71. A socialist youth charter

What do young people need today - and how can they fight for it?

Massive, young, working-class protests have exploded around the world after the murder of George Floyd, racism and police violence. But it's not just these issues that have angered young people.

In the US, Britain and around the world, the youth are suffering appalling conditions, and a future of crisis and uncertainty. But young people have also fought: in electoral movements through support for figures like Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders - and on the streets, in the global climate strikes, and now in the huge, young, working-class uprisings against racism and police violence.

Even before the pandemic, wages were low, jobs insecure housing and education unaffordable - and the tomorrow promised nothing but economic and social turmoil, and even climate catastrophe. Now the pandemic has multiplied all these problems, as the capitalists and their politicians dump the burden disproportionately on the working class and the youth. Young people on the streets right now are angry about racism, but they’re also angry about all of it.

How can young people fight to change things? And what would a socialist programme offer young people in that struggle?

This episode of Socialism looks at young people fighting back: a socialist youth charter.

Further reading

Socialist Party young people's charter: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/txt/555.pdf

Fight racism and class inequality, fight capitalism: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/30856/03-06-2020/fight-racism-and-class-inequality-fight-capitalism

USA - another cop killing of unarmed black man sparks widespread protests: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/30846/03-06-2020/usa-another-cop-killing-of-unarmed-black-man-sparks-widespread-protests