BY JACK WILLEY

This column is written and edited by the Young Socialists (YS), an international organization of young workers, students, and other youth fighting for socialism. For more information about the YS write to: Young Socialists, P.O. Box 14392, St. Paul, MN 55104. Tel: (612) 644-0051. Compuserve: 105162,605

BY JACK WILLEY

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - On Friday, September 6, seven young people came together to form a group of Young Socialists in Sweden. Coming on the heels of a successful speaking tour here by Laura Garza, Socialist Workers candidate for U.S. vice- president, the young militants met after a Militant Labor Forum to discuss the next steps in building a communist youth organization.

YS members in Sweden have already been involved in social protest actions and are studying books on the history of the communist movement.

Guillermo Bossi, president of the environmental group Field Biologists in Jakosberg, has helped organize protests at Shell Oil gas stations against the company's exploitation of Nigeria and its complicity in the murder of Ogoni aboriginal activists by the military regime there. At one protest, the group occupied a Shell station for an hour. Bossi has recently read Socialism on Trial.

"I have always been interested in politics," explained Maxi Ortíz. "Last year I wrote a report on Ernesto Che Guevara for school because Che was a revolutionary from my country, Argentina. I read many books on Che and realized socialism is worth fighting for."

Ortíz has also been part of the protests against Shell. He explained that a freeway is slated to be built surrounding Stockholm. "I want to protest this," he said. "The leading government parties and big corporations negotiated this deal without the opinions of anyone else. Building the freeway gives the government the pretext to cut down on public transportation. The billions of kronors [Swedish currency] they want to throw into this project should go toward improving public transport for the benefit of everyone."

Johan Nilsson is very interested in the struggle for Black freedom in the United States. "I saw many videos on the civil rights movement and thought something was missing," he said. "One day I stopped at a table with books and the Militant newspaper staffed by members of the Communist League and bought Malcolm X Talks to Young People. When I read this book, I saw the similarity between Blacks in the U.S. and people living in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. They are fighting the same oppressor."

Since then, Nilsson has bought more books by Malcolm X, read speeches by Cuban president Fidel Castro, subscribed to the Militant, and has attended Militant Labor Forums. Nilsson also translated the YS principles and campaigns (see ad below) into Swedish for the September 6 meeting.

Joining the action

Coming out of the YS founding meeting here, the Young Socialists set as a goal to get to every action where people are fighting the injustices of capitalism. They attended a protest against Shell September 7. On September 9, YSers took a bus down to Klippan, where a protest against a racist murder was scheduled to take place.

In addition, the group plans to organize classes and study of the history of the workers movement. There's great interest in the Cuban revolution and in Ny International 1, the Swedish edition of the Marxist magazine New International, especially in the article "Opening Guns of World War III: Washington's Assault on Iraq."

Throughout Garza's tour here, there was considerable interest among young people to participate in the 14th World Festival of Youth and Students that will take place in Cuba July 28-August 5 next year in Cuba. Over 15 people signed up for information on how to attend. The YS chapter adopted, as a central campaign, building this event over the next 10 months.

BY RYAN KELLY

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - The prospects for building the YS improved in the South Pacific during the speaking tour in New Zealand and Australia by James Harris, Socialist Workers candidate for U.S. president. Between August 8 and August 13 three people said they were interested to join in Auckland.

Following a public talk and discussion with Harris at the Militant Labor Forum here Ahtogi Ahchong requested to join.

Later in the week Grant Richardson helped to build a meeting by Harris on the Unitec campus where he attends school. The walls were plastered with flyers announcing the event and Grant's professor sponsored the meeting. After the event one student bought a copy of the Communist Manifesto and Grant requested to join the Young Socialists. On the last day of the tour in Aukland a class was held on the Second Declaration of Havana. During the course of the meeting Vincent Holdsworth requested to join the YS.

SYDNEY, Australia - At the time this article was written Rahab Charida, 19, was the newest person to join the YS in Australia. She asked to join after participating in much of the Sydney leg of Harris's tour. On August 20, Rahab protested at Parliament House in Canberra along with 20,000 other workers and youth against the government's slashing of social benefits. The next day she participated in a meeting with Harris at the University of Technology.

Rahab also spoke on the panel at a Militant Labor Forum with Harris, Moses Havini from Bougainville, and Eddy from Indonesia. At the forum she blasted the Zionist regime in Israel for the violent oppression against the Palestinian people and took apart the idea that Palestinian rebels are terrorists. "I say they are freedom fighters," she concluded. "Long live their resistance."

I asked Rahab a few questions.

Q: Why did you want to join the YS?

A: I was involved in a nationalist organization, and I realized that there are more problems society faces than that can answer. I loved what the nationalist program did for the oppressed nation, but I needed more and that is internationalism.

Q: What do you think the chances are for building the Young Socialists in Australia?

A: Good. I hadn't been exposed to these ideas. Now I have. When more people hear for the first time what we're saying --

the YS will grow.

Q: Give me a quote.

A: You may chain my hands. You may shackle my feet. You may even throw me into a dark prison, but you shall not enslave my thoughts - for they are free.

Christian Bava, 17, joined the Sydney chapter of the Young Socialists earlier in August. He was born in Uruguay and has lived in Australia for 11 years. Eight young people showed up to a class on the Second Declaration of Havana/ Reportback from the U.S.-Cuba Youth Exchange. When the three-hour meeting drew to a close Christian answered some questions for this article.

Q: Why did you join the YS?

A: I wanted to put my beliefs from what I have read and experienced into practice. I thought, if I don't get off my ass it'll never happen, so I decided to spend my time joining a worthy cause. The cause of socialism.

Q: What have you read?

A: I have read Che, Marx, Lenin and periodicals from South America. I knew that I wanted to join an organization, but couldn't find one.

Q: How did you find the Young Socialists?

A: A friend of mine was given a leaflet and passed it on to me. I subscribed to the Militant from the coupon on it and checked all of the other boxes concerning the Young Socialists too.

21 new members in the YS!

July 10 - September 10

City # of new members

=============================================

Atlanta 1

Chicago 2

Cleveland 2

Denver 2

Houston 1

Los Angeles 3

San Diego 1

Twin Cities 1

Morgantown 1

Newark 1

New York 2

Salt Lake City 1

Seattle 2

Washington D.C. 1

TOTAL 21  
 
 
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