Invitation

The organization committee decided on five main topics for summer camp in 2025 (class struggle, feminism, transition, war, organization):

 

Class struggles (2x 3 hours)

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During our struggle day we want to continue our general discussion on trade unions that we started in Poznan. We can use this text as a basis for debate:
https://libcom.org/article/unions-and-political-struggle-mouvement-communiste

There are two other inputs concerning wider political questions, namely about the role of industrial labour for revolutionary change and the issue of far-right influence within trade unions and the working class at large.

The general discussion will be complemented by inputs regarding concrete experiences, from Spain, Slovenia and Turkey and concerning work as organisers of within trade unions. We will end the day with the screening and discussion of a documentary about the pension reform movement in France.

We are still open for further contributions and suggestions.
 

• The significance of industrial labour for revolutionary change

• The thorny trade union question, input for the general debate

• Sharing experiences: working for trade unions

• Current struggles at the post office in Spain

• Experiences of worker organising in Slovenia

• Experiences of rank-and-file unionism in Turkey

• Trade unions and the far-right, reflections from Germany

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Evening:

Documentary on the pension reform movement in France

 

Feminism (2x3 hours)

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The day on feminism will consist of two parts, one about gender and biology and one about masculinity as a problem

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1. Gender and biology:

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Motivation

• In my experience, discussions about gender (not only) in the workplace are mostly based on biological arguments. Due to my lack of knowledge about biology, genetics & evolution it was/is sometimes not possible for me to counter this

• Lack of knowledge in political circles too

• Biological argumentation not only regarding gender but also race or economics e.g. “human nature” very dominant “everywhere”

• To the best of my current knowledge, there is no tenable basis for patriarchy, race etc. in biology, but at the same time there is a huge amount of research that seems to prove this again and again and pushes it further and these positions are extremely widespread

Contents
1. presentation + short discussion
Connection between gender-specific behavior and biology. Special focus on genetics, hormones and evolutionary biology.

2. exchange in groups about situations, e.g. in the workplace, in which we have encountered typical biological arguments and strategies that have worked against them.
Then collate and collect the results in a large group

Aim
Present & discuss criticism of biologistic ideology, make it understandable how dominant and important it is for the existing oppression
Start collecting arguments for a “workplace-toolbox” against the biologistic ideology

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2. Abolishing masculinity

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The input is about a book by Kim Posster „Abolishing masculinity“ (it’s published only in german) Posster says that our problem is not „toxic masculinity“, but masculinity itself.
He says that masculinity divides men and women and that therefore men have to give up on masculinity.

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a) Masculinity essentially consists in domination.
b) Men tend to feel solidarity with other men and aginst women

c) another feature of masculinity is the rejection of femininity

d) Men cultuvate an illusion of independence (from women)

In the workshop we’ll present these ideas and then discuss them in small groups and at the end in a plenary discussion.

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Transition (3 hours)

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We want to introduce and critically discuss the labor time accounting as a method and principle of a socialist mode of production, based on workers self-managment. The panel has 3 sections, approximately 1 hour each:

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1. Input: We want to give a short intruduction into the problems, challenges and needs of a socialist economy, such as preventing the fallback into a class society or bureaucracy, the equilibrium of supply and demand of goods, the mediation of decentralized (worker councils) and centralized (communal) interests, communal reproduction, reproductive labor in firms and households, how to plan the whole of it (including the measure unit of social planning and accounting: labor time) and of course possible transition scenarios.

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Thereafter we also want to present some prominent theoretical objections against the concept of labor time accounting to give some ideas for a following discussion in smaller groups

2. Group discussion: Let’s discuss the pros and cons of labor time accounting in small groups, so that everyone has the chance to share their ideas and critique. This section should include a few minutes break time. It would be very welcome, if the different groups would collect their thoughts in some keywords, so that they can present them in the general plenum afterwards.

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3. Plenum discussion: Each group should give a short presentation about their discussions, so that we can cluster some arguments and objections and maybe find some answers together, if we should agree that labor-time-accounting is a worthy idea. Let’s find out!

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War (3 hours)

The workshop will consist of three parts:

 

• Theoretical discussion and historical background

• Aspects of the switch into war economy

• Initiatives and activities that reflect revolutionary internationalist resistance to war and militarisation. 

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For the theoretical discussion our comrades from Zimmerwald Committee will introduce the discussions and difficulties within the anticapitalist and internationalist organizations, particularly in Germany and Russia, regarding the question or the capitalist wars. You can check this published article here https://brooklynrail.org/2025/02/field-notes/ewgeniy-kasakow-with-felix-baum/

 

The second block of discussions will involve all the participants. We will contribute to analyse how the economical switch from the welfare to the warfare economy is affecting our local areas. We would like to pay attention to workers' struggles within this framework. Some of the contributions can be checked here.

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As for the third block, examples like the one recently published in Vital Signs Mag would connect with the theoretical block. You can check what I mean here.

Another interesting example is coming from the efforts by TIR in Italy, they organised a general strike of logistic workers against war.

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Organisation (2x3 hours)

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We will hear a historical input on the issues of left-wing revolutionary organizing with a focus on recurring problems in organizing attempts and possible pitfalls.

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We will then consider as a group what international cooperation would be conceivable for us. We want to build on the questionnaire you have already completed. We want to consider what work you are already doing locally and how and when international cooperation would make sense.

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The preparatory group for the day has drawn up three proposals for organization that we can take as inspiration and discuss and develop further in the group. The main idea is to explore together what form of organization would be possible for us and what advantages it could bring for our local and international work.

 

/// Questions and further preparation
 

Please answer the following questions as soon as possible to help us planning the meeting:
 

    • Will you attend and when do you plan to arrive / leave?

    • Do you need to sleep in a bed (instead of a tent)?

    • Do you need car / van parking space?

    • Do you want to bring children and would you need help with child care?

    • Do you need translation, and if so, for what language?

    • Do you need financial help for travel or accommodation?

    • Do you know other groups or individuals who you think might want to attend? - please introduce them to us first before passing on this invitation.

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Please respond to: beachcommunism@proton.me
 

Further information will also be available here:

https://angryworkersworld.wixsite.com/summercamp
 

With revolutionary greetings,

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The Organising Committee