capitalism-imperialism-and-religion-or-democracy Mike Foster – Policing the Crisishttp://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/audio/policing-crisis Stair / Ian Roberts (Occupy Norwich) – The Occupy Movementhttp://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/audio/occupy-movement-discussion Bill Martin – What Did the Romans Do for Us: Reflections on Coriolanushttp://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/audio/what-did-romans-do-us-reflections-coriolanus Glenn Morris – Land, Sea and Air – Worth Protesting Abouthttp://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/audio/land-sea-and-air-worth-protesting-about
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