Fabrizio da Silva | Communist Youth Federation (Italy)
Dear comrades, in this time of great turmoil, I am proud to greet, on behalf of Federazione della Gioventù Comunista, so many youth organizations that aim to defeat what we see as the greatest disaster of our century: imperialism.
First of all, I want to apologize for our absence during the first part of this meeting, but I’m confident that in the coming days we will catch up through meaningful and productive discussions. Today, due to the huge efforts of financial capital to maintain its position of power, we, as anti-imperialist youth, are facing more and more challenges. That’s why it’s important to talk together and build strategies that can really help us carry out our struggle in the best way possible. In Italy, any organisation that wants to fight against the brutality of imperialism is blocked by constant propaganda. This propaganda is complex, spread across many levels, and it not only strengthens our enemies but also works to divide us. As a result, society shows us many problems, except the ones that truly matter: the contradiction between capital and labor, and the contradiction between imperialist countries and the countries fighting for their sovereignty. We hear about conflicts between young people and retired pensioners, between immigrants and local workers, between small business owners and wage workers, but what is always missing is the only real fight that can free people from their chains: the class struggle.
When international issues are discussed, the truth is turned upside down. The peoples who once defeated Nazism and fascism are now accused of being fascists themselves, while those who still today honor their links to Hitler’s collaborators are shown as freedom fighters. The space we had won in the past, in schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods, has slowly been taken away, by a so-called left that is fully aligned with the capitalist system.
In this difficult situation, the role of youth organizations becomes even more important. We need to bring together everyone who starts to see the contradictions in the system, but who has not yet been shaped by the ideology of the ruling class. To do that, it is essential to involve and speak to the youth. We must immerse ourselves in each particular reality, study its contradictions carefully, and give answers based on real, concrete analysis. Doing this, by trying out and developing new ways to carry on our struggle, we can have a real chance to make a difference in European history.
