What's the YCL up to in October?

1. Demand $10 NOW

The Vancouver & District Labour Council' Young Workers Committee is organizing a campaigning blitz at Oakridge Mall on Saturday, October 3rd at 1pm. The event is for the $10 NOW campaign which demands an immediate increase to $10/hour for the minimum wage, a subsequent increase to $11, indexing to inflation and abolition of the "training wage." They will be bringing their demands directly to the mall, where many employer who pay the minimum wage are, and most importantly to the workers at the mall who need this the most. We urge our members and friends to participate in this action.

Details: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=656850401&ref=profile#/event.php?eid=169708145378

2. YCL Discussion Group - Dialectical Materialism

Our next discussion group will be on dialectical materialism, led by Paul Bjarnason of the BC Committee of the Communist Party. It will be Wednesday, October 7th, 7pm at the Centre for Socialist Education (706 Clark Dr.)

Suggested reading: Materialism and the Dialectical Method by Maurice Cornforth. If you would like a .PDF copy of this material, please e-mail redstar@ycl-ljc.ca

Details: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=656850401&ref=profile#/event.php?eid=149267372237&ref=ts

3. Red Star Club Meeting

This months Red Star Club meeting will be held on October 17th at 5pm, before the Left Film Night. It will be at our office in the Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Dr.

Here is the draft agenda:

Role Call/Membership
Minutes of September 12th

OLD BUSINESS/STANDING ITEMS

-Peace & International Solidarity (Honduras, WPF Youth Day, Fraser Valley Peace Council, Stopwar Youth etc.)
-Young Workers & Labour (Minimum Wage, On to Ottawa Trek, Wal Mart etc.)
- Student Movement (Campus work, new leaflets, etc.)
- Culture & Agit Prop (Left Film Night, new poster etc.)
- Pro-Choice demo
- Fundraising
- Silk Screening
- Any other business arising from minutes

NEW BUSINESS

- Central Convention
- YCL BC Convention

4. Left Film Night: Cocalero & Libertarias

Left Film Night presents a double feature on Saturday, Oct. 17:

COCALERO

(Director Alejandro Landes, 94 minutes, Argentina, 2007, English subtitles)

Starts 7:00 pm

A cocalero is a coca leaf grower from the Andes region of South America. In this documentar, Evo Morales, an Aymara Indian cocalero and trade union leader, travels through Bolivia in his historic 2005 bid to be elected the first indigenous president in the Americas, 500 years after the arrival of Cristopher Columbus. Cocalero documents Morales on the campaign trail, from formal fundraising dinners to mass rallies. It also shows the personal side of Morales, speaking about his life and the reasons for his entry into the political arena.

LIBERTARIAS (“Freedom Fighters”)

(Director Vincente Aranda, 125 minutes, Spain, English subtitles)

Starts 8:50 pm

An emotional film shedding light on the lives of six members of a women’s brigade in Barcelona fighting for the country’s left wing Republican government in 1936.

Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver

No admission charge, but donations towards our costs are welcome. Coffee and refreshments available. Call 604-255-2041 or email for further information.

Details: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=656850401&ref=profile#/group.php?gid=8947029929

5. Silk Screening Party!

Join us for a Silk Screening Party on Saturday, October 24th, 11am, at the Centre for Socialist Education (706 Clark Dr.) The YCL has recently acquired a large amount of Silk Screening materials and plans to get together on October 24th to take our first shot at putting them to use. We plant to make several flags to be used at future rallies and protests and practice our skills for eventually making t-shirts and other items for use in our activities and for fundraising.

Labour Day Greeting from the Young Communist League of Canada

On the occasion of Labour Day the Young Communist League of Canada greets the young workers with solidarity and militancy. Canada is one of the few countries in the world that does not celebrate the workers holiday on May 1, but every holiday we have fought for and deserve.

On Labour Day 2009 we view the situation of the young workers as very dire. Across our country minimum wages are poverty wages, youth unemployment is the highest since figures began to be recorded, tuition is on the rise, and social services and union contracts are under attack. This is taking place in the context of the sellout of our jobs and our countries sovereignty through de-industrialization, free trade pacts, and deep integration with the United States.

All of this is part of the offensive of capital aimed at making the working people, including young workers, pay for the deepening global economic crisis that they created. This economic crash, which is the worst of its kind since the Great Depression of the 1930’s, is merely a symptom of a system in crisis.

Today the ruling class and its governments and political parties in Canada and around the world are scrambling to find new ways to patch up their crisis ridden system. This Labour Day, while we celebrate the struggles and the victories of Canada’s working class movement, we should do so with a consciousness of the need to continue that movement in a united and militant way today.

Together, the working class, youth, and students, could defeat the anti-worker Harper Tories. Together, we could put an end to this capitalist system and to the exploitation, poverty and misery that is breeds.

We won’t pay for their crisis! Let’s unite a fight back!

Upcoming Events in the Lower Mainland!

1. Labour Day @ Trout Lake

The BC Federation of Labour and Canadian Labour Congress are holding a Labour Day celebration at Trout Lake (John Hendry) Park on September 7th from 11am-2pm. There will be entertainment and food (hot dogs, corn, and drinks for 50 cents each).

The YCL will be present, talking to young workers and distributing leaflets. If you want to meet up with us, e-mail redstar@ycl-ljc.ca

For more information about the event, visit www.bcfed.ca

2. Red Star Club meeting

Our next Club meeting will be Saturday, September 12th, 5pm at our office in the Centre for Socialist Education (706 Clark Dr.)

DRAFT AGENDA
-Roll Call
-Previous minutes

Old Business/Standing Items:
-Peace & International Solidarity (Honduras, WPF Youth Day, Stopwar Youth etc.)
-Young Workers & Labour (Minimum Wage, On to Ottawa Trek etc.)
- Student Movement (UBC, new leaflets, etc.)
- Culture (Concert, Left Film Nights etc.)
- Pro-Choice demo
- Any other business arising

New Business:
- Silk screening
- Fundraising (50/50, other?)

3. Left Film Night: CHE

Join us on September 12th, 7pm, at 706 Clark Dr. for CHE, the 2008 film about the revolutionary Che Guevara best known for his participation in the Cuban revolution, who was murdered by the CIA in 1967 in Bolivia where he was helping to lead a guerrilla struggle against the militarist government of that country.

This is a free event organized by the Montivero Club of the Communist Party of Canada and supported by the Young Communist League.

4. Rally Against HST!

On Saturday, September 19th from 12-3pm there will be a rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St.) against the HST. Gordo and company are feeling the heat and opposition is growing to this massive corporate handout and attack on the working people. The YCL will be present with copies of our statement against the HST. To join the YCL contingent at the rally, respond to this e-mail.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=109299859454&ref=ts

5. Chilean Independence Day Dinner and Fundraiser

Part of the larger South American Wars of Independence against Spanish colonialism, the Chilean War of Independence began on September 18, 1810, when a national junta was established to govern Chile. The war included the period known as the Reconquista of 1814-17, when Spanish loyalists regained power, punishing rebels and driving more Chileans into the insurrectionary camp. Returning from exile in Argentina, the combined forced of Bernardo O'Higgins and Jose de San Martin freed Chile with a daring assault over the Andes, defeating the Spaniards at the Battle of Chacabuco on February 12, 1817.
After defeating the last large Spanish force on Chilean soil at th Battle of Maipu on April 5, 1818, San Martin led his followers north to help liberate Peru, a key to hemispheric victory over the Spanish which was finally accomplished by Simon Bolivar's forces in 1824.

Each year Chilean Independence Day is celebrated by Chilean-Canadians in Vancouver. The YCL is invited again this year to participate in the event and to fundraise for our political work via a 50/50 draw. Come join us and enjoy delicious South American food and wine, as well as live entertainment. Tickets are $20.

The event is on Saturday, September 19th, 6pm, at the Peretz Centre (6184 Ash St.)


6. Left Film Night: Peter Seeger - The Power of Song

On September 27th, 7pm, 706 Clark Dr. join us for The Power of Song, a film about the famous progressive folk musician Pete Seeger. The film uses interviews, archival footage and home movies to illustrate the social history of Pete Seeger. A fascinating film and a must see for those interested in folk music and peoples culture.

7. YCL Discussion Group - Dialectical Materialism

Our next discussion group will be on dialectical materialism. It will be Wednesday, October 7th, 7pm at the Centre for Socialist Education (706 Clark Dr.)

Suggested reading: Materialism and the Dialectical Method by Maurice Cornforth. If you would like a .PDF copy of this material, please e-mail redstar@ycl-ljc.ca

WFDY salutes KSM achieving legal status once again!

The YCL in BC held a number of demonstrations demanding a the reversal of the ban on the Czech Communist Youth (KSM) and helped circulate a petition to that effect. Today we received this news from the World Federation of Democratic Youth that our Czech comrades have succeeded in overturning the ban!

______________________________________________________________________________________________

WFDY salutes KSM achieving legal status once again!

The Supreme Court of Czech Republic has, today, decided to cancel the ban that over the last years has the Communist Union of Czech Republic (KSM) to face the situation of being an illegal organization, deprived from the basic rights that any democratic organization should have.

WFDY considers this a major development and a historical moment. We reaffirm now that, as in the past, this is not an administrative or even legal matter, but a deeply political matter. In the same way KSM was not being made illegal by the pretense “legal” matters in its program, the decision of today is not at all a strict court decision.

This decision is the result of KSM and Czech youth’s struggle, as well as of the intense and worldwide solidarity expressed by the youth of all corners of the world. WFDY and its member and friend organizations have, from the first moment, developped countless demonstrations, petitions and many other means of solidarity, which were surely an important support to the Czech youth.

WFDY considers this moment of victory as another proof that, despite the obstacles, difficulties and attacks, the struggle is the way for victory against imperialism and urges its member and friend organizations to spread the news that will let all anti-imperialist people organizations happy and even more motivated for the struggle for social and democratic rights, freedom, justice and peace, against imperialism and all its expressions!


The CC/HQ of WFDY

Budapest, September 3
www.wfdy.org