It was a great honor to be chosen to go to India and I wish to thank every one who made this possible. It was wonderful to participate in the WSF and to understand more about how the world functions. Internationally, we face the same enemy, namely, capitalism. In India we learnt and experienced the difficulties and sufferings of the people of India. Many people live in very bad conditions and many sleep on the streets. Attending the WSF Youth Camp was a very challenging experience for me. I delivered presentations and offered interviews to people from different parts of the world. What was interesting to witness was the solidarity of a shared vision on the need to build an alternative society. This was reflected in the dominant slogan that shaped the WSF, “Another world is possible!”
The youth camp discussed various issues that impact negatively on the youth. The capitalist system impacts negatively and similarly in all societies regardless of where one is based in the world. The All Indian Student Federation, which is in the forefront of many youth struggles, highlighted problems that we also experience as South African youth. There were many common issues that shaped the discussions in the different seminars. The common issues discussed included the crisis in education, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and unemployment. What also attracted my attention was the similarity between India and South Africa with regard to the level of state repression. On our second day in Mumbai, the Student’s Federation organised a march to highlight the problems youth experience, but the state police prevented the march from taking place. This is becoming common in South African politics, the suppression of views and the lack of freedom of expression from the working class. My presentation encompassed various struggles waged by the South African youth, such as education struggles, campaigns, and alternative survival projects. People were interested in the level of militancy within the youth of South Africa.
Conclusion
It is clear that it is time for the youth to intensify their struggles for the benefit of the coming generation. It is crucial for us to build and strengthen solidarity amongst the youth and the working class in general, so that we can effectively challenge capitalism. The discussions in Mumbai emphasised that socialism is the answer for our people, for the working class.
*Samuel Malindi is an activist in the social movements and youth movements in the vaal.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.