Speakers
Oscar Olivera
Oscar Olivera, one of the champions of the 2001 Cochabamba victory against water privatisation, has been a central figure in the mass struggles in Bolivia. At Marxism 2006 he will join the debate about the battle against neo-liberalism and the possibility of revolutionary change in Latin America.
Doreen Lawrence
Doreen Lawrence has campaigned for justice for her teenage son, Stephen, since his murder at the hands of racists in 1993. Her struggle has exposed deep rooted racism within the British justice system and the Metropolitan Police. At Marxism she will be joining a panel at the Bookmarks launch of Tell It Like It Is – How Our Schools Fail Black Children. She will also be signing copies of her recently published autobiography Still I Rise.
Bernadette McAliskey
In 1969 Bernadette Devlin became one of the youngest people ever to be elected as an MP. She linked the struggle in the North of Ireland with the world civil rights movement of the 1960s. After the Bloody Sunday massacre she crossed the floor of the House of Commons to hit the man responsible – the Tory home secretary. Bernadette will join a panel on the civil rights movement in the 1960s and will also talk about the history of struggle against British imperialism in Ireland.
Hassan Jumaa
Hassan Jumaa Awad Al Assadi is the president of the General Union of Oil Employees which represents over 23,000 workers and is independent, antisectarian and anti-occupation. He was jailed under the regime three times and currently leads an uncompromising and consistent campaign against the foreign military and economic assault on Iraq.
Istvan Meszaros
Istvan Meszaros is a lifelong socialist and a Marxist philosopher forced into exile when the USSR overthrew the Hungarian government in 1956. He wrote the classic book Marx’s Theory of Alienation, which has had a huge influence on the left across the world. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to hear Istvan talk on the human condition under contemporary capitalism and the possibilities for human liberation in the 21st century.
Ghada Karmi
The Palestinian activist and author of In Search of Fatima was forced to flee Palestine as a child in 1948. She looks at the central role of the Nakhbah (catastrophe) in creating the state of Israel and discusses the roots of Palestinian oppression.
Trevor Ngwane
Trevor Ngwane was elected ANC councillor for Pimville in Soweto in 1995. He was expelled from the ANC in 1999 when he publicly disagreed with a plan to privatise municipal services. He helped found the Anti-Privatisation Forum and the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee. He will be speaking on South Africa’s township revolts, and at the closing rally.
Wendy Savage
Wendy Savage is a retired obstetrician best known for her consistent campaigning for women’s rights to abortion and her championing of women’s choices in childbirth. For this she has attracted the wrath of the medical establishment, but the admiration of her women patients.
Moazzam Begg
British Muslim Moazzam Begg was arrested by the United States and detained without trial for three years in Guantanamo. He will be joining Winston Silcott and Gareth Peirce to talk about the ongoing attacks on our civil rights. Moazzam will also be signing copies of his new book Enemy Combatant: A British Muslim’s Journey to Guantanamo and Back.
The full list of speakers includes:
- Tariq Ali
author Rough Music and Clash of Fundamentalisms - Anas Al-tikriti
Muslim Association of Britain - John Arden
writer, classic play Sergeant Musgrave’s Dance - Chris Bambery
editor Socialist Worker - Moazzam Begg
former Guantanamo prisoner - Walden Bello
Focus on the Global South - Tony Benn
former MP - Melissa Benn
writer, journalist - Weyman Bennett
secretary, Unite Against Fascism - Victoria Brittain
journalist - Saffron Burrows
actress - Alex Callinicos
author The New Mandarins - Jeremy Corbyn
Labour MP - Jeremy Dear
general secretary, NUJ union - Roland Denis
Venezuelan activist, former minister in Chavez government - Terry Eagleton
cultural critic - George Galloway
Respect MP - Rose Gentle
Military Families Against the War - Lindsey German
convenor, Stop the War Coalition - David Gilborn
professor Institute of Education - Paul Gilroy
author, There Ain’t No Black in the Union Jack - John Gittings
author, The Changing Face of China - Mike Gonzalez
author, Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution - Chris Harman
editor, International Socialism journal - Billy Hayes
general secretary, CWU union - Hassan Jumaa
president Iraqi Oil Workers Federation - Ghada Karmi
Palestinian activist, author In Search of Fatima - Peter Kennard
artist - Doreen Lawrence
mother of Stephen Lawrence - Ken Loach
film director - Francisco Louca
Portugese Left Bloc - Bernadette McAliskey
civil rights campaigner, former MP - Eamonn McCann
writer, civil rights activist - Ken MacLeod
author - Ghassan Makarem
Lebanese socialist, gay activist - Istvan Meszaros
author, Marx’s Theory of Alienation - Adrian Mitchell
anti-war poet - Andrew Murray
chair, Stop the War Coalition - Jonathan Neale
author What’s Wrong With America? - Trevor Ngwane
South African activist - Chris Nineham
Stop the War Coalition, Globalise Resistance - Oscar Olivera
leading Bolivian trade unionist - Gareth Peirce
human rights lawyer - John Rees
national secretary, Respect - Michael Rosen
broadcaster, poet - Elaheh Rostami Povey
Action Iran - Yvonne Ridley
journalist, author - Wendy Savage
Doctors for a Woman’s Choice on Abortion - Mark Serwotka
general secretary, PCS union - Winston Silcott
community activist, falsely imprisoned - Martin Smith
national organiser, SWP - Mark Steel
comedian - Azzam Tamimi
director Institute of Islamic Political Thought - Sam West
actor, artistic director Sheffield Theatres - Salma Yaqoob
newly elected Respect councillor - Haifa Zangana
Iraqi artist
All speakers – personal capacity
