Forum on Oppression and Resistance Opens

Political Discussion Series

On February 28 a standing-room-only crowd of over 80 packed into the Mondragon Bookstore & Coffee House in Winnipeg to participate in a political discussion forum organized by the Structured Movement Against Capitalism (SMAC). The forum on the topic of "Oppression and Resistance" was the first in a series of bi-weekly discussions being hosted by SMAC.

Three speeches were delivered on the topic of Oppression and Resistance by Cindy McCallum, National Representative, CUPW Prairie Region, Neri Dimacali from KAMPI (Filipino Workers Movement of Manitoba) and Karen Naylor, who chaired the meeting and spoke on behalf of SMAC.

Cindy McCallum spoke of the oppression of women, and especially of working women, pointing out that working women face multiple layers of oppression in this society. She emphasized that the common thread linking all these layer of oppression is capitalism. "If we are to throw off our blankets of oppression, we must link each layer to a struggle against capitalism and not act in isolation from each other," she said. "We have to expose capitalism as the root of our self destruction, talk about our alternatives with enthusiasm and ensure our alternatives address the multiple oppressions that people struggle with."

Neri Dimacali addressed the problems of immigrants, linking the oppression of immigrant workers to the neo-colonial and imperialist oppression of their homelands. He spoke specifically about the current situation in the Philippines, emphasizing the international character of the struggle against capitalist oppression. He pointed out that the victory of the Filipino people against all forms of oppression will also be a victory for all peoples fighting against similar forms of oppression.

Karen Naylor stated out that oppression is a relationship of inequality and intimidation common to all societies in which the majority of the population is denied access to decision-making power. She pointed out that there are two broad types of oppression - oppression based on the need of the capitalists to exploit working people and to suppress any resistance to exploitation, and oppression based on the need of the capitalists to divide the people and oppose any movement for progress and enlightened ideas.

Karen went on to speak about the nature of SMAC and needs of the movement that SMAC is striving to fulfill. She concluded that, "SMAC is a movement which neither attempts to replace any existing movements and struggles, nor to become a glorified support network. It is, rather, an attempt to unite all of those existing movements and struggles and provide them with a framework and an infrastructure which can make all of them more than they are today, a structure which they can use to raise the level and effectiveness of their own struggles and through which their struggles objectively assist the struggles of everyone else. It is a project which belongs to all those who are opposed to capitalism and to be successful it will require the active participation of all who oppose capitalism."