Putting socialist ideas into practice
SP Newsletter No.320
The Socialist Party has been hosting a large number of public meetings throughout the municipality of Yarra in Melbourne over the past few months. The aim is to mobilise people to win reforms on concrete issues of concern to them and in the process win greater support for socialist ideas and methods.
Yarra has two quite distinct parts of its population. One part is made up of about 20% of residents who live in public housing estates. They have very specific and sometimes very extreme problems related to the dire poverty that exists on these estates.
The other part of the municipality is made up of ex-working class, increasingly gentrified suburbs. People that live in these areas also have issues of concern, albeit different issues to the public housing tenants. The issues there relate to overdevelopment, traffic and parking issues, lack of open space and services.
Generally speaking, these are issues related to the quite rapid rise in population in the inner city without a parallel rise in public transport and services.
On the public housing estates we have had meetings on very basic issues such as the rat plague in East Clifton Hill; the cockroach problem in Collingwood; the lifts breaking down at Fitzroy; and poor maintenance and huge security issues related to the illegal drug industry on the North Richmond estate which is the biggest public housing estate in Victoria.
In each case the meetings have been followed up by the Socialist Party through petitions, rallies, media stunts and negotiations with Office of Housing officers. We have even held meetings with the Minister and local MP, Richard Wynne. In most cases we have won some concessions that have made life a bit easier for residents. The self-mobilisation of residents has led to a rise in their self-confidence and even a certain politicisation.
In the non-public housing areas of Yarra, the meetings have also been on varied issues. In East Clifton Hill, the main issue has been traffic running through the small suburban streets leading to a dangerous situation for locals, especially children. In Fitzroy the issue has been the same. We have also raised the idea of reviving the Brunswick Street Festival.
In North Fitzroy, the issues have been street cleaning and basic Council services not being up to scratch. In Collingwood, one meeting was on a big development overshadowing local residents and another issue has been the resident push for a walk-over Hoddle Street in North Collingwood. In Abbotsford we have had a meeting to ensure residents’ concerns are not forgotten in the rush to open up and develop Victoria Park.
Some of our meetings have been on the street, some in local halls and community centres, and some even in pubs. But in every case, residents have enjoyed the quite unique experience in modern times of a democratic, open and friendly meeting to actually get something done rather than let off a bit of steam.
The Socialist Party will continue this ongoing programme of public meetings leading to action and results over the next period. It is politics at its most basic and it is a great thing to see.
If we can do this in a largely gentrified part of Melbourne, imagine if it was done all over our cities and towns by a new, mass leftwing party if one was created by the unions and community groups with serious resources behind it. We in the Socialist Party are showing what is possible. The ideas of socialism properly posed and related to peoples’ everyday experience and current level of consciousness, can gain big support even in this period of low levels of class struggle.
Upcoming SP meetings
The Melbourne Branch of the Socialist Party meets every Wednesday 7pm at Trades Hall on the corner of Lygon & Victoria Streets Carlton South.
Upcoming meetings include:
28/7 – The politics of the Black Panthers
4/8 – The NT Intervention 3 years on
11/8 – Report from CWI world school
For more information or for details of meetings in other parts of Australia contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111.
News links:
Nigeria: Detained socialists released
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4412
CWI School: Building new workers’ parties
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4411
US: Obama’s inadequate energy policy
http://www.socialistworld.net/doc/4402
Join the Socialist Party
If you agree with what you have read in our newsletter or on our website you should consider joining SP. The Socialist Party has branches in Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle and Perth as well as members and supporters in all other states.
We are involved in trade union work and student work. We also run community, anti-war and environmental campaigns. But most of all we want to build a party that will fight to get rid of the capitalist system, the system that is at the root of all of these problems. We fight for socialism - a system that will bring an end to wars, poverty and environmental destruction. To join SP contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111 and we will send you a membership application form.
Subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ newspaper!
Support the Socialist Party by subscribing to our monthly newspaper ‘The Socialist’. Subscription rates are only $10 per year or $20 solidarity price. You will receive 11 copies per year delivered to your door every month. You will also receive our email newsletter every week and you will know that you are supporting an organisation that is at the fore of fighting against the capitalist system. To subscribe to ‘The Socialist’ contact our National Office on 03 9639 9111 and we will send you a subscription form.
Socialist Party contact details
Melbourne: Phone Anthony on 0396399111.
Sydney: Phone Gary on 0297287727.
Newcastle: Phone Samantha on 0249681545.
Adelaide: Phone David on 0883441474.
Perth: Phone John on 0894020728.
Rest of Australia: Phone our National Office on 0396399111.
Rest of the world: Phone our International Office on ++ 44 20 8988 8760.
The Socialist Party is the Australian section of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI). The CWI is organised in over 40 countries across the world.
