BRITISH COLUMBIA City council hacks world youth fest The 15 delegates sent to represent British Columbia at the 12th annual world youth festival in Moscow this summer will go with the moral back- ing of Vancouver city council. Only two aldermen opposed a motion from Ald. Libby Davies of the Committee of Progressive Electors that council endorse the festival, whose B.C. preparatory committee is currently reviewing applications to attend the event which runs July 7- Aug. 3 In another resolution council, at its Mar. 26 meeting, also agreed to equip the delegates with pins and brochures promoting Vancouver. Preparatory committee members Kim Zander and Larry Legebokoff hailed the decisions afterwards as a “victory for world peace and mutual understanding.” Some 20,000 delegates from more than 140 countries sent by 170 pre- paratory committees will attend the eight-day affair consisting of sympo- siums and cultural and sports events grouped around the festival theme, For Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship. “This year’s festival comes at an historic time. It is the 40th anniversary of the formation of the United Nations. It is the end of the UN- declared Decade of Women. It is the start of the UN-declared Decade for Youth along with 1985 as the Interna- tional Year of Youth,” wrote festival co-organizer Reg Walters to council. Walters went on to note the festival also comes during the 10th anniver- sary of the Helsinki peace acord, the 40th anniversary of the nuclear bomb- ing of Hiroshima, and the 40th anni- versary of “the defeat of fascism. “Knowing Moscow’s historic role in the defeat of fascism, it seems natu- ral that (the Soviet capital) be the loca- tion of this year’s festival,” he wrote. The first World Festival for Youth and Students was held in Prague two years after the end of the second world war, with the stated aim of promoting understanding among the world’s youth to prevent the reoccurence of fascicm and racism rising to state power. But the theme of anti-imperialism drew the fire of right-wing Ald. Mar- guerite Ford, who said she thought the festival is “not the kind of thing we support.” Ford was speaking to a motion to grant the festival preparatory com- mittee $100 to meet administrative costs. The motion failed, lacking the required eight affirmative votes, with two of council’s 11 members absent. Davies, in moving council’s back- ing for the festival, noted that “no matter what the ideology of the coun- tries they come from, young people can get together (at the festival) and exchange ideas.” COPE’s Harry Rankin said the fes- tival provided “the kind of discussion that changes the world.” The festival is endorsed by several international youth, peace and Chris- tian organizations. 2 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 3, 1985 Pointing to the upcoming changes in the Unemployment Insurance system as an “attack on the people who benefit from the program,” the Lower Mainland Regional Unemployed Coalition has launched a campaign in opposition, including leafletting at Unemployment Insurance offices, a public meeting set for Apr. 11 and follow-up actions. The changes to UI — first introduced in Finance Minister Michael Wilson’s Nov. 28 economic statement which stated “reviews of the program have suggested that it may created disincentives to job search” — are scheduled to take effect Apr. | when workers receiving severance pay or other monies on losing their jobs will face a longer waiting period before receiving benefits. A second change is planned to take effect on Dec. 31, 1985 when pension con- tributions paid on separation will be deducted from benefits otherwise payable. “These cuts in benefits are designed to increase the desperation of the unem- ployed,” coalition chairman Marty Smith told the Tribune. “But for every business Jobless launch campaign on UI cuts| that profits from that desperation, many more will go under. And no jobs will be created,” he said. Opposition to the changes has come from the labor movement and a majority of participants in Prime Minister Brian. Mulroney’s recent national economic con-.‘ ference who signed a petition protesting the amendments. The conference, held in Ottawa Mar.22- 24, brought together 136 invited represen- tatives from business, labor and people’s organizations in hopes of building a con- sensus in favor of the Tory government’s program of restraint. But that consensus was not achieved as representatives from labor, unemployed organizations, church and women’s groups spoke out in favor of jobs and a full employment policy and endorsed the petition against the change in Unemployment Insurance regulations. Smith suggested that the government’s attempt to cut Unemployment Insurance benefits began some time ago when the existing interview program was stepped up with a view to denying benefits to those not looking for work “hard enough.” = and old age benefits; disqualification for voluntarily leaving one’s job; }. ing period for which no benefits are paid; insurance weeks required for eligibility; a claim. mation meeting on Apr. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the First United Church, 320 East Hast- ings St. Vancouver, to outline the cuts and offer alternatives. A panel discussion with audience participation is planned. Further changes proposed are: @ Elimination of maternity, sickness @ Lengthening of the present six-week © Increasing the present two-week wait- e@ Increasing the minimum number of e Reducing the maximum duration of The coalition has called a public infor Expected panel participants include Roy Gautier, president of the B.C. and Yukon Building Trades Council, Karen Dean of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and an economist who will” analyze the impact of the cuts on the Can- | adian economy. ; Centennial Commission doing its job Next year is Vancouver’s 100th birthday. A centennial in any life, even that ofa city, is worth celebrating and three years ago city council set up a Centennial Commission to prepare for this gala event. The commission has done a good job. Every neighborhood, city group, multicul- tural organization, service group and social service agency has been contacted and involved. Hundreds of events are being planned. No less than 278 community organizations are working on centennial events involving tens of thousands of people. There will be some events every week and every month of our centennial year. These will include a Scandinavian festival, a Dragon Boat festival, Les Immigrants, a Japanese Language School reunion, public performances under the heading of Women’s Voices, a Salish Women’s Art Exhibit and Festival of Jewish Life and Culture. Exactly 127 centennial sports events are already scheduled and a valuable show of Dutch Master paintings is being brought in from Holland. Labor will be honored for its contribu- tion to the building of Vancouver with a labor festival on Labor Day weekend anda special book, Working Lives, documenting ; labor history will be published. A special peace program will be pres- ented in April. Considering the magnitude of the event, the Centennial Commission’s budget of $3 million is not unreasonable. The provincial government refused to contribute anything! You would think that since city council has authorized the event, voted the money, and received numerous progress reports, it would now go all out to make the centennial a big success. No so. At council’s meeting Mar. 26 the commission and the whole project were attacked from every side by council’s right wing. Leading the pack in their attack were aldermen May Brown, Marguerite Ford and Gordon Campbell. Having nothing of substance to say they resorted to nit- Tribune delayed Holiday scheduling over the Easter week- end will prevent us from publishing the Tribune on a regular schedule next week. That issue will be delayed for a day and will be mailed out Apr. 12. Following that we'll skip a week and be back on schedule for the next issue, which will be mailed Apr. 24. Harry Rankin picking, and nattered away at small things with nasty little inferences and snide remarks. Ald. Brown, for example, claimed she knew of organizations that had never heard of the Centennial Commission, that would have planned events whether the commis- sion was there or not and therefore the commission was “‘irrelevant.” Ald. Camp- bell, who has been on council since December claimed that the commission made it difficult for him by changing the dates of its executive meetings. And so on they went. The claimed to be defending the taxpayer but it quickly became clear that the effect of their type of criticsm was to undermine the commission, discredit its members and undermine the whole event. Their remarks constituted an insult to the thousands of citizens who are working untold hours to make this birth centennial a success. ‘ It was cheap political opportunism at! worst. It was so bad that even Ald. Geof Puil had to dissociate himself from attacks on the commission. I think I know what bothers these sm: minded critics. There are several thi about this centennial they don’t like. (Th® haven’t the political guts to come right ov and say so, and so they make flanki attacks.) These facts are: 4 @ This is not a festival honoring busin tycoons or political rascals like the notof ious Mayor Gerry “Riot Act” McGeer; © It is a people’s festival with the emph sis on voluntary citizen participation in 4 areas and at all levels. It’s not a commerce! profit-making event to benefit special bus" ness interests; © Labor is being recognized for its co™ tribution, and of cousrethese union-bash& don’t like that; © The theme of peace will be stressed. The right-wing’s efforts to curtail th? celebrations were defeated at this coum! meeting. I’m confident the centennial wil be a success in spite of their obstructionis™ The dogs will continue barking, no doubt: but the centennial train will roll on. 50th anniversary goal: $100,000 It’s an ambitious figure, but then, on our 50th anniversary, we have ambitious goals. And we think the times call for an improved Tribune, one that can reflect with timely news stories and thoughtful, well-researched features the struggles to maintain and further trade union rights, to achieve the goal of world disarmament, and score electoral victories for progressive candidates. That’s why we set this year’s finance drive target at $100,000. With . just three short months to raise that figure, it’s a challenge, but one that | our readers and supporters have already indicated they’re prepared to | meet. by June 22 They’ve already shown their determination to raise $2,000 for every _ year of the B.C. labor weekly’s existence by turning in several thousand dollars to date, with the drive only one week old. Much of this comes from straight donations, but as with the preceding year, the 1985 drive offers the Tribune contest tickets. They : give supporters the chance to win one of three prizes, and are available now from press club directors or the Tribune office. :