10) ANTI-IMPERIALIST YOUTH MEET IN PORTUGAL
Special to PV
Representatives of youth organizations from around the world gathered Nov. 8-13 in Lisbon to discuss the work and political direction of the largest international anti‑imperialist grouping of young people.
The Assembly of the World Federation of Democratic Youth was hosted by the Young Communists of Portugal, who have held the presidential position of WFDY for the past eight years.
Delegations from 82 youth organizations were present at the largest meeting of WFDY in over two decades. The Assembly was held a year after the successful 17th World Festival of Youth and Students in Tshwane, South Africa, the first festival ever held in sub‑Saharan Africa.
"There was vigorous discussion and debate about the economic crisis and the nature of the imperialist system today," Johan Boyden (who represented the Young Communist League of Canada at the General Assembly) told People's Voice.
"We are in a difficult time but with significant potential. Everywhere, young people are redoubling their resistance," Boyden said. "Developments like the Arab uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as the `spontaneous' mobilizations of the youth across Europe and North America with the Indigenous and Occupy Wall Street actions, were at the front and center of the meeting, as was the continued struggle of the Latin America against imperialism."
A statement issued by WFDY noted that the meeting underlined the world federation's anti‑imperialist character and reaffirmed that the struggle of the youth, together with the workers, in each country, is the only way to overthrow imperialism.
"The present crisis is not just a "bad moment" or the result of a "bad administration of the system," said the WFDY statement, but rather "the only possible result of a system based on exploitation. Capitalism was never, is not, and won't ever be capable of responding to the needs of humankind as whole, as it is based on inequality when sharing resources and wealth."
"I think the WFDY showed great determination by laying out that it is the capitalist system, in its highest imperialist phase, that is responsible for the tremendous inequalities and injustices in the world, and war," Boyden said. "As numerous delegations said, there are many different global charities, humanitarian groups, and liberal‑oriented organizations but WFDY is the only anti-imperialist youth federation."
The Assembly expressed its full solidarity with the peoples of Palestine, Western Sahara, Cuba, Korea, and "all those who fight against imperialism" adding that "this is a daily struggle and demands courage and determination, despite the clear advantage that imperialism has to fight the peoples."
The meeting was also an important step forward for the YCL Canada's continued international relations, Boyden told PV. "We are continuing the work we began at Tshwane. Although we are a small organization among many in Canada that campaign for solidarity with the oppressed people's and nations of the world, we are strengthening relations with progressive‑democratic, national liberation, socialist and communist youth organizations from around the world."
The YCL Canada also made a number of resolutions and contributions to the discussion and resolutions, raising issues like the self‑determination of North American indigenous peoples, the militarization of the Arctic, the Occupy movement in Canada, and the struggles of young women and girls.
The Assembly also elected a new leadership for the Federation. The communist youth of Cyprus, EDON (represented by Dimitris Palmyris) and communist youth of Cuba (represented by Hanoi Sanchez) are the new President and Secretary‑General, respectively. Two vice‑presidents were elected from each region (Europe and North America, North Africa and the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Africa), one to work locally and the other from the WFDY office in Budapest.
The WFDY's 35‑member General Council includes the General Union of Palestinian Students, the Communist Youth of Syria, the United Progressive Youth of Egypt, the Japanese League of Socialist Youth, the Youth Federation of Nepal, the youth of the MPLA Angola, the KSM of Czech Republic, the Communist Youth of Greece, the Young Socialists of Brazil, the Young Socialists of Mexico, and the YCL USA.
The closing ceremony of the Assembly was held at Voz do Operario (Voice of the Worker), where a rally organized by the JCP Portugal was greeted by Jeronimo de Sousa, Secretary-General of the Portuguese Communist Party.
Delegates to the Assembly also marched in a massive general strike of 180,000 Portuguese public sector workers against IMF and EU reforms being forced on the country. Portugal is building towards a general strike at the end of November.
Videos of the demonstration and the Assembly are online at the YCL's site www.Rebelyouth‑magazine.blogspot.com.
(The above article is from the December 1-31, 2011, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)