In the United States, young workers, farmers, and students have a double opportunity. In addition to the world youth festival in North Africa, student and youth organizations in Cuba have invited young people to attend a July 22-30 Cuba-U.S. Youth Exchange in Havana. Plans by groups of young people to attend the Youth Exchange in Cuba are well under way in several cities, showing the potential to reach out and build the delegation.

In Cuba, participants will join the July 26 celebration to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the assault by Cuban revolutionaries on the Moncada army barracks, which launched the Cuban revolutionary struggle; stand on Cuban soil to view the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, an imperialist threat and base of provocations against the Cuban Revolution; discuss with counterparts in Cuba the history of their revolution and steps being taken today to advance the fight for socialism; and explain various struggles inside the United States by workers and farmers.

Young people from the United States who are interested in these events can make a valuable contribution to both of them. U.S. imperialism is the chief exploiter and oppressor of working people around the world. Those who are in the midst of strikes and struggles against the employers, U.S. government assaults abroad, police brutality, and attacks on affirmative action and women’s rights, as well as fights to defend working farmers, can bring an important message of the possibilities for revolutionary struggle from within the United States. They can point to the opportunities to bring powerful forces to bear in common battles against imperialism and in response to the effects of the world capitalist economic crisis.

In addition, the events in Cuba and Algeria will help broaden the internationalist horizons of those participating. Both events will attract young people from around the world who want to take concrete steps in building a worldwide anti-imperialist youth movement--one that will weigh in the balance in the outcome of coming revolutionary battles of workers and farmers against the capitalist system, an economic system that is historically outmoded and will drag humanity into fascism and war unless working people take power out of the capitalists’ hands.

For revolutionary-minded young people, the best preparation for the Youth Exchange and for the world youth festival will be taking part in the June 14-17 Active Workers Conference in Oberlin, Ohio. The conference, which will be attended by vanguard workers and farmers from around the country and internationally, will provide a working-class framework for those seeking an alternative to capitalism’s brutal disorder.
 
 
Related article:
Youth build anti-imperialist festival in Algiers  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home