MRC Hosts Second Revolutionary Chautauqua

The Manitoba Regional Committee of CPC(M-L) hosted its second annual revolutionary Chautauqua at Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park from July 17 to 24. For one week, participants in this gathering of revolutionary youth, workers and women from Manitoba and other parts of Canada came together to discuss important issues around building revolutionary movements and the institutions which support them; the local, national and international situation; the importance of organization and the role of culture in revolutionary struggle.

As was the case during the first revolutionary Chautauqua held in 2004, the gathering was characterized both by the beauty of the natural surroundings and by the spirit of the discussions between revolutionaries committed to building a new world. This year there was much greater participation by revolutionary youth, who were the majority of the 2005 Chautauquans. In addition, people who had participated in only part of last year’s Chautauqua returned this year for the entire week.

Each day of the Chautauqua had its own unique rhythm, with the first few mornings and early afternoon spent enjoying the beauty of the natural environment followed by people gathering for dinner and an evening program. Different workshops and discussions were held as the week went by, including a civil disobedience workshop presented by CUPW members; a workshop on building new forms of media; a workshop that delved into the question “what is the culture of resistance”; and a workshop on the war against terror and global anti-imperialist movements. There were also two important cultural events – the staging of a play by a young Manitoba playwright which stemmed from his experiences in organizing and an evening of revolutionary spoken word and hip hop. The communal dinners were also extremely important, bringing together all participants around a shared meal, where discussion of everything and anything was the norm. These dinners served as a magnet for others at Clear Lake who were not Chautauquans but were drawn by the warmth and spirit of the gathering – everyone was welcomed and everyone participated in discussion.

At the concluding plenary, held on the Bowling Green, participants came to the conclusion that strengthening the organizing work around the Chautauqua will be critical for the continued growth and success of this institution. The Chautauqua youth have already committed to take up a larger role in organizing next year’s event. In order to increase the involvement in the Chautauqua by the youth who live and work in Clear Lake and the surrounding region, the group also decided to hold a preparatory organizing weekend for the 2006 Chautauqua next May.

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