What do young people need today - and how can they fight for it?

Last summer, massive, young, working-class protests exploded around the world after the murder of George Floyd, and other appalling incidents of racism and police violence. But it's not just these issues that angered young people.

In the US, Britain and around the world, the youth are suffering appalling conditions, and a future of crisis and uncertainty. But young people have also fought. In electoral movements - through support for figures like Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders. And on the streets - in the global climate strikes, and last year’s huge, young and working-class uprisings under the slogan of ‘Black Lives Matter’.

Even before the pandemic, wages were low, jobs insecure, housing and education unaffordable - and tomorrow promised nothing but economic and social turmoil, and even climate catastrophe. In 2020, the pandemic multiplied all these problems, as the capitalists and their politicians dumped the burden disproportionately on the working class and youth. Young people on the streets were angry about racism, but they were also angry about all of it.

How can young people fight to change things? And what would a socialist programme offer young people in that struggle? 

This episode of Socialism, one of our highlights of 2020, looks at how young people can fight back: a socialist youth charter.

Further reading and listening

• Refund the rent, cancel the fees, and fight for fully funded, publicly owned education: https://socialiststudents.org.uk/2021/01/05/refund-the-rent-cancel-the-fees-and-fight-for-fully-funded-publicly-owned-education/
• Socialism 91. Universities in crisis: https://soundcloud.com/socialismpodcast/91-universities-in-crisis
• A socialist charter for young people: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/txt/555.pdf