There are many ways to get involved in YDS. The base for our activism comes from our chapters. Locally, chapters promote democratic socialist politics in their communities through campaigns and coalition building. Nationally, YDS chapters and members coordinate with our labor and peace coalitions for countrywide actions. In both ways, YDS builds a socialist voice within progressive and radical politics. Being a YDS grassroots activist means promoting an analysis that both recognizes the necessity to fight for victories today combined with the understanding that as long as capitalism exists, we cannot have true freedom and equality.

We strongly encourage members to be active in the YDS national structure. We have several national-level committees, open to all YDS members, which promote our feminist, anti-racist, and international work. We are always looking for contributions for our blog, The Activist, and written materials. Our members host conferences and forums across the country to promote YDS and create solidarity with allies.

Once you join, if you are at a campus without a YDS chapter, we can help you start one or get you plugged into our work via committees, conferences, internships and other initiatives. The YDS National Office and volunteer leadership can help you. You can contact us here.

Why You Should Join YDS
By being a socialist and joining YDS, you take the critical step by fighting for political and economic democracy as a collective. We believe that democracy, social equality, and economic justice are all curtailed by capitalism and other systems of oppression like white supremacy and patriarchy (which are mutated and shaped by capitalism). Ending oppression therefore requires not only building a social justice movement, but also a democratic socialist organization that combines theory and activism. Only through unified action can we make lasting social change. Working to build socialism means being organized, and it also means you create liberation for all.

In YDS, our ideological foundation means that we see the limitations of certain types of activism. While we constantly work in solidarity with many single-issue groups, we believe that ultimately because of the contradictions of capitalism, as in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we must move towards a democratic socialism. Socialists such as Dr. King understood that socialism still offers the best promise for a fairer society because it can use the power of the state to make policies that improve the lives of, and are democratically controlled by, everyday people. Democratic socialists have been a catalyst for much good throughout the world. Though democratic socialism has yet to be achieved, society’s where our movements have been the strongest historically have had the most social equality and democracy.

YDS is a unique and well-connected organization. We are the campus and youth section of the Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the USA. YDS is a member of the National Youth Student Peace Coalition, United for Peace and Justice, and Student Labor Week of Action. We believe in affecting politics in America by building a democratic movement that unites activist youth nationwide, giving them a stronger collective voice. We take electoral politics seriously, but we are not a political party. As socialists we also emphasize grassroots organizing and social movements. Our belief in praxis, putting theory into action, guides our work and vision.

While ideology is very important in our organization, we are not a dogmatic collective. Difference of opinion is valued in YDS. No member agrees with every stance YDS has taken on every issue, nor are they expected to. We do take stands on issues though, informed by our democratic socialist analysis, which is profoundly anti-racist, feminist, pro-worker and in favor of LGBTQ rights.

Eugene Debs, the leader of the American Socialist Party at the turn of the 20^th Century, said “an unorganized socialist is a contradiction in terms.” What he meant by this was that you can’t ask the government to provide social services, workers to join unions, communities to stand up to corporate exploitation, etc. if you yourself refuse to unite with other socialists to fight for a better world. We as socialists must lead by example by being united and democratic. The most important step today towards creating a democratic socialist society is strengthening the democratic socialist community.

When you pay dues to YDS, you gain more than just a good feeling. The Young Democratic Socialists is both a network and a resource. The National Office provides materials and literature for chapters, organizing committees, and members. Those structures also work together outside of the National Office. YDS, through our coalition work, coordinate days of action and sends members campaign supplies. YDS members represent our organization in various institutions such as United for Peace and Justice and the International Union of the Socialist Youth (world’s largest political youth coalition). The YDS network will connect you with people who will be your friends, colleagues, and comrades throughout your life.

Membership is $20/year, and entitles you to vote in our national conference, run in elections for YDS leadership positions, receive early editions of YDS’s newsletter “The Red Letter,” and receive DSA’s magazine “Democratic Left” as well as frequent bulletins and updates. To join, or renew your membership, simply send your check ($20 made payable to DSA) and a note saying you want to join YDS to the following address:
Democratic Socialists of America
75 Maiden Lane, Suite 505
New York, New York 10038

You can also join on-line with a Mastercard or Visa on the DSA website.
There is no separate YDS membership, all youth and student DSA members are also members of YDS. All young people (ages 30 and under and/or still in school) who want to work for a better world are welcome to join YDS. Our local chapters are based on college, high school and university campuses, as well as city-wide “metro area” chapters.

Chapters hold regular meetings, plan activities and hold educational events. While each chapter is autonomous, and decides its own local priorities, we encourage our locals to work on campaigns and issues developed by our annual national conference- which is open to all members. For more information on starting a YDS chapter, contact the organizer for the latest edition of the YDS Chapter Organizing Guide and other useful materials.

Chapters are very diverse. On campuses where there are a lot of people interested in doing their activism through a socialist organization, our locals are a vital part of coalitions around progressive causes, but also do campaigns and educational programs by themselves.

On other campuses, where there are only a few YDSers, and they are involved heavily in other campus groups, like anti-sweatshop groups, campus Democrats, ethnic organizations or feminist organizations, often our chapters are less intensely internal, meeting less regularly, and setting their sights on a few events per year. These chapters act as a space for socialists involved in campus activism to meet and promote a democratic socialist politics within the campus community.

Schools and colleges are an important place to be politically active. Students are, by nature, at a place in their lives where they are discussing and thinking about what they think about the world. Changing the way people think is the first step towards changing the world. This is why we place a priority on building chapters on campus. It is important, however, that all of our chapters are visible enough to reach outside of the often cliquish campus activist circles. We have to reach out to liberals and non-active progressives as well as the radicals who are active on campus, even if they often ask difficult questions like “why is socialism relevant these days?”

Affiliate Organizations
Progressive multi-issue campus organizations are encouraged affiliate with YDS (for example: ‘X’ University Progressive Student Alliance or ‘Y’ College Student-Labor Solidarity Coalition) where no YDS chapter currently exists. Affiliate applications shall also be accepted from progressive single-issue organizations, where appropriate. By affiliating, such organizations become part of a national and international movement and are entitled to receive YDS materials, trainings, speaker visits, etc.

Email Lists
YDS hosts moderated email discussion lists — the General YDS Discussion List and the YDS International and other committee related lists. These lists are open to YDS members and non-members. The purpose of the lists is to provide a space for people to discuss politics, learn about the goings-on within YDS and the socialist movement in general, and to get to know progressives from across the world. We try to keep the lists from degenerating into flame-war fights between hot-headed know-it-alls, but also allow a wide variety of opinions to flourish.

YDS also sends out an email update every week (give or take) that includes the latest on YDS activity, links to articles by democratic socialists, action items, news analysis, and on-line organizing resources. These email blasts are quite popular and do not clog up your inbox. You can sign up for these on the YDS homepage.

Discussion list: http://www.topica.com/lists/yds-discuss/
YDS Update list: http://www.dsausa.org/ydsupdate/index.htmlFor more info on either one of the above lists, please email the National Office at yds@dsausa.org.Please inquire about the YDS International and other committee related email lists.