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Open Letter to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS)

BLOG POST posted on MAY 7, 2012 by FARSHAD AZADIAN
Blog posts are the work of individual contributors, reflecting their thoughts, opinions and research.

Open Letter to the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) Support Quebec Students by Bringing the Movement to Ontario! To our representatives at the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) and affiliated student union locals, We the undersigned are writing to the CFS as proud student unionists and activists, as well as workers and community members who support the student movement in Canada. We write this letter asking that the CFS engage in a consistent and serious mobilizing effort to bring the Quebec student movement to the rest of Canada. We believe that this is the best solidarity we can give our sisters and brothers in Quebec. We believe it is the obligation of the elected student leaders to build this movement, and we commit, as rank-and-file students, to support you. After 12 weeks of strikes against massive tuition hikes, and facing massive police repression and brutality, the student movement in Quebec is forcing the government to budge. This is a heroic example. We ask that the CFS begin mobilizing for a student strike in Ontario and the rest of Canada. A campaign of mass educationals, solidarity delegations and mass mobilizations should be used to lead up towards a student strike in Ontario. Bring the lessons of Quebec to Ontario. Quebec has shown, again and again, that the only way to force concession from governments is to mobilize on a mass basis through a strike campaign and confront the government, not with postcards, but with action! Students and youth, as well as the working population in general, have been inspired by the Quebec movement. We are therefore asking that our representatives at the CFS and affiliated locals immediately begin a campaign for free post-secondary education, and make preparations to carry out a strike ballot in the Fall of 2012. A massive student movement in Ontario would show the Quebec students that they are not alone. It would strengthen the movement for free post-secondary education across Canada, and it would cut across the divisions created by the pro-business politicians and corporate press to weaken the student movement. Our response to the race to the bottom; tuition fees across Canada should be immediately lowered to the levels in Quebec, as a step towards abolishing all tuition fees in the country.
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Prepare for an Ontario-wide strike vote in the Fall of 2012! Signed by (email us to sign on): 1. Farshad Azadian, York Federation of Students (YFS) & Fightback (www.marxist.ca) 2. Rashin Alizadeh, University of Toronto Students Union (UTSU) & Fightback 3. Solomon Muyoboke, Ryerson Student Union (RSU) & Fightback 4. Christine Montgomeria-Mione, York Federation of Students & Toronto Young New Democrats (TYND) 5. Jack Humphrey Graduate Students Union & Fightback 6. Arash Azizi, University of Toronto Students Union (UTSU) & Fightback 7. Jahan Niroomand York Federation of Students (YFS) and New Democrats of York University (NDYU) 8. Guled Arale Toronto Young New Democrats (TYND) 9. Simone Akyianu Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG UofT) 10. Julian Benson Fightback & OPSEU local 5108 11. Farid Azadian Ryerson Students Union (RSU) & Ryerson University New Democrats (RUND) 12. Pedram Moss York Federation of Students (YFS) 13. Donovan Ritch - Fightback & ATU local 113 14. Jennie Ernewein Fightback & Ryerson University Alumni 15. Jon Ari York Federation of Students (YFS) & Toronto Young New Democrats 16. Ahmed Daniyal Humber Alumni 17. Alejandro Munoz 4th Year Philosophy Student & York Federation of Students (YFS) 18. Linda Noorafkan York Federation of Students (YFS) and Undergraduate Political Science Council 19. Mehdi Irani - CUPE 3903 20. Tanesha Darby York Federation of Students (YFS) 21. Paul Elias CUPE 3903 22. Aram Keyvani - York Federation of Students (YFS) 23. Sahel Zreik Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) local 2002 24. Karina Rudenberg York Federation of Students (YFS) 25. Arman Noory Afghan-Iranian Youth Network 26. Basel Alchikh-Sulaiman Ryerson Alumni & Fightback 27. Mobina Basiri York Federation of Students (YFS) & Co-Chair of New Democrats of York University (NDYU) 28. Tea Celik York Federation of Students (YFS) & Fightback 29. Mary Berberian Toronto-Centre NDP & Fightback 30. Amelia Saunders York University Free Press (YUFP) & York Federation of Students (YFS) 31. Tyler MacKinnon Etobicoke-Centre NDP & Socialist Caucus 32. Alex Grant CEP local 2040 & Fightback 33. Camilo Cahis CEP local 2040 & Fightback

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34. Victoria Goldberg - York Federation of Students (YFS) 35. Fadumo Winters - York Federation of Students (YFS) 36. Michael Erickson - Former V.P. External Affairs, YFS & Former CFS-O Constituency Coordinator 37. Jimmy Gutman - Arts Student Senator (McGill) & ONDY eastern organizer 38. Noah Gataveckas - Fightback & Acadia University Alumni 39. Janine Manning - Aboriginal Student Association at York 40. Andrius Ragainis - York Federation of Students (YFS) 41. Ashleigh Ingle - CUPE 3902 & Graduate Students Union (GSU - UofT) 42. Adonis El-Jamal - Students Against Israeli Apartheid-York & Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG-York) 43. Yuri Yarin - CEP local 1996 & Fightback 44. Hariyanto Darmawan - CEP Local 2040 45. Layton Joudrey - Elliot House Chef School (alumni) & I.W.W local 460 46. Ruth Otterman - CUPW Local 548 (Hamilton) 47. Todd Peavoy - CUPW Local 548 (Hamilton) 48. Chris Webb Graduate Students' Association (York) & Canadian Dimension Magazine 49. George Wynott Communications at Youth In Solidarity (Facebook.com/YouthInSolidarity) 50. Wai Kiat Tang - CUPE 3902 Delegate, Toronto York Regional Labour Council 51. Mai Taha - Fightback & CUPE 3902 (UofT) 52. Carolyn Shapiro - CUPE 3902 53. Hammam Farah - Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York University 54. Dan Sawyer - Canadian Autoworkers Local 567 55. Tobi Rene Wilczek - International Socialists 56. Awget Ghebrehiwot - CUPE Local 4948 57. Brandon Gray - IWW and Toronto Anarchist Black Cross 58. Alex Conchie - University of Toronto Students Union (UTSU) 59. Constantinos Crekoukias - United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) & Fightback 60. Janet Csontos - The Student School 61 .Corey Ponder - CUPE 3902 62. James Meades - President CUPE 4600/ Vice-Chair Ontario University Workers Coordinating Committee 63. Katie Mazer - CUPE 3902 & Graduate Students Union (GSU - UofT) 64. Maya Adavi - Young Communist League (YCL) 65. John Paul Catungal - Graduate Student Association (GSA - UofT) & CUPE 3902 66. Seena Taghavi - York Federation of Students (YFS) 67. Vanessa Beaton -Vice-President Academic Affairs & University of Ottawa Common Law Students Association, CUPE 2626 68. Thomas Laughlin - U of T and CUPE 3902 69. Matt Hilder - CUPE 3902 70. Alex Moldovan - GCSU/YFS & York West NDP

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71. Chee-Mei Chan - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 72. Matt Gardner - Queen's University Alumni, University of Western Ontario Alumni & Fightback 73. Ida Zarrabi - University of Toronto Students Union (UTSU) 74. Cam Hardy - UTSU & Platypus Affiliated Society 75. Zahra Shaban - UofT alumni 76. Elise Thorburn -phd candidate University of Western Ontario, PSAC local 610, Greater Toronto Workers' Assembly 77.ShaminehMavalvala- University of Toronto Alumni 78.MatthewShultz- VP Campaigns and Community Affairs, Society of Graduate and Professional Students (SPGS) at Queen's University / CFS local 27 79.RevolutionaryStudentsMovement(studentdivisionofthePRAC-Toronto) 80.JackHixson-Vulpe - York University CUPE 3903 81. Taiva Tegler - ExternalCommissioner,GraduateStudents'Associationdestudiant.e.s diplm.e.s,UniversityofOttawa 82.MatthewDavidson- CUPE 3908 (Trent University) 83.ChrisHurl- VP-External, CUPE 4600, Carleton University 84.MichaelRomandel- former student of York and former member of CUPE 3903. 85. John Rose - Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Local 901 86. Christian Scott Martone Donde - McGill University MA Sociology 87. Alexander Brookes - MUNFA (Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Association) 88. Katy Fulfer - Western University Graduate Student, President of PSAC Local 610 89. Stephen Peters - McGill Graduate Student 90. Christina Rousseau - Doctoral Candidate at York University; CUPE 3903 91. Kieran Aarons - Instructor, DePaul University & alumni of the University of Western Ontario 92. Jordy Cummings - CUPE Local 3903 93. Tracy Glynn - University of New Brunswick (UNB) Graduate Student Association/CFS Local 67. 94. Mia Bhuiyan - University of Toronto Students Unions (UTSU) 95. Espoir Manirambona - Carleton University Students' Association, Carleton New Democrats 96. Ingrid van der Kloet - CUPELocal3903,OntarioNursesAssociation,GreaterToronto Workers' Assembly 97. Brian Foster- Carleton University, member CUPE 4600, former President and VP Academic of Carleton History Graduate Student Association 98. Danji Buck-Moore - McGill, BA 2012 99. Tracy Glynn - Member of the UNB Graduate Student Association/CFS Local 67 100. Eric Kristmanson - OCAD student 101. Seher Shafiq - University of Toronto Students Union (UTSU) 102. Steve D'Arcy - alumnus, University of Toronto; member, Huron University College Faculty Association 103. Phillip Ilijevski - Former Coordinator, CFS-Quebec 104. Robert Green - High School Teacher (Montreal) 105. Liisa Priyanka Lugus - Patient Advocate; Director of ME/CFS Assist.org; Co-Owner of

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The Big Carrot; former Concordia student 106. Jennifer Cypher - PhD Candidate, York University 107. Parastou Saberi - PhD student, York University, CUPE Local 3903 108. Tim McSorley - former CFS-Quebec chairperson, 2004-2005, BA, Concordia University, 2006 109.EmmanuelleLipp- former CFS-Q employee (1999) 110. DArcy Butler, Instructor - College of the North Atlantic; former member of CUPE 3903 111. Alison Fisher - member of GSA Local 84, CUPE 3903 and OSSTF D. 12 112. Darryl Richardson - Seneca College student & Toronto Media Co-Op 113. Dylan Chauvin-Smith - University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU) 114. Sarah Hornstein - York University 115. Alex Winterhalt -CarletonUniversityStudents'Association(CUSA)&Fightback 116. Stephanie Barton - York University 117. Najimeh Abdorrahimi - Ryerson Social work student (4th year) 118. Arun Smith - Carleton University Students' Association & OPIRG Carleton Board of Directors. 119. Sasha Englert - York University 120. Martial Champagne - York U Nursing student 121. Nyala Adaoha Eboh - York Federation of Students (YFS) 122. Sadia Khan - UofT alumni 123. Rastko Cvekic - CUPE 3902 (UofT) 124. Dominic Dumont - Writing studies in Laval University student, Quebec city 125. Sarah Stanley - Ryerson University 126. Baliqis Olaitan - University Of Toronto Students' Union (UofT) 127. Kailee Howorth- York Alumni 128. Kwan Chan - York Federation of Students (YFS) 129. Sandy Oh - CUPE 3902 (UofT) 130. Nazampal Jaswal - York University 131. Jacob Hodgins, President - Laurentian Students Union (LSU) 132. Wendy Skye - Alumni, Carleton University 133. Pantea Ebrahim - York Federation of Students (YFS) 134. Sarah Cholam - York Federation of Students (YFS) 135. Nicholas Buccheri - York Federation of Students (YFS) 136. Julia Malfara - York Federation of Students (YFS) 137. Javed Mohammed - York Federation of Students (YFS) 138. Nulab Ferozan - York Federation of Students (YFS) 139. Arazod Ferozan - York Federation of Students (YFS) 140. Miteh Starkman 141. Ian Wilgus 142. Thai Bowers - York Federation of Students (YFS) 143. Samuel Awotundun - York Federation of Students (YFS) 144. Chris Skerritt - York Federation of Students (YFS)

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145. Ahmad Khawaja - York Federation of Students (YFS) 146. Alexandra Mchicoll - Graduate Students Association (GSA) 147. Karen Rivera - York Federation of Students (YFS) 148. Scott Nickel - York Federation of Students (YFS) 149. Samia Tecle - Graduate Students Association (GSA) 150. Ramzi Masri - York Federation of Students (YFS) 151. Kiran Kaw 152. Ashley Simpson - York Federation of Students (YFS) 153. Sarah Merkar - York Federation of Students (YFS) 154. Hena Tyyebi - CUPE 3903 155. Renee Grant - York Federation of Students (YFS) 156. Joulia Adamopoulos - York Federation of Students (YFS) 157. Sheanna Allison - York Federation of Students (YFS) 158. Sadquan Malik - York Federation of Students (YFS) 159. Armikley Fontaine - York Federation of Students (YFS) 160. Xiomara G - York Federation of Students (YFS) 161. Sheena Davy - York Federation of Students (YFS) 162. Danielle Howell - York Federation of Students (YFS) 163. Charlene Locice - York Federation of Students (YFS) 164. Farzi Bishop - YCISS 165. Kwan Chan - York Federation of Students (YFS) 166. Behnam Farahmandzadeh - York Federation of Students (YFS) 167. Kourosh Z - York Federation of Students (YFS) 168. Ali Ziari - York Federation of Students (YFS) 169. Sonia Dhuga - York Federation of Students (YFS) 170. Alancy Rebelo - York Federation of Students (YFS) 171. Michael Beaupre - York Federation of Students (YFS) 172. Goyanthan Thivakaran - York Federation of Students (YFS) 173. Rikhi Pattan - York Federation of Students (YFS) 174. Ayse Gurler - York Federation of Students (YFS) 175. Ebtisam Sharifabow - York Federation of Students (YFS) 176. Jsia De Paolo - York Federation of Students (YFS) 177. Elbora Jokoli - York Federation of Students (YFS) 178. Fahd Ali - York Federation of Students (YFS) 178. Sukissa Mendes - York Federation of Students (YFS) 179. Yafet Twelde - Graduate Students Association (York) 180. Kamalika Bana - York Federation of Students (YFS) 181. Nicole Griffiths - York Federation of Students (YFS) 182. Irina Tokar - York Federation of Students (YFS) 183. Raj Virac CUPE 3903

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184. Tomi Dipo - York Federation of Students (YFS) 185. Laura Ferguson - York Federation of Students (YFS) 186. Andrew Crago - York Federation of Students (YFS) 187. Justice Ramdewar - York Federation of Students (YFS) 188. Leya Hosseini - York Federation of Students (YFS) 189. Sukhmeet - York Federation of Students (YFS) 190. Annette Jubril - York Federation of Students (YFS) 191. Pawl Grey CUPE 3903 192. Tom Whey CUPE 3903 193. Breeann Morgan-Hunt - York Federation of Students (YFS) 194. Sarah Usman - York Federation of Students (YFS) 195. Ryan Riccinto - York Federation of Students (YFS) 196. Natasha Mody - York Federation of Students (YFS) 197. Amina Chaudhry - York Federation of Students (YFS) 198. Carolina Benedeth - York Federation of Students (YFS) 199. Kam - York Federation of Students (YFS) 200. Tesharah Briscoe - York Federation of Students (YFS) 201. Tasneem Hussain - York Federation of Students (YFS) 202. Yaw Danguah - York Federation of Students (YFS) 203. Ashug Abbasi - York Federation of Students (YFS) 204. Rajdeep Malhi - York Federation of Students (YFS) 205. Chris Worrad - York Federation of Students (YFS) 206. Andy Xia - York Federation of Students (YFS) 207. Ashley S. 208.AdnanRaja- York Federation of Students (YFS) 209. Jamaal Haynes - York Federation of Students (YFS) 210. Garrett Johns - Former Ryerson Student 211. Mehdi Samadian CUPE 3903 212. Iain Brannigan - Student Federation University of Ottawa (SFUO) & CUPE 494 213. William Leonard Felepchuk - Student Federation University of Ottawa (SFUO) & Indigenous and Canadian Studies Student Association (ICSSA) 214. Nicole Desnoyers - Student Federation University of Ottawa (SFUO) & CUPE 4943 215. Christine Moncrieff - Student Federation University of Ottawa (SFUO) & CUPE 4943 216. Tyler Lee Myles - University of Guelph & NDP member 217. Nicholas Lee Spector - Ryerson Journalism Course Union 218. Zach Ruiter, Trent Mobilize, Trent Arthur Newspaper, Toronto Media Co-op, SAGE (Safe and Green Energy Peterborough OPIRG working group), 219. Brandon Michaud - SGA at Laurentian University in Sudbury. 220. Samantha B - Laurentian Student Union (LSU - Local 111) 221. Mark Gauci - Laurentian Student Union 222. Mischa Crossman - Georgian College Alumni 223.TriciaMacLennan- Laurentian Student Union - VP of Marketing

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224. Crystal Bennett- Graduating Laurentian University Student & University of Toronto Student 225. Sofia Champion - Young Communist League (YCL) 226. Laura Dolan - McGill Alumni 227. Jesse Zimmerman - Freelance journalist 228. Robyn Lew - FUSE Magazine, U of T alumni 229. Tracey Walsh - Fleming College 230. Katrin Urban - Carleton University, OPSEU Local 499 231. David Brassard - Quebecstudent,affiliatedwithAssociationdelaFacultdes tudiantenScienceHumaine 232. Mira Pinkus - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) & Occupy Halifax233. Konstantine Kallianderis - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 234.Daniel Hassibi - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 235.Bonn Yhou Mamba - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 236. Tom Collins - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 237. Natasia Hyam - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 238. Allyssa Bridyman - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 239. Matt King - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 240. Nicole Cormie - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 241. Fu Tian - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 242. Kristy Munsie - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 243. Radoslaw Shaczny - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 244. Matthew Haddad - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 245. Michey Ghalaore - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 246. Aria Ghazavi - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 247. Arine Lorrain - FASA/FEUQ 248. Ali Hashemi - UofT 249. Aiesha Bristol -Ryerson Students Union 250. Madeline St-Pierre - UofT, Occupy 251. Mitchel Keed - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 252. Peter Liakhob - University of Toronto Students Union (UTSU) 253. Alexander Spalding - University of Toronto Students Union (UTSU) 254. Sanor Dugalin - Worker 255. Arestia Dehmass - Ryerson Graduate 256. Edith Sevigny-Mnrtel - Ryerson Student Union (RSU) 257. Travis Furge 258. Adam L - Occupy 259. Emma Palumbo -Occupy 260. Humera Jabir - NDP 261. Kael Howl - Caya Co-o p 262. Jaime Monteiro - Occupy Toronto 263. Ben Hisdar - Occupy Toronto

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264. Derek Soberal - Occupy 265. Sheri Laekeman - Occupy 266. Christine Massery - Occupy Brampton 267. John Ciss 268. David Cow - Occupy Toronto 269. Andrew Pickles 270. Angela Lessard 271. Matthew Rech 272 Alice Rose Mick - Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) 273. Eliyahu Freedman - McGill 274. Jimmy Kiny - Ryerson Students Union (RSU) 275. Jen Tong - CityU of NY 276. Maryna Kudnyavtseva 277. Chris Rodnick - uOttawa 278. Wesley Oakes - York U 279. Rose Palmieri - CIUT 89.5 FM 280. Bev Leroux - Concerned Retired Senior 281. Thomas Martineau - Parti de Gauche & Front de Gauche 282.SbastienLacroix,VPexcutif- AGEEPP(UniversitLaval). 283.CdrikSimonyi- tudiantdel'universitd'Ottawa 284. Patrick Gavin - PhD Candidate, University of Western Ontario. PSAC Local 610. 285. Carlos Pilquil - Grant MacEwant Community College Graduate 286. Mohammad Reza Hedayat -- York Federation of Students (YFS) 287. Mariful Alam - OPIRG-York Board Member, CUPE 3903, & Socio-Legal Studies PHD Candidate 288. Nada Khan - York University alumni 289. Nathan Prier - CUPE 3903 and No One Is Illegal - Toronto 290. Maxime Barbeau - University of Ottawa alumni, Concordia University alumni 291. Peter Mikhailenko - Occupy Ryerson & Fightback (www.marxist.ca) To Sign onto this letter, email us with your name and affiliations, at: Farshad.enghelab@gmail.com or Rashin.alizadeh@gmail.com
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Good work Farshad!

Good work Farshad!

Wed, 05/09/2012 - 23:42 Klaip d a

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This is fabulous !
http://toronto.mediacoop.ca/blog/farshad-azadian/10809

Thu, 05/17/2012 - 13:50 Dagoth

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I totally support you in this endeavour, I've been on strike since the 13th of February ( In Quebec ) and it hasn't been easy but the cause is noble and just and deserve to be continueduntilourdemandsaremet. Some people call us anarchist or thinks we are trying to make the social peace disapear, the truth is the social peace has been broken by those in power who thinks education should be reserved to an elite made of the wealthy. Education is a right and the motor of a moredynamicandfunctionalsociety,itmustnotbeconcentratedinthehandofafew! A Quebec bachelor.

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