A resolution from Newcastle comrades about publications

Conference notes:

• The appetite for Counterfire’s ideas, analysis and political coverage indicated by impressive levels of traffic to the website.
• The success of our previous printed publications – pamphlets, short books and broadsheets – in raising Counterfire’s profile, communicating our political ideas and supporting the political and theoretical development of our members.
• The close integration of the online and print sides of our publishing, from making printed publications available for free on the website to turning the series A Marxist History of the World into a (forthcoming) book.

Conference believes:

• The website – as Counterfire’s political hub, an invaluable resource for members and supporters, and the central means for communicating our ideas – needs to be supported financially and practically by the national organisation.
• The website, used effectively and creatively, can facilitate the growth of our organisation by publicising our events, enabling membership enquiries, and providing material which can serve as the basis for political meetings, day schools and theoretical courses.
• Expanding our output of printed literature – a combination of original material and access to core texts in the Marxist tradition – will help us reach new audiences and nurture the political development of our members.
• The organisation continues to benefit from the flexibility of publishing literature in response to our needs, rather than being tied to the publishing cycle of a regular publication.

Conference resolves:

• To support the team of website volunteers by appointing someone to do part-time paid work on the site, as agreed at our most recent national meeting.
• To immediately launch a fundraising drive for the website, as agreed at our most recent national meeting.
• To increase our active promotion of the website, with an expectation that all members will circulate website content to their contacts, e.g. by email, Facebook or Twitter.
• To make effective use of the website as an aid to building the organisation, by following up new online membership enquiries on a weekly basis and utilising the national office to promote events online.
• To launch major publicity campaigns for two forthcoming Counterfire/Pluto books – by Lindsey German and Neil Faulkner – including a series of high-profile book launches in as many local areas as possible.
• To publish a series of cheap Marxist classics, with new introductions, during 2013.