Here are details of new discussion papers, seminars and other related
events that might be of interest
DISCUSSION PAPERS to be found at http://www.signsofthetimes.org.uk
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- One No, Many Yeses: The Rise Of The New Resistance Movement -
Paul Kingsnorth explains the origins of an emerging global resistance
movement.
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- Formations for the Next Left -
Mike Marqusee speculates about the form of a future united-left
politics in a paper which was much discussed in certain sections of the
Left press over the summer.
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- Records and responsibility -
Claire Birchall interviews one of the UK's most 'explicitly political'
music producers, Matthew Herbert.
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FORTHCOMING SEMINARS
BUSHWARS AND BLAIRISM: The Fallout from Iraq
Tuesday 28 October 7.30 pm, The Union Tavern, 52 Lloyd Baker Street,
London
WC2.
Huge public distrust of Tony Blair’s reasons for war. Liberation
turning into
occupation. Bush targeting Iran for his next attack. Al Qaeda networks
still
in place. The case for war with Iraq is now so much in doubt that the
governing classes of Britain and the USA are in crisis, its credibilty
in tatters. As
resistance to the occupying forces mounts Iraq is in danger of turning
into Bush’s
Vietnam with Blair in tow. MILAN RAI, anti-war campaigner joins
MARK CURTIS,
author of a critical history of British Foreign Policy and
LORETTA NAPOLEONI,
expert on the funding of Al Qaeda to discuss, war, what was it good for?
with
MARK CURTIS author of Web of Deceit: Britain’s Real Role in the World.
LORETTA NAPOLEONI author of Modern Jihad: Tracing the Dollars Behind
the Terror
Networks
MILAN RAI author of Regime Unchanged: Why the war on Iraq Changed
Nothing
Free Admission, No Advance Registration.
MARKET VALUES: The Privatisation of Choice
Tuesday 25 November 7.30pm
The Union Tavern, 52 Lloyd Baker Street, London
WC2.
The party that founded the welfare state is now committed to its
replacement
with the market state. Transport, health, education have all been
targeted for
huge privatisation projects. Where the public sector remains dominant,
new
managerialism enforces market values and treats the workforce as
liabilities rather
than assets. The government is encountering serious public opposition
to these
policies as hospitals, schools and the railways experience the unwelcome
consequences of marketisation. Discussing Labour’s privatisation
project and the
prospect of a democratic alternative are ALLYSON POLLOCK author of a
critical
analysis of PFI and Foundation Hospitals and HEATHER WAKEFIELD national
officer of
the public services trade union UNISON.
Free Admission, No Advance Registration.
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OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
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Celebrate 25 issues of Soundings: discussion and party
Thursday 27 November, 6.30pm-10pm
The new political economy of public life
Discussion and reception with Robin Murray, Visiting Research Fellow,
LSE; Hilary Cottam, Director of Learning and Public Services
at the Design Council, and Heather Wakefield, Head of Local Government
at UNISON.
St Anne's Church Hall, Dean Street, London W1
£5 entrance
(includes food and one drink)
For details email [log in to unmask] tel: 020 8533 2506
www.l-w-bks.co.uk
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A message from the London 'Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique':
Le Monde Diplomatique is a French monthly newspaper, devoted to the
analysis of key global issues. It is published in 17 languages, and
reaches over one and a half million readers worldwide. The paper offers
a serious and independent analysis of social, political and economic
issues, and reports on international developments often ignored by the
mainstream press.
The online edition is available in French and English. An English
language paper edition can be obtained as a supplement of the Guardian
Weekly, and by subscription.
Les Amis du Monde Diplomatique is an association founded in 1995, with
the initial objective of ensuring the paper's independence. In
conjunction with the staff, Les Amis succeeded in purchasing 49% of Le
Monde Diplomatique's capital, and the association now serves to promote
the paper and provide a space for democratic debate on contemporary
issues, encouraging the development of alternatives to neo-liberal
thought and policy. Les Amis now forms a broad network with over 50
branches world-wide. Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique is the UK branch
of Les Amis, and was
founded in 1997.
Le Monde Diplomatique website: www.mondediplo.com
New independent edition available from November 2002
Cafe Diplo - The Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique Seminar Series
PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE SEMINARS ARE NOT ORGANISED BY SIGNS OF THE TIMES
- all relevant contact details appear below
At the Cafe Diplo, a guest speaker, generally a specialist in the
subject,
is invited to open the discussion by giving a 20-30 minute talk. We then
open the debate up to the floor and everyone is invited to contribute,
question and challenge. The discussion is chaired.
The cafe takes place (in English) at the French Institute 17,
Queensberry Place, SW7 London, see http://www.institut-francais.org.uk
for
more details.
The discussion begins at 11h00 but we suggest you arrive 10 minutes
beforehand to settle in with your Saturday morning coffee.
Sat 4 Oct 11:00 am at the French Institute (reservations to
[log in to unmask] recommended)
"THE NEW AMERICAN GRAND STRATEGY AND INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS"
with Peter Gowan
The U.S. asserts economic power globally through the Dollar Wall-Street
Regime. But this domain of high finance is also the U.S. Achilles heel
- the
combination of a very large trade deficit and a low domestic savings
rate.
Peter Gowan is an editor of New Left Review, and Professor of
International
Relations at London Metropolitan University. He is the author of "The
Global
Gamble: Washington's Faustian Bid for World Dominance" (Verso Books,
1999)
which won the 2000 Deutscher Memorial prize.
Sat 1 Nov 11:00 am at the French Institute (reservations to
[log in to unmask] recommended)
"DON'T WORRY, IT "IS" SAFE TO EAT" with Andrew Rowell
If anyone tells you that GM food is safe to eat, they are lying. As we
stand
on the verge of GM commercialisation, Andy Rowell asks searching
questions
about GM food safety and the corporate control of our food chain.
Andy Rowell is a freelance writer and investigative journalist, whose
book
"Don't Worry It Is Safe to Eat - the True Story of GM food, BSE and
Foot
and Mouth", has just been published (Earthscan, 2003).
Sat 15 Nov 11:00 am at the French Institute (reservations to
[log in to unmask] recommended)
"WHAT FUTURE FOR THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT?" with Ghada Karmi
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is one of the most
intractable of our time. It has so far defied resolution and threatens
to
engulf the whole region, if not checked. No one seems to have found the
solution. This is partly because of confusion over the basic facts which
have been obscured by decades of propaganda and mythology; and partly
through fear of challenging Israel and the resulting accusations of
anti-semitism. Ghada Karmi will outline her ideas in the solution to
this
conflict, drawing on her recent acclaimed memoir, In Search of Fatima
(Verso, 2002). She is a leading Palestinian activist, writer and
commentator and is
currently Research Fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies,
University of Exeter.
For all the events advance booking is not necessary, but it would help
the
organizers.
Please let us know that you are interested in attending writing to
[log in to unmask]
or calling 0709 234 8726. Prices: 1£, 2£ non members
Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique
PO Box 46545
London N1 0UQ
phone: +44 (0)709 234 8726
web: www.monde-diplo-friends.org.uk
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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Finally, this month has seen the launch of Compass, a new initiative to
renew New Labour as a social democratic project. See
http://www.compassonline.org.uk/ for details of this interesting
venture.
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