Socialist Students:

Preparing for the new term

SOCIALIST STUDENTS is planning its campaigning activity in colleges and universities across the country for the next term.

Matt Dobson Socialist Students national co-ordinator

Events in the Middle East and the need for Socialist Students to play a major role in the anti-war movement mean there are fantastic opportunities for Socialist Students to build this year.

In the last academic year we had a presence in 40 colleges and universities. 900 new young people joined us, with many becoming leading campaigners on their campuses.

We want to increase our membership and increase the strength of our organisation by preparing in the next few weeks for the Freshers' Fairs where we get the chance to meet thousands of youth who may be interested in socialist ideas.

Many areas have detailed plans for campaigning in their universities and colleges. In Exeter University and College, a whole week of activity has been planned including films, political discussions and campaign stalls outside the halls of residence. In Manchester, Socialist Students will be planning activity around the Time for Blair to go demonstration on 23 September organised by the Stop the War Coalition.

In Sussex, our members are continuing to play a major role in the anti-cuts and closures campaign while planning meetings on international issues such as the Middle East and Venezuela. At Goldsmiths College, Socialist Students will organise their first meeting on What is Socialism? and later in the term will invite Socialist Party councillors from Lewisham to speak on campus.

We are producing material for our work in universities and colleges, including leaflets, posters and the Student Socialist magazine. Socialist Students has a consistent campaigning record on fighting tuition fees, cuts and closures and the war - all of these will continue into the new year but with the added responsibility of explaining the need for socialist solutions to the Middle East crisis, environmental destruction and discussing the mass movements in Latin America and Europe. That is why Socialist Students societies need to plan now how they are going to reach as many young people with socialist ideas as possible.