BY LAURA GARZA AND JOHN EVENHUIS
NEW YORK - Leaders of the Young Socialists (YS) came out of a national meeting here ready to build the organization's Minneapolis convention and conference, set for April 6-7.
"We are going to build our convention by getting out into the streets to defend the Cuban revolution, joining with those protesting the ultrarightist Patrick Buchanan, meeting workers on picket lines and rallies, and building demonstrations in support of affirmative action, women's rights," said YS leader Diana Newberry.
Members of the YS National Committee, as well as elected delegates from 13 chapters of the youth organization across the United States participated in the meeting. These included Boston; Bloomington, Indiana; Des Moines, Iowa; Chicago; Miami; New York; Philadelphia; Los Angeles; San Francisco; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Washington, D.C. Two representatives from the Socialist Workers Party were invited, as were two leaders of the St. Paul branch of the party.
A statement on political principles, campaigns, rules of the organization, and election of delegates to the convention was adopted and placed before the membership for discussion over the next weeks. Prior to the convention chapters will elect delegates based on the decisions of the national leadership meeting. (see the YS principles on this page).
The YS is a young organization, Newberry noted, founded in August 1994. Since then, chapters have participated in many common activities. "We're now in a position to discuss more concretely who the Young Socialists are, and what our principles are," she said. The members will discuss this over the next month.
The youth leaders began their work by participating in a public forum to hear a report from the Havana Book Fair. More than 250 people packed the Earl Hall auditorium at Columbia University in Manhattan to hear Mary-Alice Waters and meet and speak with several Militant reporters who attended the fair in Cuba. Waters is the editor of Ernesto Che Guevara's Episodes of the Cuban Revolutionary War.
Moving into action in the streets along with students, young workers, and other activists to defend Cuba against Washington's hostile actions is an immediate task for all YS members, Newberry said.
She noted that the attacks on Cuba come at a time of increasing political polarization, as shown by the Republican Party primaries.
"Patrick Buchanan is not just another right-winger," said Newberry. While he talks anti-big business, he advances ideas aimed at dividing the working class to save capitalism from its decline. "He's not just after votes, but is assembling a cadre," she said, "that will be the basis of a fascist movement." Newberry said the YS will join with other fighters in protests and counterdemonstrations to oppose "Buchanan, who really shows a face of what American fascism is."
The meeting also voted to respond to the attempts by the Iowa and Illinois prison authorities to delay parole for Mark Curtis, a political activist framed up in Des Moines, Iowa. YS members voted to write letters to the jailed political activist, granted parole in November, as one way of alerting the authorities to the fact that their actions are being watched and that supporters of Curtis will respond to any attempts to prolong his imprisonment.
Following the meeting at Columbia University, the Young Socialists decided to join with the Socialist Workers Party in a campaign to sell and distribute, as widely as possible, the book Episodes of the Cuban Revolutionary War.
YS leaders unanimously decided the that the convention will be a delegated meeting with powers to set policy for the organization, elect a National Committee, and decide tasks. After discussion and consideration of different proposals, the meeting participants voted that there would be one delegate for every two chapter members. A chapter consists of three or more YS members who collaborate in their work. The 1- to-2 ratio, several YS leaders said, would allow for the broadest discussion and most authoritative decision-making powers at the convention. In an area where there are two YS members working jointly, they can elect a delegate who will have voice and consultative vote, the youth leaders decided. The security policy of the youth group establishes that use of illegal drugs is incompatible with membership, a policy that had already been adopted in order to prevent the government from being able to use drug laws to victimize the youth for their political activities.
"In order to have a successful convention and organizing conference," said Newberry, "it's going to take a collective effort. All members of the Young Socialists can now throw themselves into building the convention through carrying out the campaigns that the YS set for itself. Through that we'll meet young fighters interested in attending the convention and joining the organization."
Participants in the meeting gave examples of the kind of people they seek to bring to the convention. Youth from Boston described young fighters the YS has met who recently joined an abortion rights picket line in front of the courthouse where an antiabortion thug is being tried for murdering two clinic workers.
Another participant, from Washington, D.C., noted recent raids by the immigration cops in Maryland and said the YS must champion the defense of equal rights for immigrant workers.
A fund drive of $10,000 was extended to March 15. YS leaders reported that much of the money has been pledged and there are plans for fund-raisers, more work is needed to meet the goal.
John Evenhuis is a member of the Young Socialists from Los Angeles.