The Marxist Student Federation has come back in force for this academic year. Although we have to shift our usual pattern, the current crisis has opened up some of the most radical attitudes from young people that we have ever seen. Students are suffering under the system, and the Marxist Student Federation is, as always, fighting alongside those students! As well as being out on protests and rallies with students, our Marxist Societies have begun their meetings. We’ve been discussing our ideas and how to fight back against what’s going on. Many of our first meetings have been discussing why Marx was right, or what it is exactly that Marx said. Read reports from just four of over 30 societies to develop a feel for this new year of Marxist students!
Sussex
Sussex Marxists hosted its first meeting of the term on ‘What is Marxism?’ with great results! Eleven people attended overall, many of whom were new attendees and more than keen to participate.
James Kilby introduced the discussion, beginning with an explanation of the three tenets of Marxist philosophy, before revealing the underlying processes taking place in society and the perspective for world socialist revolution.
A lively discussion ensued, with a broad range of ideas and questions covered. Attendees were eager to learn the difference between Marxism and Stalinism, the socialist stance on religion, and how best to convince people of the ideas of Marxism.
What was most evident was the thirst for radical answers for how to change the world. The new layer of students at University are undoubtedly politicised from a lifetime of capitalist crisis. This can only be a good thing for the growth of our society, and the forces of Marxism nationally!
Glasgow
Glasgow Marxists held our first meetings at the University of Glasgow this September. In our first meeting we covered some of the basic principles of Marxism, discussing a few of the topics that people are most curious about when first learning about Marxist ideas. Our second meeting was about the Black Lives Matter movement that stormed the USA, and the rest of the world, earlier this year.
We have of course been working online during this time, which has not provided any huge obstacles in our aims to talk with people about the failures of capitalism that so clearly affect the lives of so many people worldwide. As young people’s interest in socialism continues to grow, the forecast for the rest of the year is promising!
Edinburgh
We had our first society meeting as John Maclean Society two weeks ago, discussing the “World on Crisis and Global Revolution”. Two comrades opened the discussion with an analysis of the current period, explaining how the capitalism is the real cause of the crisis today, with the Covid pandemic being an effect of this process, causing further discussion and with a report from struggles around the world (Lebanon, Israel & Palestine, Belarus etc). We had a quite lively discussion with around 20 people participating, covering also other topics like the Scottish independence question, but also discussing practical activities and how we can intervene in the movement.
For our next discussions and activities, follow us on:
https://www.facebook.com/johnmacleansociety
https://www.instagram.com/jms_uoe/
University of Manchester
After spending weeks speaking to students directly outside the University of Manchester student union as well as moving to the Fallowfield Campus further south of Manchester on some occasions we were able to hold a very successful first Marxist Society meeting. Comrades remaining, on a daily basis, at stalls and losing fear of boldly exclaiming that we are a Marxist Society looking to build an organisation set on destroying capitalism and fighting against the imprisonment of students that are now being kept in their accommodation, only to maintain the movement of money into the pockets of landlords and estate agents, enthused and radicalised people to attend the meeting, with a turnout of over 20!
University of Birmingham
The Birmingham Marxist Society started off its year with a day school event that covered three topics in one day, and persuaded people to join us and help fight/. Our second meeting was on Marxist economics and it saw an unprecedented turnout for the relatively new Birmingham Marxist Society. We now have a strong pool of people around us that are eager to get involved, we are currently mobilising the society in a rent strike campaign.
University of East Anglia
UEA Marxist society has held three successful events so far this semester! We started off with a meeting of over 20 students for our talk on “why Marx was right”, with another event called “Capitalism’s economic crisis” going well too. Our reading group on the communist manifesto also brought along students who had either read the manifesto before and wanted to hear and talk about our understanding of it, or students simply wishing for an explanation on the ideas within it. UEA Marxist society has had a successful first few months that we hope to follow with more success going forward!
Many more Marxist Societies have had their first meetings too. Find your nearest and attend their next meeting here.
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