This years Maxism festival is a packed with speakers and events for the more politically ideologic of Trebuchet readers.
This years topics will obviously centre around the arab spring and the material dialectic and it's always an interesting melange of polemics, revolutionary thinkers and of course…. splitters!
A taste of this years events: Website Marxism 2012
"1848, 1917, 1968… 2011. Last year was the year everything kicked off. We are living through one of those once in a lifetime moments when ordinary people enter the stage of world history – and have an opportunity to reshape humanity's future.
Marxism 2012 brings together activists from each of these uprisings. We have eyewitness reports and sessions on the theoretical tools needed to analyse revolution. A whole series of meetings looks at the strategy and tactics the 99% will need if we are to win. From Tahrir Square in Egypt to Syntagma Square in Greece, the spirit of people power is infectious. Come to Marxism to catch the fever.
The Occupy movements marked the rise of a new wave of anti-capitalism. The 99% are fighting back. But how can we win? This young movement faces many questions – old and new – about strategy, tactics and what we are fighting for.
Alex Callinicos delivers a series of meetings on the politics of Leninism.
Toni Negri is one of the leading theoreticians of the global resistance. He and Alex Callinicos debate anti-capitalism in the age of austerity – Sat 3.45pm
Robin Burrett looks at prefigurative politics – Fri, 11.45am – and Jonny Jones answers questions about horizontalism, spontaneity and leadership – Thu, 2pm.
Siobhan Brown discusses the history of anarchism in struggle – Fri, 10am – while Sai Englert asks what a socialist revolution would look like – Fri, 7pm.
Once mighty dictators have been toppled – but in Egypt the military remain in power. These revolutions were a massive blow to imperialism – yet in Libya the West has tried to reassert control. Marxism brings together leading activists from the Egyptian revolution and grapples with the meaning of these world-historic events.
Anne Alexander discusses the role of workers' struggles in the Arab Spring – Fri, 11.45am.
Hamid Dabashi introduces his new book The Arab Spring – Sat, 11.45am.
Simon Assaf looks at Syria, Libya and the myth of humanitarian intervention – Thu, 2pm.
Judith Orr looks at the blows dealt to imperialism by the Arab Spring – Fri, 10am.
Haifa Zangana examines Iraq after US withdrawal – Sun, 3.45pm.
Hossam el-Hamalawy spoke at Marxism 2008 about how the movement in Egypt had the potential to bring down Mubarak. Marxism 2012 marks his triumphant return to London. Hossam is a leading member of Egypt's Revolutionary Socialists, who were at the forefront of the day of rage and the movement that brought down Mubarak. Since then they have been at the heart of the new workers' movement and the struggle to deepen democratic reforms – Sun, 2pm.
Leading Egyptian activist Gigi Ibrahim shot to fame when she humbled Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight by insisting that, yes, those fighting did have an ideology and that in fact she was a revolutionary socialist. Gigi will be discussing a variety of topics including the role of women in the revolution – Mon, 11.45am.
The destruction of living standards imposed on the Greek people is unprecedented in Europe's recent history. But with almost daily strikes and riots the people of Greece are not taking this lying down.
As well as analysing the eurozone crisis, Marxism has a whole series of meetings on the struggles against austerity.
Leading Greek revolutionary Panos Garganas asks where the movement can go next after 20 general strikes – Sat, 3.45pm.
Andy Durgan speaks about the resistance to austerity in Spain – Sat, 11.45am.
Mona Dohle gives a people's history of sovereign debt defaults – Thu, 3.45pm.
A panel on Europe against austerity includes German and Irish MPs Christine Buchholz and Richard Boyd Barrett – Sat, 7pm.
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. – Aristotle
