Socialist Alternative

Sick of war and military occupation?
Tired of racism and injustice?
Angry with big business politicians?
Want to fight back?

Come to the second annual Socialist Minnesota conference!

Sunday, November 18th
11am to 6:30pm
U of M (east bank)
Rapson Hall, Room 31

(click here for map)

Socialist Minnesota is a full day of discussion for youth and workers who are interested in fundamentally changing society. The problems in today’s society run deep. Whether you’re a seasoned activist or just beginning to get involved, it is essential to understand what’s wrong with the world in order to change it. Join Socialist Alternative and others for this important event!

Schedule:
11am - 12noon
Brunch
We will provide the coffee and bagels.

12noon – 1:30pm
How to End a War: Lessons from History.
While the war rages on in Iraq the politicians in Washington seem to be completely incapable of stopping it. In this session we will discuss the Vietnam anti-war movement, the Russian Revolution (which helped end World War I), and what lessons we can learn from these movements to stop the war in Iraq today.

1:30pm – 3pm
Lunch
We are unfortunately unable to provide lunch, but there are many cheap restaurants by the U of M campus.

3pm – 4pm
Breakout Sessions (choose one)

• After Jena: Confronting America’s Criminal Injustice System
  The Jena 6 case has exposed the systemic racism of our country’s criminal (in)justice system. Over 40 years since the Civil Rights movement, the black to white incarceration ratio is 5.6:1, and the U.S. has the largest number of prisoners in the world. What can we do to fight back?
• Corporate Control of Elections: Building an Alternative to the Two Party System
  The 2008 elections are poised to become the most expensive in history, with the Democrats and Republicans expected to raise over $1 billion, most of it from big business. Are these two parties really our only option? Is it possible to break the two-party stranglehold over U.S. politics and build an alternative? How?
• Venezuela: Reform or Revolution?
  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez’s “Bolivarian Revolution” has made a number of massive positive reforms to benefit the Venezuelan poor and working class. But the revolution faces a continued threat from U.S. imperialism and the rich elite in Venezuela who are determined to hold on to their power and privileges. What is going on in Venezuela today and what does Chavez’s “Socialism of the 21st Century” look like?
• Planet Under Threat: Stopping the Looming Environmental Crisis.
  Global warming and other environmental crises threaten our very existence. Obviously, we need to move to doing things in an environmentally sustainable way. Can this be done under capitalism? Will individual and free market solutions succeed? What steps must be taken to stop the environmental crisis?

4:15pm – 6pm
Socialism and Anarchism: What’s the Strategy to Change Society?
Many young people today are fed up with capitalism and are looking for an alternative that puts the interests of humanity and the environment before profits. Many, disgusted by the bureaucratic dictatorship in the Soviet Union, look to anarchism as the only viable and democratic alternative. But does socialism inevitably lead to dictatorship? How are socialist and anarchist ideas about changing society different, and which offers the best strategy?