Themes
Radical Indigenous History and Politics
Australian capitalism was built on the oppression of Aboriginal people. This was met with resistance at every step - from fighting against invasion in 1788, to land rights, to the campaigns against Black deaths in custody today. This is not only an inspiration to anyone fighting the system, it raises important questions about how Aboriginal liberation can be won.
Marxism 101
This set of sessions will work through all of the most critical, fundamental questions. It’s the perfect place to start for those new to Marxism.
Gender and sexual oppression
Gender conditions every aspect of our lives. It affects how you're expected to work, talk, dress, live. But gender is not some innate, biological difference. It is itself constructed by the society in which we live. Come to this stream to talk about where gender and sexual oppression come from and how we can fight to end it.
From little things: Revolutionary Organisation
Revolutionaries have organised throughout history in many different ways, from small underground groups to mass parties. This stream will explore the histories and politics of a number of revolutionary groups and attempt to draw lessons fro the way radicals can organise today.
Contemporary Issues
Capitalism is suffering from a series of unprecedented crises that are imperilling the very planet we live on. This series of sessions considers a wide variety of contemporary topics; from the war in Ukraine to the nature of the Australian Greens.
Colonialism and anti-colonialism
While the colonial period is over there are many important lessons to be learned from both the process of colonisation and resistance to it. Come along to these sessions to learn about some key figures and debates in the history of colonial and anti colonial movements.
Left Debates
While the Left agrees that the world needs to change there are many historic and contemporary debates about how such change should occur and what manner of movements can best achieve such change. These sessions debate out some key ideas on the Left today.
Eyewitness
This exciting stream of sessions offer first hand accounts of uprisings, rebellions and revolutions. We will hear from people who were in the thick of riots, occupations and demonstrations from across the world.
Australian Working Class History Book Club
The Australian working class movement has a rich history. This bookclub will discuss three chapters from Tom Bramble's book 'Trade Unionism in Australia.' This is a wonderful opportunity to really sink your teeth into some vital history for today.
Fascism and antifascism
The last few years have seen a resurgence of fascist movements and the election of far Right governments in many parts of the world. These sessions will offer substantial discussions on the state of the far Right today, theories of fascism and strategies for and histories of resistance to fascism.
Debates in the Comintern
This is a series of sessions that will discuss some of the key debates in the international body of global communism, the Comintern. To attend these sessions we strongly encourage people to do some of the suggested readings.
Victorian Socialists
Socialist Alternative is involved in the exciting electoral project, the Victorian Socialists. Come along and hear about how this Party wants to disrupt politics as usual.
Let's Talk About Marx
Unsurprisingly Marxists are keen on Karl Marx. Come along to some of the sessions in this stream to talk about the man himself and some of his key texts.
Culture
These sessions will explore the work of particular artists or artistic movements from a Marxist perspective, given by people with a wide knowledge and a passion for the subject.
Hidden rebels
History is filled with the stories of unsung heroes of rebellions past. This stream uncovers the tales of drama, action, loss and victory waged by some key figures in some of history's finest uprisings.
The Environment
The climate crisis has already begun. Scientists predict it will get far worse unless drastic action is taken. But despite all the talk of a transition to renewables, fossil fuels keep being burned like nothing is wrong. This stream will explore why capitalism is destroying the planet and what it's gonna take to solve it.