YOUNG COMMUNISTS IN CONVENTION

PHOTOS — JOSE KAUFMAN

(| Spirited meet reflects growing youth militancy

By JOSE KAUFMAN

TORONTO — Young people are hardest hit by the continuing economic crisis. Funding for education is being cut right across the country. Youth cannot enter the workforce because no jobs exist for them. Women are subject to increasing harassment, do not have ac- cess to affordable daycare or adequate maternity benefits for those fortunate enough to have jobs.

And young people, like all mankind, face the danger of a total nuclear war brought upon them by U.S. imperialism.

Férty-five delegates from across the country met here Oct. 8-10 at the 21st

‘convention of the Young Communist League (YCL) to discuss the current situation facing youth and how best to mobilize them.

Sylvie Baillargeon, general secretary, noted in her opening remarks that ‘*young people in Canada are increasing- ly becoming radicalized. This new phenomenon is opening the doors to the realization of unity between various sec- tors of the youth movement. For many youth activists, it is becoming increasing- ly clear that the single issues of peace, jobs, education and women’s rights are in fact intertwined and require collective struggle.””

The growing radicalization was shown time and again in reports from all across the country demonstrating the increasing influence of the YCL, among all sections of youth. In the recent period two new YCL clubs were established in Alberta, and work is under way to establish clubs in Winnipeg and Regina. The B.C. YCL has just opened a Centre for Socialist Education which houses the YCL and has a library for doing research.

Sixty-two per cent of the delegates were attending a central convention for the first time, and this was seen in spi- rited discussion on both the main report

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCTOBER 19, 1983—Page 6 —

and in workshops. The workshops were a new feature of the convention and helped focus discussion on particular areas. Topics discussed included educa- tion and the rights of students, youth and the struggle for jobs, youth in the struggle for peace, young women and the struggle for equality and sports and culture.

Plan for Future

While noting their accomplishments. the convention planned for the future. Baillargeon, in her concluding remarks reminded delegates *‘the main task now is to rally the forces for the international day: of protest (Oct. 22) against deploy- ment of new missiles in Europe and the testing of Cruise missiles on Canadian territory.’"She noted ‘‘the YCL across

the country is already heavily involved in -

organizing these events,’’ primarily

through coalitions such as Canadian Youth for Peace. The YCL is preparing its own leaflet for mass distribution among young people prior to the de- monstration.

Jochen Richter with greetings from the -

World Federation of Democratic Youth.

Baillargeon also called on all YCLers to ensure ‘‘as many young people as pos- sible, primarily first-time job seekers, are involved in the fight for jobs.’’ In this area the YCL has been very active, as noted in reports to the convention.

In B.C., Alberta and Quebec the YCL- ers are involved in job action centres which are connected to the labor move- ment. Unemployed working with the trade union movement is essential as the main report notes because, “‘unemploy- ment is a tool created and used against the labor movement. Capitalism puts youth in this position and uses them as a lever against organized workers.”’

The YCL on its own has produced and distributed 30,000 Jobs For Youth lea- flets in English Canada and 15,000 in Quebec. Many young persons contacted the YCL as a result of these leaflets:

Fraternal Delegates

The several fraternal delegates present added to the international character of the convention. William Kashtan, general

_ secretary of the Communist Party of

Canada, spoke of the upcoming federal elections and noted ‘‘perhaps we could on one hand elect a large progressive bloc to parliament, and on the other hand prevent a majority neo-conservative government from being achieved.”’ Kashtan called on YCLers to be candi- dates in the elections.

Jochen Richter represented the World Federation of Democratic Youth and was greeted with enthusiastic applause when he reported all European countries will witness demonstrations in the Oct. 22 period. He also noted the YCL convention was taking place in a Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone. (The City of To- ronto was so declared overwhelmingly in a vote last November.)

Denis Regier, treasurer of the recently founded YCL of the United States noted his organization is presently trying to re-

Party of El Salvador and the People$

Sylvie Baillargeon, re-elected genera secretary of the Young Communis League, holding gift from Cuban gues!

Behind her is logo of 60 years of the ycl

gister to vote 100,000 anti-Reagan youth before next November’s election. ‘“W? want Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream not Ronald Reagan’s nightmare.” st Spiros Travelos of the Communis Youth of Greece spoke of the continuing struggles to remove U.S. bases fro Greece. When this fraternal guest &™ tered Canada he was harassed by the RCMP who took the speech he had pre pared for the convention. f Marci Cobas and Angel Arzuaga 9 Cuba spoke of Cuba’s historic strug against the U.S. and its continue economic blockade and the struggle s. Central America. against Be imperialism. t Representatives of the Communis

Party of Guyana also addressed the on vention. Greetings were received many countries around the world. e The year 1983 is the 60th vor of the founding of the Young Communit Leage of Canada. As part of the oe brations YCL veterans were honore a banquet on Sunday evening.