NUMSA Marxist-Leninist Political Schools Mbuyiselo Ngwenda Brigade Module 2 Sunday 26 January Sunday 2 February 2014 Capitalism & Its Gravediggers: Building a United Front to Resist Neoliberalism 1
School Aims: 1. To deepen the learnings from Module 1 on The Political Role of Trade Unions in the Struggle for Socialism. 2. To politically situate the outcomes of the December 2013 Special National Congress. 3. To understand the development, workings and key features of capitalism from the 1500 s to now. 4. To explore the forms of class rule and the role of the state in each phase of capitalism. 5. To explore the principles and approaches to guide our approach to a United Front for adoption by the March 2014 Central Committee (CC). 6. To develop a clear programme for how Locals and Regions can build the United Front from below. 7. To lay the foundations for Module 3 on Building Socialism in the 21st Century: Setting the Agenda for the Movement for Socialism 8. To build solidarity and camaraderie among the Mbuyiselo Ngwenda Brigade. 2
Programme Registration of all participants takes place between 10h00 and 12h00 on Sunday 26 January 2014 at Garden Court OR Tambo International Hotel We are starting promptly at 13h00! Day 1: Sunday 26 January 13h00-14h00 14h00-14h30 Opening of the National Political School Remembering Module 1 and where we are now Andrew Chirwa, Numsa President 14h30-14h45 About this Political School A quick introductory session to the School (including aims, programme, logistics) Crystal Dicks 14h45-16h00 Political Overview and Revisiting the SNC Resolutions The context in which this Political School is taking place Irvin Jim Numsa General Secretary 16h00-17h00 Our Questions and Concerns Answered An open session for participants to engage the General Secretary All participants 17h00-17h30 What does the metaphor of capitalism and its gravediggers mean? To provide a link between module 1 and this module, by getting comrades to remember the module 1 discussion on the Communist Manifesto and the link to the theme of this module by answering what Marx meant when he talked about capitalism and its gravediggers ice breaker Dinga Sikwebu 17h45-19h00 The Key Features of Capitalism To provide an opportunity for participants to engage relevant reading/s on the key features of capitalism in preparation for the next morning session 6 Reading Circles (Facilitated by a Reading Circle Convenor) Introduced by Norma Craven Supported by Reading Circle Convenors 3
Day 2: Monday 27 January 09h30-10h30 The Key Features of Capitalism Feedback from reading circles and pulling Report backs Norma Craven/ together the key features Neo Bodibe 10h30-10h45 How Capitalism Developed: The Early Years This is an introductory session to looking at how capitalism developed from the middle ages (around the 6 th century) through to 1914. Short presentation Crystal Dicks 11h15-13h00 How Capitalism Developed: The Early Years Continues A DVD viewing of The History Book, a cartoon story on the development of capitalism. Viewing in plenary and completion of a worksheet All participants 14h00-17h00 Periodising Capitalism s Development Looking at the key periods in the development of capitalism and identifying: Building a wall chart based on 6 key periods Chris Malikane 1. How the system works 2. The key features for each period 3. The class configurations during each period 4. The South African specificities 17h30-19h00 Marxist Theories on the Role of the State To provide an opportunity for participants to engage relevant readings on the role of the state in each phase of capitalism in preparation for the next day session. Reading circles to emerge with key questions for the next day session. (Groups to write these on cards.) 6 Reading Circles (Facilitated by a Reading Circle Convenor) Introduced by David Masondo Supported by Reading Circle Convenors 4
Day 3: Tuesday 28 January 09h00-10h00 Recapping Capitalism s To assess whether any learning has taken place Chris Malikane Development and what further learning is needed. 10h00-11h30 Forms of Class Rule Under Capitalism Here participants will understand and engage with different forms of class rule for each period in capitalisms development, specifically: Wall Chart Continued David Masondo 1. How power is exercised 2. The role of the state 3. Social stratification 4. The South African specificities 12h00-13h00 Forms of Class Rule Under Capitalism Continues Previous session continues Previous session continues David Masondo 14h00-17h00 Forms of Class Rule Under Capitalism Continues Previous session continues, but also includes going through the questions from the previous evening s reading circles, ensuring that these have all been answered + Questions from a hat David Masondo 17h30-19h00 The ANC under Capitalism: Unpacking the 2014 Elections Manifesto This is to provide a better understanding of the role of the state under capitalism. Reading circles to emerge with key questions for the next day session. (Groups to write these on cards.) 6 Reading Circles (Facilitated by a Reading Circle Convenor) Introduced by Woody Aroun Supported by Reading Circle Convenors 5
Day 4: Wednesday 29 January 09h00-10h00 The ANC 2014 Election Rapporteurs from each circle to pose questions Interview method Woody Aroun to facilitate Manifesto. to Prof. Patrick Bond (Through skype) 10h00-11h30 Contestations from Below: Working Class Responses to Capitalism This session will allow us to explore responses to capitalism during the various phases of capitalisms development it will look at: Dinga Sikwebu/ Fieldmore Mapetho 1. Resistance 2. Ideological responses 3. The South African specificities 11h30-13h00 Contestations from Below: Working Class Responses to Capitalism Continues Previous session continues Previous session continues Dinga Sikwebu/ Fieldmore Mapetho 14h00-15h00 Marxism as the dominant working class ideology and programme in the 20th Century Within the working, the 20th century was the century where hundreds of political organisations and parties proclaimed themselves to be Marxist and millions lived under governments that proclaimed themselves as Marxist-Leninist. Corresponding to this dominance of Marxism within the workers movement, Marxist ideas extended well beyond the field of politics into fields such as natural science and the arts. Participants need to know the influence of Marxism in society and within the international labour movement. Dinga Sikwebu/ Fieldmore Mapetho 15h00-17h00 DVD: Marx s influence in the 20th Century A film on the influence of Marxism-Leninism in the 20 th century with commentary by Stuart Hall viewing All participants 6
Day 5: Thursday 30 January 09h00-10h00 Recap of the previous day s To assess whether any learning has taken place Dinga Sikwebu activities 10h00-11h30 Revisiting the Numsa Survey on Community Protests A look at the survey conducted of Numsa member participation in community protests and engaging the Brigade on their participation in community protests based on responses to a set of specific question around comrades involvement in their local communities Survey presentation A stand up and sit down session Judy Madumo 12h00-13h30 A Barometer of Resistance: Looking at Community Struggles Over the last 18-24 Months of an updated paper by the UJ Chair of Social Change on community struggles in 2012-2013 Carin Runciman 14h30-15h00 Introducing a Look into South African Social Movements Screening of a DVD on SA s recent social struggles (Taken from Ben Cashdan s Big Debate) viewing Judy Madumo 15h00-17h00 The Rise and Fall of Social Movements A round table discussion looking critically at the emergence, struggle and fall of social movements, specifically, but not exclusively in South Africa. We will specifically explore why we have not been able to join labour and community struggles. Roundtable with a moderator posing specific questions Moderator: Judy Madumo Panel Ashwin Desai John Appolis Prishani Naidoo 17h30-19h00 Theorising united fronts Looking back at the history and approaches on united fronts. 6 Reading Circles (Facilitated by a Reading Circle Convenor) Introduced by Azwell Banda Supported by Reading Circle Convenors 7
Day 6: Friday 31 January 09h00-10h00 Introducing the Congress Resolutions on the United Front and the Movement for Socialism Introduction of the SNC resolutions and how the NOB s are understanding these. Karl Cloete Numsa DGS 10h00-11h30 Theorising united fronts: Is the United Front & Popular Front the same thing? What are the similarities and differences? Reading circle feedback and discussion on the theories of united fronts Debate between different circles Azwell Banda 12h00-13h30 Theorising united fronts: Debates within the labour movement in the 1980s (GWU and SAAWU positions) Debate in reading circles Debate Introduced by Azwell Banda 14h30-17h00 United Front in Action: The Case of the United Democratic Front (UDF) A panel discussion with inputs on the history, evolution, programmes, strategies and approaches of the UDF. Drawing out the key lessons for Numsa moving forward. panel Moderator: Azwell Banda Panel * Prof. Jeremy Seekings * Zubeida Jaffer Early Supper Theatre Evening Eating For All : A Play on Corruption (Departure 18h00 and return at 22h00) 8
Day 7: Saturday 1 February 09h00-10h00 Recap of the previous day s To assess whether any learning has taken place Azwell Banda activities 10h00-10h30 Introducing the Resistance Expo The idea here is to set up an expo of resistance movements based on the following 13 sectors: Crystal Dicks 1. Civic, service delivery and housing movements 2. Gender justice 3. Land and food sovereignty 4. Youth 5. Climate and environmental justice groups 6. Faith based organisations 7. LGBTI movements 8. Solidarity economy groups 9. Democracy, human rights and economic justice movements 10. Health, welfare, children's, elderly and disabled rights 11. Media and cultural groups 12. Migrants and refugees 13. Unemployed movements This short session will help explain how the Expo will work and how participants will engage various exhibitors. 11h00-15h00 (including lunch) Visiting the Resistance Expo Participants will get a chance to visit different sectors at the Expo and will get a chance to pose a series of questions to organisations exhibiting. The responses will help inform our strategy on building the united front. These interviews will centre around the following information from each of the 13 sectors: Visits by groups of 10 comrades 10 Groups to TBD 9
Ideological underpinnings Issues/demands Form/s of organisation and location Struggles Strategies and tactics Each group must present a report back to the plenary on their sector interviewed and the possibilities/hindrances for Numsa cooperation with that sector. 15h30-17h30 Resistance Movements: Conversations This session will provide time for groups to report back on their findings for each of the sectors visited. Judy Madumo It will also provide a space for those who participated in the Expo to speak, either in responding to participants recommendations or in further enhancing discussions. 10
Day 8: Sunday 2 February 09h00-10h00 Recap of the previous day s activities To assess how the Expo visits went and whether we have a useful foundation for building a recommendation to the March 2014 CC Crystal Dicks 10h00-12h00 Developing Recommendations for the March 2014 CC This session will help us consolidate the work of the past week and begin to formulate a concrete recommendation for discussion and adoption at the March CC Regional groups followed by plenary Dinga Sikwebu REO s 12h30-13h00 Towards Module 3: Building Socialism in the 21st Century: Setting the Agenda for the Movement for Socialism This is a quick session to introduce Module 3 and set up some back in region work in preparation/reading for this Module Dinga Sikwebu 13h00-13h30 School Evaluation A quick evaluation session and agreement on a process for a more detailed evaluation 13h30-14h00 Closing remarks An opportunity for the President to close the School Closure and Late Lunch with buzz groups Judy Madumo Andrew Chirwa Numsa President 11