Communist youth of Austria
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| Basic data | |
| Establishment date: | May 10, 1970 |
| Alignment: |
communist marxist-leninist |
| International connections: | World Federation of Democratic Youth |
| European connections: | MECYO |
| Website: | www.kjoe.at |
The Communist Youth of Austria ( KJÖ ) is an Austrian communist youth organization. It was associated with the KPÖ for a long time , but since 2005 has increasingly distanced itself from it and moved closer to the Labor Party and the KPÖ Styria.
History of the KJÖ
1918-1945
The KJÖ follows the tradition of the Austrian Communist Youth Association (KJV) , which was founded on November 8, 1918.
The KJV developed a lively activity in youth work, and youth delegations visited the Soviet Union several times . At the beginning of the thirties, the persecution by state authorities intensified, which is why the KJV could only continue to exist in semi-legal to illegal conditions. The fight against fascism formed the center of activities. Not infrequently there were clashes with SA units. When Dollfuss came to power in 1934 , the KJV grew into the most important anti-fascist youth movement.
The solidarity movement with the young Spanish Republic must also be mentioned in this context . The KJV organized solidarity campaigns such as the donation campaign of the Meidlinger KJV under the motto “An MG for Spain”. 250 KJV members joined the International Brigades .
After National Socialism came to power in Austria, the conditions for the KJV tightened again. Waves of arrests , executions and concentration camps could not prevent young communists from taking up the fight against fascism even under these circumstances . There were lubricating actions carried out and distributed leaflets, which the futility of war should demonstrate and for a free, independent Austria entered. Furthermore, "corrosive" letters were sent en masse to soldiers at the front and attempts were made to infiltrate the Hitler Youth . Many joined the partisan groups , but they did not reach the size and importance of those in Yugoslavia or Greece .
Others emigrated and founded the youth association Young Austria in Great Britain .
1945-1970
In 1945 the " Free Austrian Youth " (FÖJ) was founded, to which communists , socialists and Catholics belonged. The aim of the FÖJ was to build a democratic and free Austria beyond ideological borders . The FÖJ played an important role in the October strike in 1950 .
Since 1970
At the end of 1968 a majority in the FÖJ protested against the KPÖ's change of course to regard the crackdown on the Prague Spring as justified. In the course of 1969 there was therefore an increasing alienation between the KPÖ and FÖJ. As a result, the Communist Youth of Austria was founded on May 10, 1970 under the motto “The Future - Socialism”.
In the 1970s, the KJÖ was particularly active in the Chile solidarity movement when the left Popular Front government was bloodily crushed by a CIA-supported military coup ( see also: History of Chile ). Commitment to the interests of young people in companies and vocational schools as well as activities in the peace movement also played an important role . The collapse of the socialist states in Central and Eastern Europe has undoubtedly led to a crisis in the KJÖ. The name of the association was expanded to “KJÖ-Junge Linke” in order to pursue the goal of rebuilding an influential left youth movement in cooperation with young people with a wide variety of political approaches. In recent years, the KJÖ has been active in the movements against the formation of the black and blue government and against the Iraq war. In addition, the KJÖ is involved in the fight against neo-Nazi activities and social cuts. In Braunau am Inn , immediately before Hitler's birthday , the KJÖ organized a large anti-fascist demonstration supported by Mayor Gerhard Skiba and the Green MP Karl Öllinger .
In 2008, the addition "Young Left" was unanimously removed from the club name at the federal congress
structure
The KJÖ is organized according to the principles of democratic centralism .
The KJÖ members are required to organize themselves in local groups and hold group meetings.
The highest body of the KJÖ is the federal congress , which meets at least every two years and where all members are entitled to vote. The Federal Congress elects the federal leadership that is responsible for the practical and organizational implementation of the resolutions. Group representation meetings take place between the federal congresses , at which 2 delegates per group are entitled to vote. The group representation meeting can convene the federal congress and much more.
Other organs are the federal plenary (corresponds to the federal congress, with the difference that no elections are held at the federal plenary), financial control and, depending on the expediency, federal state structures .
The KJÖ is the only Austrian organization to be a member of the World Federation of Democratic Youth ( WBDJ ).
Political orientation (self-portrayal)
On the basis of the Marxist-Leninist analysis and worldview, the KJÖ aims to develop an activity directed for the rights of youth and against exploitation, sexism , racism , militarism and environmental destruction and to combine this with a perspective that overcomes capitalism , with the breaking of the predominance of the Capital through the socialization of the decisive means of production , socialism .
Relationship to the KPÖ
For a long time, the KJÖ was the youth organization of the KPÖ . After the 33rd party congress of the KPÖ in 2004 and the subsequent factual split of the KPÖ, the KJÖ no longer sees itself as a preliminary organization of the Federal KPÖ, but as a separate and independent communist youth organization.
Today the KJÖ maintains good and friendly contacts with the Communist Student Association (KSV), the KPÖ Styria and in the other federal states with the Party of Labor Austria (PdA). In the 2008 state elections in Tyrol, the KPÖ and KJÖ ran an alliance candidacy with which the best result of a communist list since 1956 could be achieved.
activities
In addition to daily work such as rallies, film screenings, workshops, solidarity campaigns, there are recurring events and trips abroad every year:
Fall seminar
The autumn seminar of the KJÖ is mainly used for political training and discussion. Workshops are organized and numerous personalities are invited to give lectures. There is also a relaxing leisure program, e.g. B. Workers' songs and campfires.
Berlin trip and Rosa Luxemburg conference
A joint trip to Berlin for the Rosa Luxemburg Conference and the Liebknecht Luxemburg Demonstration has been organized for several years . There you take part in workshops and discussions, exchange experiences with other participants and are looked after by the German sister organization SDAJ .
Kick against the right
The football tournament "Kicken gegen Rechts" (Kicking Against Right) takes place at regular intervals in the Augarten of the city of Graz , where several teams of 5 players each play for a prize on small fields for solidarity and diversity.
Protest song contest
Since 2010 the KJÖ has been organizing the protest song contest in Graz , in which bands of all genres compete with political songs for the favor of the jury and the audience.
World Festival of Youth and Students
As a member organization of the World Federation of Democratic Youth , the KJÖ always takes part in the World Festival of Youth and Students with a delegation .
See also
- Communist Student Union
- Party of Labor of Austria
- Communist Party of Austria
- World Federation of Democratic Youth
literature
- Contributions to the history of the communist youth movement in Austria. Historical commission at the Central Committee of the KPÖ, Vienna 1981
- Sonja Frank (Ed.): Young Austria. Austrians in British exile 1938 to 1947. For a free, democratic and independent Austria . 2., ext. Ed., With DVD. Verlag der Theodor Kramer Gesellschaft , Vienna 2014, ISBN 978-3-901602-55-9 (English version: Young Austria. Austrians in britisch exile 1938 - 1947. For a free, democratic and independent Austria. Ibid. 2015)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Autumn seminar 2018 . In: Communist Youth of Austria (KJÖ) . ( kjoe.at [accessed on August 14, 2018]).
- ↑ On to Berlin - The 22nd Berlin drive from KJÖ and KSV . In: Communist Youth of Austria (KJÖ) . ( kjoe.at [accessed on August 14, 2018]).
- ↑ Kick Against Right 2016 . In: Communist Youth of Austria (KJÖ) . ( kjoe.at [accessed on August 14, 2018]).
- ↑ 6th Graz protest song contest . In: Communist Youth of Austria (KJÖ) . ( kjoe.at [accessed on August 14, 2018]).
- ↑ International solidarity and capitalist performance show . In: Communist Youth of Austria (KJÖ) . ( kjoe.at [accessed on August 14, 2018]).