AWL – Shocking lines on Child Abuse

A series of screenshots appeared on popular Facebook page Red London last week showing reference to a “disturbing” discussion which took place at the Alliance for Workers Liberty Conference in 2003. 

The resolution entitled “Paedophilia and Child Porn” was swiftly removed from their website and replaced a few days later. There is no way to know if the newly uploaded resolution, which itself details edits to be made, is the same as the one that was removed. 

I spoke to Daniel Randall via Facebook who was outraged at the  insinuation that the removed material seemed to offer some level of defence to child predators, but did admit that the resolution was along the lines of a seperate article entitled “Paedophiles: How to combine freedom and protection” posted by the same author on the same day. 

The article in question makes some very concerning statements, and it is for the following reasons that I do not believe, if what Daniel Randall says is true (and I have no reason to doubt him), that the current resolution  reflects the removed one. 

Firstly, it is concerning that the author defends their links to, and legal defence of, four members of the Paedophile Information Exchange – which is as bad as it sounds. An organisation which defended paedophiles as sexual educators and champions of children’s rights, whose members were open about their abuse of minors. 

The author goes on to explain the basis of the defence, which was that the sexual abuse of children was in fact liberating for the victim.

Here we have a reference to previous conferences (wether AWL or PIE is not obvious – worrying in itself) where paedophiles attended accompanied by children. This is seemingly excused with the statement “those were very different times” and the following:

The article goes on to discuss the morality of child pornography. It says that rather than a “book burning” exercise – which is understood to mean the eradication of any tolerance of child pornography, real or implied, we should tackle the issue: 

What is most concerning here is that the vicious and destructive abuse of children is dismissed as “bad ideology.” 

This is an extremely dangerous simplification and allows room for “interpretation” of predatory behaviour. 

The piece then suggests that the creation and distribution of “simulated” child porn is a viable solution to Paedophilia:

What the article fails to grasp is that paedophilia is a vile and I inhumane corruption. It is not in any way, shape or form a viable sexual preference, and should never be promoted as such. This can only lead to the encouraged abuse of children. 

As stated, if the resolution did resemble the findings of this article as I was told, it is worrying not only that this line was agreed upon and published, but that in the thirteen years since there has apparently been no public retraction or apology for this. 

There is no published demonstration of understanding of the issue and where it has been misinterpreted, or an explanation of how this has been rectified on the same scale that it was first resolved. 

It would appear that instead it has been papered over with rewrites and outrageous denial. 

After reading this initial article I found further cause for concern. A seperate piece published in 2010 seems in part to follow a similar vein. 

Here we see the author suggesting that the pair of children who brutally sexually assaulted and murdered toddler Jamie Bulger in 1993, should not have been made to sign the sex offenders register:

What is particularly alarming is that this article was published just three months after Jon Venables was re-arrested on child pornography charges. 

He was still on remand at this time, and was sentenced two months later for possessing a horde of child porn and also posing as a mother willing to “rent out” her child to paedophiles online. 

The fact is that while more work should be done to find the root of what causes some children to abuse others, and to attempt to rehabilitate them, the removal of these measures which protect would-be victims only excuses the abuse and puts children at risk. The suggestion that it is not in the public interest while such a case is ongoing is repellant to say the least. 

The conclusions drawn from these articles I find deeply disturbing and alarming. I would hope that the Alliance for Workers Liberty would rectify their position immediately and explain how a socialist organisation came to support these abhorrent views in the first place.  I’m afraid “those were different times, we knew no better” simply will not do. 

BCB Address Owen Smith 27-28/08/16

https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-4b22-Owen-Smith-in-bizarre-row-with-anti-isis-fighters#.V8FKUxJ4WnN

Rojava International Brigadiers honour the Legendary Bob Crow – Morning Star – 16/08/16

“They went because their open eyes could see no other way.” So rang the words of Cecil Day-Lewis in the ears of manylast week as a photograph emerged online showing International Brigadiers in Northern Syria sending solidarity to the RMT Southern Rail strike.

RMT guards are striking on Southern Rail, which has been chosen by the DFT as a battle ground to smash the Transport Unions, to defend passenger safety and to keep a second safety critical member of staff on board trains.

The newly-formed unit of the International Freedom Battalion (IFB) are fighting the war against Isis just 30 miles from their stronghold in Raqqa, and have taken the name of the late RMT General Secretary Bob Crow for their banner.

Comprised of British and Irish volunteers, the brigade who will serve a minimum six months military service have assisted the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in making significant territorial gains in the area.

Their aims are to defend the right of the Kurdish people to self determination, to defend the revolution in Rojava and to combat the fascism of ISIS.

They have decided to honour Bob Crow in this way because he was a working class hero, and the inspiration for a generation of socialists and trade unionists. He inspired all of them.

Speaking in a personal capacity, Steve Hedley, Snr. Asst. General Secretary of the RMT said;

“Bob would have been honoured that young people from Britain would fight the forces of evil in his name.

“A great admirer of the international brigades that fought in Spain, Crow would of course have drawn the parallels with the new international brigades fighting clerical fascism and defending Yazhidi ,Muslim and Christian workers from slavery and persecution.”

Speaking to the partner of a British volunteer, it is evident that this is a precarious and dangerous time. Like any family mindful of a loved one, there is fear and worry, but also great love, pride and hope;

“Having someone close to you in such a dangerous place – on the front line fighting ISIS is obviously worrying. I am however very proud of my fiancé, he is brave and dedicated in fighting against all forms of fascism, including the mysogynistic and oppressive Daesh.

“The Rojava revolution is a women’s led struggle in a region where women’s rights are few. So as a feminist and a socialist I understand the importance of the international volunteers and the support they provide to the revolutionary struggle.”

Although the legal status of volunteering is unclear, all of the brigade were inspired to answer the call put out by the IFB last year, and comparisons between the International Freedom Battalion of today and the Brigadas Internacionales of 1930s Spain are not lost on the volunteers either.

As communists and antifascists they understood clearly the threat of fascism posed by ISIS and the need to defend and spread the social revolution taking place in Rojava.

The communist international put the call out in the ’30’s to defend the Spanish republic from fascism, and they have answered the call to fight fascism today in the same spirit.

Although the Rojava Revolution has taken hundreds of volunteers over the last four years, YPG commander Cihan Kendal says they want to teach brigadiers more than they have previously.

As a result, on top of military training, all recruits now study at least a month of Kurdish language, history and culture and political and ideological classes. Classes are also taught by the women’s movement on their ideology and organisations.

Kendal says; “it is true that there are not so many female volunteers at the moment, but this will change… the main force of this revolution is the women’s movement and their ideology; so more women have to come, have to see it, and take part in their own emancipation.”

As the spectre of fascism looms large on the global stage, Gary Oak left a parting statement with a rousing message for us all.

“We must hold our values and analysis to be completely true at every step of the way; we must tell the people that our thought liberated us in the past, will liberate us now from confusion and dismay, and will ultimately liberate the whole of humanity; and we tell them by actions that demonstrate we believe this.”

He says it is no longer enough to traipse miserably through the rain, with placard in hand bemoaning our lack of power. It is not enough to sullenly sulk at the state of things. We have answered the call, and we answer it gladly, proud of our opportunity and our place in this struggle.

We must take our convictions in hand, and give dutily what is required, we must not fear or falter, we cannot let slip now – we must be the left that history demands of us.

Interview with a Communist

I met with Chris Walker last month to give him an interview on my politics, where they came from, and what it’s all about:

1. At what age and where did your support for communism come from ?

I grew up in a strict family as the daughter of a baptist minister. We were working class, permanently skint and crowbarred by our parents into stereotypes we hated. 

When I was 18 my “rebel phase” got out of hand and my dad kicked me out. I began squatting in London.

The anarchists I met in those squats, although I didn’t necessarily agree with them all the time, had passion and courage of conviction which I admired. I called myself an anarchist too, for a few years, and attended demos with my face covered and dressed black head to toe, I was naively waiting for that round-the-corner revolution we all see as imminent when we’re kids.

This was definitely the root of my political views as I saw them then, these guys had a real desire to smash the status quo, tear down the systems of oppression, shake the world. But in the end, as I grew up and had children, immersed myself in the working world and all the challenges that come with it, I began to look for something else. Something that suggested a remedy, a plan – for after the smashing of the state.

After the last general election, I went through some old boxes of stuff and found the Communist Manifesto. A friend had given it to me years before and begged me to read it, I had forgotten all about it. I read it, and read it again, and it completely changed my life. It’s been changing my life ever since.

2. In the current political situation in Britain how would communism change britain for the better ?

Communism is as much an answer in Britain as it is anywhere. Its a solution for all of the worlds ills, not just ours. It’s not a political party or a special measure – it’s a complete brick by brick dismantling of the whole capitalist system of corruption, exploitation and oppression which has crippled us for so long.

It is the building of a system in which the backbone of humanity – the working class, are afforded all that is owed to them, put simply – the fruits of their labour; the world itself. 

It is not about changing what we have and making it better, or taking it back to when it wasn’t quite so bad. It must be obliterated altogether, scrubbed from the earth, and replaced with the dictatorship of the proletariat – the working class. 

3. Who in Britain’s current political arena could help bring communism to Britain?

This is something that I learned as a young anarchist booting off at the G20 and going home with an empty feeling in my belly, frustrated cos half my mates had been nicked and I’d lost a glove.

There are no shortcuts. Communism won’t be built overnight just because somewhere, the right guy fell into the right job. The only people who can enforce a working class revolution and establish communism, are us – the working class. The only way this will happen, is if we are motivated, educated, supported and connected.  

There will always be sympathetic politicians. There will also always be those politicians who would love to see you swinging from a lamppost. We must rise with our class, all of us together, and not one above the rest. We must build the movement if we want it to be built. Join the unions, fight for the working class and stand strong when we are attacked, rally and defend each other, and build the movement. I can’t say it enough, its the only way it can be done.

4. What advice or information would you give to people wanting to find out more about communism and who inspired you?

Find other communists, for a start. I am very lucky to have a close network of likeminded friends who have all been very supportive and patient with me while I learn. I also joined my local branch of the communist party who hold monthly meetings where you can ask questions and learn more. There is also a library in Clerkenwell in London called the Marx Memorial Library – they not only hold books they also run courses on Marxist material, it’s an amazing place. 

It is of paramount importance for any communist to find comrades and to connect with them. None of us can do it on our own, we need each other. Also, read the manifesto. Read it until you understand it, there are a lot of resources out there which can help you study. A lot of the writings that we refer to as communists are old and academic – but that doesn’t mean they aren’t relevant or accessible. The manifesto is a love song to our class, and we must learn to sing it.

5. What direction is the communist movement in Britain heading towards?

Toward communism, haha!

Communists don’t exactly have a stranglehold on the political sphere in Britain right now but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of work to be done. Jeremy Corbyn is a strong socialist who values many of the same ideas and issues that we do. As communists we must learn to use the vehicles available to us to our advantage. 

The divisionary tactics and sectarianism of the liberal left will be their own downfall. We can and must work with all areas of the working class to further our aims, but as I said before, class revolutions do not come about overnight. Build it from the ground up, and if there’s nothing where you live then build it there.

6. What would you say to people who still fear / misunderstand what communism is?

That’s a huge chunk of the world there that you’re talking about – there has been a colossal campaign of ferocious propaganda against communism which is still strong today. 

It’s no wonder that the capitalist giants of the world will do all in their power to discredit and destroy us – we are the antithesis of everything they are, and their greatest threat. 

But maybe the message shouldn’t be for those who are afraid of us – maybe it should be for us, to tell working class people there is nothing to fear. 

Hoist that hammer and sickle high, let it fly in the wind, let the blood of the martyrs wash any doubt from your mind. Do not be ashamed and afraid of knowing the truth. Only when people see and fear will they question and understand.

7. Have you a message for people this interview might inspire to look at communism in a new light?

I think, as with anything in life, the message is simple. Find out for yourself. Read. Educate yourself. Find who your friends are, and build with them. Move forward, push. Spread the word. Join a union. Fly that red flag proud. See you on the barricades.

Victory to the International Brigades!

You know, I bet there were a few of those men and women in the 1930s who’s families said they were crazy. I bet there were people who laughed at them, or stared confused at their intention. I bet there were people who ridiculed and mocked, and told them it was pointless. 

I bet a lot of people didn’t really understand what it was all about, and what’s Spain got to do with us anyway? I bet it was hard leaving their children and families behind. I bet it was difficult to explain to them what was going on, and why they had to go. 

Because they did, have to go. It was not an option. The ugly head of fascism was reared in Spain and the call was sent out. These men and women understood that the struggle was international. That there must be international solidarity and action if it was to be defeated. The courage of their convictions was born, and from it came a most beautiful thing. 

They understood that win or lose, to fight and die was better than to lie down and allow the wheels of such a monster to smother them in the dirt. They knew that if they did not go to Spain and slam the door in its face it would be on their doorstep next. 

“They went because their open eyes could see no other way.” And there was no other way, than to put their lives on the front line in solidarity with the people of Spain and to declare, loudly, for the world to hear – NO PASARAN! 

They were heroes, and we remember them – in our hearts, on our memorials, in our songs and in our stories. They are a part of this struggle which can never be erased or sullied. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for the greatest cause ever known – the freedom of mankind.

The Spanish Civil War ended in 1939 – but the war against fascism rages on, and is perhaps now more terrifying than ever before. In Syria and Iraq, the fascist hordes of ISIS have amassed to pour their boiling poison into the world. 

Who stands in the face of such terror? Who holds back the night from our doorstep? Who stands, boldly, their very life in hand, ready to give it gladly in this war against evil? Who are the men and women who have already given so much, sacrificed all, for the greatest cause ever known? 

The brave heroes of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the International Freedom Battalion (IFB). Men and women who are not conscripts, who have no duty in this fight other than that which blooms inside of them. The burning passion to eradicate this blackness from the earth, and replace it with the liberation of all humanity. 

They pound that pavement to glory that the earlier brigadiers paved for them. They fight, as they did in Spain in the 1930s, because they know there is no other way. They are the sword in the darkness, they are the beacon light in a world black as pitch. They too, have left behind families, children, spouses, whole lives to offer up their entire existence to the cause of socialism.

British and Irish Men of the Bob Crow Brigade, IFB – we salute you, and send to you our deepest love and solidarity. You are an inspiration to us all, you are the bedtime story I tell my son. You are the hope of a generation. 

As James Connolly spoke to his daughter Nora for the last time ahead of his execution – she said to him, “daddy – do we really have to fight?”

He said to Nora, “If we don’t fight, we can only hope for a great earthquake to come and swallow us and our shame.”

This is true now, as it was then, for all who would consider themselves socialist. We are bound by our morals, by the debt owed to those brigadiers in Spain, and by the blood of the martyrs which soaks every Corner of the red flag we hold so proudly aloft. 

Fascism runs rampant on the global stage. 

The international brigades burn brightly, a beacon of hope for all the world to see. 

The call is in all of us, and we must answer. We must.

It’s not even about men.

In the capitalist system, we know that labour is the currency of the working class. It’s all we have to trade. But there are two types of labour.

Firstly, productive labour which is all the work that produces goods and services. Then there’s reproductive labour which refers to the work done in caring for the physical self, the home and the raising of children. This is typically seen in modern society as “women’s work.”

As we know from our (very) brief foray into Kapital, capitalism is based on the accumulation of profit. Most profit is generated through manufacturing, services, sales – productive labour, and so it is seen as more valuable than reproductive labour. 

As a result, because this is viewed as women’s work, women are seen as less economically valuable than men. In this way women are open to exploitation. Not only do they physically support the whole capitalist system in terms of their unpaid labour, they are also already viewed as less than men when they do enter into productive labour. 

This has always been the case since patriarchal societies (those where men have all the power) were introduced. Engels (manifesto guy) called this ‘the world historical defeat of the female sex.’

Because of the social conditions created by capitalism, the way men and women are viewed and valued, the first step to women’s liberation from their dependence on men is their entry into the paid labour system.

Of course, they will still share the class oppression of male workers – and here is where it becomes evident that liberation for women must mean liberation for all, through socialist revolution.

The class struggle, the desperate need for socialism, is not a new concept to most of us. But we must also realise that women’s struggle is rooted deeply in the oppression of the working class. 

Liberation must come from reform that improves conditions for the working class as a whole, only then will women of all levels of society be truly equal.

What this means is that we don’t fall into the trap of comparing men and women obsessively. We reject the idea that there’s a special question about the unique needs of working class women compared to working class men. 

Economic factors have subordinated women, and only economic factors can change their social position. This means we must, as a class, as a whole, attack the basis of capitalist society.

On the face of “women’s liberation” are working class women and liberal middle-class women, seemingly working together – but however “radical” – feminists are still loyal to their class. This is evident because the middle class liberals seek equality within the existing class society framework, they do not attack the basis as we do. 

Because they see men as the enemy, achievements of equal rights with men is a victory to them. They won’t fight for the social revolution needed to liberate them because it threatens their class position. Although our aims may overlap at times, our long term goals differ drastically. 

Each concession they gain is another weapon to use against their working class sisters, another privilege we are not afforded, and so the division between these classes of women grows. The ‘struggle’ and aims of their class are alien to us, and unsatisfying. 

Such small concessions are only the first step to liberation and equality for working class women who see men as their comrades, enslaved alongside them by the same social conditions. They know their enemy, and they strive together against the sickness rather than the symptoms.

It is the working woman who is the saviour of her own future. Only the upper classes can hope to benefit from a union between she and them. The only hope for her in these social conditions is an equal share of inequality, and so she rejects the basis of the measurement. 

“The working woman must not and does not forget that while the aim of bourgeois women is to secure their own welfare in the framework of a society antagonistic to us – our aim is to build, in place of the old, outdated world, a bright temple of universal labour, comradely solidarity and joyful wisdom.” – Alexandra Kollontai, 1909

The only liberation for women is liberation for all, for our class, and so we demand only the right for each to the fullest and freest self-determination. 

Waitrose, Glasgow

A Waitrose store in Glasgow has suspended seventeen staff after they were caught eating café customer leftovers rather than throwing them away. 

The same company who only a few months ago were cutting Sunday and overtime rates to help pay for the new national living wage, are now punishing the staff they are starving.

If seventeen of your staff are hungry at work, seventeen staff in one store cafe, how can you possibly come to any other conclusion than this is YOUR fault? They are not eating in order to be able to work for you – so you fucking sack them all?

What sort of manager would do this? What sort of human being would pile misery on top of this already tragic story? As if the shame of eating a strangers leftovers isn’t hard enough, as if the smell of food all day wasn’t already driving you insane and sticking knives in your belly. Now you’re probably out of a job as well.

These places shouldn’t be allowed to operate – this is absolutely wicked. It’s evil. To starve your workforce is fucking slavery! They know what they’re doing – they know that they have piled pressure on these workers – cutting their pay so they don’t actually have any increase in income on the new living wage.

They know these people are already feeling the strain, and they don’t fucking care. All they care about is profit. And we can’t have the nice customers seeing workers forced to eat their leftovers can we? They might think we’re not paying them enough! 

Whatever they do with this now, Waitrose – you are the scum of the fucking earth. Pandering and simpering to the middle class with your fucking posh cheese and expensive biscuits while your workers are dying on their arses. Whatever you choose to do about this now, wether you climb down to save face and protect your profit or you really do callously push these desperate people who have given you everything back into the dole queue – we know what you are.

You’re a parasite – a leech on the back of the working class, you will bleed us dry and watch us die and lumber on unfazed. We’re not fucking disposable. 

You have put these people through the shame of going home to their families with no money to feed them. The shame of having to scrape a strangers plate because they can’t afford to eat. The shame of having it broadcast around the world for all to see. The shame of knowing that amongst all this, they still might lose their job at the end of it.

You make me fucking sick. You literally make my stomach churn. I would pause to piss in your doorway. You aren’t worth the shit on their shoes. 

St Patrick’s Guinness

Well, it’s Saint Patrick’s Day again, and today as I walked through Liverpool the city was buzzing with the usual tricolours, green top hats, flutes and drums. 

As it is everywhere, Paddy’s Day is huge in Liverpool, and it warmed my heart to hear the Boys of the Old Brigade wafting out of a bar as I walked past. Commercially driven sentiment or proud cultural celebration – it makes no difference in the end as long as the city is alive with the rebel songs we know and love.

This year I had my usual sly wink and nod from my English friends, most of whom know I rarely bother with the spectacle anymore. I had the usual womb-ache that comes with seeing tiny babies dressed as pots of gold and laughed with the lads drinking and dancing in the street. And, as usual, I rolled my eyes at all those proud republicans lining up for their pints of Guinness.

It might not be too well known now, but it was certainly known at the time that Arthur Guinness was a staunch unionist, who opposed home rule and was accused of spying for the British occupiers. It’s also thought he provided men and other support to British forces in Ireland.

Described by historians as “steadfast in his loyalty to the crown” it is also documented that one of his descendants in 1913 donated £100,000 to the UVF arms fund, an enormous figure for the time.

During the lead up to the 1916 Easter Uprising, republican Guinness employees became afraid to join demonstrations for fear of repercussions in the workplace.

On the 29th April 1916, two civilians were murdered by British soldiers in the grounds of the brewery. They were said to be Sinn Feinn members, but were later found to be two employees with no connections to Sinn Feinn at all.

Later the company began to dismiss workers who were suspected to be involved in the rebellion or sympathetic to the revolutionary movement.

Arthur Guinness made it very clear he did not support his fellow Irishmen in their struggle for freedom, and wanted Ireland to remain under England’s control. He and his descendants supported and helped to fund the British against the Irish and continued to victimise republican members of staff afterwards.

Even as late as the 1980’s a PR spokesman for Guiness told the press that they should “make the distinction that Guiness is an English company” and distance themselves from the “Irish connection” as much as possible. 

Now I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll have a whiskey. 

Morning Star Article 12/03/16 – Alexey Markov Interview

The ghost battalion are proving they are much more than just soldiers in the war-torn districts of Lugansk and Donetsk as they strive to bring aid and hope to the local area through a variety of social projects designed to aid in the rebuilding of the community. 

Despite the Minsk II ceasefire declared on February 15 2015 the situation in Ukraine remains unstable. Human Rights Watch claim that as of Autumn 2015 five million people in Eastern Ukraine are in need of humanitarian aid, with three million classed as “most vulnerable.” 

A United Nations report on the Ukraine conflict dated February 2016 reported that just 57,300 of those in need were assisted this winter, with UNICEF also claiming that up to 1.3 million people have little or no access to clean water. 

Commander Alexey Markov, a volunteer of Prizrak (ghost) brigade, has been based in Lugansk, the Russian-speaking industrial region of Eastern Ukraine since September 2014. 

“I had never been to Ukraine before 2014. After seeing the terrible scenes in Odessa of crowds cheering behind piles of charred bodies, I realised that fascism had been revived. As a Communist, I could not accept the fact that Nazis were again slaughtering innocent people, so I left my home and job in Moscow and went to fight in the Donbass.”

“When I first arrived, the city was dead. There was no electricity, no people on the streets and no traffic. All the shops were closed and there was no public transport. People were living in fear for their lives, under constant attack from the Ukrainian side. The destruction was clearly visible on all the main streets of the city.”

“Over the past year the situation has improved, and although many people’s homes, schools and hospitals were destroyed, life in the city is getting better. The city looks almost peaceful. Almost.”

The brigade which has its headquarters in Alchevsk has a strong social dimension, and has from its inception organised free meals through canteens sustained by the volunteers for large families and those on low income in the area. 

They have also provided products for schools and hospitals, as well as ensuring that the children of Alchevsk received gifts from the brigade at Christmas.

Although the work done by the brigade in the local community is invaluable, Markov is under no illusions as to the importance of international solidarity. 
“It’s very important that the local people understand that they are not alone in the struggle against fascism. Help from abroad may not be materially significant, but it is very important in terms of morale. 

Citizens are, however, in immediate need of medical supplies and equipment for the restoration of hospitals. It is also important that the reality of the war in Donbass is reported accurately in the West. It is imperative that European governments are encouraged to reassess their support for the Kiev regime.” 
 

Despite the volatile situation in Eastern Ukraine, which has seen in the past year ceasefire violations from both sides, Markov still holds hope for the future.
“Unfortunately, it is impossible to reach an agreement short of a military victory. I hate war, but the alternative is even worse.”

“I hope the children of Lugansk will soon live in a free, independent and socialist republic where nobody will ever again dare to kill or harm them, or compare them to ‘beetle larvae’ as the Ukrainian nationalists do. They will have a chance to become full-fledged citizens, and not ‘occupiers’ in their own land.” 

A spokesperson for the Solidarity with the Antifascist Resistance in Ukraine (SARU) said: 

“We are a labour movement campaign organised to pressure the government to withdraw diplomatic, financial and military support for the Kiev regime, and to help bring about an end to the civil war which has seen the death of over 10,000 civilians and the displacement of over a million people.”

“Since the Kiev government has also frozen all social security payments to the east, including those to pensioners, the unemployed and  the disabled, it is vitally important that we confront this humanitarian crisis.”

Those wishing to show solidarity to the people of Lugansk can do so by contacting Solidarity with the Antifascist Resistance in Ukraine (SARU) via sarucampaign@gmail.com.

Journalism coursework

Courvoisier launched its first ever global cocktail competition in Liverpool this week at McKenzie Whisky Bar on Rodney Street asking bartenders to use the history of Courvoisier and Paris nightlife as inspiration to create a new take on the classic champagne cocktail.
The event was attended by bar representatives from businesses all over the city including Jacarander, Some Place and Palm Sugar and began with the fascinating story of the history of the Courvoisier family and the cognac that conquered France.

Rebecca Asseline, a brand ambassador for seven years, explained how with the invention of streetlights and the explosion of nightlife in Paris Courvoisier was propelled around the world, and was the only drink served at the opening of the Eiffel Tower in 1886. Speciality chocolates accompanied the tasting session which explored the Courvoisier collection, and explained the intense and laborious process of ensuring luxury, quality and consistency year on year.

“This is why we come to sessions like this,” a representative of Mojo said, “you can get a lot of helpful information for competitions that can’t just be researched online.” And with the competition focusing on “The Golden Age of Paris” an inside edge on inspiration may be very helpful indeed. Amanda Humphrey, the Courvoisier Mixxologist told us “we want to inspire bartenders to create and explore new cocktails” but not before giving us an exceptional example in her unique twist on the classic sidecar. “Cognac drives good conversation” Rebecca affirmed.

The closing date for submissions is 25 March 2016, when six entrants will be chosen for semi-finals in London in April. Prizes include trips to Paris and Jarnac, and a chance to visit the exclusive Paradis Cellar to meet with a Courvoisier master blender, as well as a unique blend of cognac from the 1800s presented in an engraved crystal decanter.

Those wishing to enter the competition can do so at: http://www.barlifeuk.com/