Letters

Campaign underway to raise medical
aid for child victims of Chernobyl

A benefit concert, video and supper was
held on March 18 at the Russian Hall, Van-
couver to launch a campaign for Medical
Aid for Child Victims of Chernobyl. The
campaign will continue until May 27 and is
sponsored by the Federation of Russian
Canadians (FRC). On the opening day
more than $7,000 in donations was col-
lected. The money will be used to purchase
medical equipment, medicines and special
food supplements in Canada for shipment
to Byelorussia for the use of children from
the worst contaminated areas.

It is about four years since the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant disaster. Tass reported
recently that a fifth of Byelorussia’s territory
(in the Gomel and Mogilev regions) was
contaminated by radioactive fallout. Dec-
ontamination efforts have proven inade-
quate. As of November, 1989, 100,000
people in these regions were awaiting reset-
tlement.

In November, 1989 the Byelorussian par-
liament drew up an action program to
combat the continuing effects of the con-
tamination. The cost is estimated to be $17
billion rubles — one and a half times
greater than the entire republic’s annual
budget! One of the contaminants is cesium-
137 which has a half-life of 30 years. It will
take about 600 years or 20 half-lives for this
contaminated area to return to normal.

The March, 1990 evening included a talk
by Dr. Kirsten Emmott of Canadian Physi-
cians for Prevention of Nuclear War and an
enjoyable concert featuring the FRC Festi-
val Choir; the Union of Young Doukho-
bors of Vancouver choir; the Yugoslav
Tamburitsa Orchestra and the Jubilee
Choir of the Association of United Ukrain-
ian Canadians. I was the master of ceremo-
nies and the appeal was made by Nadya
Niechoda.

The Soviet Union has a serious shortage
of hard currency. That results in problems

of purchasing medication, special food and
medical equipment so desperately needed in
the treatment of radiation victims.

__ We Canadians can help in a humanitar-
lan way by helping these children. This
campaign is a Canada-wide one and a fed-

GST opponent not welcome

On Thursday, March 1, 1990 Iattendeda
dinner in honour of Michael Wilson, Minis-
ter of Finance, at the Delta River Inn,
Richmond, B.C.

I reserved a ticket through the Delta
Chamber of Commerce. I informed them I
was opposed to the GST and I wished to
attend the dinner. I also informed the
Chamber of Commerce that I would not be
wearing anything to indicate that I was

against the GST.

On arriving at the hotel, I inquired at the
front desk as to where the dinner for
Michael Wilson was to held. I was sent up to
the top floor of the hotel. On entering the
room, there were no signs, and no one was
at the entrance. While purchasing a non-
alcoholic drink’ i recognized Mr. Stan Wil-
bee, the Delta Member of Parliament. I
informed him that I had a ticket reserved for

With a provincial election on the
horizon there is an issue I'd like to raise
with the NDP.

As I understand it, at present, the
decisions of their provincial and federal
conventions are not binding on their
elected MLAs and MPs in their respec-
tive legislatures and in the House of

.Commons. For instance, in the 1970s,
one of their provincial conventions
agreed on the need to nationalize B.C.
Tel. It was very, very definite about this.

However, the subsequent Barrett

NDP policy approach queried

government ignored this mandate.
Their argument was that their MLAs
and MPs were elected by the constitu-
ents in the various ridings and it was to
them they were responsible.

Now, since the NDP is above all a
parliamentary organization, unless it
makes some quite definite constitu-
tional changes in regard to the above,
their conventions will remain to a large
extent mere window dressing.

Bill Campbell,
Kamloops

CHECKING RADIATION LEVELS OUTSIDE CHERNOBYL... one fifth of Byelo-
russia contaminated, according to Tass.

eral income tax number has been applied
for. Donations are greatly appreciated and
can be sent to: FRC-Chernobyl, 600
Campbell Ave., Vancouver, B.C. V6A 3K1.
Orest Moysiuk,

: Burnaby

at Tory dinner

the dinner and wanted to pay for it. Mr.
Wilbee stated that he would find out and let
me know. Mr. Wilbee did not tell me that
this was a private function by invitation
only.

While I was waiting for his return, some-
one came up from behind me, it was one of
Mr. Wilbee’s assistants. She grabbed my
arm and forcibly pushed me out of the
room. It was then she informed me that I
was not allowed in this area, as it was by
invitation only. I replied that I was sent to
this area by the attendant at the front desk. I
requested I be allowed to finish my drink,
she refused and I was obliged to finish my
drink in the lobby.

Mr. Wilbee’s assistant admitted to me
that other people who were sent up to this
area by the front desk were admitted.

I have requested an apology from Mr.
Wilbee or his assistant, but to this date they
have refused to do so. I have pondered
whether Mr. Wilbee requested his assistant
to force me out. Why was I, a constituent of
Delta, treated in such a disgraceful and
unruly manner? As a result I no longer
consider Mr. Wilbee to represent all people
in the Delta constituency.

Benny Wolfe,
Delta

Social gains
by women
face threat

The gains won by women over the
past 20 years are under attack by the
conservative forces working in the
interests of the big business establish-
ment. Women have been entering the
workforce in larger numbers than in
the past. They are entering profes-
sions once considered the domain of
men and hence are achieving a degree
of individual independence. These
achievements have been the product
of struggle and determination by our
sisters throughout the country over a
good number of years.

Women have constituted a com-
ponent of the workforce ever since the
Industrial Revolution and were a
major force during the war years.
There is something about the recent
participation of women in the work-
force that has employers worried and
has caused them to launch a counter-
attack. The recent generation of
women workers, including profes-
sionals, as a result of the efforts and
advocacy of the feminist movement, is
demanding opportunities equal to
men. But they are also conscious of
the desire on the part of the employers
to exploit them as women. Women
are demanding equal treatment as
well as conditions that recognize the
special status of women in our society.

Women are also a new, progressive
element in the workforce that is par-
ticipating in the struggle for improved
conditions for all working people.

Big business is aware that the new
wave of conscious women workers is
not only a threat to their profit levels
but also a political threat. Public opin-
ion polls shows that women in the
workforce are a more progressive
force than their male counterparts,
especially as reflected in their voting
patterns. More and more women are
voting without the consent of their
husbands and more often than not for
centre-left candidates.

Big business is also aware than
women as a force in our society are
getting organized and flexing their
political muscle.

It is for these reasons that we are
witnessing the recent attacks on
women and their organizations. The
closing of women’s centres in this
country is not a cost-saving measure,
but a political move to silence criti-
cism.

The other frontal attack against the
gains won by women is by restricting
women’s entrance to the workforce.
this reflects itself in the recent attacks
lead by the right-wing churches
against woman’s reproductive free-
dom. It is also the reason that the
support for childcare is so lacking. It’s
reflected more insidiously in the
“bimbo” images of young women
presented in the media lately. Any
losses suffered by our sisters as a result
of the right-wing offensive are losses
for all working people. The loss of
centres for women and their means of
communication will have negative
consequences for the entire progres-
sive movement.

We must give our sisters all the
support that we can muster.

Michael O'Neill, Vancouver

Pacific Tribune, April 9, 1990 « §