Tampa, FL – Over 20 activists from across the state of Florida participated in a weekend conference recently. The conference discussed how to apply the science of Marxism-Leninism to student organizing. Students and organizers from Tallahassee, Gainesville, Jacksonville and Tampa attended and led the conference.

Several topics were discussed at length, with presentations followed by questions and comments. The students had a lot to say about revolutionary theory during workshops entitled “The Mass Line,” “The United Front,” “Conducting Social Investigation,” “The Advanced, Intermediate and Backwards,” “The Campaign Model of Organizing” and “Why Communists Should Build the Student Movement.” The conference lasted all weekend, and included a social for the attendees Saturday night.

Some of organizations represented at the conference included Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Students for a Democratic Society, and Comittee to Stop FBI Repression. Everyone left with a lot to think about, especially since the new school year is right around the corner. Here's what a few of the attendees had to say about the event:

“I think this Marxist-Leninist Day School taught many important lessons for us as student activists. We will use those lessons as we continue to move forward with our campaigns in the fall. It has allowed us to be critical of what we have achieved as well as mindful of our failures, and reminded us how we can continue to be successful,” said Veronica Juarez.

“The day school was incredibly important in sharpening our revolutionary skills and tactics. It provided a deeper understanding of how to work effectively as Marxists involved in student campaigns,” said Sam Beutler.

“I think it's important for us as Marxist-Leninists in the student movement to converge and carry out workshops detailing how and why we do the work we do. This serves to intensify the political work we do and turn our struggle into a conscious anti-imperialist one,” said Danya Zituni.

#TampaFL #StudentMovement #PeoplesStruggles #BuildingSocialism #Florida #Socialism #MarxismLeninism

On 25 May three elections took place in Belgium: for the federal, regional and European parliaments. The main winner turns out to be the Flemish nationalist party N-VA (Rightist), obtaining more than 33% of the vote in Flanders. But there is also the major advance of the Workers' Party of Belgium (PTB), making its entry in the federal parliament and in the regional parliaments of Wallonia and Brussels.

Raoul Hedebouw, for the province of Liège, and Marco Van Hees, for Hainaut, have been elected to the federal parliament on the list PTB-go! Raoul Hedebouw, the PTB's spokesman, “For the first time in 25 years, a new political family, genuinely Leftist, and active in Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels makes its entry in the federal and regional parliaments. We send two deputies to the federal parliament, two to the regional parliament of Wallonia and four to the Brussels parliament. “

In Wallonia, the PTB-go! gets 5,81% of the vote (and in the province of Liège 8,30%), making it the fifth political force in the South of Belgium. In Brussels, the list gets 3,84%, and thanks to a technical agreement with some small lists, the undemocratic threshold of 5% could be surpassed, giving the PTB-go! no less than four seats in the Brussels parliament.

In Flanders the PTB has waged an exemplary election campaign in a very difficult political context, with the dominance of the Flemish nationalist N-VA, the existence of the fascist party VB and the Green party in a comfortable situation of opposition. In these conditions, and with the 5% threshold, unfortunately the PTB was not able to get its chairman, Peter Mertens, elected, although it got a honorable result of 4,52% in the province of Antwerp and 8,85% in the city of Antwerp, making it the fourth largest party there.

As regards the elections for the European Parliament, the PTB-go! received 5,49% of the vote, largely insufficient to obtain a seat (Belgium has only 21 seats in the EP, to be divided over the different language groups).

On election evening, Peter Mertens told party militants gathered in Antwerp, “120 years ago, the first Belgian socialist, Edouard Anseele, who hailed from the Flemish city of Ghent, was elected in the Walloon city of Liège. Anseele spoke the language of the working class. Today, Raoul Hedebouw has been elected in Liège as well, and he will also speak the language of the entire working class. We are a national party that cannot be divided, nor by place of birth nor by the language spoken at the kitchen table. For us, what prevails is the social interest of the people, of all people in this country.”

“During this long election campaign, we have laid the foundations for a strong social current at the grassroots level, and we will absolutely need this in the years to come. Our commitment is to defend the interests of the working class, in all its diversity; of the youth, with all its dynamism; of the voiceless, of those whom this society considers as nothing but numbers; of all people who are going through difficult times. “

Raoul Hedebouw, national spokesman of the PTB, echoed these words at the party meeting in Liège, “As member of parliament elected for a national party, I will also be the representative of the workers of Flanders, in Antwerp, Limburg and Ghent. And no, the votes for the PTB are not protest votes, they are votes of hope. Votes for a Left that refuses austerity policies, that believes that we, the workers, will further build up self-confidence in order to be able to write the social history of this country. We warn the traditional parties: if you plan to impose more austerity measures as is the case elsewhere in Europe, you will find yourselves confronted with the PTB deputies, as with the workers who want to stop these policies of budget cuts.”

With these election results, and on the basis of an enthusiastic campaign, the PTB commits itself, in the words of its president Peter Mertens, “to build, stone upon stone, a social future.”

#Belgium #BuildingSocialism #WorkersPartyOfBelgium #Europe

Minneapolis, MN – Trade unionists, students, anti war and low income activists came together here, March 8, for a spirited celebration of International Women’ s Day. The event, “Women's Liberation from the U.S. to Palestine,” was organized by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

Held annually in the Twin Cities, this year’s International Women’s Day celebration emphasized the case of Chicago Palestinian leader Rasmea Odeh, who is facing prison and deportation on trumped-up immigration charges.

Jess Sundin’s speech

Jess Sundin, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, gave the opening speech on the oppression of women and the need for liberation, the fight against political repression and the need for revolution and socialism.

Sundin began by telling the crowd about the history of International Women’s Day, stating, “This day came from the struggle of working women right here in the U.S. In 1908, women garment workers in New York City came together to demand a strong union for themselves and the right to vote for all women. They went on strike for 13 cold winter weeks and in the end they won. Inspired by them, German revolutionary Clara Zetkin proposed that March 8 be celebrated around the world as International Women's Day.”

Sundin concluded by saying socialism “engages people in transforming society to meet all of our needs. The riches of a socialist society are used for the benefit of all. Socialism is based on internationalism, rather than criminalizing freedom fighters and international solidarity. Under socialism, our government would be dedicated to ensuring equality, rather than allowing some to profit, while others go hungry. These are values that would make it possible for women to throw off the chains of oppression, to win our own liberation. On the occasion of International Women’s Day, let us rededicate ourselves to a life of struggle. Let us commit to build movements where women lead. And let us march together towards revolution.”

From U.S. to Palestine

Hatem Abudayyeh, a leader in Chicago’s Palestinian community, spoke via Skype on the case of Rasmea Odeh. Abudayyeh told of the many contributions that Odeh had made to the fight to free Palestine and to end the oppression of women. Stating that Odeh’s case is linked to the repression directed against Palestine and international solidarity activists, he expressed confidence that everyone at the Twin Cities event would be part of the struggle to get the charges against Rasmea Odeh dropped.

Misty Rowan, of the Twin Cites-based Anti-War Committee, spoke about the role that strong women leaders play in the anti-war movement and the push back against FBI repression. The Anti-War Committee and Freedom Road Socialist Organization were the targets of FBI raids in September 2010.

Steff Yorek read a message from Cherrene Horazuk, the president of AFSCME Local 3800, noting the fight of women workers past and present.

The event concluded with a speech by Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee, who demanded that state government raise the welfare grants.

#MinneapolisMN #BuildingSocialism #InternationalWomensDay #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #FBIRepression #WomensLiberation #RasmeaOdeh

The editors of Fight Back News Service urge readers to oppose attempts by the U.S. government to impose new sanctions on Democratic Korea. Instead the United States should end its occupation of southern Korea.

DPRK's Successful Launch of Satellite Kwangmyongsong-2

Pyongyang, April 5 (KCNA) — Scientists and technicians of the DPRK have succeeded in putting satellite Kwangmyongsong-2, an experimental communications satellite, into orbit by means of carrier rocket Unha-2 under the state long-term plan for the development of outer space.

Unha-2, which was launched at the Tonghae Satellite Launching Ground in Hwadae County, North Hamgyong Province at 11:20 on April 5, Juche 98 (2009), accurately put Kwangmyongsong-2 into its orbit at 11:29:02, nine minutes and two seconds after its launch.

The satellite is going round the earth along its elliptic orbit at the angle of inclination of 40.6 degrees at 490 km perigee and 1 426 km apogee. Its cycle is 104 minutes and 12 seconds.

Mounted on the satellite are necessary measuring devices and communications apparatuses.

The satellite is going round on its routine orbit.

It is sending to the earth the melodies of the immortal revolutionary paeans “Song of General Kim Il Sung” and “Song of General Kim Jong Il” and measured information at 470 MHz. By the use of the satellite the relay communications is now underway by UHF frequency band.

The satellite is of decisive significance in promoting the scientific researches into the peaceful use of outer space and solving scientific and technological problems for the launch of practical satellites in the future.

Carrier rocket Unha-2 has three stages.

The carrier rocket and the satellite developed by the indigenous wisdom and technology are the shining results gained in the efforts to develop the nation's space science and technology on a higher level.

The successful satellite launch symbolic of the leaping advance made in the nation's space science and technology was conducted against the background of the stirring period when a high-pitched drive for bringing about a fresh great revolutionary surge is under way throughout the country to open the gate to a great prosperous and powerful nation without fail by 2012, the centenary of birth of President Kim Il Sung, under the far-reaching plan of General Secretary Kim Jong Il. This is powerfully encouraging the Korean people all out in the general advance.

#Pyongyang #News #Korea #Satellite #BuildingSocialism #Juche #Songun #Asia