C O M M U N I S T P A R T Y

Communist Party Building School 2012 1

Building School

Come to the CP Building SchoolGENERAL SECRETARY

ROBERT GRIFFITHS WRITES:

“This is the first Building School that the Communist Party has held in more than 25 years. The need to further develop our communist cadres has become increasingly obvious as our Party has greatly expanded its reach and activity, recruiting new members and establishing new centres of activity.

The School is an excellent opportunity for you to develop as a cadre and to bring with you members of your branch, nation committee or district who want to become more active and develop politically.

There will be book presentations, discussion, group work and plenaries and some of the best known Communists and guest labour movement activists will be on hand to participate throughout.”

The Communist Party Building School is a milestone event in 2012 - we need cadres from every CP branch and district/nation to attend - which will help provide a springboard for Party activity across Britain

VenueThe School is set in the heart of historic London in the Marx Library . This is the very building which housed the presses that printed for William Morris, Eleanor Marx and in which Lenin edited Iskra for 2 years

DatesThe School runs over the weekend of 9/10 June and involves an overnight stay

How to get thereThe School is being held five minutes walk from Farringdon station, easily accessible via King’s Cross tube. Parking is expensive so please car share or use public transport

AttendanceBecause of space, each branch and district/nation is limited to a maximum of three representatives. Party Centre will cover the cost of one fare per district/nation

What to expectGroup work, practical training in campaign skills, discussion, book launches and a video presentation.

ON SUNDAY you can have your photo taken in Lenin’s chair!

Who can come along?We want every branch, district and nation to be well represented. Start thinking of your Building team now

June 9-10 at the Marx Memorial Library, Clerkenwell Green, London

WHAT TO EXPECT

How to organise effectively in your locality

Party organisation and campaigning priorities

Discussion of the CP’s work in the labour movement

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HOW TO PREPAREYou can circulate this brochure to get comrades interested

Discuss the event at your branch committee, branch, district and nation committee meetings

Consider who might benefit most from attending

Come prepared to listen and learn as well as speak

Read the literature sent to you once you register to attend

BRING ALONG CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF LOCAL CAMPAIGNING WORK

WHAT TO READ IN ADVANCE• Britain’s Road to Socialism

• John Foster on the role of the communists

• Liu Sha Chi How to be a Good Communist

• Phil Piratin’s Our Flag Stays Red

Plus the NEW EDITION of the Communist Party Activists’ Handbook which will be circulated in advance to attendees and officially launched at the school.

WHAT IS OUR AIM?Building the Communist Party anew for the struggle for socialism

WHO IS IT AIMED AT?Key branch and district/nation officers and/or branch builders - aim to bring along those who may in the future become branch officers.

WHO CAN ATTEND?A maximum of three people per branch. This should include the branch secretary and active branch members who help share the Party building workload, now or in the future. Party Centre will cover the travel costs of one fare per district/nation.

WHERE IS IT?At the Marx Memorial Library, 37a Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DU

WHEN?Saturday 9th June, 11am - 5pm,

Sunday 10th June, 11am to 3pm

WHAT WILL YOU DO?Take part in discussion and feed in your practical and political experience.

COVER AND OTHER PHOTOS By Mina Boromand who will be exhibiting and discussing her work at the School

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SATURDAY 9 JUNETheme: Building the Communist Party

11-11.30am Registration - coffee

11.30am -12pmIntroduction: Bill Greenshields. Welcome by John Callow, Director of MML

Phil Katz - school organiser sets out day.

12-1.15pm Session One: Why are communists indispensable to the labour movement? Session leaders: Liz PayneMethod: open discussion on John Foster’s speech to Praxis 2011 conference

1.15-1.45pm Lunch

1.45pm-2.30pmBook break-out - Norfolk Red - about Wilf Page and communist organisation in rural Britain. Mike Pentelow author introduces and chaired by Robert Wilkinson.

2.30-4pmSession two:What works for your area and what doesn’t? Session leaders: Ben Stevenson and Tim GulliverMethod: small groups discuss series of themed do’s and dont’s and then tutor led discussion draws out main points to consider: what are strengths of the CP (we should do more of), what are the weaknesses (we should do less of).

4-5pmBook break out - Building the Communist Party in the Community - Phil Piratin and the communist experience.Robert Griffiths - chaired by Marc LivingstoneMethod: Presentation followed by Q&A based on Our Flag Stays Red.

SUNDAY 10 JuneTheme: The CP in the labour movement

11am-12pmSession ThreeWe stand on our record - what is it? Session leader: Mary Davis Method: groups with prompted points discuss CP achievements then join in open session to prioritise them.

12-12.45pmBook break-out - Revolutionary Communist At Work - Bert Ramelson and Communist organisation in Trade Unions Introduced by Tom Sibley and Roger Seifert. Chaired by Ann Field followed by Q&AThe book will be available to purchase on special offer.

12.45-1.15pmLunch break - have your photo taken in Lenin’s chair!

1.15-2.30pmSession four:Campaigning to build the local movement Session leaders: Robert Griffiths and Moz Greenshields Method: after a short discussion about key issues we will divide participants into two groups to work up campaign plans for:

• local anti-cuts and Peoples’ Charter campaigning

• local issues and electoral work.

2.30-3pmClosing Plenary What have we learned over the weekend and what should we do now? Session leaders: Robert Griffiths and Phil Katz. Chaired by Bill Greenshields

Party Organiser is a new bulletin for CP cadres. It contains news, priorities, updates and reports that will not be found on the CP website.

Communist News and Views is a regular publication sent to thousands of subscribers. We regularly send out special editions to subscribers in targeted localities. Essential if you want to advertise bigger open meetings. Getting local supporters to subscribe is a key way to get your message out the the local labour movement and to recruit.

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4 Communist Party BUILDING SCHOOL 2012

HOW TO GET THEREMarx Memorial Library37a Clerkenwell GreenLondon EC1R 0DU UK.Tel #44(0) 207 253 1485

THE NEAREST STATION - A FIVE MINUTE WALK AWAY IS

Farringdon Station

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farringdon_station

IF YOU COME ON FOOT OR BY CAR, PLAN YOUR DIRECTIONS HERE

Google Map and directions here

WHERE TO STAYWe encourage you if you can to stay with a friend, family or Party member if you can. The London District Committee will organise a limited number of places with local comrades Go here to apply. [links to a District contact]

There are several B&B’s and hotels in and around Clerkenwell. Go here to view list http://www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=bed+and+breakfast+in+Clerkenwell&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&redir_esc=&ei=DExLT9GcBqKk0QW1vtmNDg

There are three large Youth Hostels within a half hour walk with easy public transport connection.

Hotels in central London are expensive so it is worthwhile looking at areas in outer London that have direct train/tube links to Farringdon.

WHAT IT COSTSThere is no cost for attending the School as it is being organised by the Party centrally.

Therefore the costs to you and your branch involve transport, overnight stay on 9 June and food.

There are a good number of reasonable sandwich bars close by.

We encourage you to raise the School in your branch, nation committee and District and seek to use local funds to help with the costs of sending comrades to the school.

Funding is available from the Party centrally, on the basis of one fare per district/nation (this could be maximised by organising a car load from your area). The cost of parking in and around Farringdon can be high so you may want to consider using Park & Ride.

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/tubestationcarparks