Download a pdf version of the appeal
November 10, 2012. Florence, Italy. Europe has been plunged into austerity and social conflict by the economic crisis. Millions say ‘enough is enough’. Florence is our chance to fight for an alternative; to build an international resistance to all attacks which make the working class and youth pay for the crisis of capitalism.
Ten years ago, radical youth sparked the call for global demonstrations against the Iraq war. Millions responded. Today, young people have again taken the lead by fighting austerity all across Europe. This is why we welcome the decision to call a new European Social Forum at a time when millions are trying to shape the struggle for an alternative.
We welcome the organisers’ pledge that:
“Florence 10+10” aims to be an inclusive and popular space, at our disposal for building alliances and concrete common initiatives: to build convergences for action on a European scale.”
We appeal to the youth of Syntagma Square and Puerta del Sol, of the occupations and the blockades, in the workplace and amongst the unemployed millions, to join us in our call for a European Youth Assembly at Florence 10+10.
We appeal also to our neighbours on other continents and above all in the lands of the Arab Spring to join us and enrich our debates with their experiences.
We want Florence 10+10 to address the key task of our movements. To succeed it must become the time and place for transforming our defensive, local struggles into Europe-wide and even worldwide action.
A Youth Assembly can be a place to debate, build networks for common action and plan an international campaign uniting all those under attack from the bankers, billionaires and their politicians in the European Union.
The EU institutions are the levers of power for an unelected class of exploiters who want to divide our resistance. Their strategy is the rise in unemployment, racism and attacks on the rights of women. Migrant workers are blamed for the lack of jobs while the unemployed and disabled are persecuted.
All who fight back confront the power of the media barons and the violence of the police, courts and fascists. But defiance alone has not been enough to throw out the austerity governments or stop the destruction of jobs, social welfare, and education.
Low-paid work, précarité and forced unpaid work is the future for millions of Europe’s young people. Education privatised, pensions demolished and training schemes abandoned. Everywhere the youth are denied a vote, economically exploited and yet made to pay for a crisis we did not cause.
We appeal the youth of the occupations, the barricades, the anti-fascist campaigns and the working class organisations everywhere to sign the appeal and join forces to build a powerful, democratic and decisive Youth Assembly at Florence 10+10.
