Living the Dream: Being a Socialist in a Capitalist World
The Socialist Party's Summer School will take place between Friday, 2nd and Sunday, 4th of August at Fircroft College, Birmingham B29 6LH
Our political views are shaped by the circumstances we find ourselves in and how we relate to our situation. How does a socialist understanding of capitalism and the aim for a free and equal world compare with other political stances and belief systems? Why should we have a socialist viewpoint? And how does it impact on our lives? Our weekend of talks and discussion looks at what it means to have a socialist outlook in the 21st century.
Fircroft College - https://www.fircroft.ac.uk/Pages/FAQs/Category/how-to-find-us
Full residential cost (including accommodation and meals Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) is £100.
https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/product/summer-school-2019/
The concessionary rate is £50.
https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/product/summer-school-concessionary-ticket/
Day visitors are welcome, but please book in advance.
E-mail enquiries should be sent to [email protected]. Book a place online, or send a cheque (payable to the Socialist Party of Great Britain) with your contact details to Summer School, The Socialist Party, 52 Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7UN.
The first talk has just been
The first talk has just been announced!
Guest speaker Edmund Griffiths will present:
'Be Realistic: Demand The Inevitable'
This talk will look at the notions of the impossible and the inevitable in a range of belief systems, including (but not limited to) socialism and other political belief systems. Why are people attracted to ideas that seem to be either impossible or inevitable? Or put off by them? What does it mean to campaign for something that might be impossible, or inevitable? What happens when assessments of impossibility or inevitability change? How do people believe that an impossible thing is true anyway? Or that an inevitable thing may never happen?
Besides socialism, the talk will hopefully address impossibility and inevitability in contexts such as liberalism, capitalism, flat earth, the end of the world, extraterrestrial life, Scottish independence etc.
More sessions to be announced soon!
A number of places are still available - book online:
https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/summer-school-2019/
Here's the second session to
Here's the second session to be announced.
Janet Surman will discuss 'Living In Capitalism As A Socialist'
Profit is the backbone of capitalism and profit is made from a plethora of resources, the greatest and most easily attainable of which is the global human resource, to be found in any village, town or city anywhere on the planet. The capitalist system is well known for waste as a necessary part of maximising profit and there is no greater waste than that of the human potential trapped in non-productive, non-useful work.
This session will take a look at the human misery attached to jobs, to work that many don't really want to do but have to do to survive and will also look at the opposite position when human potential can be fulfilled to the satisfaction, and pleasure even, of billions of individual human beings.
“A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at.” Oscar Wilde
Here's the third session to
Here's the third session to be announced.
Howard Moss will present: ‘Team Human’ Can You Live A ‘Normal’ Life In Capitalism?
Someone recently wrote a book called ‘Team Human’ which emphasised that humans are social creatures who are most happy and fulfilled when working together for common goals. But how do we stay human in the vast antihuman infrastructure that is capitalism which constantly undermines our capacity to work together and connect with one another?
Despite the powerful forces that set us against one another (employment, nationalism, monetary gain), people are at their happiest when associating together in, for example, clubs, societies, family groups and social and political activities, which involve working with and helping other human beings. Socialists do this too. They belong to local clubs, community groups and trade unions. But how do they – or should they – react to being asked to go further and be associated with campaigns which involve, say, lobbying governments to improve conditions in particular areas, signing petitions calling on political parties to support certain changes in the law, or being members of or giving money to charities which seek to remedy deficiencies in social provision (e.g. housing, health care) or to save people from the consequences of sudden disasters, natural or man-made?
The Socialist view is that time spent in attempts to reform capitalism is time wasted. But on a human, day-to-day level, Socialists often find it difficult just to stand by and do nothing. So how do we cope with the constant dilemmas thrown up by wanting to spend our time helping to create a truly associative social system, yet constantly being called upon to help patch up the contrary arrangements fundamental to capitalism?
A number of places are still available - book online:
https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/summer-school-2019/
Bill Martin will present ‘Ye
Bill Martin will present ‘Ye Olde Worlde Revolution’
In 1264 the Baron’s war (which historian Adrian Jobson characterises as the First English Revolution) saw a widescale attempt to inhibit the power of the monarchy. It was a revolt in which the burghers (bourgeoisie) of London played a significant role. This struggle saw the birth of the English Parliament, but it would be a further 400 years until the final constitutional curbing of the power of royalty lead to the social dominance of the capitalist class in England.
This talk will look at the life and activity of the bourgeois revolutionary Thomas Fitzthomas, who led that primitive revolt against the English monarchy. It will look at how the bourgeoisie developed as a revolutionary class, and how they struggled within a still vigorous feudal system. It will address how the knowledge of the capitalist revolution arms the imagination of the socialists of today, but also haunts the ideas many have of revolution. It will look at the role of ideas and self-image in the making of a revolutionary class, and the role of ongoing class struggle in the cause of revolution
In the final Summer School
In the final Summer School session to be announced, Carla Dee will facilitate ‘Socialists Synonymous – An Evening Of Personal Stories’
As socialists, we see and understand the world in a very particular way and what is once seen cannot be unseen. How did we get here, and how has this affected our lives, our families and friends? Has being a socialist been a source of frustration, confrontation and disappointment or has the party case been an enlightenment and given us a sense of clarity and sanity? Or all of these things? Sometimes, thinking the way we do can be a lonely business.
Members and sympathisers get together to share our stories.
This completes the line-up, and the running order and other details will be confirmed soon. There are still places available, although there are already more people booked than came along last year! So if you want to come along but haven’t yet booked a place, don’t leave it long! To book, visit here:
https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/summer-school-2019/
Here are the timings for the
Here are the timings for the SPGB's Summer School:
Friday 2nd August
From 17.00: Arrival
18.30 – 19.00: Dinner
19.45 -- 21.30: Be Realistic: Demand The Inevitable – a talk by Edmund Griffiths
21.30: Social
Saturday 3rd August
7.30 – 8.45: Breakfast
10.00 – 12.00: Living In Capitalism As A Socialist – a talk by Janet Surman
12.30 – 13.15: Lunch
13.45 – 15.45: ‘Team Human’: Can You Live A ‘Socialist’ Life In Capitalism? – a talk by Howard Moss
18.30 – 19.00: Dinner
19.15 -- 20.45: Socialists Synonymous – An Evening Of Personal Stories – facilitated by Carla Dee
20.45: Social
Sunday 4th August
7.30 – 8.45: Breakfast
10.00 – 12.00: Ye Olde Worlde Revolution – a talk by Bill Martin
12.30 – 13.15: Lunch
13.30: Close
People are welcome to just attend the talks, but need to book a visitor place in advance by emailing [email protected]; there is a charge for any meals.
Bookings will close on 21 July, or earlier if all places are filled.
The event will also include an exhibition, exclusive publications and a bookstall.
There aren’t many places
There aren’t many places remaining now, so if you’re thinking of making a booking, do it now!
Visit:
https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/summer-school-2019/
Bookings for the Summer
Bookings for the Summer School will close at the end of tomorrow, Saturday, 20 July. So, for the last chance to book, go here:
https://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/summer-school-2019/