Moving resolutions is a vital part of the campaigning work of the Marxist society on campus. Most resolutions will be moved at the student union, but there may be other forums in which to move resolutions, such as your local trade union branches, your local CLP or campus Labour Club, as well as national forums such as the NUS. Read below for some ideas about how to make the most out of moving resolutions from the Marxist Society.
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The resolution should be short, transitional and explicit
Resolutions are agitational tools that the Marxist society should use to highlight its ideas. This means that lengthy theoretical resolutions are best avoided. The demands that it makes should be transitional (make sure the demands are bold but not abstract) and it should be very explicit about what we stand for – don’t be afraid to break the mould of mealy-mouthed student politics and openly argue for socialism. The most effective resolutions are those that are targeted at the leadership of the student union and which place demands on them in a patient manner.
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Publicise the resolution
The best way to gain support for your resolution is not by lobbying individuals in the student union offices but by building a big campaign around it. Publish the resolution on your local Marxist society blog or on the Marxist Student website. Produce leaflets with the text of the resolution on it and an explanation of why you are moving it. Contact student media to ask if you can give an interview or write an article about the resolution.
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Use the resolution to build bridges with other organisations
If you are moving a resolution in the student union, use it to make contact with local trade union branches and the local trades council to ask if they will also lend their support to the resolution. Use the network of Marxist Societies around country to gain support for the resolution from other universities. Approach other university societies such as Labour Clubs or activist groups to get their support for your resolution as well.
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Follow it up
Once the resolution has been passed that does not automatically mean that it will be acted upon, particularly if the leadership of the union was not keen on having the resolution passed in the first place. It will require pressure from the Marxist society – both through directly speaking to union officials but also through continued public calls for action to be taken – in order to implement the provisions of the resolution.
