Saturday, 20 April, 6:00 PM

RW and FSP are both turning 30! Come party with us and celebrate three decades of feisty socialist feminist organising in Melbourne!

The Freedom Socialist Party (FSP) held its first public event in Australia, “A new era for socialist feminism in Australia — Introducing the Freedom Socialist Party,” at the Plumbers Union on 24 March 1983. Melbourne Radical Women (RW) held its founding meeting a month later. We’ve been on the front lines of the struggle for a socialist feminist future ever since.

Enjoy rousing oratory about key working class milestones, remember battles won, pay tribute to those who led them and draw out the lessons learned.

Feminist firebrand, Debbie Brennan, will share stories of RW’s achievements. Debbie, who is the Melbourne organiser, coordinated a speaking tour for delegates from the Federation of Cuban Women. She organised a rally against the construction of the Hindmarsh Island Bridge, featuring Ngarrindjeri women elders who spoke out in defence of their culture. Debbie is also a workplace delegate with the Australian Services Union, a veteran clinic defender and coordinator for Campaign for Women’s Reproductive Rights.

Alison Thorne, who won a precedent-setting Equal Opportunity case in 1986 that extended protections to gay liberationists, will share how this battle helped build the FSP. She’s been an organiser in the fight to stop Aboriginal deaths in custody since before the Royal Commission. Alison helped lead a community-based united front that ran fascists out of Fawkner. She is a grassroots campaigner for equal pay and a workplace delegate with the Community and Public Sector Union.

Come and tell your stories. Step up to the open mic to share your memories — inspirational or funny, recent or ancient — of working with RW and the FSP.

There will be a host of displays featuring publications, posters, leaflets, photos and other memorabilia.

Decide how you’ll contribute to the next 30 years!

Doors open at 6 pm, program at 7 pm and then kick on into the evening. Pile up your plate and enjoy a fabulous finger food buffet. The bar will be serving some cocktail specials befitting the occasion. A door donation of $10 (low income), $20 (employed) or $30 ($1 for each year – Solidarity price) is requested. Everyone is welcome

The celebration will be held at Solidarity Salon (address and travel information is above).

For more information call 9388-0062 or email freedom.socialist.party@ozemail.com.au or radicalwomen@optusnet.com.au

Sunday, 19 May, 2:00 - 4:00 PM

Reclaim Our Bodies: Stop exploiting women for profit!

From fast cars to holidays, fashion to junk food, the market turns women into sexualised objects to lure consumers. Explore how advertising and the media use sexism, racism and homophobia to sell products and shape how we see ourselves and others.

Come hear:

Angeline Ferdinand, queer woman of colour with a special interest in the health of marginalised people and reproductive justice activism

Ashley Ihasz, a student, musician, trans woman and committee member of the youth queer support group, YGender

Jackie Wykes, full fat, high-femme writer and performer working on a PhD thesis on fat embodiment and sexual subjectivity

Debbie Brennan, Melbourne Organiser for Radical Women and Campaign for Women’s Reproductive Rights activist

Rebecca Wickham, Fed Up? activist and therapist in body image and eating issues

Join in discussion about how we will liberate ourselves!

Event will be held at Brunswick Neighbourhood House
43a De Carle St, Brunswick

Everyone is welcome, kids too! Delicious food provided (including vegan & gluten-free). Suggested donation $5.00. Pay at door or online: http://www.trybooking.com/CNNC

Co-sponsored by Fed Up?, Radical Women, and Freedom Socialist Party

Radical Women: 03-9388-0062, radicalwomen@optusnet.com.au
Fed Up?: 0409 256 089, info@fedup.net.au

Sunday, 16 June, 6:00 PM

Celebrate the launch for the Freedom Socialist $100,000 fund drive at a festive feast to nourish body and mind!

While there’s no guaranteed recipe for revolution, the Freedom Socialist and the Freedom Socialist Organiser are crammed full of winning ideas, stories of inspirational victories and lessons from history, and our revolutionary feminist publications need cash!

You are invited to a global banquet, catering for all dietary needs, to launch this fund drive! Meet the cooks who will tell you about both the dish they’ve prepared and the Freedom Socialist article that inspired it. As Lenin once famously said, “Every cook must learn to rule the state!” and these chefs are also rebels who cook up a storm of working class organising!

Doors open at 6 pm, program featuring our activist cooks commences at 6:45 pm and then kick on into the evening. Entrance, including dinner, $15 (unwaged), $20 (low waged) or $30 (waged). Drinks available at bar prices. Everyone is welcome

The celebration will be held at Solidarity Salon (address and travel information is above).

For more information call 9388-0062 or email freedom.socialist.party@ozemail.com.au or radicalwomen@optusnet.com.au

Monday, 24 June, 6:30 PM

Ongoing Study Circle — Lessons from history: A guide to occupying the planet Socialist Feminism and The Revolutionary Party

As struggle around the globe continues to focus attention on the system of mass oppression known as capitalism, join us in a fascinating historical examination of how the workers’ movement has tackled the very question of how working people can take control of our planet. By midway through the 19th century it was obvious that, just as capitalism had become global in its reach, so the working peoples of the earth had to organise across national boundaries.

It’s a great time to join this ongoing study circle. Having discussed lessons of the First, Second, Third and Fourth Internationals we’re embarking on Socialist Feminism and The Revolutionary Party by Andrea Bauer, editor of the Freedom Socialist newspaper. This in-depth explanation of why Marxist feminism, embodied in a revolutionary party, is the contemporary answer to the crisis of capitalism is rich in political theory and both historical and contemporary examples. Adopted as the Freedom Socialist Party political resolution at the party’s July 2010 national convention, this study will be of particular interest to those curious to find out more about the Freedom Socialist Party.

Commences Monday 24 June 2013 and continues every second Monday.
A hearty meal will be served at 6.30pm for an $8 donation.

The discussion circle takes place at Solidarity Salon. (address and travel information is above).

Hosted by the Freedom Socialist Party For more information, links to the reading and copies of discussion questions email peter.murray@ozemail.com.au or call phone 03-9388-0062