Vol. 71/No. 47      December 17, 2007

BY EDDIE BECK  
NEW YORK, December 2—The Young Socialists held a national meeting here today to discuss tasks and perspectives for the next period in building a revolutionary communist youth organization.

In attendance were YS members from across the United States, representatives from the YS in Australia and Canada, and youth interested in joining the organization from Atlanta, New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Twin Cities.

Ben O’Shaughnessy, the organizer of the YS National Steering Committee, presented the political report.

“The main task for the organization in the coming period is to become more structured, organized, and proletarian in our functioning and to build strong chapters across the country,” he said.

O’Shaughnessy pointed to the recent work by members of the YS, the Socialist Workers Party, and others to organize meetings about the Pathfinder book Our History Is Still Being Written. He said that one of biggest successes of these meetings has been the broad sponsorship and participation by professors, students, activists in the Asian community, and others who previously knew little about the Cuban Revolution.

O’Shaughnessy also highlighted the work this fall to bring new forces into the campaign to free the five Cuban revolutionaries in U.S. prisons.

“The Cuban Five are our comrades here on the front lines of the class struggle with us,” said O’Shaughnessy. “We want to work with others to continue broadening support for their freedom.”

With the upcoming 2008 presidential elections, O’Shaughnessy said the Young Socialists will be preparing to support the Socialist Workers Party candidates at the national, state, and local level. In many states, Young Socialists will stand as candidates on the SWP ticket. He also said the YS will discuss launching a young socialists support group for the soon-to-be-announced SWP presidential ticket, which will include other youth looking to back the communist campaign.

“One of the main priorities in the next period will be to strengthen and build the YS national center in New York City,” said O’Shaughnessy. He reported on recent transfers by YS members to not only strengthen the national center, but also the work of the communist movement in Georgia.

After the discussion, the YS elected a new National Steering Committee based in New York City. Its members are Tom Baumann, Eddie Beck, Maura DeLuca, Ben Joyce, and Ben O’Shaughnessy.
 
 
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