Unity

From Unity, 31 March 2007

Getting to know the enemy

by Wera Richter

Wera Richter is one of the best-known political journalists in Germany. A full-time reporter for the Berlin daily Junge Welt (“young world”), she also writes for other left-wing publications, among them the communist weekly Unsere Zeit. She is a member of the National Executive Committee of the German Communist Party.

Last weekend the German city of Hannover saw the national congress of the Socialist Workers’ Youth (SDAJ), the youth organisation close to the German Communist Party (DKP).
     At the end of the two-day event the chairperson, Michael Grüss, who had just been re-elected, said the SDAJ is now at a turning point. The reason for his optimism is twofold. The congress decided on an action programme entitled “Time to fight back” and a nationwide “campaign against the killers of our future.”
     In his closing speech Michael Grüss said: “The most important thing at the present time is not preaching our revolutionary wisdom to the youth of this country but giving precise and detailed answers about what to do in this situation.”
     A bleak situation it is indeed. Tens of thousands are left without apprenticeship every year, there is mass unemployment among young people, rocketing university fees, and the country’s education system going to the dogs at rapid speed.
     During the planned campaign the members of the youth organisation are not just going to talk about all that should be done: they are going to do it, together with as many young people as possible. The struggles in schools and work-places will be the essential elements of a successful campaign.
     In the action directive that the congress worked out, the SDAJ says, “It can be small details, like the fight of pupils in a school against the introduction of toilet fees after privatisation, or creating public awareness where trainees are not being taken on by a factory after finishing apprenticeship.”
     Michael Grüss: “You learn during these struggles that it is worth your while fighting. But you also find out who’s on your side, and, most importantly, you get to know the enemy.” This is a very practical way of saying we have to create class-consciousness among young people—one of the essential elements of counteracting the present offensive of capitalism.
     The “turning point” also played a role in the debates and reports about the further development of the organisational structure of the SDAJ. The organisation (this was common consensus at the congress) is still too small to make a nationwide impact: several dozen branches aren’t enough in a big country like Germany. “This is the beginning of a long way: we must develop further, learn from the experiences of the struggles,” said Michael Grüss.
     Heinz Stehr, national chairperson of the DKP, assured the delegates of the support of communists and their party, and Thomas Willms, national secretary of the association of anti-fascists (VVN/BdA) thanked the SDAJ for its active involvement in the struggle to ban the fascist party NPD. Kai Lamparter of the trade union Verdi (comparable to NIPSA here) welcomed the struggle of the young communists, especially their demand for a law to make proper apprenticeship binding. He said: “The Verdi youth is very interested in working with you to achieve this.”
     Representatives of the embassies of the Socialist Republic of Cuba and of Venezuela brought greetings, and so did the World Federation of Democratic Youth. The communist youth movements of both Portugal and Greece sent representatives, who brought greetings and their experiences to the congress.
     The Greek communist youth movement, KNE, is now the largest political youth organisation in the country. The SDAJ is still a long way from that, but the determination and the upbeat spirit of their congress showed in an impressive manner that they are on the right track.

SDAJ looking forward to meeting CYM

The SDAJ is looking forward to meeting members of the Connolly Youth Movement at the UZ Festival in Dortmund this coming June. The twenty-strong Irish contingent travelling there will be made up mostly of young people, some of them members of the CYM.
Tobi Nieman of the SDAJ tells us: “We want a meeting of solidarity, and we want to exchange our experiences. The festival will be a good chance to do that. There will be other communist youth organisations keen to find out about your struggle.”

Home page > Publications > Unity > 2007 > Getting to know the enemy

Baile > Foilseacháin > Unity > 2007 > Getting to know the enemy