Socialist Aotearoa

Across the world, Labour parties have embraced the logic of capitalism, war and the market. Alternatively, the movement against the effects of the neoliberal crisis has seen the formation of several New Left parties in many countries- such as Die Linke in Germany, People before Profit in Ireland and the Left Bloc in Portugal. Nicola Owen, Joe Carolan and Paul Brown look at some of these examples of how the fighting left have arrived in the national stage, and the lessons for socialists who have participated and built these new parties, as we join to build the MANA Movement here in Aotearoa. More info- txt Joe at 029 44 55 702.

Coalition for Social Justice marches against the Government's Budget. Meredydd Barrar on the reasons for the upcoming Coalition for Social Justice's march against the Govt's budget proposals on Sat 28 May- HERE

27M BCN REVOLUTION from Paco Ruiz on Vimeo . The real face of Spanish "Democracy" Spanish Riot cops brutally attack The Plaza Cataluña is retaken by the people

Hone speaks to Auckland Maori Campus Debate

People take to the streets against deep sea drilling off the East Coast of Aotearoa. Apanui are the Iwi who will be directly affected when there is a Gulf of Mexico style disaster. Join the movement here.

A beautiful video of solidarity from the Egyptian revolutionary people to the youth of Spain , defying their failed political class to bring the Arab Spring to Europe. Now being shown to all the camps occupying Spain's major city squares, as the movement spreads to cities in Italy and Portugal- Peoples of Europe, Rise Up!

Protesters still holding Spanish Square Michael Wallace Once again, for the fourth night running, thousands of people have gathered in the iconic Puerta del Sol square in central Madrid to protest against high unemployment, austerity cuts and political corruption. The occupation of the Puerta follows rallies held on Sunday, May 15th, which involved tens of thousands of people, including students and workers, activists and the unemployed, in over 50 cities across the country. Demonstrators are protesting the political establishment’s bailing out of the banking elite, while imposing vicious austerity measures against the Spanish working class. Echoing the demonstrations and rallies in Tahrir Square, focal point of the Egyptian revolution, protesters have brought mattresses and sleeping bags, while volunteers distributed food. Deriving inspiration from the Egyptian protest movement, who toppled the

MANA- 1. (noun) prestige, authority, control, power, influence, status, spiritual power, charisma. May 11, 2011 – Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- Mike Treen is national director of the Unite Union in Aotearoa/New Zealand and a member of the newly formed Mana Party. Socialist Aotearoa’s Joe Carolan interviewed him on the significance of the foundation of this new left-wing party. * * * Joe Carolan: Mike, can you tell us a little about the formation and programme of the new Mana Party? Mike Treen: The formation of the Mana Party is a major step forward for a genuine working-class political voice in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The founding conference was held on April 29 with more than 500 people answering the call issued only a couple of weeks before by Hone Harawira, the elected MP for Te Tai Tokerau – a Maori electorate that covers the top third of the North Island, starting in the north and west of Auckland. Hone Harawira had been elected as a r

Tom Morello's song dedicated to the workers of Wisconsin

Comrade Annette on her vision for the Mana Party

SocialistWorker.org: The super-rich 1 percent The wealth of the super-rich has grown astronomically for the last three decades. But that doesn't mean the rich are without their own troubles, writes Eric Ruder . April 28, 2011 THROUGHOUT HISTORY, the persecution of minorities has haunted the "world's greatest democracy." But today, while many forms of discrimination have been put behind us in the U.S., fear and anxiety stalks one of America's last despised minorities--the top 1 percent. The conditions of their torment are poorly understood by the rest of us, especially the 60 percent of workers who report that they scrape by paycheck to paycheck. As a consequence, the 1 percenters endure their suffering in private, further increasing their sense of social isolation and feelings of self-pity. But thanks to the work of researchers at Boston College's Center on Wealth and Philanthropy, we have been afforded a peek into the psyche of this fragile

An abridged report from a 16 year old socialist in an east Auckland high school It is a difficult task, to get adolescents interested in their working rights. Although we continue to train the new generation of workers in their worth, to not simply accept it as normality when their working rights are ripped out from underneath them before they have even started working. However having said this, the Alternative Ideology Club did not simply appear out of nothing. It is the product of the better part of three long years of attempting to establish a dissident club at a high school. Originating from three founding members and our interest in forming a left organisation in our east Auckland high school, to assist the future working class and raise awareness about the absolutely criminal system known as capitalism. However we ran into problems when the school's deputy principal denied our right to organise it. Undeterred we appealed on the grounds that why were muslims allowed a club in

Speech by Lisa Stoneham to Wellington May Day march 2011. My name is Lisa Stoneham. I am 25, a mother of one, Unite Union delegate and a part time worker at McDonalds. While day to day life can be a bit of a struggle, and I have my ups and downs, I have learnt heaps, have met lots of awesome, supportive people whom I may not have met otherwise. All of because of some not so desirable experiences I have had over the past couple of years. These experiences have opened up my eyes to what is actually happening to the workers of this country. 2009 was the year that opened my eyes. This is the year I last worked fulltime. I got 2 fulltime jobs this year. The first one however, was planning to open a new store and so was taking on lots of new employees. I was so excited due to having a job and getting off the benefit. And all was great, the new store opened, I tried to be a good employee, stayed on longer if they were understaffed, I would work shifts on my day off, and despite the type of

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmanuel_Goldstein Emmanuel Goldstein is DEAD!!! Obama Declares Victory in the War against East Asia!!

"On the eve of the appeal to the Supreme Court on the admissibility of police evidence in the 'Urewera 18' case, Wikileaks have released a cable which says the New Zealand Police told the US Embassy in Wellington that they expected those accused would only get a fine rather than jail time should they be convicted," said Global Peace and Justice Auckland spokesperson Mike Treen. "We can be sure that if the US Embassy received this information it was from either then Police minister Annette King or Police Commissioner Howard Broad. It is clear that the government and police have known for years that the whole case of 'Operation 8' is a beat up, and yet, for nearly four years the crown has thrown millions and millions of dollars into this prosecution," said Mike Treen "It is absolutely ridiculous that the police are telling the US embassy that convictions will result in fines while clogging up the Auckland High Court for three months and wasting mi

“INTEGRITY AND COURAGE” Speech to the launch of MANA Hone Harawira, Te Reo Motuhake o Te Tai Tokerau Saturday 30 April 2011 Let today be the day that we reject the politics of fear, because I know that if we are united, then there is nothing that we have to fear, and nothing that we can’t achieve Let today be the day that we reject the politics of compromise, because we deserve better than the weak and accommodating representation in parliament that we walk away from today And let today be the day that we set ourselves the challenge: § of setting clear goals § of acting with integrity and courage in all that we do § and most importantly, of coming back to the people regularly to seek your guidance for our actions, and your support for our plans § We will honour the sovereignty our tupuna signed up to in 1835 when they signed Te Whakaputanga and affirmed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840, and the rights of all New Zealanders that derive from the T