ya

ee

CANADIAN STATEMENT ON
10th WORLD YOUTH FESTIVAL

A unique opportunity
to strengthen ties with
youth from all countries

Below is the official statement of the Canadian
Festival Committee which outlines the basic politi-
cal aims and purposes underlining its participation
in the 10th World Youth Festival in Berlin, GDR.

In July of 1973, twenty-thousand young people from
countries around the world will converge on Berlin,
capital of the German Democratic Republic, to re-
affirm their aspirations for peace, progress and a
better future for all mankind. The Canadian Festi-
val Committee, preparing for Canadian youth par-
ticipation in this event, supports fully the slogan of
the Tenth World Youth Festival, which is ‘For Anti-
Imperialist Solidarity of Youth, for Peace, and
Friendship.”
Canadian youth share the concern of young
people throughout the world, and view their own
efforts for social change in Canada, as an integral
part of the world struggle for progress.
Participation by thousands of young Canadians
in the peace movement to end the war in Indochina,

has helped to create a situation in the world where

the danger of outbreak of war in Europe and the
Middle East has lessened and has contributed, and
continues to contribute towards efforts for world
peace, such as steps toward nuclear disarmament,
normalization of relations between states, and in-
creased trade and cultural exchanges.

The struggle for the national rights of the French
Canadian people, and for their right to national
self-determination is linked to similar struggles in
many lands against oppression and foreign domi-
nation.

Canadian youth have taken up the fight against

the oppression of women in all aspects of life.
The breakdown of corrupt colonial regimes in
this decade, and the fight against racism and re-
pression, assist the growing struggle of the native
peoples of Canada for equality and’ full economic

opportunity, and against government attempts to

destroy their identity.

Working and student youth in Canada are be-
coming increasingly aware that their economic and
social problems are tied in with the domination of
their country by U.S. imperialism. Our rights to full

employment and job security, to equal educational

opportunity, decent living standards, cultural stand-
ards, and recreation are linked to the struggle for
genuine Canadian independence. _

The Canadian participants in the 10th World
Youth Festival in Berlin, welcome this opportunity
to discuss mutual problems, and exchange views
and experiences. This will be a unique opportunity
for Canadian youth to develop ties with young
people from around the world, and to express soli-
darity in our common aims. We would like to state
our appreciation to the youth of the GDR for open-
ing up their country to this important youth gather-
ing. We are certain that this event will strengthen
the understanding between young people of our

two countries, and will add to the growing support -

for Canadian recognition of the GDR.

The Canadian Festival Committee pledges itself
to work to promote the participation of Canadian
youth to contribute to the success of the Festival.

PHOTO AND ART EXHIBITS TO BE SHOWN
AT THE 10TH WORLD YOUTH FESTIVAL

The Canadian delegation is collecting Canadian
art, photos and songs illustrating the life and work
of young people. These will be displayed at the
Festival alongside similar exhibits from around the
world. : : =

Photos will show the various aspects of life of
young people and their struggles for social change.
The art of youth and children will also form a part
of the display. Songs, both words and music, will
be compiled into a Canadian songbook.

All art, photo and song contributions should be
sent to The Canadian Festival Committee, 479
Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2A9.

=>

s/

_ pledge their support to the com-

Combat r

CHICAGO — Representatives
of several U.S.-based progres-
sive organizations met last week
to launch a new national organ-
ization to combat racist and
political repression.

Among the main speakers at
the convention were Angela
Davis, Anthony Russo, a recent-
ly released co-defendant in the
infamous Pentagon Papers trial,
and Clyde Bellecourt.

Bellecourt, spokesman for the
American Indian Movement and
a participant in the _ recent
Wounded Knee protest, called
the conference “the greatest
ever held.”

According to the conference’s
registration records, 769 repre-
sentatives of Black, white, Chi-
cano, Puerto Rican, American
Indian, Asian and labor organ-
izations, which submerged their
political and ideological differ-
ences, sent representatives to

mon struggle.
‘Protective Shield’

The new organization ‘“‘will
have to push back repression and
be able to provide a protective
shield for progressive causes,”
Miss Davis told the conference.

Among the immediate pro-
grams adopted at the conference
was that concerning police bru-
tality, presented in a workshop
report by the Rev. Al Jordan of
Los Angeles.

In her keynote address, An-
gela Davis gave voice to the

overwhelming need for a united
defense against repression.
“Repression,” she said, “today
is more conspicuous than ever
before. It is open, it is system-
atic and it contains a deadly
potential. All around us we see
our legitimate movements
against an unjust, racist status
quo coming under severe attack.
Embryonic Fascism
“Let this be the thesis of my
remarks: The special danger of

repression today is the embryo-
nic fascism it announces.

“The Nixon Administration
and those. for whom it speaks
are therefore trying to eliminate
the existing channels of demo-
cratic expression and opposi-
tion. And this policy is being
carried out by official institu-
tions at every level of the soci-
ety — by the Supreme Court, by
local courts, police departments
and prisons.”

By S. TOSUNYAN

(A commentary on recent
agreements between the German
Democratic Republic and the
Federal Republic of Germany.)

Another important stride has
been made on the way to norm-
alizing relations in the centre of
Europe and easing tensions.

On May 11 the West German
Parliament ratified the treaty on
principles of relations between
the Federal Republic of Germany
and the German Democratic
Republic. This document adjusts

“on a legal basis the relations

between two sovereign German
states. At the same time the
Bundestag passed a law on the
entry of the FRG into the United
Nations Organization.

The treaty on principles of re-
lations between the FRG and
the GDR emphasizes that both
states preceed in their actions
from their responsibility for pre-

Mine-Mill Day

SUDBURY — Mayor Fabbro
has agreed to name May 26 as
Mine-Mill Day to mark the 80th
anniversary of the founding of
the Western Federation of Min-
ers and the 30th birthday of the
Mine-Mill union at Falconbridge.

The announcement was made
in the May issue of Mine-Mill
Local 598 News and it is report-
ed that the local is organizing
a day-long program of events to
honor its pioneers, with a num-
ber of trade union leaders and
friends being invited to attend.

President Jim Tester com-
menting on the event said,
“When the union finally made the
grade in Sudbury 30 years ago,
the working class got off their
knees. It was a tremendous
thing . . . and it is to recall this
history that union is organiz-
ing a big celebration. . Rag

serving peace, from the aspira-
tion of contributing to relaxa-
tion- and promoting security in
in Europe, and from historically
formed conditions. The two
countries have stated that they
will be guided by the aims and
principles laid down in the UN
Charter, e.g. the principles of
the sovereign equality of all
states, respect for their indepen-
dence, self-reliance and _ terri-
torial integrity, the right to self-
determination, observance of hu-
man rights, and renunciation of
discrimination.

A Victory for Peace

The ratification of the treaty
spells a victory of peace forces
on German soil. Due to the pol-
icy of outright hostility, which
had been pursued for two dec-
ades by Christian ~ Democrat-
Christian Socalist governments,
the two German states had ad-
justed no outstanding problem
of. any importance. The GDR
government, however, continued
tireless quests for ways and
means of adjusting its relations
with the FRG. on the basis of
peaceful coexistence principles.

These quests were crowned
with success after the Brandt-
Scheel government came to pow-
er in the FRG. It showed real-
ism in foreign policy and ac-
knowledged the inviolability of
postwar frontiers, including that
between the GDR and the FRG.

The signing, of the Moscow
and Warsaw treaties, as well as
of the quadripartite agreement
on West Berlin, created an en-
tirely new. climate favoring the
solution of other complex prob-
lems. As well, for instance, the
GDR and the FRG and the GDR
and the West Berlin senate sign-
ed a number of important agree-
ments. :

Later, in May last year, the
first treaty since the existence
of the two German states was
signed in Berlin to adjust the
issues of transport communica-
tions between the GDR and the

FRG.

The many-year blockade of the
first workers’ and peasants’ state
in the history of Germany has
broken down once and for all. It
is sufficient to say that 82 coun-
tries have already established
diplomatic relations with the
GDR. This was made possible by
the coordinated foreign policy of
the socialist community.

Blockade Broken

‘Reactionary forces in the FRG
invested a great deal of. effort
to prevent the ratification. We
may recall that 217 opposition
deputies in the Bundestag voted
against the treaty.

The whole propaganda mach-
ine of the CDU/CSU opposition
bloc and Springer’s press launch-
ed fierce attacks against this im-
portant document, striving to
discredit it in the eyes of the
population. During the debates
in the Bundestag, J. Strauss, the
ringleader of the Bavarian ultras,
poured out a stream of abuse
upon the Brandt-Scheel govern-
ment for its having recognized
the sovereignty of the GDR and
the inviolability of: its borders.

However, the efforts of the
right-wing opposition ended in
failure. Moreover, four. deputies
of the CDU/CSU faction refused
to submit to Strauss’ dictation
and declared that they would
vote in support of the treaty.

A major scandal broke out in
the Christian Democrat camp in
connection with the issue of the
FRG’s entry into the United Na-

- tions. The result was that R.

Barzel, the. opposition faction
leader, resigned. Ninety-nine
CDU/CSU deputies voted with
the deputies of the government
faction for the bill on the entry
of the FRG into the UN.

People of goodwill consider
the ratification of the treaty on
the principles of relations be-
tween the GDR and the FRG to
be a positive act which serves
the interests of peace and co-
operation.

-PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MAY 25, 1973—PAGE 5