“We are for the complete independence of the youth leagues” – Lenin
We live in times in which the traditional organizations of the workers’ movement are in decline. Social democratic and Stalinist parties are losing influence amongst the workers – this lack of organization means that the class is less and less able to defend its historic gains. But at the same time it means that reformism is less and less able to hold back nascent struggles. »»»»
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The current struggles in REVOLUTION center around questions of our relationship to our “mother organization”, the LFI: Is it correct to call a communist youth organization “independent” when all its decisions are made by an external, adult organization? Is it right for the LFI to work as a faction within REVOLUTION, and are they open about their factional work? Are there historical examples for “party” factions in the youth movement? How does Revo function, anyway? »»»»
Declarations of Independence
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Should a communist youth movement be independent? Answers to this question from Karl Liebknecht, V.I. Lenin, Leon Trotsky, the Communist International and others. A collection of texts by the independent communist youth organization REVOLUTION.
iRevo-Coordination
A Brochure – Why?
REVOLUTION/DE
On the Road to a Youth International
Jugend-Internationale
To the Socialist Youth of All Countries!
Karl Liebknecht
Workers’ Movement and Youth Organization
V.I. Lenin
Jugend-Internationale
Communist International
Theses on the Youth Movement
Communist International
The Communist International and the Communist Youth Movement
Leon Trotsky
The Struggle Against the Youth
League for the Fifth International
Communist Principles of Youth Organization
REVOLUTION/DE
The Young Socialists‘ Alliance
REVOLUTION/UK
Trotksy, Gould and the Youth
Published by: Independent REVOLUTION
Title graphic: Joß Fritz
Download: PDF (1.5 MB)
Why do we need a brochure about the communist youth movement? Is the youth movement relevant anymore? And why do we need texts by Lenin and Liebknecht – isn’t that just left-wing nostalgia?
On September 1, 1915, the first issue of the internationalist youth magazine “Youth International” appeared. This small organ of propaganda and struggle was a central tool for founding the Communist Youth International in 1919. For young communists today, who recognize the need to build a revolutionary youth international, the first attempt, which dates back to 90 years ago, provides several important lessons. Wladek Flakin wrote… »»»»
To the socialist youth of all countries!
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The Bureau of the International Union of Socialist Youth Organizations wrote in the first issue of „Jugend-Internationale“… »»»»
Workers’ Movement and Youth Organization
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The first socialist youth organizations were founded at the end of the 19th century. The left wing of the workers movement recognized them as an important force for the socialist struggle, while right-wing party and trade union bureaucrats feared the independent youth movement as dangerous competition. The socialist youth had to fight for recognition, supported by the left wing. Karl Liebknecht wrote… »»»»
In the struggle against the First World War, the socialist youth movement played a central role. Revolutionaries attempted to deepen the gap between the youth associations and the reformist parties through the slogan of “complete independence”. With this review, meant to present the “Jugend-Internationale” to a Russian-speaking audience, Lenin encourages the initiative behind the paper but also criticizes its errors. V.I. Lenin wrote… »»»»
The following theses were drafted by the leadership of the Communist Youth International and passed by the Executive Committee of the Communist International in August 1920… »»»»
The Communist International and the Communist Youth Movement
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The following resolution was was passed in the 24th session of the Third World Congress of the Communist International from July 12, 1921…. »»»»
The economic and cultural backwardness of Russia led to the workers’ councils, which had organized the October Revolution, being replaced by a state and party bureaucracy. In the 1930s, hundreds of thousands of Communuists were persecuted and executed. Oppositional communists fought for the re-establishment of council democracy – the Soviet youth, massively oppressed under Stalinism, was their central hope. Leon Trotsky wrote… »»»»