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Young Left (Sweden)
Encyclopedia
Young Left is the youth organization of the Swedish
Left Party
.
, with influences from environmentalism
, the peace movement
and the feminist movement
. Young Left work for a communist (i.e. a classless) society, free from oppression, on the basis of marxist
and feminist
theories. The organization has had various names and political alignments over the years but is continuously characterized by the issues that have been at the centre of its history, such as antifascism, antimilitarism
and internationalism
.
Young Left was founded in 1903 as Socialdemokratiska Ungdomsförbundet (SDUF, Social Democratic Youth League). However, the youth league has clearly attached itself to the left-wing within the Social Democratic Party. At the outbreak of the First World War, the tensions within the party aggravated. In May 1917, the youth league together with the left-wing faction within the party took the initiative to form a new party, Sverges Socialdemokratiska Vänsterparti (Social Democratic Left Party of Sweden). SDUF became the youth wing of the new party. SSV joined the Communist International in 1919 and was renamed to Sveriges Kommunistiska Parti (Communist Party of Sweden). Following that, SDUF was renamed to Sveriges Kommunistiska Ungdomförbund (Young Communist League of Sweden) and became the Swedish section of the Communist Youth International.
In 1952, Democratic Youth was founded on the initiative of the party, in order to be a broader youth movement. Until 1958, SKU and DU existed as parallel organizations. In 1958, the two organizations merged and took the name DU.
In 1967, ultra-left elements took over the organization and broke away to form Marxist-Leninistiska Kampförbundet (Marxist-Leninist Struggle League). Reconstruction work started rapidly. In 1970, the organization was re-baptized as Kommunistisk Ungdom (Communist Youth). By 1973, there was a national organization in function and, by 1975, an ordinary congress was held.
Young Left have published the Youth Magazine Röd Press since 1982, when Young Left lost the rights of its magazine Stormklockan to the maoist MLK in a trial.
In Sweden, Young Left was one of the many forces behind the large February 15, 2003 anti-war protest
.
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....
Left Party
Left Party (Sweden)
The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations...
.
Ideology
It is an organization that organizes the youth of today to fight for socialist and feminist social change. Young Left is a youth organization developed out of the labour movementLabour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
, with influences from environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, the peace movement
Peace movement
A peace movement is a social movement that seeks to achieve ideals such as the ending of a particular war , minimize inter-human violence in a particular place or type of situation, often linked to the goal of achieving world peace...
and the feminist movement
Feminist movement
The feminist movement refers to a series of campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment and sexual violence...
. Young Left work for a communist (i.e. a classless) society, free from oppression, on the basis of marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
and feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
theories. The organization has had various names and political alignments over the years but is continuously characterized by the issues that have been at the centre of its history, such as antifascism, antimilitarism
Antimilitarism
Antimilitarism is a doctrine commonly found in the anarchist and, more globally, in the socialist movement, which may both be characterized as internationalist movements. It relies heavily on a critical theory of nationalism and imperialism, and was an explicit goal of the First and Second...
and internationalism
Internationalism (politics)
Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation among nations for the theoretical benefit of all...
.
Organization
Young Left work together with and support the Left Party and Vänsterns Studentförbund in their struggle for socialism, but makes on the basis of its own analyses independent decisions regarding organizational and political issues.History
In 1952, Democratic Youth was founded on the initiative of the party, in order to be a broader youth movement. Until 1958, SKU and DU existed as parallel organizations. In 1958, the two organizations merged and took the name DU.
In 1967, ultra-left elements took over the organization and broke away to form Marxist-Leninistiska Kampförbundet (Marxist-Leninist Struggle League). Reconstruction work started rapidly. In 1970, the organization was re-baptized as Kommunistisk Ungdom (Communist Youth). By 1973, there was a national organization in function and, by 1975, an ordinary congress was held.
Young Left have published the Youth Magazine Röd Press since 1982, when Young Left lost the rights of its magazine Stormklockan to the maoist MLK in a trial.
In Sweden, Young Left was one of the many forces behind the large February 15, 2003 anti-war protest
February 15, 2003 anti-war protest
The February 15, 2003 anti-war protest was a coordinated day of protests across the world expressing opposition to the then-imminent Iraq War. It was part of a series of protests and political events that had begun in 2002 and continued as the war took place....
.
Chairpersons
- 2011- Stefan Lindborg (Since June 5)
- 2005-2011 Ida Gabrielsson
- 2004-2005 Tove FraurudTove FraurudTove Fraurud is a Swedish politician with the Left Party and was the chairman of Young Left , its youth wing, 2004–2005....
- 2001-2004 Ali EsbatiAli EsbatiAli Esbati is a Swedish politician and economist, and was the chairman of Young Left 2001-2004. As of today he is a handling officer of labour market policies at the Left Party's office of the Riksdag and the chairman of the Left Party's program commission...
- 1996-2001 Jenny Lindahl Persson
- 1993-1996 Jenny Jederlund
- 1989-1993 Magnus Blomgren
- 1980-1989 Stellan Hermansson
- 1975-1980 Lars JohanssonLars JohanssonLars Johansson may refer to:* Lars Johansson , also known as Lucidor, Swedish baroque poet* Lars Johansson , member of the Riksdag* Lars Johansson , lead guitarist of Swedish doom metal band Candlemass...
- 1973-1975 Bengt Karlsson
- 1970-1973 Spokespersons: Bengt Karlsson, Urban Herlitz
- 1967-1970 Anders Carlberg
- 1964-1967 Kjell E Johansson
- 1962-1964 Rolf Hagel
- 1957-1962 Rolf Utberg (DU)
- 1951-1958 Urban Karlsson (SKU)
- 19??-1951 Axel JanssonAxel JanssonCarl Axel Jansson was a Swedish sport shooter who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.In 1908 he won the silver medal in the team free rifle event....
- ?
- 1935-1939 Filip ForsbergFilip ForsbergFilip Forsberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for Leksands IF in the Allsvenskan. Forsberg was selected by HC Sibir Novosibirsk in the 2nd round of the KHL Junior Draft....
- ?
- 1921-1924 Nils FlygNils FlygNils Svante Flyg was a Swedish Communist politician who turned pro-Nazi during World War II.Nils Flyg was born and raised in Södermalm, a working-class area of Stockholm. Early on he joined the Swedish Social Democratic Party's youth organization, the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League...
- 191?-1921 Zeth HöglundZeth HöglundCarl Zeth "Zäta" Konstantin Höglund was a leading Swedish communist politician, anti-militarist, author, journalist and mayor of Stockholm ....
- 1908-1909 Per Albin HanssonPer Albin HanssonPer Albin Hansson , was a Swedish politician, chairman of the Social Democrats from 1925 and two-time Prime Minister in four governments between 1932 and 1946, governing all that period save for a short-lived crisis in the summer of 1936, which he ended by forming a coalition government with his...
- 190?-190? Fabian MånssonFabian MånssonKarl Fabian Månsson was a Swedish Socialist politician. In his youth, Månsson used the pseudonym Dacke, a name he borrowed from the 16th century peasant rebel Nils Dacke....
- 1903-
Name changes
- 1903 Sveriges Socialdemokratiska Ungdomsförbund (SDUF, Social Democratic Youth League of Sweden)
- 1921 Sveriges Kommunistiska Ungdomsförbund (SKU, Young Communist League of Sweden)
- 1958 Demokratisk Ungdom (DU, Democratic Youth)
- 1967 Vänsterns Ungdomsförbund (VUF, Youth League of the Left)
- 1970 Kommunistisk Ungdom (KU, Communist Youth)
- 1991 Ung Vänster (Young Left)