La Ligue de la jeunesse communiste appuie la lutte de la jeunesse franco-ontarienne mobilisée pour la défense de ses droits linguistiques et appelle ses membres ainsi que les progressistes, syndicats, associations étudiantes, groups communautaires, etc. à affirmer leur solidarité envers les revendications des Franco-Ontariens.
The Young Communist League supports the struggle of Franco-Ontarian youth mobilized for the defense of their language rights and calls on its members as well as progressives, unions, student associations, community groups, etc. to affirm their solidarity with the demands of Franco-Ontarians.
With Doug Ford’s so-called “Free Speech Directive”, democracy on Campus is under severe attack.
Despite its name, purposely chosen to confuse people, this directive has little to do with freedom of speech. Instead, it is crafted to open universities’ doors wide open for ultra-right forces to propagate their bigoted and inflammatory speech, targeting progressive student groups and people, including student and labour unions on campus, and jeopardizing the independence of universities.
The YCL-LJC joins forces with organizations across Ontario to denounce the so-called “free speech” directive passed by Doug Ford’s provincial government and urges all progressive and democratic students to oppose and resist this directive by all means possible. We encourage young people across Canada to express their solidarity with students in Ontario.
Passed in August, this directive purports to defend freedom of expression in Ontario universities by denying funding to those who, by January 1, have not complied with the directive through bylaws, policies, or other mechanisms designed to counter any restrictions on this right; a fundamental principle already protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Those deemed to have violated said policies would also be subject to individual punishment by the school. The HEQCO (Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario) is tasked with auditing the performance of this resolution – if the school is deemed not to have sufficiently enforced these policies, the HEQCO may report this to the Ontario government, which will then threaten their funding. This use of funding as leverage for compliance with government policy is undemocratic and unconstitutional.
La YCL-LJC joint sa voix aux organisations dénonçant la directive sur la « liberté d’expression » votée par le gouvernement conservateur de l’Ontario et enjoint tous les étudiant.es et jeunes progressistes et démocrates à s’opposer et à résister contre cette loi par tous les moyens possible. Nous encourageons également les jeunes du reste du Canada à exprimer leur solidarité envers leurs confrères et consoeurs de l’Ontario.
Votée en aout dernier, cette loi feint défendre la liberté d’expression dans les universités ontariennes en sanctionnant financièrement celles qui, d’ici le 1er janvier prochain, ne se seraient pas dotées de règlements ou autres mécanismes destinés à contrer toute restriction à ce droit fondamental pourtant déjà protégé par la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés. Ceux et celles qui l’enfreindraient seraient également susceptibles de sanctions individuelles par leur établissement. Le Conseil ontarien de la qualité de l’enseignement supérieur (COQES) aura pour tâche de s’assurer de la bonne application de cette directive. Un établissement qui serait considéré comme ayant appliqué la directive de façon laxiste serait dénoncé auprès du gouvernement et son financement s’en retrouverait entamé. Cette utilisation du chantage financier est antidémocratique et anticonstitutionnelle.
It is a crucial time for strengthening the fight back for free, accessible, public and democratic education across Canada.
In the context where students across the country are facing skyrocketing student debts that average $30 000, there is an urgent need to strengthen the fightback. In addition, there is a real danger of electing reactionary governments provincially and in Québec, as well as federally in 2019. In Ontario, students face the threat of deregulated tuition fees from the new reactionary, Ford government. Attacks against students should be fought fiercely by the student movement which has a long history of being a key component of the progressive fightback in Canada.
May, 2017
Last week, the Young Communist League of Canada held its 27th Central Convention, the largest of the four conventions since its re-founding in 2007. From May 19 to 22, thirty-five delegates, plus alternates and observers attended from Montréal, Toronto, Guelph, Hamilton, London, Windsor, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria to reiterate our commitment to working class struggle and move forward with our strategies to build socialism in Canada. We dedicated these three days to exchange, discuss, debate and learn from the struggles carried out by young communists throughout the country.
Student Commission, YCL-LJC
April, 2017
Each year, often in April, Board of Governors (BoG) vote to increase tuition fees in post-secondary institutions across Canada. Corporate controlled BoGs do this despite opposition from students and workers, and the YCL-LJC stands in solidarity with students and workers organizing to stop tuition fee increases.
Central Executive Committee, YCL-LJC
Nov, 2016
November 17th marks International Students’ Day and it is commemorated around the world by honouring the militant history of the student movement and reinforcing our struggle in the present.
July, 2016
This June, the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) – National General Assembly voted in favour of a Day of Action on November 2nd, the first day of action since 2012. The Young Communist League – Ligue de Jeunesse Communiste (YCL-LJC) supports the call for a Pan-Canadian Day of Action on November 2nd and calls upon student militants, with the support of labour, to build momentum towards this date, and beyond, for free education and a Federal Post-Secondary Education Act.