World Federation of Democratic Youth
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.
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| Formation | 10 November 1945 |
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| Founded at | London |
| Headquarters | Budapest, Hungary |
President | UJCE - Aritz Rodríguez |
Secretary General | UJC - Yusdaquy Larduet |
Vice President | Amb. Naftal Kambungu |
Vice President | Sundar Bhusal |
| Website | www |
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 World War II to encourage the fight against fascism by the youth of the allied nations. The conference brought together, for the first time in the history of the international youth movement, representatives of more than 30,000,000 young people of diverse different political ideologies and religious beliefs from 63 nations. It 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.[1] 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.[2][3][4][5]
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).[2] Both the WFDY and IUS vocally criticized the Marshall Plan, supported the Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 and the new People's Democracies in Europe. They opposed the Korean War.[2]
The main event of the WFDY became the World Festival of Youth and Students, a massive political and cultural celebration for 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 so-called "Free World" could meet youth struggling 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
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.[6] During the Assembly, leadership and a General Council are elected and an orgnisational declaration is approved.[7]
Member organizations
Africa
| Country | Name | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
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Juventude do Movimento Popular da Libertação de Angola | Youth wing of MPLA | [8] |
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PPRD Youth League | Youth wing of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy | |
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National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students | [8] | |
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Ethiopian Youth League | [8] | |
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Democratic Youth League of Ghana | ||
| African Youth Command | |||
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Mozambican Youth Organisation | Youth wing of FRELIMO | [8] |
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SWAPO Party Youth League | Youth wing of SWAPO | |
| Namibia National Students Organisation (NANSO) | |||
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Mouvement de la Jeunesse Démocratique | Youth wing of the Democratic League/Movement for the Labour Party | |
| UJDAN | Youth wing of the Party of Independence and Labour | ||
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African National Congress Youth League | Youth wing of the African National Congress | [8] |
| South African Students Congress | |||
| Young Communist League of South Africa | Youth wing of the South African Communist Party | ||
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Sudanese Youth Union | Youth wing of the Sudanese Communist Party | |
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Umoja Wa Vijana | Youth wing of Chama Cha Mapinduzi | [8] |
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Democratic Youth Union Alboury Ndiaye | Youth wing of the Party of Independence and Work | |
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Saharawi Youth Union | Youth wing of the Polisario Front | [8] |
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United National Independence Party Youth League | Youth wing of the United National Independence Party | |
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ZANU-PF Youth League | Youth wing of ZANU-PF | [8] |
| Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (ZICOSU) |
Asia and the Pacific
Europe and North America
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Latin America and Caribbean
| Country | Name | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
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Federación Juvenil Comunista | Youth wing of the Communist Party of Argentina | [8] |
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League of Progressive Youth | ||
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Juventud Comunista de Bolivia | Youth wing of the Communist Party of Bolivia | |
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Juventude Revolucionaria 8 de Outubro | Youth wing of the MR-8 | |
| Juventude do PDT | Youth wing of the Democratic Labour Party | ||
| Juventude do PMDB | Youth wing of the Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement | ||
| Juventude Comunista Avançando | Youth wing of the Polo Comunista Luiz Carlos Prestes | ||
| União da Juventude Comunista | Youth wing of the Brazilian Communist Party | [8] | |
| União da Juventude Socialista | Youth wing of the Communist Party of Brazil | [8] | |
| Juventude Socialista Brasileira | Youth wing of the Brazilian Socialist Party | ||
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Juventudes Comunistas de Chile | Youth wing of the Communist Party of Chile | [8] |
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Juventud Comunista de Colombia | Youth wing of the Colombian Communist Party | [8] |
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Juventud Frente Amplio | Youth wing of the Broad Front (Costa Rica) | [8] |
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Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas | Youth wing of the Communist Party of Cuba | [8] |
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Federación Estudiantes Universitarios | ||
| Juventud Socialista Ecuatoriana | Youth wing of the Socialist Party of Ecuador | ||
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Juventud del Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional | Youth wing of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front | |
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Juventud URNG | Youth wing of the URNG | |
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Guyana Youth and Students Movement | ||
| Walter Rodney Youth Movement | |||
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Federation of Young Communists | Youth wing of the Communist Party of Mexico | |
| Juventud Popular Socialista | Youth wing of the Popular Socialist Party | [8] | |
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Juventud Sandinista 19 de Julio | Youth wing of the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional | |
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Casa de la Juventud del Paraguay | ||
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Juventud Comunista Peruana | Youth wing of the Peruvian Communist Party | |
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Juventud del Movimiento 26 de Marzo | Youth wing of the 26 March Movement | |
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Juventud Comunista de Venezuela | Youth wing of the Communist Party of Venezuela | [8] |
| United Socialist Party of Venezuela Youth | Youth wing of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela |
Middle East
| Country | Name | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
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Union de la Jeunesse Algérienne | Youth wing of the FLN | |
| National Union of Algerian Students | Students of the FLN | ||
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Union of Progressive Youth of Egypt | Youth wing of the Progressive National Unionist Party | [8] |
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Iraqi Democratic Youth Federation | Youth wing of the Iraqi Communist Party | [8] |
| General Union of Students in Iraqi Republic | |||
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Young Communist League of Israel | Youth wing of the Communist Party of Israel | [8] |
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Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth | Youth wing of the Lebanese Communist Party | [8] |
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National Youth Organization of Libya | ||
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Shabeeba Society of Bahrain | Youth wing of the Progressive Democratic Tribune | [8] |
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Istiqlal Party Youth | Youth wing of the Istiqlal Party | |
| USFP Jeunesse Ittihadiya | Youth wing of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces | ||
| Jeunesse Socialiste | Youth wing of the Party of Progress and Socialism | ||
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General Union of Palestine Students | [8] | |
| Palestinian Democratic Youth Union | Youth wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine | [8] | |
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Union of Democratic Youth of Syria-Khaled Baghdash | Youth wing of the Syrian Communist Party | [8] |
| Syrian Democratic Youth Union | Youth wing of the Syrian Unified Communist Party | ||
| Revolutionary Youth Union | Youth wing of the Ba'ath Party | ||
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Democratic Youth Union | Youth wing of the KPM |
Former members
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Observers
- Youth for Communist Rebirth In France (Youth of the Pole of Communist Rebirth in France)
- Communist Youth Movement (Youth of the New Communist Party of the Netherlands)
- Communist Youth of Luxemburg (Refounded youth organisation of the Communist Party of Luxembourg), Luxembourg
- Revolutionary Communist Youth (Youth organization of the Communist Party), Sweden
See also
- Active measures
- Christian Peace Conference
- International Association of Democratic Lawyers
- International Federation of Resistance Fighters – Association of Anti-Fascists
- International Organization of Journalists
- International Union of Students
- Women's International Democratic Federation
- World Federation of Scientific Workers
- World Federation of Trade Unions
- World Peace Council
References
- Richard Felix Staar, Foreign policies of the Soviet Union, Hoover Press, 1991, ISBN 0-8179-9102-6, p.84
- The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169
- A century of spies: intelligence in the twentieth century. Jeffrey T. Richelson. p. 252
- Soviet foreign policy in a changing world, Volume 1986. Robbin Frederick Laird, Erik P. Hoffmann. p. 211
- Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia, Volume 1. Bernard A. Cook. p. 212
- "ΡΙΚ και υπόλοιπα κανάλια «δεν είδαν» την 20η Συνέλευση της ΠΟΔΝ". Dialogos. 4 December 2019.
- "Approved Political Declaration Of the 19th Assembly of WFDY (1).pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
- "Members". wfdy.org. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016.
- 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
- Lynch, Maicol David (4 December 2019). "CPUSA youth leader greets WFDY meeting in Cyprus". Communist Party USA.
External links
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