Second New Zealand Federation of Socialist Societies National Conference – Labour Weekend 2024

Kia ora Neighbours – both members and supporters of the New Zealand Federation of Socialist Societies.

The Wellington Socialist Society is pleased to announce the second New Zealand Federation of Socialist Societies National Conference to be held in central Wellington (venues TBC) over Labour Weekend (26th-27th October), 2024.

Registrations are open now. Please visit the Federation of Socialist Societies website to register.

The theme for this years conference is ‘The Dual Crisis in Aotearoa’. For a description of the “dual crisis”, please see below.

We have announced the following speakers and activities so far:

• Keynote speech from Pablo Abufom on the struggle against neoliberalism in Chile;
• Keynote panel on “Te Tiriti and the Struggle for Socialism” with Catherine Love (Te Ātiawa, Taranaki, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Ruahinerangi), Kassie Hartendorp (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), and Dougal McNeill, moderated by Nīkau Wi Neera;
• Tony Simpson on “What is New Zealand for?”;
• Great Strike (1913) walking tour with Peter Clayworth;
• Panel featuring Tamatha Paul, Nīkau Wi Neera, and Greg Byrnes on their experiences being active left-wing politicians in Aotearoa;
• Self-described “old anarchist” Sam Buchanan on “Moving resistance from the margins to the centre: How the anti-globalisation movement traumatised capitalism”;
• The Crisis of the University, Precarity and Socialist Strategy – a panel featuring Leon Salter (University of Auckland), Matt Russell (Massey University), and Josh Parsons;
• Trade unionist Ben Peterson on “Breaking the consensus: The need for a new industrial politics.”
• Panel with CTU secretary Erin Polaczuk, Unions Wellington convenor and PSA support centre worker Sabina Rizos-Shaw, NZNO national executive member and nurse Grant Brookes, and E Tū organiser and Unions Manawatu convenor Jon Pawson (Ngāti Porou) discussing discuss the current state of our unions, the challenges the labour movement is facing, and its prospects for the future.
• Hyper Imperialism and the Ensnared World with Vijay Prashad. Vihay is a renowned Indian historian and journalist who has published over 40 books. His most recent work ‘The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power’ (2022) was co-authored with Noam Chomsky.

More speakers and activities will be announced in due course.

The conference is open to both Federation members and non-members. It will feature two keynote speaking events on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th October, respectively, and a concert on the evening of Sunday 27th. A full schedule of events will be available closer to the time.

We are asking for a conference registration fee of $30.00 to contribute towards costs (venue hire, food, beverages etc), which can be paid to: 38-9023-0178478-06. Please include your name as a reference. If this cost is prohibitive for you please contact wellingtonsocialistsociety@gmail.com as we are able to make arrangements where needed.

If you would like to contribute more than $30.00 you are most welcome to do so. All proceeds will go to funding this year’s conference.

Federation members can also indicate if they would like to be billeted with a Wellington Socialist Society member in the registration form.

If you have any further questions, or have issues with the Google Form, please contact us at wellingtonsocialistsociety@gmail.com. We are more than happy to help.

In solidarity,
WSS.
—————————————————-

The Dual Crisis in Aotearoa

New Zealand’s state project has always been intertwined with capitalism and the colonisation of the whenua. Often in New Zealand history, periods of societal crisis have been fundamentally crises in both the colonial and capital foundations of society. During the 1970s, the post-war welfare state began to falter due to global economic shocks. At the same time, significant Māori protest over historic injustices emerged. The establishment of neoliberalism required stabilisation of this dual crisis. The state responded by establishing the Waitangi Tribunal and shortly after initiated drastic economic reforms now known as Rogernomics. Today we are witnessing another dual crisis. Post-COVID there has been a resurgence of anti-Treaty politics, while simultaneously the neoliberal economic consensus has become unstuck. The new government has responded to this with attacks on Māori and by launching a desperate new wave of austerity and wealth transfers to the property-owning class. The recurrence of the dual crisis indicates that the neoliberal hegemonic order is no longer dominant but merely leading, that what was once common sense is becoming contestable. In this transitional period we have the opportunity to foster a different solution to the dual crisis, and, through this, begin to imagine an alternative society for the future.

I roto i te kotahitanga – in solidarity,
The Conference Organising Committee.