Upcoming Vancouver-area events

The following is a list of upcoming events and activities being organized or participated in by the YCL in the Vancouver area. We hope that you will join us in some of these important activities.

May 22nd (TOMORROW): 6pm - Gather at Centre for Socialist Education (CSE),706 Clark Dr., for pizza followed by postering for upcoming events. These activities will be followed up by attending a concert at the Cobalt starting around 9pm. Performers will include local political punks The Rebel Spell and, from Ontario, Broadcast Zero. The event is also a book launch for local author Chris Walter.

May 23rd: 5:30pm - Red Star Club meeting at CSE to discuss our plan of action for the summer. This will be followed by a Left Film Night at 7pm featuring "Hidden in Plain Sight" - a film about the School of the America's and Il Postino. For details about the films, visit http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=8947029929&ref=share

May 28th: 8:30pm - Celebration of the 88th Anniversary of the Communist Party of Canada at the CSE. Drinks, snacks, music.

May 31st: 9am - Red Star Club book sale fund raiser. Volunteers needed to help run the sale. Also, come check out the wide array of books for sale including rare, out of print and foreign books on a variety of topics including history, politics, theory and philosophy. Held at the CSE till approximately 12pm.

May 31st: 7pm - Left Film Night at CSE featuring the Sergei Eisenstein classic "Strike!". A must see.

George Gidora: Communists stand for radical socialist change in B.C.

George Gidora: Communists stand for radical socialist change in B.C.

As the provincial election enters the home stretch, British Columbians need to understand this campaign in the context of the terrifying global assault on living standards, social programs, and democratic freedoms.
http://www.straight.com/forward/emailref?path=node/218146

AFTER THE ELECTION THE FIGHT BACK CONTINUES

AFTER THE ELECTION THE FIGHT BACK CONTINUES

Young Communist League (British Columbia)

May 13, 2009

The re-election of the Campbell Liberals is very dangerous news – for youth, students, the working class and the people of British Columbia. Can we wait four more years for another election to fight back? Can we rely on defensive struggles? No! The only effective response is for the youth to stand together with labour and the people’s movements and go on a serious offensive for jobs, accessible education, the environment, rights and services!

Were it for the students, there would be an anti-Liberal majority in the Legislature today composed of 44 NDPers and 10 Greens. Student Vote also gave the Communist Party a significant percentage – 17% in Kootenay West, 3% in Surrey Newton, and 4% in Vancouver Mount-Pleasant. Young people want new ideas and a new direction. The challenge of youth and student activists is to turn that sentiment into powerful united action.

The election results also marked an increase in both the NDP and Communist Party’s popularity. While an anti-Liberal majority is not in Victoria, the majority of voters cast their ballots against the Liberals. Condemning the voters as ‘stupid’ blames the victim and misses that point. The complete bankruptcy of the Campbell Liberal’s policies was temporarily obscured by a false economic boom of the scandalous Olympics. On the other hand, voters were faced with tepid alternatives from the NDP. Voter turnout was at a record low.

The second attempt to win the support of British Columbians for the Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system went down in flames. The YCL renews its demand for a Mixed Member Proportional voting system, much more closely reflecting the people’s choice than the current, un-democratic, “First Past the Post” system.

Some are already beginning to talk about what needs to be done next election to defeat the Liberals, but the real question is: what happens in the meantime? With the Liberals at the steering wheel, the corporations will try to leave our generation and the working class holding the bag for a worsening economic crisis – which we didn’t make.

If young people needed another reason to mobilize and resist, just look at the Liberal’s disastrous record. The energy and creativity of all the youth and students can contribute tremendously to expanding existing campaigns for higher minimum wages, accessible education, child care, peace, ecological sustainability, democracy and sovereignty, including that of aboriginal peoples.

The Young Communist League calls upon youth to join with labour and the people of British Columbia in a militant, united fight back to stop and reverse the agenda of the Campbell Liberals and win a better BC, and a better world. For us, that means socialism!

It’s our future, and our fight!

YCL BC May eBulletin

A hosted version of the May eBulletin is available at this link.

http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/445432/8f0d4c85df/1623001358/6c0c9d641e/

[Red Star Club - YCL] Action Update, December 5th, 2008

Red Star Club Action Update, December 5th, 2008

In this Update:

1. Coalition Yes!
2. Report from Sao Paulo Meeting
3. Upcoming Events

1. Coalition Yes!

YCLers across the country have been taking part is actions surrounding the planned replacement of the ultra-Harper regime with a new Coalition government over the last week. Below is the YCL's statement on Harper's undemocratic proroguing of Parliament. Visit the YCL blog at www.ycl-ljc.blogspot.com for more information including our statement on the Coalition.

This is not what democracy looks like, this is what hypocrisy looks like!
Central Executive Committee, YCL Canada

The Young Communist League - la Ligue de la jeunesse communiste du
Canada joins with the condemnations of the Harper Conservatives for
creating a Parliamentary crisis and now anti-democratically proroguing
Parliament. We will not surrender! Locking Parliament's doors is a
cowardly response to loosing the confidence of the House, and the
Canadian people. Such desperation and arrogance underscores the urgent
need for broad, powerful public mobilization to dump the Tories now.

We call on all young people to hit the streets, and unite without
hesitation in support the coalition, for it will create better terrain
to fight for new policies that put the people first. Unity requires
joining the battle of ideas and overcoming slanders. Regardless what
you think of the NDP's policies, Harper's red-baiting is crass fear
mongering. Likewise, we resolutely oppose the vicious chauvinism
directed against the people of Quebec, and their democratic right as a
nation to determine their own future (up to and including separation,
just as a marriage can not be equal if there is no right to divorce).

Harper's false and hypocritical claims bring into sharp relieve the
tenuousness of this so-called democracy and the need for deep change
beginning with proportional representation.

Harper, Harper, Harper! Out, Out, Out!

Dec. 5th 2008 statement by the Young Communist League, Central Executive Cmte.
www.ycl-ljc.blogspot.com

2. Report from Sao Paulo Meeting

Sunday December 7^th, 1 pm – Report from Sao Paulo: the Global Economic Crisis and the Fightback.

Hear People’s Voice Editor Kimball Cariou report on the 10^th International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties, November 21-23, Sao Paulo Brazil. The meeting, being held in South America for the time, is taking place during a period of intense global economic crisis. This report back – complete with amazing photography of the meeting, and concurrent demonstrations – is definitely a “don’t miss”

This will be followed by our annual Winter Solstice Open House. Everyone Welcome. Please consider bringing a donation to People’s Voice or the Communist Party of Canada. (Donations to the CPC are tax deductible).

Where: Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Dr. Vancouver


Read the declaration of the Sao Paulo on the YCL Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/topic.php?uid=2239012118&topic=5835

3. Upcoming Events

If you know of an event missing from this list, e-mail us and we can add it for next time.

Quinteto Tiempo Concert. Benefit for Cuban hurricane relief and for communities in El Salvador. December 5 @ 7:30. Peretz Centre, 6184 Ash St. Organized by Mangle
Association of BC and VDLC Arts and Culture Committee. Tickets $30 from People’s Co-op Books.
Report from Sao Paulo. PV editor Kimball Cariou re-ports from 10th International Meeting of Communist and Workers’Parties. December 7th @ 1pm. Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Dr.
Office Open House. December 7th @ 2:30-5 pm, following the report from Sao Paulo. Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Dr.

Action Update - November 21st/2008

Lower Mainland Action Update, November 21, 2008

In this Update:

1. Left Film Night: "Persepolis"
2. General Secretary Coming to B.C.?
3. Upcoming Events

1. Left Film Night: "Persepolis"

Our next Left Film Night will be on Sunday, Nov. 30, 7 pm, at the CSE, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver. We're showing "Persepolis" (France/USA, 2007, directors Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi, 96 minutes)

Here's a bit about the film:

Traditionally animated in black and white flashbacks, this Oscar-nominated film tells the story of a girl’s childhood and young adulthood in Iran and in Vienna during the 1980s and ’90s. Marjane Satrapi grew up in a family of revolutionaries opposed to the Shah’s regime and then the Islamic government which took power in 1979. Persepolis literally illustrates her feelings and thoughts as a little girl, following her as fundamentalist control in Iran becomes more strict. When her parents insist she leave the country, we see her struggling to deal with adolescence and missing her beloved family; when she returns, she has to cope with the increasing repression of her freedoms as a woman. Persepolis beautifully balances both the historic and personal issues and pulls the threads together into a compelling narrative, made a bit quirky by the style of presentation, resulting in work that is altogether touching. Along with intelligence and humor, a deep and strong sense of truth infuses every part of the film.

BY THE WAY - at our Oct. 26 showing of "Incident at Restigouche", we collected $87.25 for John Graham's family. Thanks to all who donated!

2. General Secretary Coming to B.C.?

The following letter was sent on 11/20/08 to the interim Provincial Executive (BC) of the Commuist Party of Canada from the Central Executive of the YCL. Please discuss in your Club or with other local YCL members how you can help in the upcoming election campaign. If you would like Johan to visit your town please e-mail your request to ycl_bc@ycl-ljc.ca

-------Start--------

Central Executive Committee,
Young Communist League
290A Danforth Ave
Toronto ON, M4K 1N6
416-469-2446

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Re: Request for meeting with YCL-LJC CEC

VIA EMAIL

British Columbia Committee,
Communist Party of Canada
706 Clark Drive,
Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1
604-255-2041

Attention: George Gidora, BC Leader CPC

Dear Comrades,

Warm fraternal greetings from the Young Communist League of Canada!

We are writing to propose a meeting between our Central Executive and

your Provincial Executive Committee, about political and organization

matters that are of concern to both our organizations, and so that we
can strengthen our working relationship.

As you know, the May 16th BC provincial election will be an important
battle-ground of struggle for many youth issues. We would like to
propose that we discuss the role of the YCL in the election, including
the possibility of Johan Boyden, General Secretary of the YCL, running

as a candidate and other possible youth candidates. We would also like
to address building the YCL in BC, including YCL cadre.

We hope you will respond positively, and look forward to hearing from you!


Yours in the struggle,

YCL-LJC CEC

CC: Johan Boyden
Shona Bracken
Marianne Breton Fontaine
Miguel Figueroa
Kimball Cariou

------End------

3. Upcoming Events

If you know of an event missing from this list, e-mail us and we can add it for next time.

Fundraising Dance of Change in El Salvador. November 22 @ 7pm. Perez Centre, 6184 Ash St.Organizer by FMLN Vancouver. Info: 778-385-5394 or 604-726-9824
BC Federation of Labour Convention. November 24-28. Vancouver Convention Centre. To volunteer distributing People's Voice call 604-254-9836
Quinteto Tiempo Concert. Benefit for Cuban hurricane relief and for communities in El Salvador. December 5 @ 7:30. Peretz Centre, 6184 Ash St. Organized by Mangle
Association of BC and VDLC Arts and Culture Committee. Tickets $30 from People’s Co-op Books.
Report from Sao Paulo. PV editor Kimball Cariou re-ports from 10th International Meeting of Communist and Workers’Parties. December 7th @ 1pm. Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Dr.
Office Open House. December 7th @ 2:30-5 pm, following the report from Sao Paulo. Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Dr.

[Red Star Club - YCL] Left Film Night - "Persepolis" - November 30th

Our next Left Film Night will be on Sunday, Nov. 30, 7 pm, at the CSE, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver. We're showing "Persepolis" (France/USA, 2007, directors Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi, 96 minutes)

Here's a bit about the film:

Traditionally animated in black and white flashbacks, this Oscar-nominated film tells the story of a girl’s childhood and young adulthood in Iran and in Vienna during the 1980s and ’90s. Marjane Satrapi grew up in a family of revolutionaries opposed to the Shah’s regime and then the Islamic government which took power in 1979. Persepolis literally illustrates her feelings and thoughts as a little girl, following her as fundamentalist control in Iran becomes more strict. When her parents insist she leave the country, we see her struggling to deal with adolescence and missing her beloved family; when she returns, she has to cope with the increasing repression of her freedoms as a woman. Persepolis beautifully balances both the historic and personal issues and pulls the threads together into a compelling narrative, made a bit quirky by the style of presentation, resulting in work that is altogether touching. Along with intelligence and humor, a deep and strong sense of truth infuses every part of the film.

BY THE WAY - at our Oct. 26 showing of "Incident at Restigouche", we collected $87.25 for John Graham's family. Thanks to all who donated!