Resistance has been an integral part of 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly's success since it began publication in 1991. Resistance members have been involved in writing articles and are key to its widespread distribution.
intro = 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly correspondent Sarah Peart spoke to several activists about why 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ is important to the socialist youth organisation and how they use it in their campaigning work. Those interviewed are: Marina Carmen (1998 vice-president of Sydney University); Jen Crothers (CPSU member); Corinne Glenn (Perth Resistance organiser); Angela Luevara (Women's officer at Edith Cowan university, WA); Aaron Benedick (Resistance high school activist); Nick Soudakoff (education vice-president at University of Canberra); and Lana Halpin (Resistance activist on University of Queensland).
Marina: GL helps members keep in touch with what other branches are doing, politics in other cities across the country and in international politics more generally.
I first bought GLW at university and was surprised to find a paper that dealt with all the things I was concerned about. I got so much shit from my conservative friends about reading GL I decided it must be really important, and approached Resistance members about helping distribute it. When I first sold GLW, I stood on a street corner yelling out all the things I believed in: it felt so good and I sold quite a few!
GL is the perfect way to strip away the veneer of the capitalist system and let people know about socialist politics and socialist organisations like Resistance.
Jen: GLW is critical in developing activists' political understanding of the world and how to change it. GLW makes talking to other activists about issues and campaigns very easy.
I first bought GLW from the Resistance bookshop in Adelaide because I liked the pictures. I also bought it at rallies for the environment, women's rights and gay and lesbian rights before becoming a member of Resistance after which I began to sell it paper at these same rallies!
Resistance is committed to GLW for many reasons, but particularly because it counters the ideology, spread by capitalism, that there is nothing you can do to change things. GLW shows it is possible to organise and make great achievements. It is also very attractive for young people getting involved in campaigns around the environment or student issues, as well as those looking for an alternative to the establishment press.
GLW is important too for activists in the CPSU who are fighting the Liberals' attacks on the public sector and for democracy within the union. It keeps us informed about the struggles taking place across the public sector as information on this is often lacking in official union material.
When I was a women's officer at the University of Tasmania, GLW kept me in touch with feminist campaigns and debates. I was able to use the paper to inform activists around the country about campaigns to defend women's rights and feminist organisations on my campus at the time.
Corinne: I was given a copy of GLW by a friend who supported the paper but wanted to make a donation without taking the paper. The seller convinced my friend to take the paper, and give it to someone who might be interested. I was, and subscribed immediately.
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Nick: GLW has been crucial to building a very successful Resistance club on the University of Canberra.
GLW campus stalls became the focus for the club and other activists to build a range of campaigns. The GLW readership has become somewhat of a political network of staff and students on UC. Without a doubt it is our best campaign tool.
Lana: When I first started reading 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ I found that, as an activist, one of the most important 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ of the paper was the "Meetings, Parties, Anything" pages because it has a calendar of all the political events in which I could get involved. It is also an important part of the paper for Resistance because it lets people know about the various campaigns we are involved in.
My best ever experiences of selling GL have been when it's had anti-racist and anti-Pauline Hanson covers. It's great when someone comes up to a stall with the idea that maybe Howard or Hanson have a point and you are able to convince them that they don't, and that we need to fight against institutionalised racism.
Aaron: When I was at high school I used to put GLW in the library and sell it to students and teachers. GLW helped to spark peoples' initial revolutionary flair. They would come up to me after they had read it, asking questions about the article about East Timor or whatever else they had read. Through reading GLW students were able to achieve a higher level of political consciousness and activity.
Angela: I first came across GLW on the railway overpass in Perth. I must admit when I first bought the paper I never expected to be the one on the overpass selling it.
Marce: It's no wonder that so many young people feel cynical and alienated from politicians and establishment politics. Even here, in one of the richest countries in the world, there is a tremendous gulf between the needs and aspirations of young people and the ability of the system to deliver.
The challenge for Resistance is to help win over a new generation of young people to radical ideas and to the struggle to build a new society. This is no easy task, especially in a time of reaction.
The rich and powerful still have enormous resources at their disposal to channel discontent into safe outlets such as elections or the glitter of consumer gadgets. Through the education system young people are disarmed with reactionary ideas.
91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly is far more than just a source of accurate information on what's happening in the world from a green and left perspective. It's essential for developing a broad revolutionary consciousness among our membership. Without 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳, I don't think we would be anywhere near as effective in reaching out to young people.