- by Melbourne Comrade
- The Guardian
- Issue #2128
Image: openclipart.org
Over the last weekend in November, comrades gathered at Kathleen Syme Library to increase their knowledge and practice of Marxism-Leninism. The school provided a constructive environment in which experienced and inexperienced, older and younger comrades could exchange views and knowledge.
The school formed a part of a series of schools conducted by the CPA’s Central Committee to establish a basic understanding of the party’s needs.
The level of enthusiasm for developing the position of workers in struggle was raised.
Discussion and application of dialectical principles was held, analysing concrete conditions as a central element of success of Lenin’s contributions. There was a spirited exploration of how CPA member activity can be elevated toward the example set by Lenin.
A lively discussion concluded that the attitude of the Reserve Bank of creating poverty to ‘help’ can be summarised thus: “The goal of the Reserve Bank is to increase unemployment.”
The Voice to Parliament referendum was placed in the context of the struggle for democratic rights. The ALP government and outlier attitudes on this question were condemned. It was noted that the failure of the referendum to pass has increased the amount of oppression in Australia.
Additionally, the position of workers was discussed. It was pointed out that the sole-trader must supply their own equipment (vehicle, tools) to carry out the trade, paid for from their own wages. This represents a diminishment in the position of the workers.
Throughout the school it was noted that the powers that be are unfit to lead our nations as they have failed on the basic needs of the people: food, clothing, and shelter cannot be guaranteed today in Australia.
The final event of the weekend was a workshop held to increase the skill with which party media is constructed. Through collaborative processes, two pieces of writing were produced. This process taught comrades how to move quickly from a topic to an advanced draft in a limited time frame.
The party school was a valuable weekend which has raised the level of understanding in the branch, increased capacity to run branch education and highlighted areas for further investigation.
