CANADA Women’s rights, peace priorities | on CCW agenda | TORONTO — The fight for peace and for a Women’s Bill of Rights topped the agenda of the 14th convention of the Congress of Canadian Women. Sixty-one delegates and alter- nates met in Toronto city council chambers, Oct. 4-6 to sum up the CCW’s accomplishments since the last convention, three years ago and to map out the Congress’ agenda for the battles that lie ahead in advancing the struggles for women’s equality, equal pay for work of equal value, free uni- versal child care, freedom of reproductive choice, and the fight for peace and disarmament. CCW president Virginia Thom- son situated the convention on opening day “‘at a critical point in history, when the world stands at a crossroads, taking either the path of survival or perishing in a nuclear holocaust.” Thomson linked all of the aspects of the fight for women’s equality and development — from equal pay and child care to stop- ping the federal government from de-indexing family allowance benefits — to the struggle for peace and to re-direct the billions wasted on war preparations toward tackling poverty, hunger and unemployment in the capital- ist and developing countries. This connection was reflected throughout the three-day gather- ing in resolutions, reports and in the greetings from fraternal women’s organizations and the Women’s International Demo- cratic Federation. CCW is one of the WIDF’s 135 affiliated organizations rep- resenting a total of 117 countries around the world in the global women’s organization nearing its 40th anniversary, Dec. 1. Helga Dickel, representing the federa- tion at the convention drew a parallel between the anti-Com- munist crusade that fuelled the Nazi war preparations which eventually erupted into world war and the slaughter of more than 50 million people, with the Star Wars campaign being waged by the U.S. Reagan administra- ion. Stressing there is no alternative to nuclear disarmament, Dickel spoke of the special role women, and the world women’s move- ment have in “developing a broad people’s coalition to pre- vent nuclear war.” She wished Canadian peace activists success in mobilizing for the Oct. 26 march in Toronto dedicated to “Stop Star Wars, End the Arms Race and Feed the World.” “Millions of people through- Out the world will also be demon- strating with these same demands, ‘Stop the Arms Race and the Mil- itarizations of Space,’ ” Dickel said. She said the WIDF welcomes the new Soviet peace initiative - -recently announced by Mikhail Gorbachev and that it deserves the support of all peace-loving people. The convention also was greeted by Albina Dodzenko, of the Soviet Women’s Committee, Marta Fuego and Rita Pereira of the Cuban Women’s Federation, Joy Portugal of the U.S.-based Women for Racial and Eco- nomic Equality, and Claudette Jobin, president of La Ligue des Femmes du Quebec. Among the many Canadian solidarity and progressive organ- izations to greet the convention were Lynne Kaye of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women and Toronto mayor- alty candidate Anne Johnston. Delegates also devoted a lot of attention to the need to update the CCW’s Bill of Rights for Women as its contribution to the fight to have a Women’s Bill of Rights enshrined in the Canadian constitution. CCW chapters from across Canada were committed by the convention to a thorough discus- sion and re-drafting of the con- gress’ bill, aiming for a completed document by the end of 1986. In a variety of resolutions the convention called on the Cana- dian government to: impose sanctions on, and end all diplo- matic, social and cultural ties with South Africa; speak out against the U.S. Star Wars pro- gram, the militarization of space, and to refuse financial support to companies and research institutes involved in the program; use its influence to ensure a successful outcome to the forthcoming . Geneva Summit; cut the military budget in half to divert funds to social programs; declare Canada a nuclear weapons-free zone, annulling all nuclear weapons agreements with the U.S.; and develop an independent Cana- dian foreign policy based on peaceful coexistence. The convention also endorsed NAC’s petition campaign oppos- ing de-indexation of family allo- wance benefits, and pledged to give the CCW’s support, “to every effort to launch a mass campaign uniting the organized labor movement, seniors, youth, women and the community to defeat the Tory budget before it comes into effect in January, 1986, and (to) replace it with a people’s budget.” In elections for a new execu- tive, incumbent Virginia Thom- son was re-elected to the presi- dency, Costanza Allevato was yoted corresponding secretary and Ruth Galinis of Thunder Bay, CCW Ontario vice-presi- dent. Also elected was an eight- member general executive drawn from women active in labor and women’s organizations, solidar- ity groups, and the peace move- ment. . SS honored at the convention banquet. Convention delegates honored CCW veterans Helen Burpee, Nora Rodd, Anna Pashka and Mary Dennis, (front row left to right), at the Congress banquet. Not shown is Hazel Wigdor, who was also TRIBUNE PHOTO — MIKE PHILLIPS someone you know who needs the Tribune? Tribune, 2681 E. Hastings Street, Vancouver, V5K 1Z5. 50th anniversary. 1. What age category are you in? a) 28 yrs. and under b) 29 yrs. to 40 yrs. c) 41 yrs. to 50 yrs. d) 51 yrs. to 64 yrs. e) 65 yrs. and over 2. Are you? a) Male 3. Are you presently? a) employed, full-time b) employed, part-time c) unemployed 10. d) retired e) student 4. How long have you been a sub- scriber to the Tribune? a) less than 1 year b) 1 to 5 years c) 5 years or more 5. How much time, in total, do you spend in reading .or looking through a typical issue of the Tribune? a) less than 30 minutes c) 1 to 2 hours d) more than 2 hours 6. Which page of a typical issue of the Tribune do you read first, 7. Whatdo you think of the following features? 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