A youth group's profile: The Communist Youth of Australia

The Communist Youth of Australia (CYA) is a group formed specifically for youth in Australia, to fight against a system that is becoming increasingly harsh, with high unemployment, low paid McJobs, and astronomical debts all part of the fun of being a young Australian today.

Although the CYA is close to to the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) it differs in that it deals specifically with the special interests and issues facing the Youth.

The group believes that all workers are entitled to an equitable workplace free of discrimination based on gender or any other personal characteristics irrelevant to the work position.

This includes the right to a workplace free of sexual harassment and the concept of promotion on merit.

It also believes that unions should be committed to the concept and practices of affirmative action, which include structured activities to redress structural and historical discrimination, which could prevent women from having fair and equal treatment and opportunity in the workplace.

For example reviewing and altering employment practices and working conditions to ensure employers do not discriminate against women who have family responsibilities is among CYA's top priorities.

The group's aim is to allow women who have been held back by discriminatory practices, to compete for jobs on a more equal footing, and on the basis of their skills, talents, experience and qualifications.

It also lobbies to give women the opportunity to gain these skills, experience and qualifications.

Equal opportunity is about creating a workplace that is free from barriers such as discrimination which impede people's skills and potential, read CYA's charter.

The group manages a website and a monthly online publication, Red Bright.

In its recent issue, Red Bright highlighted what it described the "survival of the people of Cuba" after 43 years of embargo.

"Before the liberation of Cuba the island nation was one of the most corrupt, poor and economically backward countries in the Northern Hemisphere," Red Brith wrote.

The US continually claims Castro is a suppressor of human rights, but has never commented on the state of human rights in Cuba when the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista ruled with the help of US-trained and equipped secret police, until he was finally overthrown, according to CYA's publication.

"Castro's next step was to set about finding help from other countries after the US offered to purchase their sugar and tobacco at ridiculously low prices. So Castro turned America's arch enemy, the Soviet Union," said Red Bright.

Up until its collapse in 1991, the Soviets provided an enormous amount of aid, some times up to a million dollars per day to Cuba.

The USSR offered over 3000 scholarships to Cuban students, helping to supply the developing country with technical workers and teachers.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the capitalist world was holding its breath to see what would happen in Cuba.

Commentators believed that Castro's Government would fall, he would be forced to embrace capitalism, or that he would cut his nation off from the world completely. Although the following years were very tough on the people of Cuba, none of the three scenarios ever happened.

The capitalist world is now waiting for Castro's death, believing once again that communism will collapse. The Cuban exiles in Miami are poised to move back into their positions of power and exploit the Cuban workers.

But the Cubans have a deep mistrust for their exiled exploiters, and a great love for Cuba and the socialist nation they have built together.

When we see the millions of people who regularly rally on the streets of Cuba to protest against the US, or to celebrate their own achievements, we can only believe that after Castro's death that very little will change.