20 - 23 January 2011, Wits University, South Africa
- BUILDING THE SOLIDARITY ECONOMY FROM BELOW
http://bit.ly/g7zDfA
The ecological and economic crisis of South Africa’s transnationalising
capitalist economy is also reflected in increasing hunger, increasing
food prices, unhealthy diets and polluting agro-processing food
production. Advancing an Anti-Hunger and Food Sovereignty Campaign
challenges this reality and politicises the food question in a more
consistent way. Such a campaign has to be advanced bottom up, through a
participatory democratic logic for democratic left politics. These
campaign notes, presented at a Conference of the Democratic Left in
South Africa, intend to promote such a process and emerge out of the
Gauteng Democratic Left conference held in March 2010.
- SOUTH AFRICA: DEMOCRATIC LEFT DEMANDS ON HOUSING
http://bit.ly/dXO3tc
There is a need to outline a programme of demands in the area of
housing. Through struggle in the Western Cape some demands have come to
the fore, and they might be considered to be elements of a programme in
the area of housing. The discussion available through the link provided,
from the Conference of the Democratic Left, held recently, may not even
include all the demands that have been raised by different communities
in the Western Cape, so should not in any way be regarded as definitive
even of recent Western Cape experience.
- SOUTH AFRICA: TIME FOR A NEW DEMOCRATIC LEFT POLITICS
http://bit.ly/gt1YFH
It is time that the people take their destiny into their own hands,
writes Mazibuko Jara. 'Can poor and working people, working with middle
class people committed to social change, open the path to a new politics
that can change this country? Can a modest national conference under an
umbrella of democratic left politics offer any hope for the majority
and those interested in social change in this country? This 1st National
Conference of the Democratic Left, which will follow two weeks after
the celebration of the ANC’s 99th anniversary in January 2011, is a
milestone in a maturing long-term political process.'
- SOUTH AFRICA: TOWARDS A UNITED DEMOCRATIC LEFT FRONT
http://bit.ly/dREBVQ
This paper, from the just-concluded Conference of the Democratic Left,
presents a perspective and argument for organising the democratic left
initiative as an anti-capitalist political front. It is anchored in the
premise of maximising the unity of social and ideological forces against
post-apartheid and global capitalism. To stimulate debate, discussion
and resolution on the political form question for the democratic left
initiative this document covers the following themes:
- A strategic approach to fronts;
- Learning lessons from the history of political fronts;
- The case for a United Democratic Left Front for South Africa;
- Key issues for a Democratic Left approach to building a political
front through struggle.
From Pambazuka News: 2011-01-26, Issue 514