We fully accept and recognize the basic tenets set forth by the manifesto, that is, recognizing that the university is an institution which we struggle within, and against of. Similarly to how Tronti put it in Workers & Capital we recognize that we (working class) are very much within the capital itself. It is from this point and recognition that similarly to how capital must be defeated from within, we recognize that university must also be defeated from within. Noticing how academia is treated in periphery countries, such as Poland, we at the same time acknowledge, that in our specific context it not so much serves as a factory of ideology, but is an active object in such struggles. 

With that being said, students in Poland very much also face the struggles with constant alienation and atomization of social relationships, and it is something we seek to make an example out of. We very much acknowledge the fact that social relationships face constant erosion due to the more and more homogenized model of culture, inspiring rather of competition than friendship and solidarity. Things are much different than they were even 30–40 years ago, making it a lot harder to effectively organize without falling into the pit of individualism, which is so effective at paralyzing entire organizations. To effectively organize and struggle — we must learn how to live together, how to work together, how to communicate together. This is especially important in our local context, more than ever before. To picture this issue better: it has been increasingly even more difficult for young workers (and so students) to maintain even regular relationships with each other. People are afraid of texting (and as we so commonly see, even texting somebody you don’t know requires an entire “ritual” surrounding it), not to mention making phone calls. We don’t intend to bully or smear those with such anxieties or issues, however an important question has to be posed. How are we supposed to organize together, live together, spend time together, fight together, if we cannot even talk to each other? This is an insanely demanding and important issue which has to be tackled.

We once again find ourselves in a position where not only do we need to build a real, living, community (within the movement, or as the movement), but we also need to reverse the results of socialization in capitalist society, to “regain” those basic abilities, to be able to communicate together in order to organize together.

Addressing this issue of reversing those processes seems crucial to us and should be emphasized upon very heavily in the upcoming months. 

We also acknowledge and understand even more than before the need to cooperate and remain solidary with academic staff. We’ve recently supported the demands of unionized workers of the Polish Academia of Sciences, because they too argue for struggling against capital (albeit in a slightly different light) within the university. 

At the same time we also understand and fully realize the need for universities to be free of imperialist and colonial ideologies, however we often disagree with the practical strategy and tactics of pro-Palestinian groups and activists, who are often very much disconnected from the working class point of view, and the working class science. We do not seek to be the “only” or “true” student militants, however we must realize the weaknesses of our comrades and promptly point them out, directing them to rather class based organizing instead of adventurist activism. We need to draw the distinction between organizing and activism and develop adequate theory of such distinction to be used for our future struggles.

On the issue of patriarchy and women in general in the student’s/worker’s movement, we’d like to give the voice to two Polish organizers, who probably best described it themselves:

PL: https://mlodzi.ozzip.pl/news/studentki-pracownice-lokatorki-zwiazkowczynie-kobiety-w-ruchu-socjalnym

IT: https://www.machina-deriveapprodi.com/post/come-rafforzare-le-voci-delle-donne-nel-nostro-movimento 

The English translation of this text hasn’t been published yet. 

All in all, and despite the pending issues that we face on all fronts, we hope to engage in more fruitful and meritorious debates regarding the current states of things, as well as exchanging our experiences, strategy, and tactics on defeating the status quo. To sum things up, we realize that the current field of struggle for many of us are universities, and we should strategically seek to gain an upper hand in present and future struggles both within and against the university.

Students from OZZ Inicjatywa Pracownicza (Workers’ Initiative)