On the lookout for youth attracted to revolution. That is what members of the Young Socialists and Socialist Workers Party are focusing their attention on. Between now and the beginning of April young fighters can be offered the special opportunity of attending a national convention of people like themselves.
For the next three weeks, the Militant will be setting aside extra space to feature coverage of the efforts of the Young Socialists to build their April 6-7 national convention and organizing conference. As YS members reach out across the country at protests, picket lines, plant gates, campuses, and through regional convention-building teams, we encourage our readers to join with them in winning youth to the communist movement.
The pressures of the worldwide capitalist depression are causing layers of young workers, students, and other youth to radicalize. Some are attracted to the fascist-minded demagogy offered up by figures like Patrick Buchanan. Others want to fight against Buchananism, and are attracted to revolution. They show up at all kinds of actions - from protests in defense of affirmative action in California to rallies supporting the Irish freedom struggle.
Communists need to organize to meet as many of these young people as possible, and offer them the opportunity to meet others like themselves at the YS convention. As Young Socialists chapters are learning, some new people can be recruited to join the organization even before the convention.
Through building the convention, the Young Socialists are already advancing in practice the campaigns adopted at their national leadership meeting in February, which will be placed before convention delegates. These include defending the socialist revolution in Cuba, opposing Washington's war preparations in Yugoslavia, and demonstrating against ultrarightist candidate Buchanan, who "represents the true face of American fascism."
The group is also jumping into "all resistance to the horrors of capitalism, including joining picket lines of striking workers, abortion rights actions and clinic defense, protests against police brutality and the death penalty, mobilizations to defend affirmative action and equal rights for immigrants, protests against the destruction of the environment, protests against education cuts and others."
Convention delegates will vote on a series of political principles, beginning with, "The Young Socialists recognizes the need to overthrow capitalism and fight for socialism." In addition to the convention sessions, there will be an organizing conference where all participants can take part in workshops and classes.
Socialist workers and others who support building a communist youth organization can help YS members to build their convention.
Host one of the regional teams the Young Socialists are organizing, join them staffing socialist literature tables and at political events, and tell every rebel-minded youth you meet about the convention. Be sure to always have a list where young people can sign up to get to the convention. Invite young workers and students who are interested to immediately start participating in political activity with socialist workers and young socialists, and work with them on the practical details of getting to Minneapolis April 6-7, such as transportation and fund-raising.
What the Young Socialists do in the next three weeks, together with socialist workers of all generations, can have an impact on the size and success of the convention. On to Minneapolis!