Brisbane Direct Action Calendar

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba experienced a major economic depression. With imports of oil cut by more than one-half and food imports by 80 percent, people were desperate for food. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people. Cubans share how they changed from highly mechanised agriculture to organic farming and urban gardens, and
from an industrial country to a sustainable one. The film opens with a short explanation of Peak Oil, the imminent crisis caused by the all-time peak in world oil production.
That Cuba faced and overcame this dual crises shows a possibility for the rest of the world, particularly with the current economic crisis paralysing markets worldwide.

Friday, April 3, 7pm
(Cheap meal available from 6.30pm)
The Direct Action Center, 8 Gillingham St, Woolloongabba

For more information:
ph: 3391 1903. Email: brisbane@rsp.org.au

PEACEFUL RALLY AND MARCH
Israeli troops out of Gaza!
Stop the massacre!
FREE PALESTINE!

After three weeks of devastating attacks, Gaza is in ruins. By Saturday January 17th, 1203 people had been slaughtered and 5200 people had been injured. While the Western governments mouth their “relief” at the ‘ceasefire’, the people of Gaza continue to suffer. The Israeli troops remain in Gaza. The siege remains in force preventing urgently needed food and medical supplies from getting to the people. This war of occupation must be stopped. Israel must be bought to account for the war crimes it has committed. Pressure must be bought to bear on the Australian government to end its support for Israel. Add your voice to the international movement for Palestine - join the next peaceful rally and march in Brisbane:

Sat Jan 24
12 noon
Queen’s Park (cnr Elizabeth & George Sts, City)

Organised by Justice for Palestine
For more information: Phone: 0413 783 853 (Abdalla) or
0401 586 923 (Hamish). Email: kathynew1@hotmail.com

Featuring: former campaigner against apartheid South Africa RICHARD BUCHHORN (QLD Palestinian Solidarity Campaign) and JON LAMB (Revolutionary Socialist Party)

In South Africa, during the 1970s and 1980s, when Western governments were encouraging “constructive” engagement with the racist white minority regime there, thousands of ordinary people across the world took creative actions to isolate it and companies that did business there. The boycott and sanctions movement was an important part of the effort to defeat South African apartheid. It was a tool used to educate people outside of South Africa on the situation inside the country and a concrete way of providing support to the real struggles of indigenous South Africans against white supremacy.

While apartheid was defeated first and foremost by the staunch and unflinching resistance of Black South Africans and of liberation fighters in the surrounding countries, the support from the outside helped change the tone of the international response, making it increasingly harder for governments advocating “constructive engagement” with racists to maintain this position.

This forum will discuss these campaigns and how we can draw on these lessons to build a campaign to defeat Israeli aparteid.

7pm Thursday February 5th
Cheap meal available from 6:30pm

p) (07) 3391 1903
m) 0400 720 757
e) brisbane@rsp.org.au

www.directaction.org.au

Venezuela Bolivariana
People and the struggle of the Fourth World War

Featuring introduction by Kim Bullimore (Melbourne Palestine solidarity activist and member of International Women’s Peace Service) about the significance of Venezuela’s support for the Palestinian people.

This documentary examines the Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela and its connection to the world-wide movement against capitalist globalisation. The documentary shows the evolution of the popular movement in Venezuela from the ‘Caracazo’ riots of 1989 to the massive actions that brought revolutionary president Hugo Chavez back to power, 48 hours after a U.S.-led military coup in 2002.

Fri Jan 23, 7pm
(cheap meal available from 6:30pm)
At The Direct Action Centre:
8 Gillingham St, Woolloongabba (next to Buranda rail station)
Entry: $5

For more information:
Phone: 3391 1903, 0400 720 757. Email: brisbane@rsp.org.au

December 14
10am-4:30pm

Featuring sessions on:

• The economic crisis and the relevance of the Marxism today
• The Venezuelan revolution and socialism in the 21st century
• Global warming: why capitalist solutions won't work
• Behind the "war on terror": why capitalism needs war

It's not so long ago that the corporate rulers and their mouthpieces in governments and academia were proclaiming the "end of history" and the death of socialism. Now, as they scramble to put the pieces back together in their crumbling economic system, there is a new boom taking place - sales of the writings of Marx, Engels and Lenin! The thorough analysis of capitalism that Marx made over a century and a half ago is providing the only explanation for the current crisis. The capitalist rulers can't even explain their own system. Their "explanations" are nothing but the tricks of conjurers and magicians - their mountains of garbled economic jargon and assurances of security are nothing but a sleight of hand designed to distract, awe and confuse. But there is no rabbit that they can pull out of their hat that can save capitalism. It is a system doomed by its own internal contradictions.

Meanwhile the Venezuelan revolution continues to reignite the flames that light up the alternative path for humanity. The people of Venezuela and their revolution's deepening ties with socialist Cuba are demonstrating that the socialist path is not a dead end - it is the only way out of the environmental and social devastation being wreaked by capitalism.

Come along to this seminar to discuss these ideas and find out how you can get involved in the Revolutionary Socialist Party and our work in building the struggle for socialism in the 21st century.

6.30pm Wednesday, November 26
At the Direct Action Centre
8 Gillingham St, Woolloongabba(next to Buranda train station)
cheap meal available
p) 3391 1903, m) 0400 720 757. e) brisbane@rsp.org.au

In a world dominated by corporate greed, the individual pursuit of wealth pervades every aspect of life. Despite the ideals marketed by capitalism of an affluent lifestyle, the majority of the world’s population live on less then US$2 a day, 850 million people are starving, 1.1 billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water and more than 800 million people are illiterate.

The dream of a democratic, just and equitable world where people do not go hungry; where people have the benefit of free education and health care and freely participate in the running of their community seems like a fantasy. But far from being a pipe dream- it is actually happening- in a country struggling with chronic underdevelopment that is the product of being plundered by corporate barons for decades.

In Venezuela the revolutionary socialist government of Hugo Chavez has made great inroads into eradicating poverty by repeatedly raising the minimum wage and empowering people through the establishment of 26 000 communal councils. The social missions established by the government have made great progress in eradicating illiteracy and establishing a system of free healthcare - there has been a 1 200% increase in the number of physicians since the election of Chavez in 1998. Come to this forum to learn more about the Venezuelan revolution - a living alternative to the decaying global system of capitalism.

Between December 2004 and November 2007, film director Clifton Ross travelled all over Venezuela, interviewing farm workers, academics and activists in the barrios of Caracas. The result is Venezuela: Revolution from the Inside Out - an excellent documentary that tells the story of Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution as witnessed by those striving to build a socialist Venezuela.

Venezuela: Revolution from the Inside Out explores various aspects of the revolution and its history including:

• the origins of the Venezuelan revolution and how rebellion against neoliberalism set the context for Hugo Chavez’s election in 1998 as the country’s president.
• how the social Missions which have been funded with oil revenue, and the communal councils, have begun to give power to the people.
• how cooperatives are being used to extend popular democracy into the economic sphere and their relationship with the struggle to construct “21st century socialism”.

Saturday November 22, 6:30pm
Brisbane Square Library Meeting room
Brisbane Square Library (cnr George St & Adelaide St)
Entry by donation. All welcome!

Organised by the Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network
Phone: 0400 720 757, 3391 1903

● US hands off Venezuela!
● End the US blockade of Cuba!
● Rudd: give massive aid to hurricane affected Cuba!

Rally 4.30-6.30pm
Fri Nov 21
Brisbane Square (George St end of Queen St Mall)

Organised by Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network. Supported by: the Australia-Cuba Friendship Society, Australian Solidarity with Latin America, FMLN Brisbane Committee, Resistance, Rally for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament (Inc), Revolutionary Socialist Party, Socialist Alliance, Venezuela Cuba Solidarity Club (Griffith Uni)

For more information ph 3391 1903 or 0400 720 757 or email brisbane@venezuelasolidarity.org