Leninism in the 21st century-welcome to Counterfire

Well, now the lack of stuff on this blog is explained...we have all been busy beavering away behind the scenes with a brand new project. More details on how to get involved on the front page-sign up for our weekly bulletin which will provide details of how to register for the sight, how to send in articles, videos, photo's etc.

We look forward to working with you in this brand new way.

I shamelessly copied the blurb from our news editor's blog The Sauce because, in true internet fashion, we operate on a creative commons licence :-) Thanks Brendan!

News and theory publication Counterfire was launched today with a plethora of reports and essays focusing on the crisis in capitalism, imperialism and war and popular culture.

The website is being launched on International Women's Day with a 60 strong team including an investigations team, an industrial unit, arts reviews and peer reviewed publications.



Lindsey German, author of Material Girls, Women, Sex and Work and convenor of Stop the War said: “We live in a world of growing conflict, crisis and inequality and Counterfire is a much needed new voice calling for fundamental change.”

Adrian Cousins, editor of the new site, said: “Counterfire includes snappy news articles alongside expert analysis of the most important issues today with original design, photography and video. There is a blog aggregate so those interested in the movements know where to come.”

John Rees, broadcaster and author, said: “The journalism and analysis on Counterfire will provide a welcome alternative to the discredited and failing policies of the political elite.”

Elly Badcock, women's officer at SOAS and women's editor, said: “It's fantastic that on the 100th International Women's Day this powerful new site which uses the latest technology is providing a platform for the new feminism of the 21st Century.”



The site features daily news from the movements including articles on protests, petitions and campaigns alongside theory analysing the economy, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and campaigns against the BNP and the English Defence League.

The site is available at counterfire.org with news being fed through twitter at www.twitter.com/counterfire with a video feed at youtube.com/counterfire. Articles on the site can be reproduced with permission and attribution.

Launch articles on the site include:

The Feminist Manifesto for the 21st Century, with video from Saturday's packed meeting at Housmans bookshop by Lindsey German and Nina Power

Report from Joe Glenton's court martial, from the organiser of the Stop the War protest

An examination of Gramsci's relevance today

Anti-anti-feminism and a return to...?

Coming soon...

Here's a delightful video for you in the meantime.

Warwick university in occupation...lead by various people and the LGBT society

More details in a sec...this is an interesting one. Just started their blog HERE

Also: the lgbt (warwick pride) have suspended their lgbt awareness week to support the occupation instead :)
http://warwicksolidaritysitin.wordpress.com/

Following our occupation at the NUS conference yesterday we talked to group of students, who didn't join us on the stage at the time, about why we have decided to take direct action and what effect it has. They went back to their own uni, called a meeting and went about occupying their own uni.

These students are from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans society. Our national LGBT campaign has traditionally been quite apathetic and at last conference Mas and i submitted a motion against the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan calling for the campaign to adopt the slogan 'Liberation not Occupation'. LGBT liberation is often an excuse for invading countries due to the false perception that Muslims are homophobic. And, although we don't doubt that LGBT people face massive oppression around the world (or we wouldn't even need an LGBT campaign), conditions of war are the worst under which to fight for liberation.

Since the invasion of Iraq, George Bush cut all the funding to the many LGBT safe houses and now there remains only one. Ali Hili from Iraqi LGBT campaign has spoken at SOAS a couple of times and we continue to support the campaign.

See the article Queer Iraqis are finding life is now worse than it was under Saddam

And, by the way, we won the vote at LGBT conference by a landslide and injected a well needed bit of politics into the campaign.

Well done NUS LGBT.

Speakers at Warwick tomorrow, Thursday: Rob Owen NUS NEC
Mas Naina National LGBT Black students rep
Member of Islington friends of Yinba and ex-soldier of IDF

7pm in the occupied lecture theatre in the Social Sciences building

============================================

Warwick University students have claimed a space on campus as an act in solidarity with the innocent victims in Gaza and Israel, and with the other groups in the UK which have taken similar action.

We call on our University to suspend dealings with businesses which support Israel’s illegal occupation, such as BAE systems, and to support our fellow students in Palestine who are being denied their right to education.

There will be talks, films, workshops, debates and anything else we can arrange. The occupation of the space will continue until those who are involved decide to end it, and the activities which take place will reflect the wishes of the group. In keeping with our support for the right to education, we will not disrupt lectures, but will maintain a constant presence in the room.

Other universities in the country, including Birmingham, Essex, SOAS, LSE, Sussex and Kings have already seen occupations. Others are planned and will start at any moment. This is an issue which extends far beyond the borders of Warwick, and this occupation and sit-in is undertaken as part of the wider movement. Join us!

Our Demands

1.Warwick University should suspend all relations with companies which supply the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This includes BAE Systems, MBDA, GE Aviation, QinetiQ and Rolls Royce.

2.That the University donate old computer equipment and textbooks to universities in Palestine, specifically those that were partially destroyed in Gaza during the current Israeli military operation.

3.That the University fund and provide logistical support for a series of talks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Final events for friday-last day of Free liberated space :-(

2.30pm Film showing: War Made Easy with speakers from Stop the War Coalition

5pm Meeting on Hamas (title not exactly decided yet!) with journalist Anindya Bhattacharyya

7pm Gig for Gaza fund-raiser in JCR. Couldn\'t sort out the AV equipment to do in our space.

We do have the space til 9pm. feel free to pop in and hang out there.

see you all there....thanks for all the wonderful messages of support.

Good luck to LSE who are in occupation right now-see http://www.lseoccupation.blogspot.com/