----- Original Message ----- From: SolidNet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, November 08, 2000 11:11 PM Subject: CP of Greece, Speech of N. Sofianos, Festival of KNE-Odigitis SolidNet The purpose of the Solid Net ( Solidarity Network ) is to inform on the activities as well as the ideological and political views of different Communist and Workers� Parties on National and International issues. All articles in the SolidNet are the responsibility of the authors and in no way commit this Web Site. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, http://www.solidnet.org =============================================================== CP of Greece, Speech of N. Sofianos, Festival of KNE-Odigitis --------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Communist Party of Greece, Tue, 07 Nov. 2000 http://www.kke.gr, E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ============================================================= Speech of Nikos Sofianos, secretary of the CC of KNE and of the CC of CPG, 26th Festival of KNE � Odigitis, Athens 22 Sept. 2000 We are welcoming you in the central manifestation of the Festival of the Communist Youth of Greece, this unique youth, political and cultural institution, which has been a breath of collectiveness and creativity for 26 years now. It is an expression of the attitude of thousands of young people for a live meeting with KNE, with the ideology and policy of the Communist Party (KKE). The report of the route of our Festival during the summer has been the hundreds of multiform and successful manifestations all over our country, which were massively embraced by the youth. The climax of the Festival in Athens is rendered, with your participation, to a major political-cultural organization, which does not need the lights of publicity and TV channels to be raised. The gratitude of our Festival is formed through a relationship of trust between KNE and KKE and the youth, through the daily presence of KNE and struggle of KNE within the youth, through the cultural quality we offer and through the dynamic our organization acquires in the youth movement. Nowadays, that individualism seems to be the prominent idea, that we are told to care only for ourselves, and profit and money are nominated as the prominent values of our society, the success of the Festival becomes the revenge of collectiveness, of solidarity. It becomes the reply of the organized struggle against compromise, against submission, projecting values and ideals that clash with the models constructed by our rotten system. This colorful town of our Festival, brimmed with young people of all ages, is a picture worthing as much as a thousand of words, showing the relation and the position of KKE within the youth, as well as its youthful face. A picture which is a reply towards the plans of the system and the myths of its propaganda towards our Party. We are sure that this crowd and its overtone is going to be the barometer of the radical spirit of the youth, an indicator of the struggling attitudes that are widened. This success is going to cause new struggles and positive processes within the youth movement, which are going to be expressed from now on. Retrogression times Our time obviously shows signs of retrogression in many aspects. Youth is one of the bigger victims of this capitalist crisis, this capitalist aggressiveness. The stalemates are becoming more and more, new obstacles are risen, uncertainty and insecurity are generalized. Submission to the powerful forces and to injustice are the principles and the values we are today taught, in this economy of a seemingly free market. Not only has not this circle of exploitation, of autarchy, of spiritual subjugation closed, but it constantly widens, affecting the peoples and the youth, dissolving any illusions, reminding its presence even to the unsuspected. Who remains unsceptical today, seeing this gap between the capacities of our time, where DNE is decoded and galaxies are studied, and the majority of the global population who is undernourished, the hundreds of millions of people who live in poverty, are illiterate, die of hunger and diseases? Who has not heard that only a handful of multinational enterprises infests the world wealth, fights for its markets, imposes the "new world order" though its governments in the name of the much-praised "globalization"? Our daily experience offers many examples revealing the implacable laws of capitalism, which show the nature and character of a society with exploitation. The successful symbolism by a British newspaper of the five Olympic rings, with the dollar sign, the names of the companies, pills, medals and Mac Donald�s is very characteristic of this society. The slogan of our Festival "singing and struggling for a society free of exploitation" is not random, not just symbolical. The contradiction between capital and labor, between the rich oligarchy and the world of work, is imperatively shown in front of everyone. The subversion of the capitalist barbarism by the socialist revolution, the struggle for a socialist future, are mot a chimera: they are the contemporary necessity in Greece, in Europe, in the whole of the world. What gives the impression of an utopia is becoming more and more mature through these contrasts and the rise of the struggle of all the peoples. The capabilities of rousement were shown in Seattle, in Washington, in Australia and these days in Prague. These starts also show the route the people can follow, despite the dullness, the confusions and the contradictions. We consider our Festival as a part of this rising clime of resistance. Having the domination of monopolies and imperialism as our target, we join our voices with our comrades and fellow- combatants in Prague and with the people in Yugoslavia, that continue to resist, with the current barricades that have been and will be set up in every corner of our planet. We keep the flag of internationalism and solidarity high, struggling alongside with the foreign workers, the refugees, the emigrants living in our country, against our common enemy, against imperialism and xenophobic and racist phenomena , against social blockage resulting from imperialism. ������ The ruling class, through the ruler policy the government implements, is not satisfied with the results that this policy has brought for the youth, results that everyone faces daily. The class barriers in education, the rejections of thousands of young people from high school , the circumstantial occupation, the work without rights, the cultural misery and the drug subjection are not enough for the ruling class. This political-economical system wants everything, continues this road-roller of measures in order to form the model it wants for the 21st century. "Employable", uneducated, flexible and manipulated young people. This is the perspective that is served by the new laws for education, by the announcements for the flexibilization of the working time, by the changes in the system of social insurance and by the strengthening of an imperial state. They understand that the promotion of this policy is not easy at all. They see people�s indignation and wrath and take measures. They spend enormous amounts of money in order to establish their policy with the appropriate marketing, with the plenty of the courtiers of the power in a presenter role in TV; and all these people who are considered to be "in" but are champions in lying, covering the truth. The blood and misery of the peoples in the Balkans are called "humanitarian aid". The expansion of the Greek capitalists in the Balkans for super-exploitation of their peoples, is called a historical opportunity for Greece. They talk about a "powerful Greece", while at the same time our forests are burned and people�s fortunes and lives are lost because of the inexistent infrastructure and the policy that infests the land and the environment. The Olympic Games in Greece are considered by them a "national idea", while we ca watch this dance of billions of money, the contradictory interests, the debasement of the saturated city by their plans ��������� The reinforcement of the class barriers in education was called "free access to university and education". The intensity of exploitation after the liberation of dismissals, the expansion of unemployment and the distribution of a work position between working and unemployed people, was named "development". Work without insurance, without fixed working hours and collective contracts is the new invention of "modernization". Our struggles were called retrogression. We were called rioters in their regularity when we broke the showcase of their legitimacy by defending our rights. The doctrine of the ruler policy is the acceptance of the role of the European Union and NATO, the adaptation and furthermore the attachment to the plans of these imperialist organizations. The reactionary policy of the government is supported by the EMU and the new NATO order. The confrontation and rupture with EU and NATO through anti-imperialist � antimonopoly aims is our one-way if we want to defend the interest of the people and the youth. This is the matter for the ruler policy, and it is around this matter that the other parties talk about an consensus clime, declaring incorporation in all means and an "opposition" while setting up dialogues and ruminating empty words about "institutions" and "transparence", words completely adopted to the TV profiles, but far away from the interests and the needs of young people. Let the young people suspect what is hidden behind this noise raised by specific political and economical centers about " engagement" . They are just trying to hide the responsibilities of the government that serves the interests of oligarchy. The ruling policy is not just engaged with capital, it actually serves it. Behind the contradictions of the monopolies there is the substance of this policy that serves equally well the whole Greek ruling class. Let the young people suspect what is hidden behind the "crusades" of the priesthood. The seek for new, artificial dissociation between the church and the state, in order not only to negotiate the privileges and the capitals belonging to the Church, but also in order to disorientate people away from the dead ends of this policy, that the priesthood also considers as an "one way" ����.. Every young man and woman has the right to have a job, a job with insurance, set working hours, conditions of hygiene and respect for the personality of the worker. Education is not a privilege, it is a right for all the young people. Up to his 18th year, the young person must get educated in public, actually free educational system, which will provide knowledge and form all-sided personalities, with equipment and vocational perspective. Culture cannot be a commodity, in the hands of donors-enterprises of cheap entertainment with sub-products of mass drowsiness. Culture is cultivation of models that resist to the laws of market, highlighting values, expressing the collectivity and creativity of the young people. Our life should not be ravaged by any kind of substitutes of broad circulation in entertainment, sports, love and relations. One shouldn�t search for escape in the ecstasy of the moment, in the so-called "soft" or "hard" drug, but in the beauty of collectiveness, humanism, claim for knowledge, struggle to get what belong to you. This struggle in every sector, for education, work, democracy, for culture and life free from drugs, the struggle against the imperialist domination and for the internationalist solidarity, is an one-way for every boy and girl, for whom it is not enough to damn the situation be he wants to give his own personal contribution to the new uplift of the movement, claiming all those that belong to him Nothing is wasted It is often said that struggles bring no result, laws and their measures are not overthrown. It is said by ones in a sly way; they are the same ones who call the young people indifferent, apolitical, the ones who form theories about the generation of the armchair and the fast food. Others think that the problems are too difficult or consider themselves settled, up to the moment they are unsettled by the attack that now touches everyone. Nothing is wasted. The struggle that is wasted is the one that is not waged. The students would have been lost if they hadn�t gone out in the streets but thousands, the peasants if they hadn�t blocked the roads, our people if we hadn�t expressed our absolute condemnation of the flattering of Yugoslavia. Struggles bring results, they bring the "scent" of self-confidence in our forces, the pride of the one who struggles against injustice, the beauty of collectivity, the strength you get from your colleague, your schoolmate you struggle with. The young people in Athens and also in every corner of Greece have struggling experience. They shook the governmental policy in education, they obliged the government to change ministers and bring reduction in their laws 3 years after being signed. They obliged the Prime Minister, K Simitis, at the International Fair of Thessaloniki to call their struggle "retrogression", because he is afraid of what is to come, because they know that the results of their reformation is inflammable material for the continuation of the robust and experienced enough student movement. The confrontation goes on everywhere, aspiring at the broadest youth rallying as far as aims and demands are concerned, which go against the reactionary policy, projecting and claiming the modern needs and rights of the youth. Multiformly, in all fronts, the counterattack of the youth movement should go on. Points of resistance and claim in every field. There are no small or big problems. There is insecurity, indignation, materials that can today fire struggles of long standing, in advanced forms of struggles, answering to the legality of the ruling class with the law of the just and our rights. Vanguard KNE KNE. With greater spirit, will give all is forces for the increase of the youth movement, for the combatant meeting of the youth movement with the workers, the peasants, the people. We insist on the need for the orientation of the struggles and the demands to strengthen, aiming at the cause of the ruling policy, the interests of the monopolies and imperialism. We have committed ourselves to work more decisively, more persistently, together with thousands young people we met in the struggles, we got to know each other in the demonstrations, the strikes. We invited them to be together, o a par, in the associations, in the general assemblies, the coordinative bodies, the trade unions and committees, to join our worries while keeping our differences, working with the common issues, our common struggle attitude. We will continue more dynamically with the vanguard action in the youth bodies to strengthen our political presence and action. KNE has already gained an important position among the young people. We want the young people, while gaining experience, to draw political conclusions, the political conscience to advance, the struggles and the forces that fight to meet, the people�s rallies to be directed to the perspective of the formation of the anti-imperialist people�s front. Obstructing, making it more difficult, extracting today for the ruling policy, tomorrow to overthrow its domination. Understanding that the victory of our struggles is signaled by the prevalence of the way out that out country needs, the people�s power, socialism. Political struggle, change of policy, change of power is needed, which determines the course of the country and our lives. We need a power that will express the interests, the needs of the working class, of the popular strata, of the youth. We struggle together with KKE for this way out, forming our policy, our theses, our action. The 16th Congress of KKE KKE, by publishing its political theses, started its pre-congress period, which will be completed in December, when its 16th congress will be convened. Democracy in our Party means: creative discussion, reflection, critical and self-critical view, knowledge and analysis, study of the experience, respect to the opinion, virtuous stance towards our principles. In this way, we form collectively our resolutions, we conquer the common though and action on our ranks. We ask for the working people and youth�s opinion, because we want to enrich our reflection with the opinion of all those we are connected with, through common struggles and worry. We want the critical thoughts and remarks. Besides we are the only party that not only publishes but also gives out its theses broadly, it pursues dialogue on them. The democracy cloak of the other parties encircles leaders, barons, groups and the select by the media. The youth will not meet such "fruit" in KKE. That�s why we don�t need distinctions of merit by the establishment. We know it and you know it, we are not likeable by the oligarchy. For this, the attack against our Party will be intensified through scenarios that are made up in Maximou (the Headquarters of Prime Minister), in cooperation with depressing attendants, old and new, wanting KKE to match them, seeking to press, to isolate KKE from broad popular social and political forces that are awakened. They want to present our Party as it is convenient to them for their long-term interests. All of us, comrades, are charged with a share in the success of the Congress of our Party. The broad recognition that KKE is different is not enough anymore, the fact that the young people today don�t put us in the side of the political establishment. It is not enough that our militant presence is recognized. That we are named as the only constituted political force of resistance. We are not satisfied to hear often that "you are right" and "fortunately you exist". The challenge for the young communists is to find ourselves together with all those, in along course of militant, popular youth rally, materializing an ambitious program of struggle and political action, strengthening KKE, contributing to the formation of the popular front. New aims, greater demands We have every reason to feel satisfaction with the great success of our Festival. Together with our certainty and self-confidence, our responsibilities grow bigger. New aims and duties, new greater demands. The measure of comparison for our work is not the past but the great present demands and the challenges of the future. We have our members and the strength. We have our Party by us, near us. The fighters of every age of the more than 80 years heroic history of KKE. The youth today needs a KNE even stringer and more massive, capable of waging battles and winning them. The ascension of the youth movement goes through the upward course of our organization. This estimation comes from a series of confrontations that we had in the previous period, having an vanguard action recognized by important parts of the youth. This year can become "our year". In schools, universities, work places and neighborhoods, in cities and the countryside, KNE within the youth, together in its action and struggles, can reach its 8th Congress in May having conquered new positions in the hearts and the mind of the young generation. With thousands new comrades in our ranks, with strong organizations, vanguard in the movement and the political action, in every place where the youth lives, studies, works. More impetuously in the struggles, in the political struggle, for the Front, the popular power, socialism. Forward with KKE! *End*
