As part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening our socialist-feminist analysis and practice, the NSG will be sending at least one of our women members to the Women's School of the International Institute for Research and Education (IIRE) in Amsterdam this summer. This yearly event brings together socialist women activists from countries around the world for a one to three week long series of educational sessions on the theory and history of socialist feminism and discussions around the challenges and lessons of women's struggles in today's world. See http://www.iire.org/womenschool.html for more details on the event.

This is an invaluable opportunity for us to deepen our commitment to making the NSG a truly socialist-feminist group. The IIRE Women's School in Amsterdam provides not only theory and shared experiences, but also an opportunity to establish links with socialist activists internationally.

But all this costs money. We need to raise $2000 by the end of May to cover airfare, tuition and expenses. We're off to a good start with a $527 contribution from the Toronto branch of the NSG but there is a long way still to go.

So we are asking you, our supporters and New Socialist magazine readers, to help us out with a financial donation. Cheques or money orders in any amount are most welcome even if you can afford only a small contribution.

Please make cheques payable to the New Socialist Group, indicate that the money is for the Women's School initiative and mail to: Box 167, 253 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R5.

Thanks. And we'll keep you posted on the success of our fundraising in upcoming issues.

Letter: Anti-War Slogans Embedded In History

In his letter in the November/December issue Gary Kinsman ends by saying:

"The slogan 'US Out Now' was an insufficient basis of unity for anti-war organizing in the 60s and 70s. We have the responsibility to build movements but we also need to ensure that coming out of these mobilizations are currents of people who have developed their political capacities and forms of self-organization so they can continue the struggle against war, occupation, racism and capitalism."

"US Out Now" was not the only slogan put forward during the Anti-Vietnam War movement. I recall some people wanted to emphasize a call for peace and for negotiations, thinking this would put the most pressure on the US. Other forces organized around the slogan "Support the NLF" (National Liberation Front in South Vietnam), or sometimes "Victory to the NLF."

In my opinion, the campaign around "US Out Now" was not only the most successful at building the anti-war movement, but it contributed the most to building the anti-capitalist movement. I think this will be apparent to anyone who studies the anti-war movement and who traces the subsequent history of the groups that put forward these various unifying themes.