Thursday January 01 1970
James Connolly Soviet Day School Saturday 3rd September
dublin |
anti-capitalism |
event notice 
Thursday August 18, 2011 03:14
by James Connolly Soviet
James Connolly Soviet will be holding a day school at Connolly Books, Temple Bar, Dublin, on Saturday the 3rd of September 2011. The school will begin at 11am sharp and end at 4pm, and consist of four sessions, with four speakers, comprising of a talk followed by an open discussion on each topic.
The program for the day is as follows
11 - 12pm
The Proclamation of the Irish Republic 1867 as a Signifier of Class Struggle
This session will consider the concepts of meaning and signification, drawing on the linguistic theory of Ferdinand de Saussure, and will investigate what it actually means to proclaim the existence of a nation state. We will try to give a more secure philosophical ground to the traditional Irish Republican allegiance to the de jure 32 County Irish Republic, and argue that, far from being "irredentist," "idealist" or even simply "delusional," such allegiance is the very foundation of a practical, materialist, class struggle in Ireland.
12 - 1pm
What a Workers Republic could look like! Direct Democracy, Consensus and Soviet Dual Power
So-called "Representational Democracy" is anything but democratic and represents only one class. We will explore the alternative, that of Direct Democracy, where members of the collective do not surrender their individual autonomy and responsibility, and how they can organize on a truly democratic basis at local, regional and national level. We will also look at the consensus model of decision making as an alternative to majority voting and the importance of extending democratic principles where it really matters, within the mode of production. And most importantly we will explore not just how this model could or should look in the future, but how these principles can be applied today as a means of revolution.
1 - 2pm Lunch
2 - 3pm
The Celebration of Diversity in the Collective
This session will examine how the monastic model of community celebrates diversity in the collective. In doing so, it reflects the evolution in human consciousness away from the neurosis of mythic tribalism and the paranoia of 'enlightened' individualism. This paper will draw on the philosophy of Ewert Cousins.
3 - 4pm
Liberation Theology and Living Labour
Liberation theology emerged in Latin America in the 1960s, it offered an interpretation of the Gospel that used Marxist theory to explain the causes of immanent poverty in a critical fashion. This session will focus on the work of Enrique Dussel and his reconstruction of Marx's concept of living labour in Christian terms.
4pm Foirceann na Scoile
The day school is free of charge and open to all who have a genuine interest in the work of building a world fit for human beings to live in. Places are limited, so we would ask that people book in advance by calling or texting 087 2125068 to avoid disappointment.
James Connolly Soviet would like to thank the Communist Party of Ireland for facilitating this day school.
Comments (8 of 8)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8This actually looks really interesting but is there any information on who the speakers would be? I'm also not sure I've heard of the James Connolly Soviet before, could I get a bit more detail on that?
A chara, we decided that we wouldn't put up the names of speakers, as this tends to feed into a sort of fetishisation of names and personalities. We'd rather just consentrate on the content of the arguments. Who makes the arguments is of no real importance. As you might have gathered from the topics of the Day School, Connolly Soviet is about building Dual Power on the ground. We are setting about this work by re-claiming our educational, cultural and economic activities from the commodification of the bourgeois regime.
Just to remind people that you are all welcome to this day school, which is happening this Saturday from 11am till 4pm at Connolly Books, Temple Bar, Dublin.
I have to admit that "the monastic model of community" in the programme outline grabs me, together with the section on liberation theology. I'm trying to visualise the community life and liturgy in a marxist monastery - probably different from the upper class atmosphere they imbibe at Glenstal Abbey. The radical abbot would wield a sickle instead of a gilded crozier too.
sounds like a very interesting day!
I'm wondering if RSF is to participate in this in any way, considering the first and second topics sound quite 'RSFy' and they and the movement centered around them would be the only group to view the All Ireland Republic as 'signifier' though most of their detractors ( and supporters, for that matter) might not recognise it is essential regards class struggle.( I do believe that the establishment fully recognise it, as the 26 county state is the victor in the previous battle(so-called civil war) between it and them) Though full recognition or not, this keeps the Republican Movement ( RSF) the only actual revolutionary tendency as it's the only movement who in your own words, by this recognition/loyalty, hold 'the very foundation of a practical struggle in Ireland'
Topic 2 regards Dual power is also right up RSF thinking as they view the revolutionary era in the 20s as only successful ( as much as it was) because of Dail Eireann and the Irish people 'removing' themselves from the English government. hence their importance regards abstentionism. The see, correctly imo, that the Republic had/has to be built. It doesn't just 'appear'. The attempts at regional government and provincial Dails via Eire Nua in the 70s were a serious attempt at this though sadly undermined by the defenderist' and reformist minded from the north who came to largely take over the RM at that time. This element would eventually remove the Republican (and thus revolutionary) foundation itself in 1986. THis would see Republicans break with Adams movement that year. How strong the Adams thinking was/is and successful in this can be seen in the breaks with the provisional movement since the 1990s, all were born out of concern in the failure of military aspect, not the Republican angle.
Let us now of this goes.
I wouldn't disagree with anything you say above, a chara. RSF are not involved in organizing the day school, but if any of their members or supporters do come, I'm sure they will give some very interesting contributions. The bottom line is that we cannot allow the obscenity of the bourgeois regime to continue. 25,000 children are dying every single day from dirty water alone. Over a billion people are hungry - in a world of fantastic abundance. We need to stop this genocide - one way or another.
I've read the papers being presented on Saturday, and I can say that this will be a very exceptional day school by Irish standards. No time wasting on stuff that every dog in the street knows or on latching on to popular media items or on party political spin.
hi folks - this sounds like a really interest day. Would there be any chance the papers could be published? Or audio files if they were done? Ta!
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