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Editorial

  • Challenge: voice of Britain’s youth – yesterday, today and tomorrow - The essential purpose and the central task of Challenge in this regard is not an easy one. Our magazine, like our organisation, is addressed with nothing less than winning mass support among young workers and students for revolutionary socialism, the Communist Party and our programme, Britain’s Road to Socialism.

News

  • Thousands of refugees attempt to cross Belarus-Poland border into EU - A crisis has erupted at the Belarus-Poland border, as thousands of refugees attempt to cross through Belarus into the EU. This follows the Belarusian government’s announcement this June that they would no longer hold back migrants seeking EU entry.
  • DWP leaves disabled people living in fear - A new legal challenge has revealed how many disabled people have been subjected to months of invasive checks following being tagged as potential benefit fraudsters by an algorithm the government hasn’t shown yet. 
  • Indian Farmers win repeal of Modi’s black laws - Indian PM Narendra Modi has today announced that the BJP Government will repeal three highly controversial farming laws which prompted unrest throughout the country and with the Indian community throughout the world.

Culture & Sports

  • The Struggle for the Soul of Celtic - On a rather wet Glasgow afternoon, you’d be forgiven for thinking that any attendees of Celtic’s home match with Dundee would want to dart from the car and into the dry safety of the stadium, however for many this presented an opportunity to protest the regime at the club that allowed them to stagnate and fail so spectacularly last season. The Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou and his charges were met with rapturous cheers, and the full back catalogue of songs from a support who had been desperate to cheer on their men for the best part of 18 months.
  • Welsh Communists mark 85th anniversary of Spanish Civil War and legacy of International Brigaders - A range of speakers contributed to the event at at the Welsh International Brigades Memorial earlier this month (21 July 2021) in Cathays Park Cardiff including Will Barton, secretary of the Cardiff branch of the Communist Party (whose speech is published in full below), Robert Griffiths General Secretary of Communist Party and Marc Bilbao Asensio from the Communist Party of Spain. There were revolutionary songs from Cor Cochian Caerdydd and a poem and reading from International Brigades Cymru. Keeping alive the memory of the Welsh international brigaders: Yn cadw’r cof am y brigadwyr rhyngwladol o gymru yn fyw.
  • Mark Cavendish equals all-time Tour de France stage victories record - Mark Cavendish won his 34th stage of the Tour de France yesterday, equalling the all-time record held by Belgian cycling legend, Eddy Merckx, since 1975.

Contributions

  • It’s not enough to be anti-Tory - Howard Green writes on how the term 'Tory' has been pacified from its original provocative meaning, arguing that individuals amongst the left should go further than simply being anti-Tory
  • Marx’s call to action - Grant MacDonald analyses Marx's writings on the unity and struggle of opposites
  • After the elections: Communism in the Czech Republic - After a devastating loss of support that saw one of the most successful Communist parties in Europe fail to enter parliament, international head Jaroslav Roman speaks to Conrad Landin about how the nation's left can recover.

Back2Basics

  • Introduction - Back2Basics is the Young Communist League’s series on Marxist concepts made easy. Its aim is to provide a starting point for those interested in learning about communist theory and a foundation for further reading and study.
  • 1. Materialism - The philosophical underpinning of Marxism-Leninism is often referred to as "dialectical materialism". Parts 1 and 2 of this series set out what that actually means; materialism in this issue and dialectics in the next issue.

Digital

  • Challenge TV Interview: Ayelén Biegbeder (la Fede, Argentina) on the femicide of Florencia Gomez - On the 12 October in the town of San Jorge, Buenos Aires, María Florencia Gómez Pouillastrou (known as Florencia Gómez) was murdered, and her body was abandoned in a field in the local area. The 35-year-old woman was an active feminist who had recently become a city councillor. Florencia was a comrade of la Fede – the Communist Youth Federation of Argentina. She was a militant socialist and member of the Communist party in San Jorge. Jessica Duggan spoke with her close friend and comrade, Ayelén Beigbeder, for ChallengeTV to find out more, and to explore the endemic violence against women in Argentina that led to her death. #JusticiaPorFlorencia