International Solidarity

As the the bombing of Lebanon continues and the deaths of innocent Lebanese civilians and Israeli citizens continues to rise, people across the United States are organizing to demand an immediate cease-fire. Check out the article for resources on the current situation in the Middle East and what you can do!

Click here to check out what will happen at the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students!

Click here to find all about the festival. Also on this page: download a NEW pamphlet that you can use to tell everyone you know what the festival is and how to get involved. You can also download the application to apply to attend the festival (PDF versions available).
Check out the official US Festival website at http://usnpc.net

I and seventy other U.S. youth and students arrived in Havana on July 23 as the Youth United Delegation to the Third US / Cuba Youth Exchange. Part of a larger group of around 300 Americans, the Youth United delegates traveled to Cuba to learn as much about this small socialist island as we could in one short week. Even more importantly, we came to show that despite the U.S. blockade against Cuba, the peoples of the two countries will continue to work together toward common goals.

The International Union of Students (IUS) was joined by regional students\' organizations from around the world for the September 13, 2003 Global Student Day of Action to Defend Public Education. The action was aimed at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Students around the world are calling for all levels of education to be removed from the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), a set of rules about international trade in the service sector adopted by the WTO. GATS forces developing countries in particular to open public services, health care and public education to privatization by giant corporations.

In 1925, as a result of the growing organization of the labor and the influence of socialist ideas, the first Cuban Marxist-Leninist Party was founded. The Communist Party of Cuba was built thanks to the efforts of a very outstanding group of communists, among whom Carlos Bali�o and Julio Antonio Mella played an extraordinary leading role.

Natalia came to the United States from Russia over six years ago. Her mother moved her here in the hopes that they would both be able to escape the worsening economic conditions and crime that has become rampant in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. They came looking for the better life that they had heard was possible in the US.
However, when they arrived in America, they found that life here was much harder than they had expected. \"The transition was more difficult than I could have ever imagined,\" says Natalia. \"I hated it with all my heart.\"

On November 30, 1999 in Seattle, a five-day protest against the World Trade Organization (WTO) began, marking a new phase of the movement for global justice. Over 50,000 trade unionists, farmers, students, environmentalists, workers, and other activists swarmed over the city and shut down the meetings of the WTO. Major sectors of the country identified global corporations and capitalism as the source of our world�s problems. A new generation of young people saw the incredible power they could hold if they simply organized, mobilized, and became active together with the labor and people�s movements.

As thousands of young people gathered in New York City to protest the World Economic Forum in early February, their counterparts from different countries around the world participated in the 2nd World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Over 20,000 peaceful protestors converged on the Waldorf-Astoria hote in New York City to protest the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting being held there. The WEF, which traditionally meets in Davos, Switzerland, is a gathering of CEOs from the world�s largest corporations, multimillionaires, kings and heads of state.

The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) strongly condemns the Government of Israel for declaring open war against Palestine by mobilising thousands of its troops with sophisticated and heavy weaponry against the Palestinian people. The Israeli army took over the headquarters of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) with tanks and armed troops. Israeli troops entered Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat\'s compound on after Israeli forces knocked holes in the walls. Chairman Arafat was inside the compound, which was under heavy attack. WFDY believes there is severe risk to the life and security of Mr. Arafat.

Immediately after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, George Bush gave his now famous ultimatum: "You are either with us, or against us," meaning you either support US imperialism and the murderous aggressive war Bush would soon initiate or you support the criminal and inhuman attacks of September 11.

Dynamic: Can you tell us how the idea came about to visit Ramallah?

Keren: I was in the Palestine Solidarity Society at Sussex University. We are part of a network of Palestine solidarity campaigns all around Britain, and we decided to actually go to Palestine. We were going to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, which have experienced brutal repression since the beginning of this uprising.

Dynamic: What are the main problems facing the Palestinian people, and what are the solutions?

Wail: The occupation is the main problem for both the Palestinian and Israeli people. Israel must completely end the occupation and Israel must implement all UN resolutions related to the issue of occupation, especially #242, #338 and #194

The anti-globalization movement was the \"it\" movement for young people until the tragedy on September 11. Major protests against the undemocratic nature of the financial and political institutions that govern globalization exploded at every major international meeting. Ties were strengthened between labor, environmental groups, students, and community organizations. The YCL has played an important leadership role in the movement by working hard to strengthen and consolidate the coalitions that form it.

Hassan Alizaden and Amir Hossein carry a scrapbook of newspaper clippings wherever they go. Inside, there are articles in many different languages, from many different countries. They\'re written in Arabic, Spanish, French, and English, but each one tells the same tale of heroic perseverance.