The World Federation of Democratic Youth has been deeply angered, saddened and astonished following the racist and imperialistic attack on South Africa’s 800m World Champion Caster Semenya by the International Association of Athletics Federation recently in Berlin, German. Such attacks on African people have persisted over the years, and we strongly condemn such a racist tendency by the organizers of this athletics federation.
It was not only racist or sexist attack to the South African and African citizens; but it was also a direct vilification of heavy magnitude to Caster Semenya’s parents and herself as an individual thus grossly and intensively undermining her God given talent.
Today, the African people will proudly join fellow South African’s and will rise to the occasion in celebrating the success of Caster who is a proud African daughter. It surprises that up to now, neo-colonialist interests still gatecrash and continue to be dragged into the sporting world.
Gender identification doesn’t require super-powered-technology, but gender can be determined within a mere blink of the eye. So does it need a rocket scientist to determine the gender of a human being? We wonder.
Unrepentant imperialist organizations must desist from racism and treating Africans (Black) as if they came to this earth through the back door or through an abnormal and non-existent labour process. Africa is not a laboratory for experimenting racist and imperialistic attitudes; it is a continent with united and peace loving citizens who always strive for one hundred percent economic empowerment and development through total control and ownership of their God given resources.
We call upon all progressive youth organizations to echo their voices in denouncing this racist, un-African, un-human, dubious and uncultured daylight attack on Semenya which proves beyond reasonable doubt that whims of darkness and racists still operate in this so called “ Global World”
WFDY HQ - CC
Budapest
25 August 2009
August 25, 2009
L’Attaque de Genre Menée par l’Association Internationale de la Fédération d’Athlétiques Contre la Sud Africaine Championne Caster Semenya: un Racisme
La Fédération Mondiale de la Jeunesse Démocratique (FMJD) a été gravement irritée, attristée, et étonnée par l’attaque raciste et impérialiste menée par l'Association internationale de Fédération d'Athlétisme récemment à Berlin, Allemagne contre la Championne du monde de 800 m de l'Afrique du Sud Caster Semenya. Plusieurs attaques de ce genre contre le peuple africain ont persisté au cours des années et nous condamnons fortement une tendance si raciste menée par les organisateurs de cette fédération d'athlétisme.
Cette attaque n’est pas seulement raciste et sexiste guidée contre l’Afrique du Sud et son peuple mais en plus elle représente une médisance directe aux parents de la championne et à Caster Semanya même, puisqu’elle mine grossièrement de son inné talent.
Aujourd’hui, le peuple Africain joindra fièrement le peuple de l’Afrique du Sud pour saisir l’occasion et célébrer le succès de Caster, la fière championne Africaine. Ce qui nous surprend c’est que, jusqu’à nos jours là, les intérêts néo-colonialistes s’introduisent encore subitement et s’impliquent même au monde sportif.
En plus, l’identification du genre d’une personne n’a pas besoin d’une technologie énorme, au contraire ça peut être déterminé en un clin d’œil. Alors a-t-on besoin d’un géni pour déterminer le genre d’un être humain? On se demande.
Les organisations impérialistes, qui poursuivent leur assaut sans remord, doivent cesser de traiter le peuple Africain (la race Noire) comme s’ils étaient d’une race inférieure et comme s’ils ne méritaient pas les mêmes droits que les leurs. L’Afrique n’est pas un laboratoire qui sert bien à expérimenter l’attitude raciste et impérialiste de ces organisations ; c’est un continent unissant un peuple paisible et affectueux qui lutte toujours pour gagner un control total sur ses ressources, qui garantira un cent pour cent de progrès économique.
Ainsi on hâte toutes les organisations progressives à transmettre leur protestation contre la raciste, inafricaine, inhumaine, et non cultivée flagrante attaque contre Semenya. Tout cela ne fait que prouver que les caprices du racisme sont toujours incarné dans ce soi-disant Monde Global.
FMJD HQ-CC
Budapest
25 Août 2009
Cette attaque n’est pas seulement raciste et sexiste guidée contre l’Afrique du Sud et son peuple mais en plus elle représente une médisance directe aux parents de la championne et à Caster Semanya même, puisqu’elle mine grossièrement de son inné talent.
Aujourd’hui, le peuple Africain joindra fièrement le peuple de l’Afrique du Sud pour saisir l’occasion et célébrer le succès de Caster, la fière championne Africaine. Ce qui nous surprend c’est que, jusqu’à nos jours là, les intérêts néo-colonialistes s’introduisent encore subitement et s’impliquent même au monde sportif.
En plus, l’identification du genre d’une personne n’a pas besoin d’une technologie énorme, au contraire ça peut être déterminé en un clin d’œil. Alors a-t-on besoin d’un géni pour déterminer le genre d’un être humain? On se demande.
Les organisations impérialistes, qui poursuivent leur assaut sans remord, doivent cesser de traiter le peuple Africain (la race Noire) comme s’ils étaient d’une race inférieure et comme s’ils ne méritaient pas les mêmes droits que les leurs. L’Afrique n’est pas un laboratoire qui sert bien à expérimenter l’attitude raciste et impérialiste de ces organisations ; c’est un continent unissant un peuple paisible et affectueux qui lutte toujours pour gagner un control total sur ses ressources, qui garantira un cent pour cent de progrès économique.
Ainsi on hâte toutes les organisations progressives à transmettre leur protestation contre la raciste, inafricaine, inhumaine, et non cultivée flagrante attaque contre Semenya. Tout cela ne fait que prouver que les caprices du racisme sont toujours incarné dans ce soi-disant Monde Global.
FMJD HQ-CC
Budapest
25 Août 2009
Stop the BC Harmonized Sales Tax
As the economic crisis continues to endanger jobs and force down wages British Columbians are faced with another attack. On July 23th, 2009 the right-wing B.C. Liberal government announced its intention to implement a Harmonized Sales Tax by July 1st, 2010. Despite explicit promises not to introduce such a tax during the last provincial election in May, the Liberal government persists in forcing working class British Columbians to pay for the failing capitalist economy.
The Harmonized Sales Tax combines two taxes, the Provincial Sales Tax and the federal Goods and Services Tax, into one federally administered sales tax. When this takes place, almost everything which PST does not apply to will see a 7% increase in cost. Among these are some of the most important parts a working class family's budget such as: residential fuels (electricity, natural gas) and heating, food products, non-prescription medication, work-related safety equipment, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, and household maintenance such as renovations and painting. Even grieving families will now pay 7% more at a funeral home.
The Harmonized Tax system puts a massive weight on working people in British Columbia. Northern B.C.ers who are seeing forestry jobs lost and already pay far more for many essential products will now see home heating costs increase dramatically. Commuters in urban areas will see bicycles and bicycle repairs jump in price, which continues the B.C. Liberal policy of profits before people and the environment.
Youth will be affected drastically by the new system. Movies and theatre tickets, repairs for home appliances, and other costs often born by young people will increase substantially. Even school supplies will see a 7% increase in cost when students already pay a criminal tuition fee to attend college or university. While the Liberals refuse to raise minimum wage or legislate a living wage system they continue to increase taxes on those who fall below the poverty line.
To add insult to injury the B.C. Liberal government will receive a 1.6 billion dollar payout from the federal Conservative government to implement this system. As working people try to balance meager budgets the provincial sellout continues. If it was not clear before, British Columbians now know exactly how much they sell for in the capitalist market.
BC Provincial Committee, August 2009
The Harmonized Sales Tax combines two taxes, the Provincial Sales Tax and the federal Goods and Services Tax, into one federally administered sales tax. When this takes place, almost everything which PST does not apply to will see a 7% increase in cost. Among these are some of the most important parts a working class family's budget such as: residential fuels (electricity, natural gas) and heating, food products, non-prescription medication, work-related safety equipment, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, and household maintenance such as renovations and painting. Even grieving families will now pay 7% more at a funeral home.
The Harmonized Tax system puts a massive weight on working people in British Columbia. Northern B.C.ers who are seeing forestry jobs lost and already pay far more for many essential products will now see home heating costs increase dramatically. Commuters in urban areas will see bicycles and bicycle repairs jump in price, which continues the B.C. Liberal policy of profits before people and the environment.
Youth will be affected drastically by the new system. Movies and theatre tickets, repairs for home appliances, and other costs often born by young people will increase substantially. Even school supplies will see a 7% increase in cost when students already pay a criminal tuition fee to attend college or university. While the Liberals refuse to raise minimum wage or legislate a living wage system they continue to increase taxes on those who fall below the poverty line.
To add insult to injury the B.C. Liberal government will receive a 1.6 billion dollar payout from the federal Conservative government to implement this system. As working people try to balance meager budgets the provincial sellout continues. If it was not clear before, British Columbians now know exactly how much they sell for in the capitalist market.
BC Provincial Committee, August 2009
WFDY Statement Against anti-communism and all kind of anti-democratic measures
Monday, August 24, 2009
On the day of today, the European Union is calling upon all European people to celebrate the so called “Europe- wide Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism”, following the anti-communist and anti- democratic
resolutions approved by the European Parliament.
This measure is, once again, a step towards the criminalization of the communist ideal and an attempt to make equivalent the fascist ideology to the ideology of peace, freedom and democracy, the communist ideology.
Furthermore, it is a complete hypocrisy for a structure as European Union to
raise the “flag of democracy”, when itself is imposing for the third time now an European Constitution that has already been rejected two times by the peoples; a structure as European Union that supports the role of NATO and aims to strengthen bounds with this international killing and destroying machine that over the last 60 years has supported all fascist regimes of Europe; a structure as European Union that has everyday stronger economical and political bounds with the Zionist state of Israel, that slaughters and humiliates the Palestinian people in their own land; a structure as European Union, that lets that in its inside there is a youth, democratic, peace loving organization be banned just because of their communist ideology (namely, the Communist Youth Union of Czech Republic).
To the Members of the European Parliament who approved this resolution and to all those who decide to join this dark celebration we remind that it was the Western European countries and USA (the so called “democratic countries”), who took no hesitation to bring back to power the high ranking officers of the former fascist armies.
Moreover, it is important to remind that two thirds of all battle fronts that
allowed the world to defeat Hitler’s army were on Eastern Europe and, most of them, conducted by the Soviet Union.
Such processes of comparing Fascist regimes to the socialist oriented societies, namely Soviet Union, are manoeuvres of deceiving and distraction from the agonizing imperialist powers.
Today, as in the past, imperialism is creating means, strategies and subjective conditions to persecute communist, progressive and anti-imperialist forces, particularly in the moment lived now, when the international financial crisis has brought up even more clearly the unsolvable contradictions of imperialism as an upper stage of the capitalist system. Imperialism knows that its survival, or the delay of its end, depends on confusing the youth and people of the world, preventing them to realize that only by struggling and rallying under the anti-imperialist organizations they can hope for a truly and long lasting peaceful and fair future.
WFDY draws the attention to the ongoing crimes and massacres against mankind that deserve not only analysis but concrete action from all possible democratic means, such as the massacre of the Palestinian and Saharan
people, the constant persecutions to all democrats in Colombia, Burma, Swaziland, Philippines and others as well as the completely outraging situation of coup d’état in Honduras.
WFDY calls upon all its member and friend organizations to denounce the anti-communist attack being launched and to continue their struggle for democracy and freedom, alongside with all elements that a constitute a truly democratic state, as universal access to education, employment, health, food, culture and sports, which is very far from being the reality inside the European Union member states and many others in the world.
Budapest, August 23, 2009
The CC/HQ of WFDY
On the day of today, the European Union is calling upon all European people to celebrate the so called “Europe- wide Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism”, following the anti-communist and anti- democratic
resolutions approved by the European Parliament.
This measure is, once again, a step towards the criminalization of the communist ideal and an attempt to make equivalent the fascist ideology to the ideology of peace, freedom and democracy, the communist ideology.
Furthermore, it is a complete hypocrisy for a structure as European Union to
raise the “flag of democracy”, when itself is imposing for the third time now an European Constitution that has already been rejected two times by the peoples; a structure as European Union that supports the role of NATO and aims to strengthen bounds with this international killing and destroying machine that over the last 60 years has supported all fascist regimes of Europe; a structure as European Union that has everyday stronger economical and political bounds with the Zionist state of Israel, that slaughters and humiliates the Palestinian people in their own land; a structure as European Union, that lets that in its inside there is a youth, democratic, peace loving organization be banned just because of their communist ideology (namely, the Communist Youth Union of Czech Republic).
To the Members of the European Parliament who approved this resolution and to all those who decide to join this dark celebration we remind that it was the Western European countries and USA (the so called “democratic countries”), who took no hesitation to bring back to power the high ranking officers of the former fascist armies.
Moreover, it is important to remind that two thirds of all battle fronts that
allowed the world to defeat Hitler’s army were on Eastern Europe and, most of them, conducted by the Soviet Union.
Such processes of comparing Fascist regimes to the socialist oriented societies, namely Soviet Union, are manoeuvres of deceiving and distraction from the agonizing imperialist powers.
Today, as in the past, imperialism is creating means, strategies and subjective conditions to persecute communist, progressive and anti-imperialist forces, particularly in the moment lived now, when the international financial crisis has brought up even more clearly the unsolvable contradictions of imperialism as an upper stage of the capitalist system. Imperialism knows that its survival, or the delay of its end, depends on confusing the youth and people of the world, preventing them to realize that only by struggling and rallying under the anti-imperialist organizations they can hope for a truly and long lasting peaceful and fair future.
WFDY draws the attention to the ongoing crimes and massacres against mankind that deserve not only analysis but concrete action from all possible democratic means, such as the massacre of the Palestinian and Saharan
people, the constant persecutions to all democrats in Colombia, Burma, Swaziland, Philippines and others as well as the completely outraging situation of coup d’état in Honduras.
WFDY calls upon all its member and friend organizations to denounce the anti-communist attack being launched and to continue their struggle for democracy and freedom, alongside with all elements that a constitute a truly democratic state, as universal access to education, employment, health, food, culture and sports, which is very far from being the reality inside the European Union member states and many others in the world.
Budapest, August 23, 2009
The CC/HQ of WFDY
August 13, 2009
Greetings to the Young New Democrats Convention
August 13, 2009
Dear New Democratic Youth of Canada Executive,
Greetings from the Young Communist Leauge – Ligue de la jeunesse communiste du Canada, on the occasion of your HFX09 YOUTH, the NDP Federal Youth convention starting today!
We write to you in the spirit of cooperation and dialogue. In our view, your convention comes at a critical time for the youth and student movement across Canada. Our world’s environment is seriously threatened, our generation is undergoing the most intense and dangerous economic crisis we’ve ever seen, and an aggressively pro-big business government – the Harper Conservatives – is in power.
Tens of thousands of young people are unemployed. Many haven’t found a job this summer. Fewer still will obtain well-paying, meaningful, and safe full-time work. In Toronto, youth unemployment is pushing 20 per cent. Aboriginal youth, young women, youth of colour (especially Afro-Canadian youth) and non-status youth are severely hit. Employment Insurance denies most young applicants, including farm-worker youth, and is meagre at best.
In this crisis, have any of the municipal, provincial and federal governments moved to close the wage gap between women and men, massively build affordable housing, legislate a minimum wage above poverty, or make car insurance and public transit more accessible to youth? Student debt hit $13 billion this January. With the exception of Newfoundland, most provinces are increasing tuition and ancillary fees, while commercializing education. (Sadly that includes Gary Doer’s Manitoba, and Darrell Dexter’s provincial platform astoundingly called for tax cuts to students, not reduced tuition).
We are interested in your reflections; our experience is that the young workers and students across Canada genuinely resent being forced to pay for a crisis that we didn’t create – a crisis caused by capitalism. The also youth disagree with the billions of dollars wasted on the imperialist war in Afghanistan, and even the general direction of our largely US-written foreign policy (currently tacitly supporting the illegal Honduran coup).
For our part, we stand with all those who envision a new future without hunger, misery, ignorance, exploitation and suffering, without capitalism and imperialism. We know that we are not alone. Our organization’s perspective is for a socialist Canada, where the people own the economy and society is based on ecology and human need, not corporate greed. For us, this goal is urgently linked with the efforts of young people, with the labour and all people’s movements, to strive for a much better deal – not just in the Parliament but especially on the streets, in the schools, in workplaces. We think you would agree that way forward includes struggle and protests, requiring bold and energetic unity.
The YCL has great respect for the countless honest, good-hearted NDY’ers who are outstanding activists. Although occasionally – like the battle to de-federate Simon Fraser University from the Canadian Federation of Students – we find young NDPers are sadly both sides of the fight, the big picture of the NDP youth is an organization with many progressive militants working hard in the fight-back as individuals. It is our hope that the New Democratic Youth will deepen its participation as an organization in the many campaigns of English-speaking Canadian, Québécois, Aboriginal and Acadian youth.
We know many others agree that the movement would be made stronger if, with all the radical and spirited enthusiasm that burns within youth, the NDY consciously brought its membership into campaigns. Could the NDY dauntlessly and publicly support progressive causes like the immediate call for the restoration of democratically elected Honduran President Zelaya, or actions like the Troops Out of Afghanistan Now, against military recruitment, solidarity with Palestine and Haiti, to raise the minimum wage above the poverty line, expand and transform EI, for universal, public, quality childcare, or to immediately reduce and then eliminate tuition fees, and close the scandalous gap in Aboriginal education funding? This is not the place for a complete list of the youth struggles, but what possibilities exist for the NDY consciously helping movements, as an organization, to mobilize in unions and on campus?
The call for united action is all the more imperative give the renewed gross and anti-democratic attempts at manipulating student politics engendered by the Conservative Party youth.
Our local clubs are open to working with any youth organization, including the NDY, towards a progressive agenda. We warmly welcome any discussions, debate and joint action that builds a broader, more powerful youth and student movement. These debates and actions are not sufficiently comprehensive and pan-Canadian, but they are vigorous and on-going among the English-speaking Canadian, Québécois, Aboriginal and Acadian youth. In the face of such serious threats to our generation, to take a different approach than unity and struggle, we think, would be disastrous for the youth.
Again, on behalf of the Central Executive Committee of the Young Communist League of Canada – Ligue de la jeunesse communiste du Canada, we wish your delegates and new executive best luck for a successful convention that is militant, dynamic, and committed to building a Canada of peace, democracy, ecology, employment, and full sovereignty – and a better world.
Yours in friendship and struggle,
Johan Boyden
General Secretary, YCL-LJC
Cc:
YND Co-Chair Rachel Gotthilf
YND Co-Chair Marie-Pier René
Secretary Meghan Mitchell
Treasurer Anand Sharma
Policy Director Erica Martin
Communications Director Bryan Young,
Outreach Director John Tzupa,
Francophone Director Jean-Francois Paradis,
Labour Director Erin Sikora,
Disability Rights Director Nathan Hauch,
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgendered and Queer Director Andrew Brett,
Women’s Director Fiona Shiells,
Aboriginal Director Mitchell Anderson
Dear New Democratic Youth of Canada Executive,
Greetings from the Young Communist Leauge – Ligue de la jeunesse communiste du Canada, on the occasion of your HFX09 YOUTH, the NDP Federal Youth convention starting today!
We write to you in the spirit of cooperation and dialogue. In our view, your convention comes at a critical time for the youth and student movement across Canada. Our world’s environment is seriously threatened, our generation is undergoing the most intense and dangerous economic crisis we’ve ever seen, and an aggressively pro-big business government – the Harper Conservatives – is in power.
Tens of thousands of young people are unemployed. Many haven’t found a job this summer. Fewer still will obtain well-paying, meaningful, and safe full-time work. In Toronto, youth unemployment is pushing 20 per cent. Aboriginal youth, young women, youth of colour (especially Afro-Canadian youth) and non-status youth are severely hit. Employment Insurance denies most young applicants, including farm-worker youth, and is meagre at best.
In this crisis, have any of the municipal, provincial and federal governments moved to close the wage gap between women and men, massively build affordable housing, legislate a minimum wage above poverty, or make car insurance and public transit more accessible to youth? Student debt hit $13 billion this January. With the exception of Newfoundland, most provinces are increasing tuition and ancillary fees, while commercializing education. (Sadly that includes Gary Doer’s Manitoba, and Darrell Dexter’s provincial platform astoundingly called for tax cuts to students, not reduced tuition).
We are interested in your reflections; our experience is that the young workers and students across Canada genuinely resent being forced to pay for a crisis that we didn’t create – a crisis caused by capitalism. The also youth disagree with the billions of dollars wasted on the imperialist war in Afghanistan, and even the general direction of our largely US-written foreign policy (currently tacitly supporting the illegal Honduran coup).
For our part, we stand with all those who envision a new future without hunger, misery, ignorance, exploitation and suffering, without capitalism and imperialism. We know that we are not alone. Our organization’s perspective is for a socialist Canada, where the people own the economy and society is based on ecology and human need, not corporate greed. For us, this goal is urgently linked with the efforts of young people, with the labour and all people’s movements, to strive for a much better deal – not just in the Parliament but especially on the streets, in the schools, in workplaces. We think you would agree that way forward includes struggle and protests, requiring bold and energetic unity.
The YCL has great respect for the countless honest, good-hearted NDY’ers who are outstanding activists. Although occasionally – like the battle to de-federate Simon Fraser University from the Canadian Federation of Students – we find young NDPers are sadly both sides of the fight, the big picture of the NDP youth is an organization with many progressive militants working hard in the fight-back as individuals. It is our hope that the New Democratic Youth will deepen its participation as an organization in the many campaigns of English-speaking Canadian, Québécois, Aboriginal and Acadian youth.
We know many others agree that the movement would be made stronger if, with all the radical and spirited enthusiasm that burns within youth, the NDY consciously brought its membership into campaigns. Could the NDY dauntlessly and publicly support progressive causes like the immediate call for the restoration of democratically elected Honduran President Zelaya, or actions like the Troops Out of Afghanistan Now, against military recruitment, solidarity with Palestine and Haiti, to raise the minimum wage above the poverty line, expand and transform EI, for universal, public, quality childcare, or to immediately reduce and then eliminate tuition fees, and close the scandalous gap in Aboriginal education funding? This is not the place for a complete list of the youth struggles, but what possibilities exist for the NDY consciously helping movements, as an organization, to mobilize in unions and on campus?
The call for united action is all the more imperative give the renewed gross and anti-democratic attempts at manipulating student politics engendered by the Conservative Party youth.
Our local clubs are open to working with any youth organization, including the NDY, towards a progressive agenda. We warmly welcome any discussions, debate and joint action that builds a broader, more powerful youth and student movement. These debates and actions are not sufficiently comprehensive and pan-Canadian, but they are vigorous and on-going among the English-speaking Canadian, Québécois, Aboriginal and Acadian youth. In the face of such serious threats to our generation, to take a different approach than unity and struggle, we think, would be disastrous for the youth.
Again, on behalf of the Central Executive Committee of the Young Communist League of Canada – Ligue de la jeunesse communiste du Canada, we wish your delegates and new executive best luck for a successful convention that is militant, dynamic, and committed to building a Canada of peace, democracy, ecology, employment, and full sovereignty – and a better world.
Yours in friendship and struggle,
Johan Boyden
General Secretary, YCL-LJC
Cc:
YND Co-Chair Rachel Gotthilf
YND Co-Chair Marie-Pier René
Secretary Meghan Mitchell
Treasurer Anand Sharma
Policy Director Erica Martin
Communications Director Bryan Young,
Outreach Director John Tzupa,
Francophone Director Jean-Francois Paradis,
Labour Director Erin Sikora,
Disability Rights Director Nathan Hauch,
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgendered and Queer Director Andrew Brett,
Women’s Director Fiona Shiells,
Aboriginal Director Mitchell Anderson
YCL Newsletter
YCL BC School a big hit!
The Sunshine Coast was a little more Red than usual this BC Day long
weekend as the Young Communist League (YCL) held their annual Summer
Camp in Sechelt. Over 20 youth from across the province attended the
camp this year where they learned, discussed, and had fun. It was the
largest event of its kind held since the YCL began to re-organize in
BC over five years ago.
“It can be hard to get young people out to a four day long event,”
said YCL BC Organizer Stephen Von Sychowski. “I think the growth can
be attributed to the increase in size and activity of the League in BC
as well as to the radicalization of youth in the face of war, student
debt and the capitalist economic crisis. Capitalism is again producing
its own gravediggers.” At least years Summer Camp, Trail was the
newest addition to the list of YCL Clubs being built up across Canada.
This year it was Kamloops. Both Clubs sent delegations to this years
Summer Camp.
Under the scorching hot sun the attendees studied a variety of topics
including the economic crisis and the fightback, the environmental
crisis, what socialism is and why it is necessary, current events in
Latin America, and more. But it wasn’t all study, there was also lots
of time for fun. After educational sessions were finished it was off
to the beach to relax, swim, and enjoy the rest of the day.
“I came here to learn about Marxism,” said one camp attendee, “but I
left not just with new knowledge but also with new friends and
memories of an awesome weekend.”
The East Coast camp in Antigonish has been postponed. Next week the
YCL Ontario will be holding its summer school, for more info:
ycl_ontario@ycl-ljc.ca
The Sunshine Coast was a little more Red than usual this BC Day long
weekend as the Young Communist League (YCL) held their annual Summer
Camp in Sechelt. Over 20 youth from across the province attended the
camp this year where they learned, discussed, and had fun. It was the
largest event of its kind held since the YCL began to re-organize in
BC over five years ago.
“It can be hard to get young people out to a four day long event,”
said YCL BC Organizer Stephen Von Sychowski. “I think the growth can
be attributed to the increase in size and activity of the League in BC
as well as to the radicalization of youth in the face of war, student
debt and the capitalist economic crisis. Capitalism is again producing
its own gravediggers.” At least years Summer Camp, Trail was the
newest addition to the list of YCL Clubs being built up across Canada.
This year it was Kamloops. Both Clubs sent delegations to this years
Summer Camp.
Under the scorching hot sun the attendees studied a variety of topics
including the economic crisis and the fightback, the environmental
crisis, what socialism is and why it is necessary, current events in
Latin America, and more. But it wasn’t all study, there was also lots
of time for fun. After educational sessions were finished it was off
to the beach to relax, swim, and enjoy the rest of the day.
“I came here to learn about Marxism,” said one camp attendee, “but I
left not just with new knowledge but also with new friends and
memories of an awesome weekend.”
The East Coast camp in Antigonish has been postponed. Next week the
YCL Ontario will be holding its summer school, for more info:
ycl_ontario@ycl-ljc.ca
August 10, 2009
On 64 years of the USA nuclear bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan)
Today is the 64th complete year of the launching of the first nuclear bomb in the History of mankind, in Nagasaki, Japan. This crime, which was soon after repeated in Nagasaki, demonstrated the inhuman and brutal character of imperialism, and its main interpreter over the last 64 years: the United States of America.
The launching of nuclear bombs over the already surrendered state of Japan was no more than a political and military sign of USA’s imperialist wish for worldwide domination.
Both the sign and the attempts of domination caused millions of wounded and dead, brought starvation, destruction and misery to many people, destroyed the right of millions of young people to have a school, a hospital, a job, a cultural centre or a sports pitch.
During this time the only thing that allowed mankind to stop the imperialist greed of USA, and later European Union and Japan (the main imperialist poles), was its organized struggle and resistance.
Only the resistance and struggle of the people have avoided even more brutal wars and even more militarization. Only the organized struggle of the people have made it possible for so many countries and peoples to be free, independent and sovereign, despite the continuous threats, blackmail and interventions of imperialism.
Today, more than ever, it is crucial a shift in the world’s policies. WFDY calls upon all its member and friend organizations to rally their efforts and unite their strengths to, with their struggle, make a real change possible for mankind, for a world where demilitarization is a fact and not rhetoric, where peace is a reality and not slogan, and where friendship and cooperation are honest between peoples and states, unlike the exploiting policies conducted by USA, European Union and Japan in its manipulation and despise of the United Nations and the International Law.
The CC/HQ of WFDY
Budapest, August 6, 2009
The launching of nuclear bombs over the already surrendered state of Japan was no more than a political and military sign of USA’s imperialist wish for worldwide domination.
Both the sign and the attempts of domination caused millions of wounded and dead, brought starvation, destruction and misery to many people, destroyed the right of millions of young people to have a school, a hospital, a job, a cultural centre or a sports pitch.
During this time the only thing that allowed mankind to stop the imperialist greed of USA, and later European Union and Japan (the main imperialist poles), was its organized struggle and resistance.
Only the resistance and struggle of the people have avoided even more brutal wars and even more militarization. Only the organized struggle of the people have made it possible for so many countries and peoples to be free, independent and sovereign, despite the continuous threats, blackmail and interventions of imperialism.
Today, more than ever, it is crucial a shift in the world’s policies. WFDY calls upon all its member and friend organizations to rally their efforts and unite their strengths to, with their struggle, make a real change possible for mankind, for a world where demilitarization is a fact and not rhetoric, where peace is a reality and not slogan, and where friendship and cooperation are honest between peoples and states, unlike the exploiting policies conducted by USA, European Union and Japan in its manipulation and despise of the United Nations and the International Law.
The CC/HQ of WFDY
Budapest, August 6, 2009
August 09, 2009
City of Guelph: put Nature and People before Profit!
STOP CRIMINALIZING ENVIRONMENTALISTS!
YCL-Guelph
On Monday July 27th at 6:30am, a group of protesters set up camp on the proposed Hanlon Creek Business Park development (HCBP), successfully shutting down construction on the site. This development has been subject to heated community debate since 1993 however, the City of Guelph has recently pushed ahead with the first phase of the construction.
Despite the broad public outcry, the City has not properly addressed warnings by environmentalists and community members. The land in question is home to one of Southern Ontario's last surviving Old Growth Forests and situated on the Paris-Galt Moraine which is essential to the integrity of the surrounding area's drinking water. The HCBP site contains provincially significant wetlands as well as protected species. Environmentalists, scientists and community members agree that the supposed precautions taken by the City are not stringent enough to ensure that significant damage is not done to the land, its resources and ecosystems. THE FAILURE OF THE CITY TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS WAS THE REAL CAUSE OF THE WORK STOPPAGE. Direct action was the only way to ensure that work was stopped and democratic debate about the development was continued.
The City and its corporate friends have continued to frame the opposition to the Business Park as opposition to providing jobs to the community. Guelph is facing a jobs crisis. We have lost over 2 000 manufacturing jobs in Guelph since the capitalist crisis hit last year. Guelph is a university town and the recession has also hit students hard and making secondary education even less accessible to working-class youth. This past Friday, Statistics Canada released figures showing that student unemployment hit 20.9 per cent in July — the highest jobless rate since the agency began collecting comparable data in 1977.
So does this mean that ecological destruction is necessary in order to pull us out of the recession/depression? THE HCBP IS NOT A SOLUTION FOR GUELPH'S WORKING CLASS, YOUTH AND STUDENTS. The tenants that the HCBP hopes to attract are biotechnology, agri-science firms, and other corporate evil-doers. It is unlikely that any of Guelph's recently unemployed manufacturing workers would be eligible for a research position in these offices and its industrial section will not be built up for years, if ever. Furthermore, Guelph has 175 brownfields that can be cleaned up and re-developed (former industrial/commercial sites that may be toxified and are now unused).
Unfortunately, Capital sees brownfields as less profitable than new development on a 'greenfield'. The municipality and other levels of government need to stand up to unrestrained capitalist greed and demand that development is done in a responsible way. YCL-Guelph affirms its support in the struggle for meaningful, decent paying jobs as well as for environmental sustainability and conservation.
PUT PEOPLE AND NATURE BEFORE PROFIT!
YCL-GUELPH STANDS IN FULL SOLIDARITY WITH THE LAND DEFENDERS AT THE HCBP SITE AND DEMANDS THAT THE CITY STOP IT'S EFFORTS AT INTIMIDATION AND CRIMINALIZATION. The City's attitude towards the protesters on the site has not been to negotiate towards a resolution but to use the threats of a 5 million dollar lawsuit, and charges of 'Nuisance', the ‘Criminal Offence of Mischief,’ the ‘Criminal Offence of Intimidation,’ the ‘Criminal Offence of Extortion,’ and ‘Inducing Breach of Contract’, to intimidate the peaceful protesters. These brave people have put themselves on the line in the struggle against anarchic and destructive capitalist development. Many of the people who have been singled out by the City and now face the 5 million dollar law-suit are friends and allies of the YCL.
Please join the friends of the "Land Defenders", community supporters and YCL-Guelph tomorrow, Monday August 10th.
@10 am - Superior Court (74 Woolwich St).
@ 6pm - Rally at city hall (1 Carden st.)
YCL-Guelph
On Monday July 27th at 6:30am, a group of protesters set up camp on the proposed Hanlon Creek Business Park development (HCBP), successfully shutting down construction on the site. This development has been subject to heated community debate since 1993 however, the City of Guelph has recently pushed ahead with the first phase of the construction.
Despite the broad public outcry, the City has not properly addressed warnings by environmentalists and community members. The land in question is home to one of Southern Ontario's last surviving Old Growth Forests and situated on the Paris-Galt Moraine which is essential to the integrity of the surrounding area's drinking water. The HCBP site contains provincially significant wetlands as well as protected species. Environmentalists, scientists and community members agree that the supposed precautions taken by the City are not stringent enough to ensure that significant damage is not done to the land, its resources and ecosystems. THE FAILURE OF THE CITY TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS WAS THE REAL CAUSE OF THE WORK STOPPAGE. Direct action was the only way to ensure that work was stopped and democratic debate about the development was continued.
The City and its corporate friends have continued to frame the opposition to the Business Park as opposition to providing jobs to the community. Guelph is facing a jobs crisis. We have lost over 2 000 manufacturing jobs in Guelph since the capitalist crisis hit last year. Guelph is a university town and the recession has also hit students hard and making secondary education even less accessible to working-class youth. This past Friday, Statistics Canada released figures showing that student unemployment hit 20.9 per cent in July — the highest jobless rate since the agency began collecting comparable data in 1977.
So does this mean that ecological destruction is necessary in order to pull us out of the recession/depression? THE HCBP IS NOT A SOLUTION FOR GUELPH'S WORKING CLASS, YOUTH AND STUDENTS. The tenants that the HCBP hopes to attract are biotechnology, agri-science firms, and other corporate evil-doers. It is unlikely that any of Guelph's recently unemployed manufacturing workers would be eligible for a research position in these offices and its industrial section will not be built up for years, if ever. Furthermore, Guelph has 175 brownfields that can be cleaned up and re-developed (former industrial/commercial sites that may be toxified and are now unused).
Unfortunately, Capital sees brownfields as less profitable than new development on a 'greenfield'. The municipality and other levels of government need to stand up to unrestrained capitalist greed and demand that development is done in a responsible way. YCL-Guelph affirms its support in the struggle for meaningful, decent paying jobs as well as for environmental sustainability and conservation.
PUT PEOPLE AND NATURE BEFORE PROFIT!
YCL-GUELPH STANDS IN FULL SOLIDARITY WITH THE LAND DEFENDERS AT THE HCBP SITE AND DEMANDS THAT THE CITY STOP IT'S EFFORTS AT INTIMIDATION AND CRIMINALIZATION. The City's attitude towards the protesters on the site has not been to negotiate towards a resolution but to use the threats of a 5 million dollar lawsuit, and charges of 'Nuisance', the ‘Criminal Offence of Mischief,’ the ‘Criminal Offence of Intimidation,’ the ‘Criminal Offence of Extortion,’ and ‘Inducing Breach of Contract’, to intimidate the peaceful protesters. These brave people have put themselves on the line in the struggle against anarchic and destructive capitalist development. Many of the people who have been singled out by the City and now face the 5 million dollar law-suit are friends and allies of the YCL.
Please join the friends of the "Land Defenders", community supporters and YCL-Guelph tomorrow, Monday August 10th.
@10 am - Superior Court (74 Woolwich St).
@ 6pm - Rally at city hall (1 Carden st.)
July 29, 2009
Celebrating 50 Years of Cuba Revolution!
This July 26, the Young Communist League of Canada - la Ligue de la jeunesse communiste du Canada, sends its greetings and stands in solidarity with the people of Cuba. This "Moncada Day" has special meaning for Cubans and friends of Cuba everywhere, as it is the 50th anniversary of the victory of the Cuban Revolution. The movement that grew into the triumphant Revolution was born on the 26th of July, 1953 when Fidel and Raul Castro and around 160 other brave revolutionaries attacked the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. This was the first armed resistance to the corrupt and brutal, US-backed, Batista regime, carried out by the "Movimiento 26 Julio".
The YCL-LJC Canada wishes to send a special greeting to the Youth of Cuba and to the Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas. We acknowledge the vanguard role the youth play in the Cuban Revolution and the Cuban people's struggle for socialism and against imperialism. This was no different 56 years ago when the attack on the Moncada barracks was carried out. The revolutionaries that participated were overwhelmingly young farmers, workers and students and in unity with the working-class. The average age was 26, the same age as their leader Fidel Castro. Today we salute the example set by those brave revolutionaries.
The Moncada attack was not an immediate victory for the Movimiento 26 Julio, but it was the first battle in a long people's struggle against the strangle-hold of imperialism. After Fidel was arrested and imprisoned, he published his famous defence speech entitled "History will Absolve Me". With 50 years of history written about the heroic Cuban Revolution, Castro and his Moncada comrades have been absolved one-thousand times over. By continuing to maintain friendly relations with Cuba, Canada affirms its sovereignty in foreign policy (which in all other areas is authored by Washington -- like Palestine, Colombia or Canada’s imperialist war in Afghanistan).
The bravery and heroism of their people continues, symbolized by the Cuba Five – five men unjustly imprisoned in US jails for fighting CIA-backed terrorism on their Island. We salute the Five, reaffirm our demand to free them, and cheer-on Cuba's achievements in education, health care and international solidarity which have shown the world that socialism is both possible and necessary to end war, environmental destruction and economic injustice.
The Young Communist League of Canada joins the friends of Cuba from around the world in saying:
"VIVA LA REVOLUCION CUBANA Y EL MOVIMIENTO DEL 26!"
YCL-LJC CEC
The YCL-LJC Canada wishes to send a special greeting to the Youth of Cuba and to the Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas. We acknowledge the vanguard role the youth play in the Cuban Revolution and the Cuban people's struggle for socialism and against imperialism. This was no different 56 years ago when the attack on the Moncada barracks was carried out. The revolutionaries that participated were overwhelmingly young farmers, workers and students and in unity with the working-class. The average age was 26, the same age as their leader Fidel Castro. Today we salute the example set by those brave revolutionaries.
The Moncada attack was not an immediate victory for the Movimiento 26 Julio, but it was the first battle in a long people's struggle against the strangle-hold of imperialism. After Fidel was arrested and imprisoned, he published his famous defence speech entitled "History will Absolve Me". With 50 years of history written about the heroic Cuban Revolution, Castro and his Moncada comrades have been absolved one-thousand times over. By continuing to maintain friendly relations with Cuba, Canada affirms its sovereignty in foreign policy (which in all other areas is authored by Washington -- like Palestine, Colombia or Canada’s imperialist war in Afghanistan).
The bravery and heroism of their people continues, symbolized by the Cuba Five – five men unjustly imprisoned in US jails for fighting CIA-backed terrorism on their Island. We salute the Five, reaffirm our demand to free them, and cheer-on Cuba's achievements in education, health care and international solidarity which have shown the world that socialism is both possible and necessary to end war, environmental destruction and economic injustice.
The Young Communist League of Canada joins the friends of Cuba from around the world in saying:
"VIVA LA REVOLUCION CUBANA Y EL MOVIMIENTO DEL 26!"
YCL-LJC CEC
July WFDY News
Dear Comrades and friends,
We are pleased to circulate the July 2009 newsletter of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, which can be downloaded at:
http://www.wfdy.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/wfdy-news-july-2009-digital.pdf
The newsletters main editorial follows.
- YCL-LJC
EDITORIAL - JULY 2009 - WFDY NEWS
July, the hot weather month is also a hot month for antiimperialist struggle. Around the world WFDY organizations started their summer plans including camps, festivals and youth events. In Cyprus EDON celebrated its festival with a new taste this time,
especially after the winning of presidency last year. New challenges face the movement now after being in power, but till now it proves to be fruitful with AKEL and the left forces taking more than 35 % of the votes in the European elections, thus improving their share of votes, and this only happened to a single party in power, that party is AKEL.
In Africa, this month celebrated the birth of the symbol of the liberation struggle Nilson Mandela, and our organizations across the continent continue their struggle with the same spirit of struggle towards complete independence from imperialist implications after getting liberated of its direct occupation in the past century.
WFDY also visited Asia, participating in an international forum of All China Youth Federation in Beijing and meeting many officials of the organization. WFDY also visited Vietnam, DPRK Korea and Japan in a series of meetings with our member organizations in this important region in the world. We expect this visit to come out with important results in the near future and further strengthen the relations and the anti-imperialist struggle in the region.
In the Middle East, the political situation is always tense and delicate, but this month carried a shameful declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain expressing the will to open the relations with the Zionist state of Israel.
This is a very bad move that neglects the right of the Palestinian people to have an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, and the right of return of the refugees to their lands. Any compromise with Israel that doesn't include those rights of the Palestinian people is a betrayal that we condemn and refuse.
Elections in Lebanon was another form of political fraud, where the campaign of both coalitions, March8 and March
14, the pro-Syrian and pro-American groups did cost about 700 million dollars, almost the same amount of the campaign of the US elections knowing that Lebanon is 100 times less populated than US!! With huge funding from abroad, especially from Saudi Arabia, the March 14 coalition managed to get about 60,000 immigrants fully paid for travel and hotel for a full week to vote in the delicate and balanced regions and this led to their victory in the overall results. Lebanon will go again into 4 years of a pro-American government and a crippled “opposition” that only seeks compromises and shares in the government.
On the other hand, during the same month, the campaign to free Ahmad Saadat, General Secretary of PFLP detained in Israel, presented a statement in front of the UN General Secretary and asked the UN to take its responsibilities for the freedom of the Palestinian detainees. WFDY joined this campaign and issued a statement of solidarity earlier this month.
In Latin America, the movement against the illegal coup in Honduras is still rising and everyday there are more pressures on the military to quit and let the democratically elected leader to come back to power. WFDY continues its solidarity and close look for the situation and studies possible moves in solidarity with the Honduran people in the next months
We are pleased to circulate the July 2009 newsletter of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, which can be downloaded at:
http://www.wfdy.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/wfdy-news-july-2009-digital.pdf
The newsletters main editorial follows.
- YCL-LJC
EDITORIAL - JULY 2009 - WFDY NEWS
July, the hot weather month is also a hot month for antiimperialist struggle. Around the world WFDY organizations started their summer plans including camps, festivals and youth events. In Cyprus EDON celebrated its festival with a new taste this time,
especially after the winning of presidency last year. New challenges face the movement now after being in power, but till now it proves to be fruitful with AKEL and the left forces taking more than 35 % of the votes in the European elections, thus improving their share of votes, and this only happened to a single party in power, that party is AKEL.
In Africa, this month celebrated the birth of the symbol of the liberation struggle Nilson Mandela, and our organizations across the continent continue their struggle with the same spirit of struggle towards complete independence from imperialist implications after getting liberated of its direct occupation in the past century.
WFDY also visited Asia, participating in an international forum of All China Youth Federation in Beijing and meeting many officials of the organization. WFDY also visited Vietnam, DPRK Korea and Japan in a series of meetings with our member organizations in this important region in the world. We expect this visit to come out with important results in the near future and further strengthen the relations and the anti-imperialist struggle in the region.
In the Middle East, the political situation is always tense and delicate, but this month carried a shameful declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain expressing the will to open the relations with the Zionist state of Israel.
This is a very bad move that neglects the right of the Palestinian people to have an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital, and the right of return of the refugees to their lands. Any compromise with Israel that doesn't include those rights of the Palestinian people is a betrayal that we condemn and refuse.
Elections in Lebanon was another form of political fraud, where the campaign of both coalitions, March8 and March
14, the pro-Syrian and pro-American groups did cost about 700 million dollars, almost the same amount of the campaign of the US elections knowing that Lebanon is 100 times less populated than US!! With huge funding from abroad, especially from Saudi Arabia, the March 14 coalition managed to get about 60,000 immigrants fully paid for travel and hotel for a full week to vote in the delicate and balanced regions and this led to their victory in the overall results. Lebanon will go again into 4 years of a pro-American government and a crippled “opposition” that only seeks compromises and shares in the government.
On the other hand, during the same month, the campaign to free Ahmad Saadat, General Secretary of PFLP detained in Israel, presented a statement in front of the UN General Secretary and asked the UN to take its responsibilities for the freedom of the Palestinian detainees. WFDY joined this campaign and issued a statement of solidarity earlier this month.
In Latin America, the movement against the illegal coup in Honduras is still rising and everyday there are more pressures on the military to quit and let the democratically elected leader to come back to power. WFDY continues its solidarity and close look for the situation and studies possible moves in solidarity with the Honduran people in the next months
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
