YCL Vancouver Upcoming Events!

1. World Festival of Youth & Students Fundraiser
2. Communism 101 Educational
3. Historical Materialism Discussion pt. 3
4. Left Film Night: Occupation 101
5. October Revolution Banquet
6. World Peace Forum Teach-In

1. World Festival of Youth & Students Fundraiser

The Vancouver & District Labour Council Young Workers Committee is hosting a fundraiser this Wednesday, October 13th, at 9pm. All money raised will go to help send young workers to the 17th World Festival of Youth & Students this December in South Africa. The YCL supports all efforts to organize and fundraise for the festival and encourages everyone to check out this event.

Tickets are $10 and include VIP entry and a free drink. DJ's will be providing entertainment throughout the night. The event will be held at The Cellar in downtown Vancouver.

Check out the Facebook event here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=117473434977919
Learn more about the Festival here: http://www.wfdy.org/tag/17-wfys/

2. Communism 101 Educational

On September 17th we will be hosting an introductory educational on communism at our office in the Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Dr. All YCL members are strongly encouraged to attend and all those who are interested in learning more and warmly invited to join us. The educational will begin at 6pm.

3. Historical Materialism Discussion pt. 3

Part three of our study groups on historical materialism will be October 26th at 7pm at the Centre for Socialist Education (706 Clark Dr.). If you couldn't make it to part one, fear not, you can still join us for part three and get caught up. Reading material will be Historical Materialism by Maurice Cornforth.

Read Historical Materialism for free online: http://leninist.biz/en/1971/HM147/index.html

4. Left Film Night: Occupation 101

"OCCUPATION 101: Voices of the Silenced Majority"

Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, 7 pm
Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver
...Donations will be accepted for the Canadian Boat for Gaza

**************
Directed by Abdallah Omeish and Sufyan Omeish, 2006, 90 minutes

Occupation 101 is a powerful documentary on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The film presents a comprehensive analysis of the facts surrounding the issues, and dispels many long-perceived myths and misconceptions. Occupation 101 also details life under Israeli military rule, the role of the United States, and the major obstacles that stand in the way of a lasting and viable peace. The roots of the conflict are examined by leading Middle East scholars, peace activists, journalists, religious leaders and humanitarian workers whose voices have often been suppressed in North American media outlets. The film covers a wide range of topics - the first wave of Jewish immigration from Europe in the 1880’s, the 1920 tensions, the 1948 war, the 1967 war, the first Intifada of 1987, the Oslo Peace Process, Settlement expansion, the second Intifada of 2000, the separation barrier and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza - as well as heart-wrenching testimonials from victims of this tragedy.

COLLECTION FOR THE CANADIAN BOAT FOR GAZA! At the conclusion of the film, donations will be accepted for the Canadian Boat for Gaza project. This cross-Canada campaign aims to raise $300,000 to send a Canadian boat as part of the next international flotilla to break the Israeli siege of Gaza. For more information, visit canadaboatgaza.org.


No charge for admission; donations welcome. Coffee and refreshments available. Left Film Nights are presented by the Centre for Socialist Education, Young Communist League, and the Vancouver East and Montivero Clubs of the Communist Party of Canada. Call 604-255-2041 or email for further information.

5. October Revolution Banquet

The annual October Revolution Banquet will be held this year on Saturday, November 13th, at the Peretz Centre (6184 Ash St.) in Vancouver. The event will be a celebration of the struggle against fascism and war.

Features will include guest speaker Roger Keeran, Professor of Labour Studies at Empire State College in New York and co-author of the book "Socialism Betrayed". There will also be an international buffet, audio-video presentation, live music, door prizes, and book displays.

Doors at 6pm, dinner at 7pm. Call 604.254.9836 for information or e-mail cpbc@telus.net

6. World Peace Forum Teach In

This years World Peace Forum teach in will be held at Langara College on November 11, 13, and 14.It will focus on the decade and a half between the end of World War Two and the 1960's. The YCL encourages participation in this event and will be participating in the teach in. The following is from the teach in website:

The ‘Fifties’
Reconstruction vs Revolution
and the First “War on Terror”
November 11, 13, 14
Langara College

The decade and a half between the end of World War II and the 1960’s is full of lessons that resonate strongly in the world we live in today. While it is regarded by some as a period of grey and repressive reaction, where any nails that stood out were hammered down, it was far from that. Revolutions rocked the colonial world and shook the old order from China to Algeria, Egypt to Cuba. Cultural rebellions–rock and roll, folk music and the beat generation; feminism and the beginning of the ecology movement- changed what we read thought and heard. The ‘Quiet Revolution’ transformed Quebec and Canada. From the first cracks in the ‘socialist’ world to the unprecedented boom in the capitalist, the fifties was a time rich in struggles that shape the world we live in. Both the victories and defeats of movements against war and oppression and for a socially just and sustainable world have much to teach us. That is exactly what the World Peace Forum is planning. The third Teach-In will be held on Nov. 11 and 13 and 14 at Langara College. Details will be available in September. Keep your eye on www.peaceforumteachin.org or get on our mailing list by contacting us at info@worldpeaceforumbc.ca

YCL Vancouver meeting

Hi everyone,

We will have a meeting of the YCL Vancouver Club on Friday, October 8th, at 7pm. It will be held at our office in the Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Dr. The meeting is open to all members of the YCL and those interested in finding out more/getting involved.

Draft Agenda
Roll call
Previous minutes
Membership

Old Business
- World Festival of Youth & Students
- Central Convention
- Club elections

Standing Items
- Student movement (including high school and campus work)
- Peace & international solidarity
- Young workers movement
- Rebel Youth
- Culture & Agit-Prop

New Business

Adjourn

Also, if you haven't seen it yet, check out our October eBulletin at http://yclbc-lowermainland.blogspot.com/2010/10/ycl-bc-ebulletin-october-2010.html

YCL BC eBulletin - October 2010

Check out the October edition of our eBulletin at http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/445432/c982086e64/1623006065/6c0c9d641e/

If you would like to received the eBulletin by e-mail please e-mail us at ycl_bc@ycl-ljc.ca

YCL Vancouver meeting - Sept. 16th

The YCL Vancouver (Red Star Club) will meet on Sunday, September 19th, 6pm, at the Centre for Socialist Education (706 Clark Dr.).

Draft Agenda
Roll call
Previous minutes
Membership

Old Business
- World Festival of Youth & Students
- Central Convention

Standing Items
- Student movement (including high school and campus work)
- Peace & international solidarity
- Young workers movement
- Rebel Youth
- Culture & Agit-Prop

New Business

Adjourn

YCL Vancouver meeting/Convention report back tomorrow

The YCL Vancouver will hold a meeting/Convention report back tomorrow night, 7pm, at the Centre for Socialist Education (706 Clark Dr.)

Greeting from CEC to Convention

Greetings from the Central Executive Committee to the YCL BC 2010 Convention.

Dear comrades, members of the BC YCL Provincial committee, friends and allies,

It is a pleasure to be greeting you on the occasion of your two important meetings this weekend, the BC Provincial YCL Convention and your annual summer school.

We would like to comment on the political context of your meetings. Across Canada this summer, we have entered ‘round two’ of the economic crisis. The economic crisis, which we did not create, has deepened the misery and suffering of the working people. The corporate media, however, is claiming that this crisis is over. This is not true.

In fact, the capitalists find themselves facing a volatile situation. Take the debt crisis in Greece, for example. This is now a Europe-wide problem. Big business is trying to save capitalism through aggressive austerity measures. We have seen this across Canada. The Federal and provincial budgets are vicious attacks. They attack labour and worker’s rights – and the youth.

It is time to say: Enough is enough! We must stand up, and fight back!

The fight-back in Canada has been uneven, but not silent. And two protests have seen significant mobilizations by the youth and student movement: The recent G20 meetings in Toronto and the anti-Olympic demonstrations in Vancouver.

In Toronto there was a mass-march. 25 thousand people hit the streets. This included a YCL and Party delegation of over a hundred comrades. But the corporate media did not focus on the mass action. The corporate media focused on the burning of police cars, and the ‘black-bloc’ direct actions that confronted the fence.

There are two main stories here. First, the secret, anti-people, decisions within the G20 meeting. Secondly, the historic mass arrests.

Over 1,000 people were arrested. This was a violent, historic and dangerous attack on democratic rights. People were arrested for simply walking on the street, people who did not even know what G20 stood for.

Three of our comrades were arrested just after the mass action. The police tried to intimidate and break them. They assaulted them, breaking one comrades ribs. They whispered in the ear of a young woman comrade: ‘don’t worry, we are taking you to a place where there are no video cameras.’ They denied them a toilet. They held them for over 24 hours and prevented sleep. They mocked them.

Now we are fighting back through the courts. We are supporting our comrades. The YCL Ontario has joined the campaigns against the mass arrests and charges, demanding a full public inquiry!

But there is also a concrete question here for the youth and student movement: what strategy and tactics are better?

The mass united march which the YCL participated in? Or the ‘diversity of tactics’ with the ‘black-bloc’ direct action?

There is an excellent article about this in the latest People’s Voice. It has been revealed that many of the anarchist groups were infiltrated by police. Many of the ‘direct actions’ featured provocateurs. The point here is NOT that organizations were infiltrated. Any organization can be infiltrated. The point is that the anarchist direct action tactics leant themselves to provocation; while mass action builds the powerful unity necessary for social transformation.

This is not to close a discussion but to open a debate.

The discussion here is, in our view, very relevant to the last two chapters of our Central convention documents. As those documents say, the unity of the youth and students is essential for revolutionary struggle. The unity of the youth and students can not be formed just out of fear – for our jobs, our right to education, for our future. It must be placed in the positive, in terms of a youth and people’s agenda. Our proposal is for a Charter of Youth Rights.

There is a reflection, also, of this question of tactics into alliance building – like we are doing with the Youth festival project.

In closing we would like to salute the YCL BC Provincial Committee for its work on developing the BC School into a special event. This year the YCL is also holding schools in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec. We regret that more members of the Executive can not attend the BC school, as in past years.

Good luck and may your debates be successful and build your struggles!

See you in September, in Toronto!

Johan Boyden

Gen. Sec., YCL-LJC CC

LEFT FILM NIGHT - CRUDE: The Real Price of Oil

LEFT FILM NIGHT

CRUDE: The Real Price of Oil

Directed by Joe Berlinger, USA, 2009, 100 minutes

Sunday, August 29, 2010, 7 pm
Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver

In the wake of massive oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico and Michigan,
this month's Left Film Night is particularly timely and relevant. CRUDE
is the story of a landmark case in the Amazon jungle, pitting 30,000
rainforest dwellers against the U.S. oil giant Chevron. The plaintiffs
claim that Texaco -- which merged with Chevron in 2001 -- contaminated
one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, creating a "death zone",
resulting in cancer, leukemia, and birth defects. Chevron charges that
the case is a fabrication by "environmental con men". The case takes
place not just in a courtroom, but in a series of field inspections at
the alleged contamination sites, with the judge and attorneys for both
sides trudging through the jungle to litigate.

No charge for admission; donations welcome. Coffee and refreshments
available. Left Film Nights are presented by the Centre for Socialist
Education, Young Communist League, and the Vancouver East and Montivero
Clubs of the Communist Party of Canada. Call 604-255-2041 or email
for further information.