UP conference honors Karl Marx’s 200th birthday

UP conference honors Karl Marx’s 200th birthday

How useful is Karl Marx, who was born 200 years ago, for understanding the world today, even the horrid times under Duterte? This question and more will be raised in the Marx@200 Conference on May 26, from 9  AM to 7 PM, at Melchor Hall Auditorium, the College of Engineering,  in the University of the Philippines Diliman. Registration is free and the conference is open to the public.

The conference is hosted by CONTEND, or Congress of Nationalist Teachers/Educators for Nationalism and Democracy in UP Diliman, a motley of Marxists, aspiring Marxists, self-denying Marxists  and in-betweens. Professor Rolando Simbulan and Dr. Edberto M. Villegas, two eminent scholars, who try to put Marx in the Philippine context, will keynote the conference.

Marx was born in 1818 in Trier and died in London in 1883 at the age of sixty-four. Eleven people showed up for his funeral but his posthumous fame translates to the whole world being indelibly changed by his writings such as the Communist Manifesto and the three-volume Das Kapital and the keenness of his hope that ordinary persons like workers and the poor could change the world. In the 19th century when monarchs, aristocrats and the bourgeoisie held power and dictated the terms of life in society, the message “Workers of the world unite!” is life-changing, if not a call to arms.

Among the highlights of the Marx@200 conference is the simultaneous discussion of anything Marx and related to Marx’s thoughts and their critiques. There will be panel discussions on media, literature, revolution, politics, music, religion, “tokhang” and LGBTQ. Available in the conference are various merchandise (yes, we’re capitalists!) such as t-shirts, caps and tote bags.

For more information, please like the Facebook page “Marx at 200 Conference” of Contend or email us at marx200conference@gmail.com.

(PRESS RELEASE)