Internationalism has been and continues to be one of Solidarity’s key priorities. It is based on the understanding that an economic system predicated on profit regardless of the human, social or environmental cost is global in scope and reach.

This means that resistance and opposition to it must also take on a global aspect. Under globalization workers across the world have found themselves plunged into a race to the bottom with one another as they compete for the favours of global corporations.

It is for this reason that the wages and conditions of Scottish workers have diminished and will continue to diminish in real terms. As a socialist party which fights for a world in which cooperation and solidarity replaces competition and endless wars for markets and resources, we reject the idea that workers must compete for the crumbs from the table of global corporations whose profits rise year on year to levels that are beyond obscene.

Five years after the invasion, demonstrations for troops out were held on Saturday 15 March 2008 across the world. Solidarity members joined thousands of others in Glasgow to protest against the continuing occupation and to demand

 Troops Out of Iraq and Afghanistan Now.

End the Blockade of Gaza.

www.stopwar.org.uk

Coalfields Solidarity was again in mourning today following the death of Jim Griffin at Pennyvenie near Dalmellington.  The site will be closed until after the funeral while HSE Mines and Quarries Inspectorate carry out a detailed assessment of the scene with police in attendance.

UN reports 350,000 have crossed into Egypt 

The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) have the released the following statement on the crisis in Gaza:

The people of Gaza have blown up a wall of the biggest prison on earth, and with it they have outflanked Israel, shown international humanitarian law to be a sick joke, shaken the Egyptian dictatorship, and shamed all of those who have stood by and allowed Israel to carry out its crimes unhindered. Among the tens of thousands who overwhelmed yesterday’s harsh opposition from Egyptian security police, some went to visit long-separated relatives, some for life-saving medicines and all to buy necessities of life no longer available in Gaza. While the chancelleries of the world worked to force the Palestinians to abandon all hope of resisting Israel or of recovering their lost lands, once again, as so often in history, tens of thousands of extra-ordinary ‘ordinary people’ - a few of them lightly-armed fighters -cleared the way to freedom. 


Day-School organised by The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign:

Zionism, Ethnic Cleansing and the Way Forward for Palestine

Saturday 26th January 9.30-am – 6.30pm. Registration from 9am. Augustine Church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh.

To read the full staement from SPSC and for details of alll SPSC events click below or visit www.scottishpsc.org.uk

Aamer Anwar is facing contempt of court proceedings as a result of a statement he made on behalf of his client, Mohammed Atif Siddique, who was convicted in September 2007 of "terrorism" offences connected with activities on the internet. The proceedings against Aamer Anwar threaten freedom of expression and undermine the ability of lawyers to represent their clients properly.

For details of what you can do to help click below:

www.sacc.org.uk

Join the protest:
Wednesday 23 January 2008, 5.30pm at the foot of the Mound, Princes Street, Edinburgh

The only power plant in Gaza was shut down yesterday - the inhabitants of Gaza, 1.5 million people, now have no electricity, water or functional medical facilities.

Solidarity condemns the latest act of war from Israel that followed George W Bush's 'peace' visit to the region.  We urge all Solidarity members and supporters to join the protest or offer support to the Palestinian people through the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC).  Tommy Sheridan said:

"Solidarity support the Palestinian people in their struggle for self-determination and human rights.  We call on the British and Scottish Governments to condemn Israel's attempt to starve the people of Gaza into submission."

SPSC are calling on all human rights groups and campaigns to join the protest and to end the silence on Israel's genocidal actions against the people of Gaza.  Please contact SPSC at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  to confirm your support.

In this year's Channel 4 political awards there is an award for "your most inspiring political personality of the last decade".  Everyone who took part in the anti-war marches of 15 February 2003 are on the shortlist for this award.

Solidarity believes that the Stop the War Coalition deserves the accolade as the most inspiring political movement in recent years and urges all of our supporters and members to vote for StWC in the Channel 4 awards.

Voting closes on Friday this week, so get involved at www.channel4.com/news

Meanhile, five years after the historic event, StWC are organising a mass demo in London on Saturday 15 March to coincide with 'world against war' events across the planet.  Full details are available at www.stopwar.org.uk 

Fri 11 Jan - International Day of Action

Today is the sixth anniversary of the first prisoners arriving at Guantanamo. In the US, the Anerican Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is calling on everyone to wear orange today. There will be demonstrations in many US cities and in other cities around the world. Moazzam Begg will this afternoon lead a delegation of former prisoners to deliver a letter to Gordon Brown calling on him to press for the release of british residents still held there and to press for Guantanamo Bay to be closed.

Orange Friday - Close Guantanamo organised by Amnesty International www.amnesty.org

1:00 pm US Consulate, 3 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh

Protest outside the consulate followed by parade along Princes Street towards the Mound finishing in the open space beside the National Gallery. Orange boilersuits available at the demo from Amnesty International and SACC

Public Meeting: Defend Civil Liberties: six years of Guantanamo and the "War on Terror"
7:30 pm Augustine Church, George 4th Bridge Organised by Edinburgh Stop The War Coalition and SACC www.sacc.org 

Speakers include Aamer Anwar (human rights lawyer), Tom Leonard (poet), Shirley-Anne Somerville (MSP), Noman Tahir (editor of Iwitness, Scotland's Muslim newspaper)

The Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees is pleased to be able to tell people that over the Christmas and New Year period two major long term campaigning cases came to a successful conclusion when Anastacia Nolya and her children and Pastor Daly and his family received indefinite leave to remain in Britain.