World News

World News

• Abolish the Death Penalty-

  Statement from Socialist Party USA Vice-Chair Mary Loritz

  Stanley "Tookie" Williams' life was taken by the state last night at 12:35pm by way of lethal injection, after spending twenty-four years in prison. Tookie was one of the founding members of the street gang the Crips, and in 1981 was convicted on four counts of murder, for which he maintained his innocence.

  He has since denounced gang life and violence and apologized for his role in establishing the Crips. Tookie went on to coauthor several children's books discouraging violence, and an autobiography that documents the realities of violence and life in prison.

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• Michael O'Riordan, dead at 88, Brigadista, Trades Union Activist, Irish Radical.- ------------------------------- I believe I briefly met O'Riordan at the Connolly Bookshop in Dublin in the late 90's, having no idea who he was, but noting his International Brigade pin. I'm as grateful for his sacrifice and bravery (both in Spain and at home) as I am troubled by his support for Stalinism and the suppression of my cdes in the Barcelona risings, which he defended. A human being, after all, but still an inspiration. TM ----------------------- Homage to an Anti-fascist : Michael O Riordan RIP indymedia ireland Condolences and criticsm of his support for Stalinism
• A History of International Women's Day (8 March)- International Women's Day (8 March) is an occasion marked by women's groups around the world. This date is also commemorated at the United Nations and is designated in many countries as a national holiday. When women on all continents, often divided by national boundaries and by ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic and political differences, come together to celebrate their Day, they can look back to a tradition that represents at least nine decades of struggle for equality, justice, peace and development. International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for "liberty, equality, fraternity" marched on Versailles to demand women's suffrage. The idea of an International Women's Day first arose at the turn of the century, which in the industrialized world was a period of expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies. Following is a brief chronology of the most important events:

  1909

  In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate it on the last Sunday of that month through 1913.

  1910

  The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Women's Day, international in character, to honour the movement for women's rights and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament. No fixed date was selected for the observance.

  1911

  As a result of the decision taken at Copenhagen the previous year, International Women's Day was marked for the first time (19 March) in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded the right to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job. Less than a week later, on 25 March, the tragic Triangle Fire in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working girls, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This event had a significant impact on labour legislation in the United States, and the working conditions leading up to the disaster were invoked during subsequent observances of International Women's Day.

  1913-1914

  As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sisters.

  1917

  With 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian women again chose the last Sunday in February to strike for "bread and peace". Political leaders opposed the timing of the strike, but the women went on anyway. The rest is history: Four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia, but on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere. Since those early years, International Women's Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women's movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women's conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point for coordinated efforts to demand women's rights and participation in the political and economic process. Increasingly, International Women's Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women's rights.

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  Read More At The Women's Commission of the Socialist Party. And download the SP-USA's 2007 IWD pamphlet (pdf)
• We Won! We're Still Going!-
  
  
  McDonalds signs agreement with CIW!

  Hola Fair Foodistas,

  WE WON!

  We are extremely excited to announce that McDonalds has indeed signed an agreement stating that they will work with the CIW to meet all three demands! A press release and message from the SFA are below. Now more than ever it's important to mobilize in Chicago to show McDonalds that we've still got our eyes on them, and to tell Burger King and the rest of the fast food industry "You're Next!"

  Two buses full of New Yorkers will be travelling to Chicago this weekend to show our support for the CIW in this historic moment of grassroots organizing. The CIW will also be announcing the next target this weekend so whether you're in Chicago physically, spiritually or cyberly, stay tuned to the next phase in what is proving to be a monumental campaign.

  Love,
  Fair Food NYC

  * Campaign surges forward with Burger King in its sights!*

  Today at The Carter Center in Atlanta, the CIW and McDonald's announced a landmark agreement to work together to improve the wages and working conditions of the farmworkers who pick Florida tomatoes. After two years of escalating pressure by the CIW and its allies, McDonald's has agreed to all of the CIW's demands and more .

  The incredible victory demonstrates once again the effectiveness and clout of the alliance between Florida's farmworkers and students and youth throughout the U.S.

  Building off the tremendous momentum, the Campaign for Fair Food now surges ahead at full speed – this time towards Miami-based Burger King.

  This weekend's mobilization in Chicago – where Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine have just confirmed they will perform together – takes on new significance. Join the CIW, SFA and thousands of allies in Chicago as we take the fight for fair food to exciting new heights!

  Check the and SFA sites for analysis and continuing updates on this historic victory and the latest logistical information for this weekend in Chicago.

  In solidarity,
  Student/Farmworker Alliance
  

  sfalliance.org
  ciw-online.org

  --
  Fair Food NYC
  www.fairfoodnyc.org
  http://www.myspace.com/fairfoodnyc
  
  www.ciw-online.org
  www.sfalliance.org
  
  

  Consciousness + Commitment = Change
  

• United States Social Forum- United States Social Forum 2007 June 27 - July 1, 2007 Atlanta, GA more info at http://www.ussf2007.org/ SP-USA Delegation Updates

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