Remembering Fidel Castro; A Global Revolutionary

http://theinternationalcommittee.org/

You can learn as much about a man from his critics as you can from his admirers. Henry Kissinger, U.S. secretary of state under Nixon, described Fidel in his memoirs as perhaps the most genuine revolutionary leader in power at that time.

The former Secretary of State and advisor to various U.S. Presidents was referring to 1975 when – to the surprise of the U.S. – Cuba lent its support to the Angolan independence struggle. In the Cold War geopolitics of the time, the Soviets were opposed to direct involvement, while Washington blatantly supported the racist apartheid regime in South Africa. http://theinternationalcommittee.org/

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Solidarity With the Charlotte Uprising, Justice For Keith Lamont Scott, Jail Killer Cops NOW!

Message from WI BOPM: We stand in solidarity with the Charlotte Uprising, https://www.facebook.com/charlotteuprising/, to protest the non-indictment of killer cop Brentley Vinson who murdered Keith Lamont Scott September 20, 2016 in Charlotte, NC. Jail Killer Cops NOW!
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Washington D.C., January 20:Make It Ungovernable! Protest the Presidential Inauguration in Washington DC

ALL OUT to Washington, DC, January 20 to PROTEST the Presidential InaugurationAfter the most divisive, racist, misogynist, contentious presidential campaign in modern history, Monica Moorehead for President and Lamont Lilly for Vice President urge everyone to converge in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 20 to protest the inauguration of the next president.No matter who wins the 2016 election, the people must take to the streets. This election year proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the capitalist system cannot represent the interests of the people. It revealed that democracy under capitalism is a sham.

While Trump and Clinton were fighting among themselves, often like children, Black and Brown people continued to be shot by racist police. Neither candidate ever expressed genuine support for the demands of the Black Lives Matter movement, essential in this period of police terrorism.

Clearly Donald Trump has galvanized racist, right-wing, anti-immigrant thugs. These elements have been stoked, and they will not likely crawl back into the gutter. But we cannot give up on all these workers. They have been misled by Trump, and we should struggle to win their hearts and minds.

Misogyny ultimately became a major issue this election season. At the heart of the “Trumpite” sexism against Hillary Clinton is not just hatred of women, but racism that is central to their odious ideology.

These forces are not reconciled to the historical fact that the first Black president was elected. They erroneously fear the “browning of America.” They think migrants are changing the fabric of “their” society and that they steal jobs, when in fact it is the corporations that lay off and shut factories.

The answer is solidarity and unity of all those who work and struggle for a living. Our enemy is not in the factory or the office but in the board room.

Neither Trump nor Clinton have a real program to address unemployment or underemployment. Neither will order the banks to put families back into foreclosed homes or to lower rents. Neither will unilaterally cancel the student debt. Neither will stop anti-LGBTQ laws from sweeping the country.

Trump is a dangerous buffoon. But Hillary Clinton is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Her political history is one of war and intervention. She is responsible, along with others, for the coup in Honduras and for war in Libya and Syria. She is historically aligned with the forces that dismantled welfare and led to mass incarceration.

As the economic crisis deepens, what can we expect? Under capitalism not only more of the same, but an intensification of all the ills that are byproducts of capitalism: war, racism, sexism, islamopho¬bia and the exploitation of all workers.

It is very likely that Hillary Clinton will win the election as she has proven her ability to well represent the 1%. We can be assured that in her first 100 days, there will be an escalation of war.

What’s the solution? Unity in fightback! Only our solidarity can push back the 1%! What matters is not who is in the White House, but in the streets.

We urge everyone – Black, Latinx, Native, Arab, Asian and white, women, trans people and men, young and old, queer or straight, documented or undocumented, people with disabilities, in a union or not, of every faith and belief from around the country – to converge in Washington on Friday, Jan. 20.

Join tens of thousands to present a people’s agenda!

Bus or travel information to Washington TBA
Visit http://www.workers.org/wwp/all-out-to-washington-dc-january-20-to-protest-the-presidential-inauguration/
or call 917-740-2628

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Rockford, IL, December 3: How do we respond to a Trump presidency?

Free & Open to the public
Saturday, Dec. 3. 1pm-3pm
Room B, Downtown Rockford Library

Join Workers World Party in a discussion on what a Trump presidency means for workers & oppressed people and how we can continue to build the movement to smash racism, sexism, xenophobia, and LGBTQ-oppression.

For more info contact Rockford Workers World Party by
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockfordwwp/
Email: rockford@workers.org
Phone: 424-262-3478

Madison, December 1-6: Colombia Support Network Film Series

Colombia Support Network

REMINDER OF THE UPCOMING MOVIE SERIES ON COLOMBIA

Thursday December 1 : MARMATO Red Gym at 4:45 p.m
Chronicles how the townspeople confront a Canadian mining company that wants the $ 20 Billion in gold beneath their homes

Friday, December 2 : IMPUNITY Red Gym at 6 p.m.
Through a series of commission testimonies, footage of paramilitary crimes. and interviews with victims and experts, IMPUNITY shines a light on the brutal history of paramilitary violence.

Sunday, December 4 : EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT Vilas Hall 4008 at 1:30 p.m.
The story of the relationship between Karamakate an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his people. Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards.

Tuesday, December 6 CHOCOLATE OF PEACE Marquee (Union South) at 7 p.m.
From the seed to the product, the cacao is the narrative thread that takes us through the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado, sister community of Dane County, Wisconsin, and its stories of violence and resilience and their fight to remain neutral in the face of the Colombian armed conflict.

COME JOIN US! BRING YOUR FRIENDS! ADMISSION IS FREE!

Colombia Support Network

teleSUR: Havana Bids Farewell to Fidel in Massive Tribute: Live Updates

Fidel will be remembered as a champion of the world’s poor, a figure of Latin American integration, and a fierce anti-imperialist.

Many leaders of Latin America’s left, including Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Bolivian President Evo Morales join hundreds of thousands of Cubans Tuesday evening at a massive public gathering and ceremony in honor of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro at the Plaza de la Revolucion in Havana.

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Throughout the day thousands of Cubans in Havana joined long lines to pay tribute at the Jose Marti Memorial, where a display showing a young Fidel in military uniform was perched among flowers. The Plaza de la Revolucion is the same place where Fidel once delivered rousing, marathon speeches over half a century.

A caravan carrying Fidel’s ashes will depart Havana Wednesday en route to the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, his final resting place, in a reversal of the leader’s historic journey from Santiago de Cuba to Havana in 1959 to mark the triumph of the Cuban revolution which ousted the U.S.-backed military dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.

The four-day procession will conclude with a mass event and a state funeral in Santiago de Cuba, where Fidel’s ashes will be put to rest at the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, which houses the remains of Cuban independence hero Jose Marti and other national heroes. http://www.telesurtv.net/english/index.html

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Crowds in Havana bid farewell to Comandante Fidel. | Photo: Reuters

Madison, December 2: Stand With Standing Rock–Evict Dakota Access!

December is a Global Month of Action in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. We need to act quickly to stop more violence against water protectors and halt the pipeline before January 1. On Friday, December 2 starting at 4 p.m., we will take our message to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offices on D’onofrio Drive (near West Towne Mall).

The Army Corps has issued an “eviction notice” for everyone camped on stolen 1851 treaty lands it claims federal jurisdiction over, effective Monday, December 5. The Governor of North Dakota followed up the notice with an absurd “mandatory evacuation order” that threatens to levy fines and block emergency services from the camps, while militarized police continue to attack and injure water protectors. We must tell the Army Corps to immediately rescind their eviction notice that puts the thousands of people who will be at the camp on Monday in danger of life and limb. We will make ourselve visible and audible outside the building as the workday ends.

More information on the Month of Action: https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/nodapl-solidarity-week-of-action?zipcode=19143&country=US

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Young Gifted and Black: Staying Engaged For December

“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love and support one another. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” ~ Assata Shakur

Staying Engaged for December

Dear YGB Community,
In our last Staying Engaged email, we talked about the need for community engagement and our three main areas of focus: Understanding Needs, Building Collective Understanding, and Advocacy. Our capacity for action is only as strong as the community behind us, and we’re in need of folks willing to step up and help us in these key areas. If that’s you, please email us and let us know. Below are things to be aware of coming up next month.Fight Against the Dakota Access Pipeline!
December 1st will be the National Day of Action to support the water protectors
The Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock, North Dakota would pollute the Missouri River, contribute to climate change, and, worst of all, would illegally encroach on Native American lands without their permission. Now, the police and Army Corps plan to physically remove the peaceful protesters on December 5th so that oil companies can profit at the expense of the people and the environment. To show solidarity and fight back, we can do a number of things:

  1. Travel to the protest camps at Standing Rock, North Dakota.
  2. Build voice on social media with hashtag #NoDAPL
  3. Urge the Wausau-based Marathon County Sheriff Department to remove their officers from Standing Rock by calling (715) 261-1200.
  4. Contact your elected officials by clicking here.
  5. Sign the petition to the White House by clicking here.
  6. Donate to the movement by clicking here.
  7. More info on how to help can be found here.

Other Ways to Be Engaged

Windows In Black History

Saturday, December 3, 9-11am – James Reeb Unitarian Universalist Congregation (2146 E Johnson St)

The second event in the “Windows In Black History” series, this workshop will feature YGB’s Brandi Grayson, Justified Anger’s Karen Reece, and Groundwork’s Laura McNeill to guide participants in a two hour exploration of U.S. slavery and its impact on modern day society. Come ready to learn!

How Much Policing Do Madison Schools Need?

Tuesday, December 6, 7-8pm – Goodman Community Center (149 Waubesa St)

Madison just extended its use of police officers in schools for another three years, provoking fears among Madison students and parents that over-policing in schools will contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. The Capital Times has assembled a panel of students, officers, and school board members to discuss. More info here.

How Do We Respond To A Trump Presidency?
December 3, 1-3pm – Rockford Public Library in Illinois
This Saturday, join the World Workers Party to discuss what the Trump presidency means for workers, women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other oppressed groups. Click here for more info.

Please support our efforts by sharing or donating to our gofundme page here.

The United Nations recommends YGB demands to the United States! Learn more here.

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