YCL greetings to WFDY meeting in Ecuador

By Drew Garvie

This meeting of the World Federation of Democratic Youth comes at an important juncture in the world-wide youth and student movement.

It is clear the forces of monopoly capitalism are instituting a strong offensive against the people and the environment through their reactionary, pro-war governments.

In Canada this takes the form of the Harper Conservatives who gained a majority in the Parliament last year.

At the same time the fight back is developing at an accelerating rate.

In Canada, there are some signs of increasing militancy from the labour movement, which is starting to push back against attacks to living standards and further erosions of democratic rights.

But the biggest resistance is in Québec, where the students played a leading role in the magnificent massive popular fightback in the winter and spring of 2012. The Quebec student strike, which brought together all the major components of the Quebec student movement in united struggle and saw 300,000 students and their allies march in the streets again and again, and developed into one of the largest mobilizations in our history winning massive public support.

The Quebec Spring has giving renewed strength to the youth and student movements and the broader peoples’ movements across the country.

The Québec Liberal government declared in a viscous and reactionary 2010 budget that tuition fees were to rise by 75% over a few years, of course citing austerity and the capitalist economic crisis. Students mobilized for over a year and reached out to workers and people’s movements in order to build a broad and militant coalition aimed at stopping the user fee increases.

The students also developed a united escalating plan of action, starting with general mobilization of their membership, towards days of action and finally an unlimited general strike built around the tuition fee increase.  In a break-through moment, all the Quebec student centres which had previously been in disunity where able to find a common, militant basis for action. The English-language schools also joined in.

The YCL had said this was the key to building a broader fightback. But the struggle was very positive and went beyond everyone's initial hopes.

It was also articulated very clearly from the students that the end to the tuition increase was their immediate demand to end the strike, but quality, accessible, fully funded and free post-secondary education was their goal.

Students went on strike from February to August.  They held protests and occupations almost every day, and monthly mass demonstrations with up to 300 000 people on the streets of Montreal, Québec under the slogan of “student strike, people’s struggle”.

It became clear that the slogan was very correct and the strike had become a flash-point for other people's struggles, particularly the environmental movement but also winning support from working-class communities.

The Liberal government reacted with court injunctions to end the mobilization and ignored the democratic decisions taken by students at a local level to go on strike.  The refused to seriously negotiate with the students and instead spent millions on advertisements -- and police.

When these measures did not suceed to break the students and their popular support increased, the government brought in Bill 78 which made it illegal to demonstrate without approval by police, outlawed picket lines and leveled fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars against student unions that advocated the continuation of the strike.

Bill 78 was one of the most serious attacks of civil and democratic rights in recent times. It acted as a sign to the security forces to more explicitly transform into political police. Very quickly, and often under various municipal and provincial legislation, hundreds of students were arrested. By the end, the strike saw the largest number of mass arrests that had taken place in recent history.

This is part of the broader capitalist attack against democratic rights, which is accompanying the capitalist economic crisis.

This legislation was defeated in the streets with even larger demonstrations with more participation from the working people and especially parents, who chose to disobey the law, and organize nightly demonstrations of tens of thousands of Québecois. Suddenly we saw everyone from very young children to very old people in the streets.

Amazingly, these demonstrations soon spread across Canada in every major city and many small localities, symbolizing the general opposition to neo-liberalism and austerity in all parts of the country.

By the end of August, two Education Ministers had been forced to resign and the strike was ended by an election that threw out the Québec Liberals.

The new Parti Québecois government was forced to adopt several progressive demands of the mobilization, including an end to the tuition fee increase and the cancellation of the anti-democratic law.

The Parti Québecois however is still an ally of monopoly capital, and a bourgeois nationalist party.  Its is expected to renege on many of its election promises in its budget. So, the struggle continues.

The outpouring of solidarity and support from student organizations around the world was appreciated and helpful.

The internationalist and anti-imperialist dimension of the Québec student strike was also demonstrated by what the imperialists said about it themselves.

Former advisor to the US state Department David Jones said that the danger of Québec was that "students elsewhere (may) determine Quebec has provided a `learning experience.'”

As the YCL Canada, that is exactly what we want for lessons like those of Quebec, and even more advanced struggles, like those taking place here in Ecuador, to be shared.  Of course, we see the World Festival of Youth and Students as an excellent venue to come together and share our struggles, and build the necessary unity for the struggles ahead.

As communists we know that the fight for accessible education is a class and democratic struggle, and that unites us together.

Comrades,

We would like to also take note of the environmental movement against climate change, which is largely a youth movement. The YCL-Canada believes that the struggle against climate change is objectively anti-imperialist because imperialism is the main cause of climate change.

The YCL Canada calls for deep cuts in climate emissions by the imperialist countries, “climate reparations” owed to the oppressed people’s of the world, and that climate change agreements be strong, legally binding, comprehensive, and audacious.  That they be based on international solidarity, peace and respect for sovereignty, self-determination, democracy and social progress.

In Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, over 1000 youth gathered two weeks ago for a conference in order to discuss the way forward in order to stop climate change and the global environmental crisis. There they had indigenous leaders, leaders from the recently victorious Quebec student strike and labour leaders, as guest speakers.

This conference shows that in Canada we are witnessing an awakening of the youth which now realizes the capitalists and their governments are the cause of the environmental crisis, and that they cannot rely on neo-liberal politics to avert catastrophes.

This is abundantly clear to Canadian youth who have seen the Harper Conservative government allow the Tar Sands oil developments in Alberta Canada become the single largest polluter on the planet.

What is lacking, in our view, is a common and united strategy. Isolated, spontaneous or small symbolic confrontations with police or smashing windows won't change the system.  Nor is it enough to just wait until the next election. Youth should not count in anyway on the political parties within parliament and the increasingly right-of-centre social democratic New Democratic Party opposition.

We seek to build a united and militant movement, that links social movements with the environmentalists, and moves the people into the street, with labour at the core.

The YCL Canada proposes young people get behind a comprehensive Charter of Youth Rights that will unite their demands, including the right to a safe environment, full equality, employment, education, democracy and peace.

Comrades,

Today we must also condemn of the Canadian governments increasing role in the US/NATO imperialist project. In our view the direction of this project has not changed with the re-election of Obama.

The YCL Canada calls for the dismantlement of NATO and to slash military spending, redirecting the money to social programmes like free education. We have opposed Canada's participation in the war in Afghanistan and the bombing of Libya. We have also called for all peace-loving youth in Canada to support a peaceful and political solution by the Syrian and Iranian people themselves -- and to stop imperialist meddling in their affairs and aggression.

As we have seen in other places where Canada has shamefully participated in imperialist aggression like Libya, Afghanistan, Haiti and Honduras, and many other places: the people are not done any favours by imperialist intervention.

We salute you and your efforts to resist imperialism around the world. We salute our host country Ecuador, and the Communist Youth of Ecuador. We salute the people's of Latin American and their progressive governments, who have been an anti-imperialist voice to the world. We stand with  all of you, with our friends today from Cuba, Korea, Palestine, Western Sahara, and many other countries resisting sanctions, aggression, war and occupation.

The good news is that the cynics and the disheartened progressives who thought that the working class and youth of North America were “hopeless” now have examples of mass fightback in Wisconsin, across the continent in the form of the Occupy Wall Street movement in the fall of 2011, and the Quebec student uprising.

This resistance has borne-out what the WFDY had said at the beginning of the economic crisis, that the youth should take courage at the weakness of capitalism and build the fight back.  We are in dynamic times, with many dangers and challenges but also the potential for a better future for Canada and for the world.

Thank you comrades.

Discussion on strategy and tactics and the fight for peace

The following message was sent-out by a Manitoba correspondent from People's Voice Newspaper and offers the writers perspective about the current situation with some Canadian political parties and the war, as well as the importance of Syria. Rebel Youth is including the reflection for discussion and debate. Some questions to start debate, by RY, are also included.

As we wait for information about the next Gaza rally, check out the statement from the Communist Party about the situation. [You can also read the YCL statement here] The solution to the conflict must respect the working people of all nations in Israel's present boundaries, and those previously expelled.

It is important to see how the big political parties are perceiving the conflict, because it explains why no big party has called for a ceasefire. Perceptions are affecting their view of the urgency of talks to end the conflict:

• Harper's position is openly partisan (unbalanced), dishonest (portraying the Israeli people as the only victim) and pro-war. We can't expect the bigger opposition parties to criticize Harper when their portrayal of reality is so similar.
• The NDP's only statement this month on Gaza (read here) hides its view of who is escalating the conflict. It covers up the Israeli government's responsibility for war crimes against Gaza (breaking the ceasefire, targeted assassinations, disproportionate and illegal use of force, the continued occupation, etc).

In recent years, the NDP has supported some key UN resolutions relating to Israel, and it would have been useful to add them to this statement, showing leadership and vision for a way out.

Certainly, this is a time to pressure Israel both for a lasting ceasefire and to enter talks for a long-term solution, as noted here: "Canadians for Justice in Palestine and the Middle East laments politicians’ unwillingness to call for ceasefire."

Why Syria is important

Before getting to the Communist Party's statement about Gaza, some words about Syria where imperialism is stoking the civil conflict to monumental heights.

Imperialism is pretending it doesn't have a clue to whom it is giving weapons in Syria. These are people (many or most of whom are not Syrian) highly encouraged by imperialism's generous gifts of guns, who agree with imperialism that it was correct to boycott the Syrian elections in May and any kind of non-violent change. For now, they are motivated to agree there is only a military option to create social change in Syria, and are prepared to take many people to the grave with them believing in imperialism's professed humane intentions for Syria and its natural resources.

Compared to Netanyahu's Gaza aggression, launched while he's still piqued by Mitt Romney's loss, Syria is a bigger tipping point to a broader war against Iran (and through Iran, against Russia and China).

Implicit in the Communist Party's statement is the serious point that we need to look at imperialism's aggression in the Middle East as a whole. There is danger in emphasizing aggression against Iran and Gaza at the expense of Syria, which is also in flames and firmly targeted by imperialism.

Imperialism is continuing to plot and act against Syria, where more people often die daily than all who have died in the recent bombardment of Gaza by Israel. The last week has seen

• more discussion of a "no-fly" zone in Syria, which would produce a worse catastrophe than Libya
• discussion of setting up anti-aircraft artillery in Turkey to shoot down Syrian aircraft in Syria
• sending more funds and communication equipment to the "rebels" (UK)
• official recognition of a new unelected group of puppets who would take Syria over in the name of imperialism (Turkey, Gulf states, France, UK), much like how Karzai was appointed in 2001 to head up Afghanistan.

These are alarming and fast-moving developments, which point to the need to develop far greater awareness and action in solidarity with the sovereignty and people of Syria.

Discussion

1. The author starts with the situation and perspective of the Harper Conservatives and the NDP. What are the authors main points about this question? What are the main points of the Communist Party's statement on the bombing of Gaza? What are about the YCL statement?

2. Why do you think the Harper Conservative government is taking the position it is, for Israel? What about the NDP? Why do you think the NDP chose not to mention their previous policies? Do you agree with these decisions?

3. Are the positions of the Canadian government and opposition on international issues important to consider for youth and student activists working on international solidarity? Why or why not?

4. Part two of the reflection urges greater awareness of Syria. What do you think? Why has Gaza drawn more attention in Canada that the situation in Syria? What could more solidarity and action with the Syrian people look like?

Communists welcome end of the gravy train for Mayor Rob Ford, but far right still threatens

The Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) welcomes the Ontario Superior Court's order for Rob Ford to vacate the mayoralty of Toronto because of his contempt for the residents in not excusing himself on conflict-of-interest grounds from a council debate, itself triggered by his abuse of office to benefit a charity named after himself.   The Party supports a by-election to replace Ford and calls for the movement fighting the right-wing policies and forces behind Rob Ford to keep mobilizing, otherwise his agenda could continue under a different face.

Party Leader Liz Rowley explained that “Rob Ford had campaigned on ending 'the gravy train', but when he took office Torontonians saw that in reality this meant lay-offs, contracting out, cutting services, and charging steep fees for services the public needs and wants.    It's the corporations who backed Ford who are on a 'gravy train' of enjoying record profits, record low taxes, and municipal services at the expense of ratepayers and tenants who are paying more and more, and getting less and less.  They’re also salivating at the prospects of more privatization of city services and assets under the right-wing majority at City Hall.

Rob Ford's own exploitation of his office for his family’s benefit and his personal causes, as well as his contempt for democracy, for the public and the public interest, and for the high office of Mayor of the sixth largest government in the country, by being absent during Council meetings to coach football games amongst many other transgressions, shows Rob Ford was making a new Gravy Train all by himself and has no respect for the people of Toronto.

Congratulations are in order to the Stop Cuts Coalition and others who have had success in stopping his agenda, such as the “lifeboat” motion to moderate some of the cuts in January, but we need to keep up the mobilization because the right-wing majority on Council and the corporate interests who bankrolled Ford’s election won't rest.  They could find someone else to do their bidding, with more grace and less Gravy.”

Liz Rowley had characterized the Rob Ford administration as one where “the public is not welcome” when she was removed from City Hall for merely suggesting budget committee hearings be extended by one day to allow for all 348 registered deputants to have their democratic say.  Liz Rowley said “Rob Ford and the right-wing agenda he represents were going after our libraries, recreation centres, seniors' homes, HIV/AIDS programs, school nutrition programs, three of our child care centres, three of our homeless centres, theatres, and zoos, but his removal does not mean they are stopping.  We need to show we reject this agenda now, under any face new or old.”

“The only real guarantee that the Fords and co. will be side-lined is through the election of a progressive majority in the 2014 civic election, and through the building of a strong and progressive civic reform movement in 2013 that can unite all those forces now fighting the right-wing agenda at City Hall, to develop a progressive municipal platform and put forward a slate of progressive candidates who will fight for it in the next election.

The Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) calls on the provincial and federal governments to end the chronic financial crisis in Toronto and other municipalities by providing cities with a new financial deal, including:

• provide adequate funding through statutory transfers to Toronto and all municipalities, enabling cities to provide the array of municipal services necessary in the 21st century
• stop the firesale of municipal land and assets, including public housing, schools, and parks; and reverse user fees
• upload the Harris download and rescind balanced budget legislation
• fund the capital and operating costs of the TTC and municipal transit systems; reduce fares and increase ridership
• transfer 50% of gas and road user to municipalities
• collect unpaid and deferred corporate taxes, and introduce progressive tax policies based on ability to pay
• remove education from the property tax, cut property taxes in half, and fund education through provincial general revenues
• develop a provincial and federal affordable housing plan and enact rent controls
• introduce a provincial system of universally accessible affordable quality public child care
• give cities status in the Constitution; and protect local autonomy and democracy

The Party's 10-point prescription for a People's Recovery, its alternative to the austerity policies advocated by Rob Ford, as well as Tim Hudak and Dalton McGuinty in the provincial Legislature, is available online at http://www.ontariocpc.ca/10-point-prescription-for-a-peoples-recovery.

"As long as the struggle remains a perspective of overcoming capitalism, the militancy of the working class will be intensified"

Rebel Youth is reprinting this selections from General Conclusions of the International Communist Seminar held in two years ago in Brussels, which was hosted by the Workers Party of Belgium. Despite the time past, we think it is still very relevant. The excerpt is taken from part two of the statement which can be read online in full here. We present it with our own suggested discussion questions, below, developing the idea of reform and revolution.


Being fully submerged in class struggle offers an excellent opportunity to train new generations of [communist] cadres. A major part of today's youth, and certainly the generation that has known the anticommunist wave since 1989, has never experienced a crisis of the current magnitude or seriousness. It is today that this generation is preparing itself to take up its revolutionary role for the coming decades.

Every Communist Party [and every YCL - RY eds.] is faced with the challenge to acquire a profound knowledge and a Marxist analysis of the systemic crisis. The writings of Marx and Lenin are astonishingly relevant today to understand the profound origins of the current crisis and to formulate a socialist alternative.

Today, Communist and workers' Parties have an excellent occasion to strengthen their links with the masses. Marxist-Leninist theory has to be a guide for practice. It depends on the work of the communists among the masses, particularly in the class struggle, to what extent the conscientisation of the masses broadens and deepens.

This means that first and foremost, they have to be present and active in every struggle, to support the demands put forward by the workers themselves. Communists must propose a complete package of demands, based on the workers' needs. The class in power has accumulated its wealth on the back of the workers and they continue to enrich themselves during this very crisis. For the struggle to advance, it is important to formulate demands that put the burden of the crisis on the side of the big fortunes and the big capitalists.

Throughout these struggles, the perspective of socialism must be made clear. Communists must bring forward demands for which the workers are willing to fight today, while orienting them towards socialism. The Communist Parties must advance demands that break with the logic of capitalism, that enhance political consciousness and that forge class unity. It is of the highest importance that this struggle is politicised, allowing people to understand that more fundamental changes in the balance of power are necessary in order to enjoy the wealth that they themselves produce.

Every struggle must serve to broaden class solidarity, to build alliances, to counter division, racism, bourgeois nationalism and yellow trade unionism. The yellow trade unions accept the governments’ plans for social destruction in the name of the 'salvation of the nation'. In reality, there is no common interest the working class and the bourgeoisie.

It is important to support the troops' morale. We must have a feeling for the issues the masses are ready to mobilise for and to obtain small victories. We must continuously fight for immediate demands, for concrete measures that cushion the gravity of the problems and offer some relieve. They must be imposed through the power of the movement. Nevertheless, under capitalism these gains will be temporary and precarious. The militancy of the working class will be intensified as long as the struggle maintains the perspective of overcoming the capitalist framework and challenging the bourgeois power.

For the Communist Parties, parliamentary work serves to better develop the struggle. Any fundamental change depends on the mobilisation of the masses. In the capitalist system, there can only be victories through the development of class struggle. We should not count on parliaments but develop extra-parliamentary movements.

Strengthening the Parties  as such deserves particular attention. We must recruit new members, convince and organise them. The role of the communist newspaper is irreplaceable and an important tool for the mass work. In addition, it is necessary to make better use of the new technologies for our propaganda work and to broaden the contacts.

For discussion:

1. The above text is a statement, or declaration (meaning that it aims to proclaim rather than debate and convince) and reflects the conclusions of a seminar of several Communist and left organizations.  What are the main points it is trying to make? What do you think?

2. The statement claims that the writings of Marx and Lenin, while written many years ago, have ‘astonishing’ relevance. What do you think? How is Marxism useful for understanding today? Have you read any theoretical works that have impressed you? How, or why not?

3.  What do you think the text means when it says Communists have to present ‘a complete package of demands’ that ‘put the burden of the crisis on the side of the big fortunes’? Why not just call for immediate revolution?¨

4. What do you think about the claim that the struggle must be ‘politicized’ – what do the authors mean by politics? What is the connection of their conception of ‘politics’ with the state? The statement also says that, by engaging in elections, Communists can develop the struggle but at the same time they should not count on parliaments. Why or why not? Do parliaments have any use in the struggle? How could Communist participation in parliaments ‘sharpen’ the struggle? How could parliamentary gains be unreliable?

On the recent murderous aggression against Gaza

The Young Communist League of Canada greets the announcement of a cease-fire in Gaza positively and the halt of the slaughter committed by Israel towards the Palestinian people over the past days.

We call on all youth and students who oppose war to remain vigilant less the aggression be restarted with a ground invasion. We urge youth and students to deny the Netanyahu government any credit or thanks for stopping the bombing, and re-double and continue our mobilization efforts to win a just peace in the Middle East.

Deliberately confusing the way forward to justice, imperialism and the corporate media has again tried to present the Israeli-Palestine conflict as a struggle of equals -- while the US government alone pours billions of dollars of military aid to maintain Apartheid Israel. This lie is wearing very thin. Youth should take note that the massive and rapid vocal support for the Palestinian cause in the streets of the world (including by pro-peace voices in Israel and the imperialist countries) was helpful and necessary to win this latest cease-fire.

We cannot have a repeat of 4 years ago where the Israeli state launched a 3 week massacre of 1,400 Palestinians (including over 300 children), targeted Palestinian civilians, destroyed civilian infrastructure and used weapons made illegal under international law.

This most recent attack could have also dangerously escalated into a broader regional conflict. We denounce the Harper Conservative government for immediately giving full diplomatic support for the bloodshed (and further note that, shamefully, the Mulcair New Democratic opposition did not even call for a cease-fire). In just a few days the bombing not only further shattered and wounded the social and economic fabric of Gaza -- which is already under siege like a giant prison-camp -- but also claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians, including children and babies.

The so-called 'Operation Pillar of Defense,' coming between the US and Israeli elections, cannot be viewed separately from the continuous occupation of Palestine and the genocidal strategy of Zionism with the full support of imperialism. Since 1948 the people of Palestine have been fighting for their right of self- determination. As long as there is occupation there will be resistance.

The Young Communist League of Canada repeats our full support for a viable and truly independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, respecting the Green-line boundaries and including the right of return for all displaced Palestinians, the removal of all the illegal settlements, the total dismantlement of the infrastructure of the occupation like the Apartheid wall, and the de-militarization / de-nuclearization of Israel including its occupation of the Lebanese Shebaa Farms and the Syrian Golan.

Until this is won, the YCL will continue to mobilize in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, including voicing our support for the Palestinian statehood recognition bid at the United Nations and supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign.

November 22
YCL-LJC CEC

World Federation of Democratic Youth meets in Ecuador and announces 18th World Festival of Youth and Students

 Special to Rebel Youth

From November 8th-12th, representatives from more than 40 different youth and student organizations descended on Quito, Ecuador for a General Council meeting of the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY).  The main task of the meeting was to examine a proposal that made Ecuador the host of the next World Festival of Youth and Students.

Progressive and Communist organizations were represented from a geographically diverse range of countries such as Greece, Portugal, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Brazil, Western Sahara, Syria, Egypt, Palestine, Vietnam, India, Angola and Eritrea.

The meeting coincided with the sixty-fifth anniversary of the youth organization.  WFDY was founded in 1947 as a product of the anti-fascist struggles of the period, with its mandate being to unite youth for peace and against imperialism.

Sixty-five years later WFDY reiterated its anti-imperialist stance in the political resolution amended and adopted unanimously on November 10th; “Our choice, to stand for the needs and interests of the youth, derives from our founding principle: to struggle against imperialism”.

WFDY and its members dedicated themselves to fighting against imperialism’s increased aggressiveness, such as the creation of a bloody proxy-wars in Syria and Libya, the danger of intervention in Iran, the US backed campaign against the DPR Korea, continued occupations of Afghanistan, Western Sahara, Palestine and Iraq.

The Young Communist League of Canada’s representative to the General Council was Drew Garvie.  “The political choice to have the meeting in Latin America was a powerful one.  While capitalist governments are bringing in austerity policies to make the people pay for capitalist crisis around the world, the struggle in Latin America is giving rise to progressive policies and a process that is uniting the continent against imperialism”, Garvie said.

Ecuador is starting to become a leading protagonist in this transition away from over a century of domination by United States monopoly capitalism.  President Rafael Correa and his “PAIS” coalition were elected in 2006 after several years of mobilization by indigenous and anti-neoliberal forces.  Since then, Ecuador has kicked out a US military base from its territory, written a constitution that includes the right to the regeneration of the environment, eliminated tuition fees in public universities, joined regional progressive trading partnerships, refused to participate in any international meeting that Cuba is not invited to, and is currently shielding Wikileaks’ Julian Assange from extradition to the United States.

The Young Communists of Ecuador proposed the hosting of the 18th World Festival of Youth and Students in Ecuador in order to help “strengthen and radicalize the national democratic revolution”.  Several government officials, including the Governor of Imbabura province, a cabinet Minister of the PAIS coalition, and representatives from the Secretariat of the People, Social Movements and Citizens Participation, greeted the WFDY meetings.

The Ecuadorian delegation has proposed to mobilize ten thousand youth from Ecuador and invite ten thousand international delegates to participate in the 18th WFYS.  After hearing a comprehensive presentation, which included a political report and logistical details the international delegates adopted the proposal unanimously.

Drew Garvie was optimistic about the potential of organizing for the upcoming festival: “The overwhelming feeling of the delegates leaving the meeting was one of enthusiasm start mobilizing to build the Festival movement back home.  We know that the 18th WFYS comes at an important political time, when more and more youth are taking to the streets and starting to look for an alternative to the war, crisis and environmental destruction inherent in capitalism.”

 “Several delegates were very interested in the recent student strikes in Québec,” said Garvie.  In the Young Communist League of Canada’s intervention to the meeting, it was noted that sharing struggles like the victory of the Québec students is important at this time.  “Of course, we see the World Festival of Youth and Students as an excellent venue to come together and share our struggles, and build the necessary unity for the struggles ahead.”