Canada

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Peace, women’s:movements on election trail | Campaign| |

to unveil their election plans last week. The
) Peace and women’s movements were before
the cameras outlining campaigns designed
at mobilizing “gaps” into votes. Both
Movements have identified sections of the
tlectorate for whom peace and equality will
be decisive issues in supporting candidates.
Following Prime Minister Brian Mulro-
Ney’s Nov. 21 election call, Canada’s largest
Women’s organization outlined its list of a
four demands: scrapping the Canada-U.S. public service announcements are being
free trade deal; a comprehensive child care —_used to promote the campaign.
Program; reproductive choice; and improved In the announcements, two women dis-
| Protection for women and children who are _ cuss the elections.
Victims of violence. (Politicians) want the most important
. The demands are packaged into an jobsin the country and this time we’re doing
Equality Accord” that candidates will be __ the hiring,” says one.
asked to sign in return for women’s support - The peace movement got off the mark
| at the ballot box. early with a “Subs or Social Services?” event
“The polls have indicated there’s a over the Thanksgiving weekend. In centres
Sender gap; the parties recognize itandare across the country, Canadians were invited
trying to improve their attention to to choose where they want their tax dollars
Women’s issues,” said Lynn Kay, president _to go by pinning a symbolic dollar onto a
of the National Action Committee on the submarine, day care centre, house, school
Status of Women. “We're trying to mobil- _ or the environment.
Ize that gap into votes for women’s inter- The subs day was part of the Canadian
ests,” Peace Pledge Campaign, an undertaking of
NAC has named Nov. 5 “Women’s _ the 150 peace groups from coast to coast,
Vote? Day,” when its more than 600-member designed to ensure that defence figures
groups will be out in shopping centres, on prominently in the election campaign.
Street corners, going door-to-door, demon- Canadians areasked to take the pledge
trating and setting up information booths _ and vote for only those candidates who will
to urge women to vote as a bloc for their actively work to end Canada’s involvement
Own concerns. in the nuclear arms race. Organizers indi-

The campaign has targeted 20 swing and

‘Both groups have identified narrowly-won ridings across the country,
collecting names to pressure candidates to

sections of voters for whom "support popular peace issues or risk defeat.

= “We can prove to candidates that there
peace and equality are will be political rewards for candidates that
decisive issues.’

against | |
trade deal| |
mounting | |

Continued from page 1

support peace and disarmament, and politi-
cal consequences for those that don’t,” said
David Kraft of the Toronto Disarmament
Network, a sponsor of the campaign.

The positions of individual candidates
and political parties, in response to a 12-
point question, will be widely publicized
throughout the campaign.

The campaign has also targeted other
election dates, including Oct. 29 when
organizations in many cities will hook up
with other interest groups in demonstra-
tions in front of Conservative Party head-
quarters. The theme will be on the effect the
free trade deal and the White Paper will
have on Canada’s independence and invol-
vement in the nuclear arms race.

On Nov. 12, a final cross-Canada event
will focus on public presentations of the
pledges of voters who have committed
themselves to making peace a priority at the
ballot box.

Both NAC and the pledge campaign are C
pursuing a nationally televised debate by subscribers. |
the leaders of the three parties in the House Copies of
of Commons. The prime minister has said the brochure
no toa face-off on defence but he has tenta- will also be
tively agreed to a debate on women’s issues available after

“adjustment” by the company, which
is a member of the BCNI and an
advocate of free trade, White said.

Also this week, the Pro-Canada
Network is distributing hundreds of
thousands of copies of its 22-page
illustrated brochure, entitled What's
the Big Deal? Using a text written by
Canadian author and playwright
Rick Salutin, and illustrated by
renowned cartoonist Aislin, the bro-
chure is being inserted in daily news-
papers in major cities across Canada
at a cost of some $500,000.

In this province, the brochure was
carried in the morning’ Province, in
Thursday’s edition delivered to home

T-shirts, buttons, leaflets, booklets and cate that close to 75,000 have already taken _ as long as it is not sponsored by NAC. Thursday from |,
the Coalition }
i Against “Free”

Letters

‘Volunteers needed for ESL project

Cheryl Howrigan, education co-ordina-
tor, Farmworkers ESL Project, writes:
Every May, Punjabi students, their friends
and tutors get together to celebrate a fruit-
ful season in the Farmworkers ESL Pro-
ject. They decorate the hall, eat a lot of dal
and try a little gidha dancing.

It’s their graduation ceremony of sorts
Where they receive their English as a
Second Language certificate. This year,
books of their stories, a newsletter, a thea-
tre production and a booklet on pesticides
will show off their creative and linguistic
achievements.

Every autumn, the process is reacti-
vated as more tutors and students are rec-
Tuited and registered.

Tutors are trained by professionals in
current ESL and popular education tech-
niques and methodologies. Orientation

Palestinians

Central Committee, Palestinian Com-
munist Party, writes: Recent days have
Witnessed a vicious escalation of repres-
sion by Israeli authorities against our
defenseless Palestinian people in the occu-
Pied territories.

The most elementary of human rights
guaranteed by international covenants are
being trampled. United Nations Security
Council resolutions are being brazenly
defied and challenged by Israel, which is
able to evade sanctions because of
Washington’s protection.

Israeli authorities have set fire to the
homes of innocent people while they slept,
murdered prisoners at the notorious
Ansar detention camp, and have once

sessions make them familiar with literacy
techniques, farmworkers’ issues, the eth-
nic communities and languages. Monthly
workshops serve to build a strong working
group and develop skills.

In its six years, the Farmworkers Pro-
ject has reached 300 farmworkers and
their families. A majority of students are
women at home who have never learned
English because of their dual responsibili-
ties: long seasons of farm work, replaced
with winters of familial child care. The
other students are predominantly older
women and men, left at home, lacking the
-means to get around in and English-
speaking world.

_ During the farm-working season, they
get up at 5 a.m., are driven in labour
contractors’ vans to pick vegetables and
berries 8-14 hours a day and travel two

issue appeal

again resorted to the use of deportations.

An immediate challenge to these inhu-
man practices by Israeli occupation forces
is needed from the international commun-
ity. If this challenge is not made, further
crimes, including mass deportations and
the separation of families, will occur. It is
high time the world community put an
end to these arrogant violations of human
rights practiced by Israeli forces in the
occupied territories.

We appeal to all people of good will
who cherish justice and human rights to
exert all possible pressure on the Israeli
authorities to end these inhuman practices
and return those they have deported to
their homes and families.

hours back to their homes to prepare for
more of the same.

During the off-season, domestic duties,
lack of money and transportation keep
them from attending community educa-
tion classes. By taking the classes into their
homes and neighbourhood group, the

‘ program brings surprising results.

Understanding cultural customs and
bureaucratic brambles means they will be
better equipped to determine and demand
their rights as farmworkers and citizens.

Learning to communicate in English is
a crucial step in breaking their dependency
on contractors and employers who:

@ Take up to 30 per cent of their wages
which are already below the provincial
minimum;

@ Fail to keep accurate records which
can lead to disqualification from unem-
ployment insurance benefits.

The unmonitored use of pesticides
makes farm work the third most danger-
ous industry in North America. Under-
standing the risks and reading English are
steps towards a safer industry.

We will be recruiting volunteers
throughout October. Eighteen hours of
orientation in mid-November will prepare
tutors for classes staring the last week of
November. A smaller group will begin in
early January. Classes are held twice
weekly for two hours in students’ homes
and community centres. Field trips into
the community are incorporated into class
time. A network of other tutors and ongo-
ing support provide valuable training ina
stimulating environment. .

_ If you can help please call Cheryl How-
rigan or Bhavana Bhangu at 430-6055 or
430-6648.

Trade, one of
several organ-
izations in this
province affil-
iated to the
Pro-Canada WHITE

Network: Coalition » spokesperson

Paul McKané said that they will sell’-|~

for 25 cents a copy and are available
by phoning 875-1769 or 321-1202.

McKanesaid the Coalition has also
been co-ordinating the Network’s
Stop the Deal sign campaign and
signs are still being distributed around
the Lower Mainland.

Citizens Concerned About Free
Trade, which recently drew more than
800 people to a meeting to hear David
Orchard, the Saskatchewan grain
farmer who has spoken across the
country against the trade deal, is also
countering the Tory propaganda with
an information campaign of its own.

“The main thing we’ve found is
that people simply don’t know about
the trade deal, “ said spokesperson
Judith Cross. “And we're doing every-
thing we can to make sure they find
out how dangerous it could be for
Canada.”

As well as its own literature on the
deal, the group is distributing copies
of the trade deal itself, together witha
simplified summary and analysis pre-
pared by former judge Marjorie
Bowker.

Bowker’s analysis, prepared at the
former judge own expense and initia-
tive, is “one of the most important
studies because it strips away all the
legalese,” Cross said. And even
though Bowker is herself a Conserva-
tive, she makes it clear she is not
happy with the agreement because it
leaves Canada vulnerable, Cross
added.

_ As they were Tuesday, Concerned
Citizens will also be active in the elec-
tion campaign, taking the issue to all-
candidates meetings and Tory election
rallies, Cross noted.

“And we'll be ready to go at a
moment’s notice whenever we hear
that Mulroney’s coming to town.”

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Pacific Tribune, October 24, 1988 « 3