The Communist Youth Union of Greece (KNE) has been organizing the Odigitis Festivals in Greece since 1974. Initially, only one festival was held annually in Athens, but over the years, festivals have begun to be held throughout Greece, making the Odigitis festivals Greece’s largest political and cultural event.
The purpose of the festivals is clear: they call on all working-class youth to join the class struggle—the struggle against the oppressive class. The cultural and historical content of the festivals is openly political; the music highlights class oppression, and the historical exhibitions do not hide the historical impacts of different social classes but rather bring them to light. The festival also emphasizes the international character of the working class and, in doing so, underscores the struggle against all forms of chauvinism.
All in all, the festival’s program is very broad. Performers range from local bands to national favorites, as well as the most popular stand-up comedians. At the festival, the KNE also promotes working-class sports activities, as well as artistic and cultural pursuits. Music is featured on multiple stages at the festival, including contemporary music, folk music, children’s music, and more traditional working-class music. The festival also features an “international village,” where guests can meet delegates from communist movements in other countries, as well as an area where new students can get to know the KNE chapter at their new school in advance.
This year marked the 52nd edition of the main event in Athens, and the festival took place from September 23 to 26. The festival focused in particular on fighting against preparations for imperialist war, promoting the rebuilding of the world communist movement, and commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Greek Democratic Army. Although many different topics were highlighted at the festival, the goal was unified: to strengthen the class struggle of the international working class.
The nature of the crises within the imperialist system was clearly highlighted, particularly in the speech delivered at the end of the festival by Dimitris Koutsoumpas, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE). In his speech, the General Secretary explained how military conflicts are inevitable under capitalism, as the capitalist class seeks to secure its own profits at the expense of rival capitalist forces. In this struggle among capitalists, however, it is always the working people who suffer as education, healthcare, and other essential services deteriorate and military spending increases. For the working class, the only way out of war and oppression is to build independent working-class organizations and take state power into their own hands; in this struggle, the world’s communist movements play a crucial role.
The KKE and KNE take the rebuilding of the world communist movement very seriously. At the invitation of the KNE, more than thirty communist and working-class youth movements from around the world participated in the festival. Delegates from the youth wing of the Communist Workers’ Party also participated in the festival. An international seminar organized for the delegates on the day of the festival addressed preparations for imperialist wars and the path out of the capitalist system. In their speeches, the delegations highlighted, among other things, continued solidarity with the peoples of Cuba and Palestine, and emphasized the need for youth organizations that fight on behalf of working-class youth.
At the seminar, a representative of the KKE Central Committee highlighted in his speech the need to build and defend a unified Marxist-Leninist hub in the world. According to KKE representatives, three issues in particular have emerged as crucial in this effort: the nature of imperialism, the strategy of the popular front of communists, and the strategy for the struggle against fascism. The KKE also pointed out that there are forces, such as the “World Anti-Imperialist Program,” that attempt to weaken the global Marxist-Leninist pole by claiming to represent the interests of the working class, even though they are in fact acting on behalf of one imperialist alliance or another.
An important part of the festival was discussing with other communist youth leagues. These discussions are vital for building international relations. Through these discussions, we also learned a great deal about the economic and political situations in other countries, as well as the status of the communist and labor movements in those nations. Discussions were also held at the festival with ordinary Greek citizens who were interested in Finland’s history and political situation.
The festival also commemorated the eightieth anniversary of the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE) by hosting an exhibition on the army’s history and battles. The Democratic Army of Greece was formed after World War II on the initiative of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) as a resistance movement against the Greek monarcho-fascist regime and the U.S. and British imperialists who supported it. The DSE’s heroic struggle lives on in the memory of the Greek people, and this history continues to bring the KKE great honor and trust.
On the day of the festival, a museum tour was organized for international delegates to the old Kaisarian firing range, where the occupying Nazi army executed 201 communists on the first day of May 1944. This and other historical examples demonstrate how the KKE and the KNE have been—and continue to be—at the forefront of the Greek working class’s struggle against the power of capital.
The KNE festival is an important gathering place for sections of the world communist movement, but above all, it is a gathering place for Greek communists and the entire working people. The communist movement builds its strength by being at the forefront of the struggle against exploitative and oppressive forces.