Socialism 2004

[SonofRage]

I thought I'd pass this along:


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Forward Widely! Forward Widely! Forward Widely!

SOCIALISM 2004: Ideas to Change the World
June 17-20th; Chicago, Illinois
www.socialism2004.org

What you'll find at Socialism 2004
MORE THAN 100 MEETINGS on topics ranging from Marxist
theory to the politics of Hollywood. BOOKFAIRS, FILMS,
entertainment and parties with live music.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE

Mike DAVIS—author of City of Quartz and forthcoming Planet of
Slums

Rania MASRI—director of the Southern Peace Research
and Education Center

Dennis BRUTUS—global justice activist; ‘poet
laureate’ of 1980s South African Anti-Apartheid
Movement

Monique MATTHEWS—sister of Ryan Matthews; innocent
man on Louisiana’s Death Row

Lou PLUMMER—member of Military Families Speak Out and leading organizer of
the recent anti-war march at Fort Bragg

Mike ALEWITZ—author of Insurgent Images and organizer of the Labor Art Mural
Project

Ahmed SHAWKI—editor International Socialist Review

Robert JENSEN—author of Citizens of the Empire

John PILGER—award winning journalist and filmmaker;
author of New Rulers of the Word

Mike MARQUSEE—member British Stop the War Coalition;
author of Redemption Song: Muhammad Ali and the Spirit of
the 1960s

Tikva HONIG-PARNASS—Israeli activist; co-editor of
Between the Lines

Patrick BOND—author of Against Global Apartheid:
South Africa Meets the World Bank, IMF and
International Finance.

Max ELBAUM—former member of Students for a
Democratic Society in the 1960s; author of Revolution in
The Air

Sharon SMITH—columnist Socialist Worker Newspaper

Howie HAWKINS—Green Party USA National Committee

Marlene MARTIN—Director of the Campaign to End the Death
Penalty

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WHY THIS CONFERENCE MATTERS:
This year, Democrats and Republicans will tell you
that everything depends on who sits in the White
House. But the most important issues for working
people--whether we're sent overseas to fight in wars
for empire or whether we can have a decent standard of
living--aren't on the ballot. So we face a choice. To
accept that we can't do better than what Washington is
willing to offer. Or to fight for a real change from
below--in our workplaces, in our schools and in our
communities.

Socialism 2004 provides a forum where activists from
today's struggles can come together to discuss how to
win a socialist world where ordinary people will
decide the priorities of our society.

More than 100 discussions on today's struggles, the
socialist tradition, political theory and much more
are aimed at arming a new generation of fighters with
the ideas they need to change the world.

You're invited to debate, discuss and decide how to
change the world at Socialism 2004!

SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2004
6pm-10pm. Registration at Holiday Inn Chicago O'Hare
International, 5440 North River Road St. in Rosemont,
Ill., near Chicago's O'Hare International Airport
8pm. Evening forums
9:30pm-midnight. Reception with cash bar

FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2004
9am-10am. Registration at Holiday Inn Chicago O'Hare
International
10am-1pm. Meetings
1pm-2:30pm. Lunch
2:30-5:30pm. Meetings
7:30pm. Evening forums
9:30pm-1am. Party with cash bar

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2004
9am-10am. Registration at Holiday Inn Chicago O'Hare
International
10am-1pm. Meetings
1pm-2:30pm. Lunch
2:30-5:30pm. Meetings
7:30pm. Evening forums
9:30pm-1am. Party with cash bar

SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 2004
9am-10am. Registration at Holiday Inn Chicago O'Hare
International
10am-1pm. Meetings
1pm-2:30pm. Lunch
2:30pm-3:30pm. Final rally
www.socialism2004.org

[RebeldePorLaPAZ]

thanks man, i'll add info on that on my site cglm.net. i have a question?

what does socailism 2004.org deal with, like whats there site about and what do they do?

--Paz

[SonofRage]

The website is just for that conference. The conference is being set up by the International Socialist Organization but it's going to have a good mix of speakers (I think someone from ZMag is going to speak).

[SonofRage]

Alexander Cockburn from CounterPunch.org has been added as a new speaker. Pretty cool.

[Scottish_Militant]

Is that the SWP event?

[truthaddict11]

i think SPUSA, are us non democratic socialists welcome? if so maybe I will drive out for a day.

edit: shit thats expensive! why so much for the conference?

[SonofRage]

It's not an SP-USA or an SWP event, it's being set up by the ISO. Everyone is welcome. I don't think it's that expensive for a four day conference. It's $60 is you register early (by May 27th) online. You could also register for only some of the days.

I think that one of the things that makes the conference exciting is that it is not going to be just a bunch of ISO speakers. Some pretty well known progressive journalists and activists are going to be there as well. I think it's also a good chance for people of different organizations to come in and bring their point of view and maybe win people over to their side.

[JohnRedDavis]

This is going to be a great conference, I went last year and had a lot of fun.

The ISO is a Trotskyist organization and one of the largest radical groups in America. We publish a weekly newspaper and a bimonthly magazine--great places to start to learn more about us.

Like SonOfRage said, there's going to be a ton of ISO and non-ISO speakers at this conference. Alexander Cockburn from CounterPunch, Tikva Honig-Parnass (an Israeli socialist), Patrick Bond, Ahmed Shawki, etc. etc.

I definetly recommend Shawki. He's an Egyptian-born Marxist who lives in Chicago and edits our magazine, the International Socialist Review. He's a dynamic speaker with a sense of humor.

It would be great if a bunch of people from Che Lives could make it out and carry on the conversations in person. Every day the liberals are ratcheting up pressure on us to capitulate into Jonh Kerry's camp--this conference will help give us the backbone we need to stand up and build the socialist alternative.

Hope to see you there!

[SonofRage]

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! has been added as a speaker. Pretty sweet

[mEds]

I plan on attending since I live probably only 5 miles away. Do i signup there at the hotel? I hope you don't have to be 18 to get in ;)

[JohnRedDavis]

Hope everyone who went to the conference enjoyed themselves. I thought most of the speakers were awesome. I had the chance to meet anti-war activists from England and lunch with organizers of anti-war military families from the South.

[SonofRage]

It was a good conference. I didn't think the Anarchism talk was that good. I found it dishonest and the issues I raised weren't really answered.