By Duncan Chapel With our own brand of beer, our own currency and state power for one week in a Swedish forest, the Fourth international's July youth camp was a massive success.
More than 800 young rebels from 15 countries came together to debate the way forward for revolutionary youth.
Now in its tenth year, the camp marked a new stage of success - it was the youngest camp and the most politically Ivete average age of the 200 Swedish Young Socialists, for instance, was just over 17. Only a minority were already memTo even out the different values of European currencies, we produced our own money - the Peng. The less rich the country you came from, the more Peng meant that young people from Eastern and Southern Europe ude. could buy things at the camp more cheaply.
As well as our own food, Revolution beer and Cuba Cola were made for camp - sold at s special bars run together by all the different national delegations - during our own licensing hours To keep the fun going, there were discos every night, a concert with two popular Swedish rock bands and a lesbian and gay night with a French rapper, a wild Portuguese group and lots of fun party games.
Even Jan Hammerfund, the Scandinavian Billy Bragg. dropped by to do a gig in English, French, Castilian and Swedish.
With so many people at the your camp for weir wist brie the political programme improved too. Ideas were explained more clearly art vividly than before, and our political tasks outlined more sharply.
Speaking at the final rally Claude Gabriel, from the United Secretariat of the Fourth International, explained that a new political generation is arising in Europe. We have to be the most subversive, the most intransigent, uncorrupted by the capitalist system' explained the French 'The most subversive, the most intransigent, uncorrupted by capitalism' The unique feature of the camp is its democracy. The camp is run by representatives from every delegation and, because the cleaning, cooking and other work is shared between the campers, it means everyone has an incentive to make sure problems get sorted out quickly!
WORLD NEWS All in all, the camp is a unique and fantastic experience. Next summer the camp will be a lot closer to Britain - and cheaper to To put your name down for a brochure for next year's camp. write to Liberation now! PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 48, September 1993, Page 8