Over one hundred people attended one or more parts of Socialism 2017, "100 Years of World Revolution" at the University of Toronto, May 12-13. Conference organizers collected over $900 in admissions, over $500 in literature sales, and sold five subscriptions to SA newspaper.
The conference sessions included “The Relevance of the Russian Revolution Today” with Jeff Mackler, national secretary, Socialist Action USA; Barry Weisleder, federal secretary SA Canada; and Aurélien Perenna, teacher and union activist member of the New Anti-capitalist Party, France; “Millions on the Move – Behind the Refugee Crisis” with Jaime Gonzales, LUS-Mexico, Sharmeen Khan of No One Is Illegal, Yasin Kaya, SA-Canada, and Nikolas Skoufoglu, a leader of OKDE, section of the Fourth International in Greece; “Basic Income or Raise the Rates?” with John Clarke, provincial organizer, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, and Jessica Sikora, Executive Board member, OPSEU; “Fake News – Who’s the Real Culprit?” with Yves Engler, author of 8 books on Canadian foreign policy, including “A Propaganda System”, Jeff Mackler, SA-USA, and John Wunderlich, Danforth NDP executive member and privacy consultant: and “Labour Union Revival – What will it take?” with Sid Ryan, past-president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, Aurelien Perenna of NPA-France, and Julius Arscott, Executive Board Member, OPSEU.
SA members recorded all five sessions, now posted on YouTube and on the SA website.
Ten people asked to join SA Canada, and many new friends entered our political milieu. Lively socials at a nearby pub showed that our party is getting younger and more energetic, with a greater capacity than ever to fight for a Workers’ Agenda, for an eco-socialist and feminist future, and to put an end to the wretched capitalist system that threatens the very survival of nature and humanity.