Swedish Anarcho-syndicalist Youth Federation
Encyclopedia
Swedish Anarcho-syndicalist Youth Federation, (Syndikalistiska Ungdomsförbundet) (SUF) is a youth-based group in Sweden
that supports anarcho-syndicalism
.
It was founded in 1993, and has some of its roots in the young militant autonomous movement that began to grow throughout Scandinavia
in the early 1990s
.
Inspiration also came from the anarcho-syndicalist
trade union Central Organisation of the Workers of Sweden
. From just three groups in 1993 it grew rapidly and today it is a nation-wide federation made up of around 25 local groups throughout the entire country, and several committees active within the federation. They publish a magazine called Direkt Aktion and a monthly internal paper called Storm.
SUF is, in contrast to its anarcho-syndicalist beliefs, not a union
. Their idea of anarcho-syndicalism expands beyond the daily labour union activity, and claims that in a global community where capitalist
relations have expanded into all parts of society, a broader movement and a broader definition of class struggle
is needed. Thus, they believe it is necessary to confront capitalism not only in workplaces, but also in schools, universities, local communities, etc.
campaign initiated by SUF on August 24, 2004 and ended February 1, 2005. It claimed to be different from other anti-racist campaigns in that it also took in account factors such as social class
.
Toppkandidaterna, Petter Nilsson, donated part of his prize to SUF for financing part of the campaign, which was heavily criticized when fractions of the party later attacked and vandalized offices of the Centre Party
and to a lesser extent offices of the Christian Democrats
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
that supports anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. The word syndicalism comes from the French word syndicat which means trade union , from the Latin word syndicus which in turn comes from the Greek word σύνδικος which means caretaker of an issue...
.
It was founded in 1993, and has some of its roots in the young militant autonomous movement that began to grow throughout Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
in the early 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
.
Inspiration also came from the anarcho-syndicalist
Anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. The word syndicalism comes from the French word syndicat which means trade union , from the Latin word syndicus which in turn comes from the Greek word σύνδικος which means caretaker of an issue...
trade union Central Organisation of the Workers of Sweden
Central Organisation of the Workers of Sweden
Central Organisation of the Workers of Sweden is an anarcho-syndicalist trade union federation in Sweden. Unlike other Swedish unions, SAC organizes people from all occupations, including the unemployed, students, and the retired...
. From just three groups in 1993 it grew rapidly and today it is a nation-wide federation made up of around 25 local groups throughout the entire country, and several committees active within the federation. They publish a magazine called Direkt Aktion and a monthly internal paper called Storm.
SUF is, in contrast to its anarcho-syndicalist beliefs, not a union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. Their idea of anarcho-syndicalism expands beyond the daily labour union activity, and claims that in a global community where capitalist
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
relations have expanded into all parts of society, a broader movement and a broader definition of class struggle
Class struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
is needed. Thus, they believe it is necessary to confront capitalism not only in workplaces, but also in schools, universities, local communities, etc.
Planka.nu
The network Planka.nu (Fare-dodge.now) was initially initiated as a campaign by SUF in 2001. The campaign (and later independent initiative) dealt with public transportation, seeking a shift from soaring prices to a tax-financed model. The campaign got a lot of attention because of the unorthodox methods; Planka.nu encourage people to fare-dodge in the public transport and organizes an insurance fund, p-kassan, that pays the fines of its members it they get caught fare-dodging.Nu jävlar är det nog
Nu jävlar är det nog (It's enough now, damnit), was a nation-wide anti-racistAnti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...
campaign initiated by SUF on August 24, 2004 and ended February 1, 2005. It claimed to be different from other anti-racist campaigns in that it also took in account factors such as social class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
.
Klasskampen tar inte semester
Klasskampen tar inte semester (The class struggle doesn't go on vacation), was SUF's nation-wide campaign about summer jobs. It lasted for five months, from May 1 to October 1, 2005. It was criticized for allegedly encouraging people to commit illegal acts.Osynliga Partiet
The nationwide campaign Osynliga partiet (the Invisible Party) was partly initiated by SUF. The campaign first received media attention when winner of the political reality showReality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
Toppkandidaterna, Petter Nilsson, donated part of his prize to SUF for financing part of the campaign, which was heavily criticized when fractions of the party later attacked and vandalized offices of the Centre Party
Centre Party (Sweden)
The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social...
and to a lesser extent offices of the Christian Democrats
Christian Democrats (Sweden)
The Christian Democrats ) is a political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on the Christian Democrats' own accord in 1991. The leader since April 3, 2004 is Göran Hägglund. He succeeded Alf...
.
See also
- Central Organisation of the Workers of SwedenCentral Organisation of the Workers of SwedenCentral Organisation of the Workers of Sweden is an anarcho-syndicalist trade union federation in Sweden. Unlike other Swedish unions, SAC organizes people from all occupations, including the unemployed, students, and the retired...
, Sveriges Arbetares Centralorganisation - Invisible PartyInvisible PartyThe Invisible Party was a Swedish conceptual anti-capitalist media campaign masquerading as an "organization" with the purpose of connecting all anti-capitalist action, however small or without actual realization, to an "invisible" political party.Although it called itself a party, it did not have...
, Osynliga Partiet - a campaign initiated by SUF