Youth group aims at re-understanding socialism

Founded in 1975, the Young Democratic Socialists is considered the largest socialist youth organization in the US, and is the only American member of the International Union of Socialist Youth. YDS are the youth section of the Democratic Socialists of America.

They are a broad, diverse network of young activists who share a vision of a more humane future. They tend to be proactive in their approach and, as they mention in their website, "[i]nstead of waiting for some final, magical instant when a utopia appears, we organize and struggle every day to redistribute power. Building democratic socialism is a long struggle, and we take it one-step at a time." YDS work on transforming the American society on the job, in the streets, and in the classroom through their members and local organizations.

YDS is informed and inspired by a variety of movements and figures in the long struggle for social justice (from the American labor movement, to the fight for civil rights, from European Social Democracy to women's liberation).

Although they are proud of their heritage as socialists, however, they are not bogged down in the theoretical debates and endless arguments of other leftist organizations. They do not think that they are an end of their own, but they aim to be the socialist voice within the left.

However, "[we] don't think that we should tell other movements that we have all the answers: Progressive Democrats, queer activists, people of color, Greens, labor activists, feminists, we have come together because we don't think there is currently room in US politics for our vision of a society based on solidarity, instead of greed. We are going to make that room."

YDS believe that the term socialism is one of the most misused words in the American political vocabulary. They, as socialists, fight for the extension of democracy into all aspects of social life, including the economy. They look up to and are proud of the democratic freedoms enjoyed by US citizens; nevertheless, they think that without economic democracy, such a political liberty would be weak and incomplete. "People must have a voice in the economic decisions which affect their lives.

Democratic socialism also means fighting non-economic inequalities of power- including racism, sexism and heterosexism in all their forms. A radical democracy is the only way to ensure a world in which class, race, and gender do not decide our futures.

" Each year a national conference is held where the organization sets a national agenda, deciding on projects that the national office and leadership will put resources behind. YDS chapters, on the other hand, are autonomous, and set their own agendas on their campuses and in their communities and choose which projects and campaigns to focus on.

Decisions made by the National Conference and the Coordinating Committee are non-binding, and pertain mainly to what sorts of resources and encouragement will come from the national organization. Some of these chapters are located in universities such as the American University, Princeton University, Boston University, College of Saint Rose, Cowley Community College (KS), UW Milwaukee, University of Kansas, Fort Lewis College (CO), Haverford College, Utah State University, Denver University, Northwest Indiana, Rutgers University, College of Santa Fe, and Western New England College.

YDS runs a magazine, The Activist (www.theactivist.org), which for many years was only directed to the members of the organization. In 1999, the magazine was redesigned and developed into a magazine for the wide left due to its cultural coverage, its contribution to political discussions on the student left, and general energy, and style.

Their latest statement concerning the war on Iraq denounced both war and dictatorship. The statement said, "A war on Iraq led by the United States will have disastrous consequences for the people of Iraq, as well as for the United States itself. While we condemn the brutal regime of Saddam Hussein, the Young Democratic Socialists unconditionally opposes US military presence in Iraq."