World_Federation_of_Democratic_Youth

World Federation of Democratic Youth

World Federation of Democratic Youth

International left-wing youth organisation

The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) is an international youth organization, and has historically characterized itself as left-wing and anti-imperialist. WFDY was founded in London, United Kingdom 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.[1] 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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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.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4][5][6][7]

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).[4] Both the WFDY and IUS vocally criticized the Marshall Plan, supported the Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 and the new People's republics in eastern Europe. They opposed the Korean War.[4]

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 western bloc 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, Vladimir Putin, 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.[8] During the Assembly, leadership and a General Council are elected and an organizational declaration is approved.[9]

Member organizations

Africa

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Asia and the Pacific

Map of countries which have or had a youth organization in the World Federation of Democratic Youth. Countries with active member organizations of WFDY are shown in dark green. Countries with former member organizations of WFDY are shown in light green.
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Europe and North America

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Latin America and Caribbean

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North Africa and Middle East

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Former members

Observers

See also

Notes

  1. Not confused with Korean Youth League in Japan (Hancheong) [ja], the youth wing of the Union for Korean Democratic Reunification in Japan [ja].

References

  1. [1]
    Choi, Charles Hongseok (2021). "Preferential Refugee Policies in Postwar Canada". Undergraduate Review. 16. Bridgewater State University: 113.
  2. [2]
    McDuffie, Erik S (2011). Sojourning for freedom. Duke University Press. p. 247. ISBN 978-0-8223-9440-2.
  3. [3]
    Richard Felix Staar, Foreign policies of the Soviet Union, Hoover Press, 1991, ISBN 0-8179-9102-6, p.84
  4. [4]
    The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169
  5. [5]
    A century of spies: intelligence in the twentieth century. Jeffrey T. Richelson. p. 252
  6. [6]
    Soviet foreign policy in a changing world, Volume 1986. Robbin Frederick Laird, Erik P. Hoffmann. p. 211
  7. [7]
    Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia, Volume 1. Bernard A. Cook. p. 212
  8. [8]
    "ΡΙΚ και υπόλοιπα κανάλια "δεν είδαν" την 20η Συνέλευση της ΠΟΔΝ". Dialogos. 4 December 2019.
  9. [9]
    "Approved Political Declaration Of the 19th Assembly of WFDY (1).pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  10. [10]
    "Members". wfdy.org. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016.
  11. [11]
    "African Member Organizations". World Federation of Democratic Youth. 13 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  12. [12]
    "WFDY - CENA Member Organizations". World Federation of Democratic Youth. June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  13. [13]
    "Asia & Pacific Member Organizations". World Federation of Democratic Youth. 13 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  14. [14]
    United States Congress, House Committee on Un-American Activities (1956), Soviet Total War: "Historic Mission" of Violence and Deceit, vol. 1–2, U.S. Government Printing Office, pp. 589–90
  15. [15]
    "The CJB is a member of the World Federation of Democratic Youth". Website of the Communist Youth Movement of the Netherlands. 20 November 2022.
  16. [16]
    Lynch, Maicol David (4 December 2019). "CPUSA youth leader greets WFDY meeting in Cyprus". Communist Party USA.
  17. [17]
    "Latin American & Caribbean Member Organizations". World Federation of Democratic Youth. 13 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  18. [18]
    "Middle East Member Organizations". World Federation of Democratic Youth. 13 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 January 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  19. [19]
    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.
  20. [20]
    Matthiesen, Toby (August 2020). "The Cold War and the Communist Party of Saudi Arabia, 1975–1991". Journal of Cold War Studies. 22 (3). MIT Press: 42. doi:10.1162/jcws_a_00950. ISSN 1531-3298. S2CID 221118100.
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