The Activist

Picture Gallery from the Retreat

The 2008 Socialist Summer Retreat held between August 8th and 10th in Wurtsboro, New York exemplified the resounding success of the work YDS and its activists have done over the past two years. Forty-five youth and students participated from places as far away as Colorado, Nevada, and Texas, including delegations of five or more from William Paterson University (NJ), College of Wooster (Ohio), and Brown University (Rhode Island). National chapter growth has resulted in an increasingly diverse YDS; this was reflected in the higher-than-usual number of people of color and working-class young people in attendance. The new seriousness of YDS members was indicated by the fact that despite the retreat site being far from any major city (with subsequent higher registration fees), this was the largest attendance at a summer conference in nearly six years!

The gathering began Friday night in the main hall with a roll call of the eight chapters in attendance. The conference then watched the documentary film Made in L.A., about the struggle of three immigrant women to win basic labor protections from a mega-trendy clothing retailer in Los Angeles. The moving story about self-empowerment and labor activism set a strong tone for YDS to continue our work on immigrant rights. Afterwards, YDS friends – both new and old – gathered around the camp fire to roast marshmallows, play the guitar and drums, and sing songs.

Saturday was a full day of political and ideological workshops in addition to fun interactive plenaries (and tons of nonpolitical activities, too). We opened with an overview of the tenets of democratic socialism by Joseph Schwartz and Michele Rossi, followed by small group discussions which focused on questions that the YDS members had to answer for themselves. This is the beginning process of creating a new YDS cadre who can be tribunes of socialism for themselves and the organization.

The day saw a good number of workshops on topics ranging from the environment and the current rise of socialist activity in Latin America to our Activist Agenda (national priorities) of student and immigrant rights. Between excellent panels and internal education one would find YDSers playing sports like soccer and waffle ball, swimming, and just relaxing with one another. The chance to be friends as well as comrades made the weekend exceptional. The only way for our organization to move forward is if we have both political agreement and loyalty to one another. Both were fostered during the retreat.

The night ended with the plenary “‘YDS and Realities of the Hope’: The Obama v. McCain presidential campaign and building towards and after Election Day.” Sarah Lawrence professor, former DSA NPC member, and veteran activist Komozi Woodard reflected on previous work by radicals in elections. He stressed how young radicals could use elections as a vehicle for building ties with local communities to create change. Joseph Schwartz touched upon the need to not focus on candidates as individuals but as policy-makers. He reminded young students that absent an Obama presidency alongside a near filibuster-proof Democratic-controlled senate, serious labor law reform such as the Employee Free Choice Act, which could bring millions of new members into trade unions within a few years, is doubtful. Both Woodard and Schwartz stressed that political change is only as potent as the strength of the movements that hold elected officials accountable.

Sunday was filled with a mixture of workshops and annual voting on documents, positions, and volunteer leadership. Elections to the Coordinating Committee posts, which have been uncontested in the past five years, saw challenges for both the Feminist Issues Coordinator and At-Large seats. Today, the committee is one spot away from being half people of color and women, a welcome change from previous overwhelming male and white leaderships.

A healthy Activist Agenda debate narrowed YDS’s national priorities to only two. It added to our existing National Immigrant Rights Project two proposals: for chapter activism around DSA’s “Renegotiate NAFTA” petition, and amplifying our socialist solidarity with the Florida based Coalition of Immokalee Workers (representing migrant tomato pickers). We also voted to continue our education and anti-student debt activism, and added a new emphasis on K-12 in addition to our existing higher education work.

Debate on the constitutional amendment to change the name from Young Democratic Socialists, USA to Campus Democratic Socialists of America concluded with the group sentiment being towards building greater ties between DSA community locals and YDS, and possibly incorporating “Democratic Socialists of America” into our name in the near future. Nearly all members, however, felt that changinga to “Campus DSA” risked alienating non-students.

A new element of the conference was the emphasis on inclusive discourse about privilege and oppression. No group, no matter how progressive, is free from societal flaws. YDS made space for queer, people of color, women, working-class, and student caucuses. Each caucus addressed personal issues and how they feel YDS as a collective could address their concerns. In addition, artist Javier Cardona led conference participants to address their own privilege and oppression through honest artistic questions and theatrical dialogue. Students enjoyed the safe spaces provided by the caucuses, which allowed them to express their feelings in private, and everyone came away having learned more about themselves and their comrades from Cardona’s theatre.

YDS members know we have come a great way from when we barely had chapters, much less could put on national coordinated actions. YDS still has a good amount of work to do, but it’s readier than ever to do serious work with DSA and the student left. This fall, YDS will hit the ground both with our own Activist Agenda and with a readiness to bring a democratic socialist viewpoint about the Presidential election to the campuses. After November 4th we’ll be working with other progressives to challenge reactionary policies coming from corporate politicians and their right-wing base. Re-elected at-large Coordinating Committee member Andrew Porter has said “my goal is to see YDS in a major newspaper before the year is out.” The sky is the limit: let’s make it happen!