Feature

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Canadians play unifying role
at 13th World Youth Festival

By CHRIS FRASER
va es» ore than 15,000
young people “in-

_ vaded” North

Korea this past
summer, by far
the single larg-
est number of
foreigners to set
foot in the Demo-
cratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)
Since the Korean War of 1950-53.

This time the invasion was peaceful and
friendly, and by invitation, for the DPRK
was the venue for the 13th World Festival
of Youth and Students (WFYS).

Young people from more than 150
countries, including Canada, gathered in
the capital city of Pyongyang July 1-8 for
eight incredible days of culture, athletics,
socializing, and political discussions on
almost every conceivable topic.

Held about every four years since 1947
under the theme “Anti-Imperialist Soli-
darity, Peace and Friendship”, the festival
IS an unequalled catalyst for bringing
together youth of different political, philo-
sophical and religious ideas.

The festival featured various themes,
focusing on peace and disarmament, anti-
Imperialist solidarity, the environment
and global problems, women’s rights, the
non-aligned movement, students rights
and education, human rights, and eco-
nomic equality between developed and
third world countries.

“Tam really glad I went to the festival,”
Says 16-year-old Tisa Farrell, an anti-
racism activist from Toronto. “I would do
it again, and again, and again. There were
SO many people coming together as one.

__ The events at the festival were so beau-
tiful,” says Farrell. “What really stayed on
my mind was meeting people, shaking
ties hands, and supporting their strug-
gles.”

The 70 Canadian delegates agree that
the best aspect of the festival is the rich

exchange of ideas and knowledge that f

g0es with meeting people from every
corner of the world.

“The festival really opened my mind to

new ideas and viewpoints, and gave me a
global view of things,” says 25-year-old
Stuart McLean, a unionist from Prince
Rupert, B.C., and one of nine Native
youth in the Canadian delegation.

“I spent a lot of time with the native
People from New Zealand (the Maori),
learning about the oppression they face,
the fact that they are not recognized as the
first people in their country,” he says.

While some organizations had fears
and criticisms about the DPRK, delegates
formed their own impressions, separating
their opinions of the host country from the
festival as an event.

Delegates generally praised social con-
ditions in the DPRK, but many expressed
Teservations about the personality cult
around the country’s leader Kim II Sung,
and its political system.

“How you see the DPRK depends on
Where you come from,” says 25-year-old
Catriona Johnson, president of the NDP
at the University of Victoria. “Third world
delegates were amazed at North Korea,
because it has so much for a third world
country.”

On the other hand, Johnson criticized
what she called a lack of democracy and
the inequality of women in the DPRK.

“I was very surprised and amazed at
what they’ve done in 30 years,” says 16-
year-old Yens Pederson, a National Farmers’

3%, 8

PHILIP LINK

PHOTOS —

Ps

Top: Canadian delegation on the march during festival proceedings. Fraser is at
right (in cap). Bottom: The closing ceremonies.

Union member in Cutknife, Saskatche-
wan.

“Pyongyang had been bombed flat by
the U.S. during the Korean War, and now
it’s really a modern city,” says Pederson.
“There are some areas that aren’t as well
off, but there are not any real slums and
there are not any homeless people.”

In many ways, Pyongyang marked a
positive turning point for the festival
movement. It was clear that co-operation,
dialogue and openness are gaining the
upper-hand in the international youth
movement

f course there were
sharp differences
of opinion. What
_ else can one expect
at a gathering that
includes youth of
political persua-

‘ sions ranging from
communist to liberal?

“People weren’t always open in the dis-
cussion centres,” says 23-year-old Mairi
Johnson, deputy-chairperson of the Can-
adian Federation of Students. “Although

some people made really excellent speech-
es, many just toed their party line.

“But I honestly believe that this is going
to change at future youth festivals,” says
Johnson, adding that: “This was the most
exciting experience of my life. It was
incredible to see so many activities, such a
variety of cultures and politi.dl view-
points.”

The Canadian delegates themselves
were endorsed by 141 organizations, such
as the Student Christian Movement, the
Canadian Federation of Students, the
National Farmers Union, the Toronto
Disarmament Network, cultural and
solidarity groups, and political groups like
campus NDP groups and the Young
Communist League.

“The Canadian delegation was excel-
lent, diverse and active,” says 23-year-old
Lyndon Surjik, a gay rights activist who
represented the University of Regina Stu-
dents’ Union.

““We seemed to be on the cutting edge of
a lot of issues: solidarity with the Chinese
students, Native rights, women’s rights,

and gay and lesbian rights. This reflected
well on Canada,” says Surjik.

Indeed the Canadians embodied the
best ideals of the festival. The delegation
was broad and united, the product of
democratic debate in delegation meetings.
And they were active in all aspects of the
festival, adding their own positive contri-
butions.

he Canadians put
strong emphasis on
equal participation
by men and women
in the group (36
males and 33 fe-
males). Nearly 25
per cent of the
delegates were from Quebec, reflecting
support for the national equality of fran-
cophones. More than 10 per cent were
Native youth representing North Ameri-
ca’s first nations.

“The Canadian delegation was very
supportive of indigenous students, in the
way they lobbied for a round-table discus-
sion on indigenous issues, and the attempt
to have fair representation of Native youth
on the delegation,” says 22-year-old Bev-
erly Scow of the Inter-Campus Native
Students Network, a group fighting Can-
adian government cutbacks to Native
education.

“It’s clear that much more needs to be
done internationally to raise the issues of
indigenous peoples,” says Scow. “There
was a lot of discussion about national lib-
eration, independence, and anti-imperialist
solidarity at the festival. But people also
need to look inside their own countries, at
their indigenous people who have been
struggling for more than 400 years.

“We were only able to identify 29 indi-
genous people from other countries, out of
20,000 delegates” says Scow. ““We were
surprised that there were no indigenous
delegates from Latin America, The United
States, or the USSR.”
~» Because gay and lesbian rights were not
included in the festival program, the Can-
adian delegation organized a round-table
discussion on the issue at the Canadian
club.

“For me, the festival highlight was find-
ing other gay and lesbian activists for the
panel discussion,” says Surjik. “That went
really well. One of the delegates told me
that it was the most lively discussion in the
festival.”

When complaints poured in about sex-
ual harassment faced by female delegates,
the Canadians organized a successful all-
women’s social one evening, as well as
developing proposals for handling the
problem at the next festival.

Perhaps the most controversial, and
potentially divisive, issue unfolded around
solidarity with Chinese students. Through-
out the week some delegations favoured
action, others were opposed and it
appeared that a lack of consensus might
divide the festival.

To its credit, the Canadian delegation
was key in organizing two rallies and in
preserving the unity of the festival. This was
despite demands by a minority for more
provocative actions, such as marching on
the Chinese national club, and despite an
unsuccessful attempt by the nervous host
country to stop the first rally.

Perhaps one of the most important
things about the youth festival was the
way in which it drew the Canadian dele-
gates closer together and inspired them.

Mairi Johnson says: “Before I went I
was starting to lose my idealism, but the
festival totally brought it back.”

This is why delegates decided to set upa
permanent festival committee to promote
future world youth festivals and organize
annual Canadian events so that many
more youth experience this unique and
very special movement.

Chris Fraser from Toronto was deputy
chair of the Canadian delegation, represent-
ing the Young Communist League.

Pacific Tribune, September 11, 1989 « 5