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Dynamic Magazine
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The quarterly magazine of the YCL
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YCL 8th National Convention May 2006
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Our Future, Our Fight: Youth Beat Back the Ultra-Right!
Young Communist League, USA
Eighth National Convention
May 27-29, 2006 * New York City
Our Future, Our Fight: Youth Beat Back the Ultra-Right
On Memorial Day Weekend members of the Young Communist League, USA refused to sit back while ultra-right attempts to destroy our future by holding our 8th National Convention in Brooklyn, New York. During the weekend, over 250 delegates and guests from Oakland, Chicago, Maine, Providence, Florida, St. Louis, New York and many other communities came together to celebrate the successes of the YCL in the last 4 years and to plan how to move the YCL forward in the struggle for peace, jobs and education for young people.
Convention highlights include:
Convention-goers attended “War and Peace”, an art exhibit and hip-hop performance co-sponsored by Dynamic Magazine, World Up and Upper Playground
Convention-goers demonstrated outside of a Brooklyn military recruitment center demanding money for schools, jobs and not for war
Convention adopted a national Action Plan, a document that provides a foundation for our work over the next 4 years
Convention approved resolutions covering our approach to the struggle of immigrants, the struggle for peace, and aid to survivors of Hurricane Katrina
Convention elected of new National Council and National Coordinator, Erica Smiley
The convention opened with a rousing speech from out-going National Coordinator Jessica Marshall, setting the tone for the rest of the weekend by noting “This country needs a radical youth organization, a strong and vibrant multi-racial organization. The YCL knows that unity is not a secondary vision. We are not victims, we are fighters!” Also addressing the convention were Congressman Major Owens (D-NY) who welcomed us to Brooklyn “on behalf of all the progressive forces of the nation and world”, Jarvis Tyner, executive Vice Chair of the Communist Party USA who reminded us that “Tomorrow is Yours”, and international guests from the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), YCL of Canada, YCL of Greece, YCL of Israel and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) of El Salvador.
Throughout the weekend YCL members and guests participated in workshops on topics ranging from issues such as “Youth and the Poverty Draft”, skills-building sessions on how to get involved in the upcoming elections to ideological workshops highlighting the YCL’s approach to fighting racism, the struggle women’s equality and the fight for democracy.
As we all return home, pumped from the Convention and ready to hit the streets in the upcoming elections, we invite you to join us in the fight for the rights of young people and for a better future for all youth. You can do this in many ways, signing up for the upcoming YCL School where you can dive deeper into the many ideological questions raised at the convention, you can participate in our elections work, and be a part of implementing our Action Plan in so many ways.
But before you do anything, consider joining the YCLUSA.
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Upcoming Events
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2008 Elections
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Check back soon for more information!
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In July of 2007, members of the Young Communist League-USA (YCL-USA) joined 58 other Americans on the 38th Venceremos Brigade to Cuba. The Venceremos ("We Shall Overcome") Brigade was founded in 1969 by a coalition of young people as a means of showing solidarity with the Cuban Revolution by working side by side with Cuban workers and challenging U.S. policies towards Cuba, including the economic blockade and our government’s ban on travel to the island.
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Photo by Ken Besaw
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A look at sexual identity and gender in today's sports world.
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When it comes to the future of hip-hop some of us may be concerned. This year has been scarce in albums to be excited about. The hip-hop community is confused. The hype around the ATL has died out. The west coast got us excited about getting Hyphe for a minute. New York City has Nas’s last effort to be proud about, but not too much after that. In addition, everything else is nothing but radio singles whose hype does not transfer to the full LP.
But what’s going on in the Midwest?
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Illustration by Brandon Slattery
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The name Harvey Milk will invoke a raised eyebrow from most people, activists and progressives included.
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Are Marxists really against "globalization"? What does this now commonplace term refer to anyways? The answers may not be what you expected.
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Cover Art: "Partition" by Jackie Salloum
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More Dynamic Magazine
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Download and use the new YCL Immigrant Rights club educational.
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Download the new Environmental Justice club educational to use at your next club meeting.
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Americans Against the Escalation in Iraq is launching a summer project aimed at organizing voters in key Republican House and Senate Districts. You can earn money while helping to end the war in Iraq! Check out the article for job description and information. You must get your in application by June 7th!
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In 1969 a coalition of young people started the “Venceremos Brigade” to show solidarity with the Cuban Revolution. The Brigade brought people from the U.S. to Cuba to work side-by-side with Cuban workers and, most importantly, to challenge U.S. policies towards Cuba that included an economic blockade and a ban on travel to the island. The Brigade provided people from the United States with the chance to see Cuba for themselves and consequently challenged U.S. government lies about Cuba.
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During the 1950s, in much of this country, African Americans were not allowed to go to the same schools, or even share the same bathrooms as whites.
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It seems impossible to overstate just how important the Nov. 7, 2006, election results are. The ultra-right, which had been steadily gaining strength since at least 1980 and had, in recent years, maintained one-party control over all three branches of government, has finally been dealt a damaging blow, or, as President Bush put it, a “thumping.”
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New Issue of Dynamic Is Out!
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Photo by Dylan Maddux
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Read the New Issue of Dynamic Magazine! Get the latest on the fight for peace, jobs and education. With an exclusive article by George Raphela on the YCL of South Africa's solidarity with the youth of Burma. Click here to find the new issue.
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More and more, there is a growing consciousness in our society about eating healthy. Everyone, we are told, should just do it. But while those in wealthy communities are able to choose between organic and non-organic food at their local food co-operative, working people have to choose between spending money on healthy, fresh and nutritious food or making rent. It’s cheap to eat unhealthy.
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During the past few months the whole world stood on edge watching helplessly as the situation between Israel and Lebanon broke down into a bloodbath. This “July War” has further polarized an already bitter and divisive international discourse on the Middle East conundrum.
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If the melting ice caps of Siberia didn’t remind everyone of the impact of global warming, the heat wave that struck the country this summer certainly did. It has been reported that 225 people died in the United States during the 2006 heat wave—and that number is surely understated. Like in most heat waves, those who suffered most were poor with little to no access to air conditioning. More interesting was the average age of those who died: It was unexpectedly low in many areas. But this isn’t new. It is simply the latest in a mounting environmental crisis that is grabbing the attention of all generations.
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Photo By Dylan Maddux
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Peace, Jobs and Education
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Photo by Greg Wilson
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Race, Culture, and Identity Today
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Art by Zach Johnsen
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More Dynamic Magazine
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March 19th marked the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Across the country and on campuses nationwide, youth and students joined with thousands of other Americans to protest to demand an end to the war in Iraq and to bring our troops home.
This year’s anniversary marked a huge turning point for the U.S. peace movement. With the election November’s election victory and the historic march called by the nation’s main peace coalition, United for Peace and Justice, which drew roughly 500,000 people on January 27th, the peace movement is poised to make huge gains in ending the war.
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