World Federation of Democratic Youth

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World Federation of Democratic Youth
WFDY logo.svg
Formation10 November 1945; 75 years ago (1945-11-10)
Founded atLondon
HeadquartersBudapest, Hungary
President
Aritz Rodríguez (UJCE)
Secretary General
Yusdaquy Larduet (UJC)
Vice Presidents
Adnan Al Mokdad
Amb. Naftal Kambungu
Sundar Bhusal
Websitewww.wfdy.org
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The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) is an international youth organization, and has historically characterized itself as anti-imperialist and left-wing. WFDY was founded in London in 1945 as a broad international youth movement, organized in the context of the end of World War II with the aim of uniting youth from the Allies behind an anti-fascist platform that was broadly pro-peace, anti-nuclear war, expressing friendship between youth of the capitalist and socialist nations. The WFDY Headquarters are in Budapest, Hungary. The main event of WFDY is the World Festival of Youth and Students. The last festival was held in Sochi, Russia, in October 2017. It was one of the first organizations granted general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

History[]

On 10 November 1945, the World Youth Conference, organized in London, founded the World Federation of Democratic Youth. This historic conference was convened at the initiative of the World Youth Council which was formed during the Second World War to bring together the youth movements of the allied nations in an anti-fascist front. The conference was attended by over 600 delegates from 63 nations, it was at the time the largest and most diverse gathering of international youth.[1] The conference adopted a pledge for peace.

Shortly after, with the onset of the Cold War and Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain speech, the organization was accused by the US State Department of being a "Moscow front". Many of the founding organizations quit, leaving mostly youth from socialist nations, national liberation movements, and communist youth.[2] Like the International Union of Students (IUS) and other pro-Soviet organizations, the WFDY became a target and victim of CIA espionage as well as part of active measures conducted by the Soviet state security.[3][4][5][6]

The WFDY's first General Secretary, Alexander Shelepin, was a former leader of the Young Communist International which had been dissolved in 1943. Shelepin had been a guerilla fighter during World War II (after his work with the WFDY, he was appointed head of Soviet State Security).[3] Both the WFDY and IUS vocally criticized the Marshall Plan, supported the Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 and the new pro-Soviet puppet regimes in eastern Europe. They opposed the Korean War.[3]

The main event of the WFDY became the World Festival of Youth and Students, a large-scale political and cultural celebration which aimed to promote peace and friendship between the youth of the world. Most, but not all, of the early festivals were held in socialist nations in Europe. During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s the WFDY's festivals were one of the few places where young people from the free world could meet youth involved in the campaign against apartheid from South Africa, or militant youth from Vietnam, Palestine, Cuba and other nations. Famous people who participated in festivals included Angela Davis, Yuri Gagarin, Yasser Arafat, Fidel Castro, Ruth First, Jan Myrdal and Nelson Mandela.

When the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc collapsed, the WFDY entered a crisis. With the power vacuum left by the collapse of the most important member organization, the Soviet Komsomol, there were conflicting views of the future character of the organization. Some wanted a more apolitical structure, whereas others were more inclined to an openly leftist federation. The WFDY, however, survived this crisis, and is today an active international youth organization that holds regular activities.

Pledge[]

Guy de Boisson, President of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, speaks at the opening of the 2nd World Festival of Youth and Students (Budapest, 1949).

We pledge that we shall remember this unity, forged in this month, November 1945

Not only today, not only this week, this year, but always Until we have built the world we have dreamed of and fought for We pledge ourselves to build the unity of youth of the world All races, all colors, all nationalities, all beliefs To eliminate all traces of fascism from the earth To build a deep and sincere international friendship among the peoples of the world To keep a just lasting peace To eliminate want, frustration and enforced idleness

We have come to confirm the unity of all youth salute our comrades who have died-and pledge our word that skilful hands, keen brains and young enthusiasm shall never more be wasted in war

— Pledge of the World Federation of Democratic Youth

General Assembly[]

The WFDY conducts a General Assembly every four years, the last taking place in Nicosia in 2019.[7] During the Assembly, leadership and a General Council are elected and an organisational declaration is approved.[8]

Member organizations[]

Africa[]

Country Name Notes Ref
 Angola Juventude do Movimento Popular da Libertação de Angola Youth wing of MPLA [9]
 Congo, Dem. Rep. Youth wing of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy
 Eritrea National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students [9]
 Ethiopia [9]
 Ghana
 Mozambique Mozambican Youth Organisation Youth wing of FRELIMO [9]
 Namibia SWAPO Party Youth League Youth wing of SWAPO
Namibia National Students Organisation (NANSO)
 Senegal Youth wing of the Democratic League/Movement for the Labour Party
Youth wing of the Party of Independence and Labour
 South Africa African National Congress Youth League Youth wing of the African National Congress [9]
South African Students Congress
Youth wing of the South African Communist Party
 Sudan Youth wing of the Sudanese Communist Party
 Tanzania Youth wing of Chama Cha Mapinduzi [9]
 Senegal Youth wing of the Party of Independence and Work
 Zambia Youth wing of the United National Independence Party
 Zimbabwe Youth wing of ZANU-PF [9]
Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (ZICOSU)

Asia and the Pacific[]

Country Name Notes Ref
 Armenia Youth wing of the Armenian Communist Party
 Australia Resistance: Young Socialist Alliance Youth wing of the Socialist Alliance
 Azerbaijan Youth wing of the Azerbaijan Communist Party
 Bangladesh Socialist Students' Front Student wing of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh
Bangladesh Students Union
Youth wing of the Communist Party of Bangladesh [9]
 Bhutan Youth wing of the
Students Union of Bhutan
 Georgia
 India All India Students Federation Student wing of the Communist Party of India
All India Youth Federation Youth wing of the Communist Party of India [9]
Students Federation of India Leftist Progressive Student Organisation
Democratic Youth Federation of India Youth Wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)
All India Youth League Youth wing of the All India Forward Bloc
 Iran Tudeh Youth Youth wing of the Tudeh Party of Iran [10]
 Japan [9]
 [ja] Youth wing of Chongryon
 Korea, DPR Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League Youth wing of the Workers' Party of Korea [9]
 Korea, Rep. 7th-term Hanchongryun
 Laos Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union Youth wing of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party
 Myanmar All Burma Students' Democratic Front
All Burma Students League
   Nepal All Nepal National Free Students Union Student wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)
Youth wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) [9]
Student wing of the Nepal Communist Party (United)
Youth wing of the Nepal Communist Party (United)
 Pakistan Democratic Students Federation student wing of the Communist Party of Pakistan
 Philippines Anakbayan
 Sri Lanka Youth wing of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka National Union Of Students Student wing of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka
Youth wing of Mahajana Eksath Peramuna
Socialist Students Union Student wing of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna [9]
Youth wing of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
 Vietnam Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Youth wing of the Communist Party of Vietnam [9]

Europe and North America[]

Country Name Notes Ref
 Austria Communist Youth of Austria
 Belgium COMAC Youth wing of the Workers' Party of Belgium
 Bulgaria
 Canada Young Communist League of Canada Affiliated with the Communist Party of Canada
 Catalonia Communist Youth of Catalonia Youth wing of the Communists of Catalonia
 Croatia Young Socialists of Croatia Youth wing of the Socialist Labour Party of Croatia
 Czech Republic Communist Youth Union Youth wing of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia [9]
 Cyprus United Democratic Youth Organisation Youth wing of the Progressive Party of Working People [9]
 Denmark Shared youth organization of the Communist Party in Denmark and the Communist Party of Denmark
 Finland Communist Youth League
 France Mouvement Jeunes Communistes de France
 Germany Free German Youth
Socialist German Workers Youth Youth wing of the German Communist Party [9]
 Greece Communist Youth of Greece Youth wing of the Communist Party of Greece [9]
 Hungary Baloldali Front Youth wing of the Hungarian Workers' Party
 Ireland Connolly Youth Movement
Workers Party Youth Youth wing of the Workers' Party of Ireland
 Italy Italian Young Communist Federation Youth wing of the Italian Communist Party; known as Youth Federation of Italian Communists until 2016
Front of the Communist Youth Former Youth wing of the Communist Party
Giovani Comuniste e Comunisti Youth wing of the Communist Refoundation Party
 Republic of Moldova Youth wing of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova
 Norway Young Communists in Norway Youth wing of the Communist Party of Norway
Young Communist League of Norway
 Portugal Portuguese Communist Youth Youth wing of the Portuguese Communist Party [9]
 Russia Leninist Young Communist League of the Russian Federation Youth wing of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation
Revolutionary Communist Youth League (b)

Russian Young Communist League

Youth wing of the Russian Communist Workers' Party of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
 Serbia Young Communist League of Yugoslavia Youth wing of the New Communist Party of Yugoslavia
 Slovakia Youth wing of the Communist Party of Slovakia
 Spain Collectives of Communist Youth Youth wing of the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain
Communist Youth Union of Spain Youth wing of the Communist Party of Spain [9]
 Sweden Communist Youth of Sweden Youth wing of the Communist Party of Sweden
  Switzerland Youth wing of the Swiss Party of Labour
 Ukraine Komsomol of Ukraine Youth wing of the Communist Party of Ukraine
 United Kingdom Young Communist League Youth wing of the Communist Party of Britain
Young Socialists Youth wing of the Communist League
 United States Young Communist League Youth wing of the Communist Party USA [11]
Youth wing of the Socialist Workers Party
Youth wing of the

Latin America and Caribbean[]

Country Name Notes Ref
 Argentina  [es] Youth wing of the Communist Party of Argentina [9]
 Barbados
 Bolivia Youth wing of the Communist Party of Bolivia
 Brazil Youth wing of the MR-8
Youth wing of the Democratic Labour Party
Youth wing of the Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement
Youth wing of the
Youth wing of the Brazilian Communist Party [9]
Youth wing of the Communist Party of Brazil [9]
Youth wing of the Brazilian Socialist Party
 Chile Juventudes Comunistas de Chile Youth wing of the Communist Party of Chile [9]
 Colombia Youth wing of the Colombian Communist Party [9]
 Costa Rica Youth wing of the Broad Front (Costa Rica) [9]
 Cuba Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas Youth wing of the Communist Party of Cuba [9]
 Ecuador
Youth wing of the Socialist Party of Ecuador
 El Salvador Youth wing of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
 Guatemala Youth wing of the URNG
 Guyana
 Mexico Federation of Young Communists Youth wing of the Communist Party of Mexico
Youth wing of the Popular Socialist Party [9]
 Nicaragua Juventud Sandinista 19 de Julio Youth wing of the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional
 Paraguay
 Peru Youth wing of the Peruvian Communist Party
 Uruguay Youth wing of the 26 March Movement
 Venezuela Youth wing of the Communist Party of Venezuela [9]
United Socialist Party of Venezuela Youth Youth wing of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela

Middle East[]

Country Name Notes Ref
 Algeria Youth wing of the FLN
Students of the FLN
 Bahrain Shabeeba Society of Bahrain Youth wing of the Progressive Democratic Tribune [9]
 Egypt Youth wing of the Progressive National Unionist Party [9]
 Iraq Iraqi Democratic Youth Federation Youth wing of the Iraqi Communist Party [9]
 Israel  [he] Youth wing of the Communist Party of Israel, afilliated with hadash and the Joint List [9]
 Kuwait Youth wing of the KPM
 Lebanon Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth Youth wing of the Lebanese Communist Party [9]
 Libya
 Morocco Youth wing of the Istiqlal Party
Youth wing of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces
Youth wing of the Party of Progress and Socialism
 Palestine General Union of Palestine Students [9]
Youth wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine [9]
 Syria Youth wing of the Syrian Communist Party (Bakdash) [9]
Youth wing of the Syrian Communist Party (Unified)
Revolutionary Youth Union Youth wing of the Ba'ath Party
 Turkey Youth wing of the Communist Party of Turkey [9]
 Western Sahara Sahrawi Youth Union Youth wing of the Polisario Front [9][12]

Former members[]

  •  Afghanistan - Democratic Youth Organization of Afghanistan
  •  Albania - Bashkimi i Rinisë së Punës së Shqipërisë
  •  Argentina -
  •  Argentina -
  •  Australia - Eureka Youth League
  •  Belgium -
  •  Belgium -
  •  Bolivia -
  •  Brazil -
  •  Bulgaria - Dimitrov Communist Youth Union
  •  Byelorussian SSR -
  •  Cambodia - People's Revolutionary Youth Union of Kampuchea
  •  Chile -
  •  Chile -
  •  Chile -
  •  Chile -
  •  China - Communist Youth League of China
  •  China - All-China Youth Federation
  •  Colombia -
  •  Colombia -
  •  Colombia - Juventud del Poder Popular
  •  Colombia -
  •  Colombia - Unión de Jóvenes Patriotas
  •  Congo - Union de la jeunesse congolaise, Republic of Congo
  •  Costa Rica -
  •  Costa Rica -
  •  Costa Rica -
  •  Czechoslovakia - , Czechoslovakia
  •  Dominican Republic -
  •  Dominican Republic -
  •  Ecuador -
  •  Ecuador -
  •  El Salvador -
  •  Faroe Islands - Færøske Socialister
  •  Finland - Democratic Youth League of Finland
  •  Finland -
  •  Germany - Socialist Youth League Karl Liebknecht
  •  East Germany - Free German Youth
  •  Greece -
  •  Grenada -
  •  Guadeloupe -
  •  France - Union nationale des étudiants de france-Solidarité Etudiante
  •  Guatemala -
  •  Guyana - Young Socialist Movement
  •  Haiti -
  •  Honduras -
  •  Iceland -
  •  Indonesia - People's Youth (Indonesia)
  •  Italy - Italian Communist Youth Federation
  •  Jamaica - (Workers Party of Jamaica)
  •  Japan - Democratic Youth League of Japan
  •  Luxembourg -
  •  Martinique -
  •  Mexico - Frente Juvenil Revolucionario
  •  Mexico -
  •  Mongolia -
  •  Netherlands - Algemeen Nederlands Jeugd Verbond
  •  Hungary - Kommunista Ifjúsági Szövetség
  •  Panama -
  •  Panama -
  •  Paraguay -
  •  Peru -
  •  Peru - Juventud Aprista Peruana
  •  Peru -
  •  Poland - Związek Socjalistycznej Młodzieży Polskiej
  •  Puerto Rico -
  •  Puerto Rico -
  •  Puerto Rico -
  •  San Marino - Federazione Giovanile Comunista San Marino
  •  Saudi Arabia - Union of Democratic Youth in Saudi[13]
  •  Sri Lanka -
  •  Sri Lanka -
  •  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -
  •  Surinam - National Youth Movement
  •  Sweden - Ung Vänster (1975–1992)
  •   Switzerland -
  •  Tunisia -
  •  Turkey - İlerici Gençler Derneği
  •  United States - Young Socialist Alliance
  •  Uruguay -
  •  Soviet Union - Committee of Youth Organizations of the USSR
  •  Soviet Union - All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (Komsomol)
  •  Venezuela -

Observers[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ McDuffie, Erik S (2011). Sojourning for freedom. Duke University Press. p. 247. ISBN 978-0-8223-9440-2.
  2. ^ Richard Felix Staar, Foreign policies of the Soviet Union, Hoover Press, 1991, ISBN 0-8179-9102-6, p.84
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169
  4. ^ A century of spies: intelligence in the twentieth century. Jeffrey T. Richelson. p. 252
  5. ^ Soviet foreign policy in a changing world, Volume 1986. Robbin Frederick Laird, Erik P. Hoffmann. p. 211
  6. ^ Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia, Volume 1. Bernard A. Cook. p. 212
  7. ^ "ΡΙΚ και υπόλοιπα κανάλια «δεν είδαν» την 20η Συνέλευση της ΠΟΔΝ". Dialogos. 4 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Approved Political Declaration Of the 19th Assembly of WFDY (1).pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am "Members". wfdy.org. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016.
  10. ^ United States Congress, House Committee on Un-American Activities (1956), Soviet Total War: "Historic Mission" of Violence and Deceit, 1–2, U.S. Government Printing Office, pp. 589–90
  11. ^ Lynch, Maicol David (4 December 2019). "CPUSA youth leader greets WFDY meeting in Cyprus". Communist Party USA.
  12. ^ Kalicka-Mikołajczyk, Adrianna (23 February 2021). "The international legal status of Western Sahara". Opole Studies in Administration and Law. 18 (4): 44. doi:10.25167/osap.3429.
  13. ^ Matthiesen, Toby (August 2020). "The Cold War and the Communist Party of Saudi Arabia, 1975–1991". Journal of Cold War Studies. MIT Press. 22 (3): 42. doi:10.1162/jcws_a_00950. ISSN 1531-3298.

External links[]

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