BY SARAH PEART

GLASGOW — Fifty delegates attended the founding conference of the Scottish Socialist Party's youth network, Scottish Socialist Youth, on February 9.

A central campaign for the SSY will be a campaign to legalise cannabis. Two very successful demonstrations have already been organised in Glasgow and Edinburgh by the SSP calling for a radical overhaul of Scotland's drug laws. The SSY conference decided to organise a national day of action later this year.

The other main campaign priority for the SSY is the struggle against war and racism.

One of the key discussions was around the draft proposal for a charter of young people's rights. In workshops, conference participants discussed the key elements of the youth charter, including ideas to distribute it among young people across Scotland.

The conference also voted on a national membership structure and discussed the ways in which they will relate to the SSP. It was decided that young people will not have to be members of the SSP in order to join the SSY, however they will be encouraged to join the party as well. A web site for the SSY will soon be launched.

The conference heard international greetings from the Australian socialist youth organisation, Resistance.

One of the youngest conference participants, Leah Ganlay, from the Sutherland/Invergordon SSP branch told Green Left Weekly: “Our voice is often overshadowed by the more experienced activists, so having our own organisation gives us the chance to build up our confidence. The SSY will also show the public that we are a fresh and vibrant party which is in touch with young people in Scotland.”

Keef Tomkinson, newly elected national organiser of Scottish Socialist Youth, commented on the conference: “In my mind the conference was a success because of the confident participation of the young activists. Contrary to what the mainstream press makes out, young people are not immature, naive brats but people who are capable of finding solutions for problems in their towns, cities and countries across the world.”

From Green Left Weekly, February 27, 2002.
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