Photo credit: Daily Hive
It was a parade of intellectual discussions, exhibition of culture, expositions of political ideas, reaffirmation of struggles, laced with good food, drinks, along with poetry and music at The People’s Fair held on Sunday, August 24 at the OPSEU/SEFPO Downtown Toronto Regional Office.
It was organized by various groups, including Students and Workers for Liberation for the Liberation of Palestine (AWAS). The organization aims to connect people with anti-capitalist movements and community groups fighting for justice.
Almost every one of the exhibitors were politically conscious, even though there might be fundamental differences in their ways of achieving a common goal.
One of the performers!
Here is a list of the exhibiting groups and what they stand for:
ICHRP: An organization that is trying to build popular support for people’s rights in the Philippines. Among its aims are the propagation of information about the human rights’ situation in the Philippines to the public, advocacy for Canadian policy that defends the Filipino people’s rights, and, campaign against Canadian companies complicit in rights violations in the PH.
The organization is particularly sympathetic with the plight of peasant organizations and communities.
Oakville Open Door Book Club: A book club with a difference. Members don’t only read ideological books, they discuss the content.
Canada-Cuba Friendship Association, Toronto: The group is active in promoting friendship, respect, and co-operation between Canadian and Cuban peoples. It works with other Canadian groups and international organizations. Their aims are: providing information and organizing events related to Cuba for the public and the media, counteracting deliberate misinformation about Cuba spread by the US, and to end the illegal US blockade of Cuba and defend Cuban and Canadian sovereignty from US interference.
They also organize visits to Cuba.
Anakbayan, North York:
An overseas chapter of Anakbayan – a Philippine-based mass organization that strives for genuine democracy and national freedom of Filipino people.
It aims to identify the burning issues of Filipino youth from different backgrounds such as immigrant, Canadian-born/raised, student, working, LGBTQ+, women, artists, and so on. They want to unite them to fight for systemic change in the Philippines.
Alliance of Workers and Students (AWAS):
This is an organization of Palestinian workers and students based in the Greater Toronto Area. They claim that through organization and study, and the practice of criticism and self-criticism, they concluded that if they truly wanted to fight for the liberation of Palestine, and all nations under the yoke of imperialism, they must confront from the source.
JAZCto:
Jewish Anti-Zionist Collective, Toronto
This is a communist organization championing Palestinian Resistance to defeat zionism, imperialism, and colonialism. The organization’s work includes protests, teach-ins, reading circles, film screenings, rallies, and discussions.
Fresh City Farms and Many Hands Farms:
This group actually brought some veggies to the fair and gave them for free to those interested.
CPSO:
Canada-Philippines Solidarity Organization.
A solidarity organization based in Canada. It’s committed to defending people’s rights and supporting the national democratic struggle in the Philippines. The body believes that imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism are the three basic problems of the Filipino people, and it is working to provide political, educational, and material support for the mass movement in the Philippines fighting the repression.
Popular Front:
The Popular Front Canada says it is a Scientific Socialist political organization following the ideals of egalitarianism and historical materialism.
Canadian Peace Congress:
This organization condemns the aggression of US imperialism and steadfastly maintains that Canada must have an independent foreign policy based on peace, disarmament, and solidarity, a foreign policy that adheres to the UN charter and working diplomatically to resolve international disputes.
VERY LAOD:
This is a Vietnamese group that focuses on nurturing new traditions of critical thought and grassroots work based in diaspora solidarity and organizing with the racialized, exploited, and oppressed peoples of Turtle Island and the Third World/Global South.
Orange Hats:
This group is all about the rights and responsibilities of citizens when they have matters with police officers.
Al-Harar Toronto:
Palestinian Prisoner Support
This is an organization working to support Palestinian prisoners through political education and building solidarity.
Bodythudz-artisanwork:
A maker of artworks
The All-African People’s Revolutionary Party:
This is a group that preaches Pan-Africanism.
Jane/Finch Action Against Poverty:
It is a resident-led grassroots group. It organizes on social and economic justice issues, including affordable housing, workers’ rights, minimum wage increases, migrant and refugee rights, affordable and accessible public transit, social assistance and income security, food justice and against racism, police violence, surveillance and militarization
