Canadian Report

   We have many times written about the International Council for Friendship and Solidarity with Soviet People and the “Northstar Compass” magazine in Canada with which we keep close connections. Now I had a luck to take part in the International Council Conference in Toronto, Canada on October, 10-12 myself.

   Several dozens of delegates from Canada, USA, India, Turkey/Northern Kurdistan (a representative of the Marxist-Leninist party of Turkey having recently opened its struggle front in Northern Kurdistan occupied by Turkey – a clandestine party), Senegal, Czech Republic, Poland, Chile, Spain and a number of other countries. Russia (and all the former USSR) was represented by two participants – Vladimir Chechentsev of RCWP-RPC [Russian Communist Workers’ party – Revolutionary party of Communists] and Maria Donchenko of VRY-LR [Vanguard of Red Youth of Labour Russia]. The Soviet Society for Friendship with Peoples of Foreign Countries Victor Burenkov (RCWP-RPC, RYCL(b) [Revolutionary Youth Communist league (Bolsheviks)]) was not able to come. His report sent by e-mail was read out from the tribune. Several delegates from Brazil, Pakistan and other countries were denied entrance visas to Canada.

   We gathered at the Friendship House – a wonderful place in the center of Toronto decorated by Soviet placards and pictures of the International Council Chairman Michael Lucas, with an abundant library of Soviet books and videos – a “piece of USSR in distant Canada” as its hospitable master says.

   The Chairman of the Toronto branch of Canadian Friends of Soviet People Frank Trampus opened the Conference. The International Council Chairman Michael Lucas made the keynote report. Then controversies followed on strong and weak features of the Friendship Societies in different countries as well as of all the four editions of the magazine – English and French (Canada), Russian and Spanish (Chile). Not less intensive debates were caused by the question of modern situation in Russia and other post-Soviet states – the Conference participants failed to come to a common opinion on the question if Russia was a semi-colony or a weak but self-consistent imperialist power. I defended the first point of view – we had nothing to say about self-sustained imperialism under the conditions of full degradation of industry and science, under the conditions of economy based on export of raw materials and natural resources.

   In a hot dispute we managed to assert our variant of resolution on South Ossetia – the internationalist one, denouncing both parties for fomentation of a bloody conflict. Strange as it may seem but voices were raised that all the responsibility should be put upon Georgian party, that denouncement of Putin and Medvedev should be excluded from the resolution text.

   However, resolutions in defense of Iraq, Afghanistan, DPRK, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Bolivia, Iran, Serbia, in support of the struggles of peoples of Latin America, greeting to the new government of Nepal – the youngest republic in the world – were accepted unambiguously. From the Conference tribune I read out the appeal of the Russian National Committee in defense of the Cuban Five and reminded that on October, 29 the UN was going to examine the question on lifting Cuba blockade for the next time. This question is examined at UN session every year, and every year the decision is being rejected due to the U.S. veto only.

   The Conference has approved the text of the appeal to workers and oppressed peoples of all the world to create the new International.

   On October, 12 the Conference delegates visited the Niagara Falls at the U.S.-Canadian border where a splendid view commands to Niagara river between Ontario and Erie lakes, where the main cascade stream named “Horseshoe” falls down from 53-meter height and breaks down to the stones with millions of flying upwards splashes. Due to them a rainbow can always be seen over the Niagara Falls.

   At the end I’d like to tell that Michael Lucas is not only the Chairman of the International Council but also a musician and an artist. Two of his landscape paintings were raffled off and came to delegates from Poland and United States, and two were presented to the girl from Turkey (I don’t mention her name for reasons pointed above) and to me, and I bring my hearty thanks to Michael for it.

   Our time limit has span away, and Toronto lights are already being left under the aircraft wing. We are looking forward to preparations for the III World Congress for Friendship and Solidarity with Soviet People and to long routine work in our countries.

   Maria Donchenko