Contributions to new centre now tax deductible

Donors to the Tim Buck-
Norman Bethune Education
Centre have two reasons to re-
joice this week. First, as can be
seen by the photo (on page 3), the
building is making excellent pro-
gress, its traditional contours eas-

ily recognized.

The second piece of good news
is that the centre has been recog-
nized by the Registry of Charities
and Canadian Amateur Athletics
Associations, and assigned. tax
exemption number 0589259-20-
13. That means that those who
have contributed and plan to con-
tribute in future to the building
fund, or to the ongoing operation
of the centre, can claim their
donations on ors income tax re-
turns.

Oscar Kogan, chairman of the
committee in charge, reports that
official receipts will be sent out by
the last week in February or the
first week in March, to be used for
tax exemption purposes. Further:
while a donor may claim up to
20% of his income for such charit-
able donations, the whole claim
need not be made in one year.

The committee is also re-
minding all who made pledges
that the 1981 segment is now pay-
able, and may be claimed on 1981
tax forms.

“We are looking forward to

many more donations to the build- -

ing fund,”’ said Kogan, ‘‘as well
as to the continuing educational
work of the centre. We plan to
carry on a number of public
schools, seminars, lectures, etc.,

to fulfill the aims of the centre,
and comply with registration
commitments.’

Very shortly now, the commit-
tee will report the final figures on
fund-raising, but it stresses that
its needs have not ended. Both
the $100,000 outstanding on
pledges, and new contributions
are welcome and urgent.

“There have been some very
encouraging responses from trade

unionists, to collections speci-
fically for the George Harris —
Jean Paré Conference Room,”
Oscar Kogan remarked. *‘We are
hopeful that this spirit will spread
and many more trade union mem-
bers will contribute to the com-
memoration of the names of twq
dedicated trade union leaders.”’
Just at press time two letters
were received. One, from the
organization of the Portuguese

‘Communist Party in Toronto,
‘which celebrated the 50th ai-

niversary of Portugal’s Commu:
nist newspaper Avanté, on Feb.
15, enclosed $492 for the building
fund collected at that event.

The second, signed by Janet —

Jagan, international secretary of
the People’s Progressive Party of
Guyana, enclosed $100 and ex-
pressed solidarity.

Canadians attend 26th Congress CPSU |

TORONTO — A fraternal
delegation from the Communist
Party of Canada composed of Wil-
liam Kashtan, leader and General
Secretary of the Party and Wil-
liam Stewart and Samuel J. Walsh
is attending the 26th Congress of
the Communist Party of the
Soviet Union, which opens Feb-
ruary 23 in Moscow. The Con-
gress is expected to last about 10
days.

Before his departure Feb. 19,
Kashtan said that the 26th Con-
gress ‘“‘will be of great inter-
national significance in the con-

tinuing struggle to maintain and
consolidate détente and achieve
disarmament on the basis of par-
ity and equality of security.
“U.S. imperialism which is in a
deep-going crisis, is striving to
drag its allies in NATO, including
Canada, onto a dangerous adven-
turist course which could bring
the world to nuclear disaster,” he
said. ‘‘The 26th Congress will
show the sharp contrast between
the reasoned, sober and realistic
approach to peace advanced by
the ruling party in the Soviet
Union and the semi-hysterical

war-like- positions advanced by
U.S. imperialism. Socialism as
before will show it is synonymous
with peace while imperialism
breeds aggression and war.

The Communist Party. leader
said that, ‘‘the 26th Congress will
also mark another stage in the
continuing growth and develop-
ment of the USSR’s economy and
with it increased incomes and ris-
ing standards for the people in the
Soviet Union, contrasted with the
State of stagflation and even
slumpflation in the capitalist

world where unemployment, in-

flation and declining standards are —
what capitalism has to offer the —

working people.”
Kashtan concluded with the
remark that Canada should take

‘full advantage of the USSR’S

11th 5-year plan with its massive

development program which will

be undertaken by the 26th Com —
gress, to strengthen mutually

satisfactory trade, economic,
scientific and cultural relations

with the Soviet Union. Relying0 —
the U.S. market is to rely on 9

weak reed,”’ he said.

Canada must condemn genocide in EI Salvador —

Special to the Tribur~

MONTREAL — Three hundred Canadians at a recent
conference here prepared a plan of action to awake their
fellow-countrymen to the dangers of another Vietnam in
Central America. The Congress for Solidarity for El
Salvador brought groups together from Halifax to Van-
couver, all supporting the Democratic Revolutionary

_ Front (DRF) in El Salvador and its military movement —
the Farabundo Marti Liberation Movement.

All decided that Canada should not be allowed to
quietly follow or turn a blind eye to U.S. intervention in
El Salvador. They heard of U.S. helicopters bombing
innocent villagers, and U.S. ‘‘military advisers” direct-
ing actual military operations against the people.

From the DRF itself, Rafael Moreno, a Jesuit priest in.
exile from El Salvador, explained the background that
led the military junta to make war on its own people, and
to the guerrilla offensive mounted before the end of
January. He explained the reasons for attacking, before
Reagan’ s inauguration, and the gains made by the
opposition forces, in arms taken, i in training, in proving
their capacity to fight.

‘As for the renewal of U.S. military supplies, this only
means that our struggle must go on longer and will cause
more bloodshed, but we are bound to win,”’ he com-
mented.

Canadians put a diplomatic Canadian offensive at f a

top of the list of solidarity tasks. A flood of letters and
telegrams has already inundated the office of External
Affair Minister Mark MacGuigan, who has been ques-
tioned in the House of Commons about Canada’s stand
on U.S. intervention.

After promising to denounce the return of military aid
by the U.S. when meeting General Haig, MacGuigan
announced he was re-studying the situation, after hear-
ing stories from Haig about ‘‘Cuban mercenaries”
Canadian support groups are circulating petitions and
lobbying MPs to strengthen MacGuigan’s stand. Cana-

da, along with Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, Nicaragua,
Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium are very much
needed by the RDF as spokesmen for non-intervention.
The DRF is also hoping Canada and Mexico may per-
suade General Haig to negotiate with the DRF to save
further bloodshed. .

February 28th is date of a mass demonstration in Ot-
tawa, to demand further Canadian government protests
—to the U.S. and to the UN, since the U.S. is bound by
arecent UN agreement not to send military shipments to
El Salvador. There will also be local demos in Toronto
and London.

In March, there will be a Week of Solidarity, March 21
to 28, culminating in church services across the land.
Canadian churches have: been particularly concerned

_ about violation of human rights in El Salvador, includ-

ing, of course, the murder of Archbishop Romero one
year ago.

Other events include a concert, taking place in Toron-
to, March 2 at the Titania Music Hall, and in other cities
across Canada, by Banda Tepeuani, a group of musi-
cians from the San Salvador music faculty now refugees
in Mexico. Their name _ ‘‘Tepeuani’’
“‘conquerors’’ in the local Indian language, and they play
peculiarly local fluets, as well as more well know guitars
and drums. The Toronto concert is organized by the
Committee of Solidarity with the People of El Salvador,
formed earlier this year by members of more than 20
political, religious, solidarity and non-governmental
groups, a group which has already embarked on a pro-
gram of education, lobbying, publicity and fund-raising.
The Toronto concert starts at 7:30 p.m. and is by dona-
tion of $5.

The Committee welcomes any groups or individuals

interested in solidarity work and supporting the two
- organizations — DRP and FMLM — who represent the

mass of E] Salvadoreans. Address is care of the Centre
for Spanish Speaking People, 582A, College Street, To-
ronto, M6G 1B3.

means -

Stepped-up U.S. backing for the El Salvadorean junta has

brought the issue of Canadian support for the people’s —

struggle to the fore. As the accompanying story shows,
everyone can do something to stop U.S. intervention.

Move to push

Special to the Tribune

. WINNIPEG — = February 8 a responsive audience -

in Winnipeg’s Planetarium auditorium heard Communist
Party leader Willian Kashtan give a lucid talk on Cana-
da’s constitutional debate and related matters.

Dealing with the British North American Act (BNA)
— which is Canada’s constitution, Kashtan said that the
reason it’s in Britain is because the capitalist class of

1867 (when it was drawn up) “‘couldn’t agree on a divi-
sion of powers”’.

Prime Minister Trudeau’s policies, according to
Kashtan have, rather than uniting the country, “‘opened
the door for provincial demands at the expense of the
Canadian people.”’ He cited as an example the policy of
bilingualism which Trudeau instigated in order to break
the back ‘‘of French Canadian separatism.”

Rather than, as the Communist Party does, recognize
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FEB. 27, 1981—Page 4

that Canada is a state composed of two nations (bi-
national) Prime Minister Trudeau feels that bilingualism
will be enough to placate the legitimate grievances of the
Quebecois. Kashtan said that the BNA Act ‘should be
scrapped and a made-Canada constitution’ based on
clear-cut principles is what this country really requires.
Included among the clear-cut principles would be the
right to self-determination by the Frerich Canadian na-
tion and a Charter of Rights which would include the
right to a job, to free health and education, and full and
equal rights for women.

Turning to the crucial issue of energy, Kashtan said
that the U.S. Government, multi-national oil corpora-
tions, Alberta Premier Lougheed, federal Tory leader
Joe Clark, and the mass media are all trying in some way
“to push politics to the right.”” He mentioned a recent
article in the cecamnaoes Post in which the U.S. State

politics to right Kashtan warns

Department agreed with the heads of multi-nationals that
“‘a mass campaign (should be undertaken) to convince

the Canadian people that federal energy proposals are —

wrong,’’ Canadian resources must be ‘“‘nationalized in
the interests of Canada as a, whole’ and not for the
benefit of a profit-greedy few said the Communist leader.

William Kashtan concluded his talk by emphasizing

that Canada needs a foreign policy independent of 3
NATO, NORAD, and of those interests in the USA who —

. on the —
idea that they could win it.’’ Canada should not ally itself

believe in ‘‘the permissibility of nuclear war .

with ‘‘sinking ships’’ but with the forces of national
liberation and independence.

Our series on Latin America will resume next week.

Pe a it TT Ri Rt a A

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