By Region

JSE declarations in favour of women’s right to choose

IUSY Secretariat

The past 20th of December, the Government of Spain approved in its Council of Ministers a draft of a law that threatens the right of women to choose and looks to push them towards maternity without taking their wishes into account.

» SIGN NOW «

The Draft of the “Organic Law for the Protection of the Life of the Conceived and the Rights of the Pregnant Woman” is the most serious attack on Spanish women in the last 30 years. The Popular Party looks exclusively to satisfy its most retrograde and conservative electorate, a veritable fundamentalist lobby willing to do whatever it takes to quench their sectarianism. The right to choose and sexual and reproductive rights are fundamental rights that should be defended and promoted through an egalitarian education. The Government, instead of prioritizing the general interest and coexistence within the constitutional framework, has adopted the unacceptable attitude of legislating on the basis of religious morality, undermining the decision-making capacity of women.

After many years, in 2010, Spain managed to distinguish itself in the defense of civil rights with a pioneering Law on Deadlines on a global scale. A law that managed to generate a wide consensus in Parliament, with the exception of the Popular Party, as well as among health and legal professionals for its support of sexual and reproductive education and for its advances in its treatment of women within the democratic system. This broad consensus was superseded by a draft law that the Government has only agreed upon with the Episcopal Conference.

The actual Law on Deadlines is based on basic principles like the respect for women and their life – with specific support provided by professionals specialized in the subject matter from infancy to maturity. It is a preventative law, with legal and health guarantees for women, does not discriminate on the basis of economic capacity, and the immense majority has not asked for its reform. On the contrary, the draft law segregates on account of the need to pay for travel to other countries in order to achieve what is denied at home, or provokes clandestine and unsafe abortions, and places us at a disadvantage with respect to the legislation of our European neighbourhood.

Repealing the Law on Deadlines is a social regression and a risk for us. The regulation that they want to impose not only will not reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, but will also increase the suffering of women who find themselves in this situation. The PP government wants to convert into a crime for all what is simply a sin for some. In 1995, the United Nations in its “Action Platform of Beijing” declared that the human rights of women include their right to exercise choice and decide freely and responsibly with regards to their own sexuality, including their sexual and reproductive health. It called on all countries to elaborate legislation guaranteeing these rights. Contrary to this, the new “Law for the Protection of the Life of the Conceived and the Rights of the Pregnant Woman” only permits then interruption of pregnancies in two cases, rape and risk of death for the mother. Where is the power to choose if it is the correct moment to be a mother? Currently, laws specifying deadlines exist in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden and Portugal. Europe today looks to Spain scandalized by a counter-reform that supposes an incomprehensible restriction of liberty and a return to situations prior to the Law of 1985.

For all these reasons, and on account of this latest blow, the Socialist Youth of Spain declares:

  • Our volition to defend liberty and the right of women to choose over their own body and motherhood. We will not accept that they be once more treated as citizens incapable of deciding after so many years of struggle. Women are qualified to decide in a free society and we will not permit that this right be taken away.
  • We will not give our consent to the Partido Popular continuing to interfere in the autonomy of women, looking exclusively to return them to their homes. We fight for a dignified society, living together in equality, and without part of the citizenry being submitted to the dictates and decisions of the other part.
  • We defend the right to choose of women and support the current Law on Deadlines, which is being applied with total normality. Its repeal does not respond to a social demand, but rather to sectarian and exclusionary interests.
  • We will promote our oppositin to this draft law within the international community, especially in Europe, asking our comrades, deputies, and European leaders to disseminate news of this unreasonable attack on liberties that our country is suffering.
  • Ultimately, we will exhaust all the means that are necessary to demand the justice with which Spanish women deserve to be treated and to block this frontal and direct assault on their autonomy. We will not stop until we have deterred all those operations that seek to develop a tyrannical model based on their archaic ultraconservative thought.

Mediterranean Committee 2013

IUSY Secretariat

The IUSY Mediterranean Committee met from the 19th to the 22nd of December 2013 in Paphos, a beautiful city in the south-east of Cyprus. The main points on the agenda were discussions about the Cyprus Issue and the Syrian Revolution. Besides this the participants of the Study Visit in Morocco and the Western Sahara territory  shared their experiences. During the Committee Meeting also an AUSY Meeting was held.

 

 #Cyprus Solution: Federal State

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#Conflict Sahara: Dialogue and Solidarity @IUSY_Global

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» Check out the pictures from the Committee Meeting

IUSY Study Visit “North Cyprus”

IUSY Secretariat

17 – 19 December 2013, Lefkoşa (North Cyprus)

Due to a membership application of the CTP Youth IUSY carried out a study visit to the North of Cyprus in order to explore and observe the situation of the conflict on the ground and strengthen the joint work of our organizations in Cyprus. During the visit the delegates had the chance to meet and exchange with various activists and representatives from the CTP Youth and their mother party. The study visit was hosted and coordinated by the CTP Youth of Cyprus interested in becoming a future IUSY Member Organization.

Program

The study visit started on Tuesday evening with a welcoming dinner, where our delegation had the chance to discuss the current political situation in North Cyprus with various members of the parliament from the CTP. On Wednesday morning Urun Solyali held an interesting presentation of the CTP Youth. After a typical Cypriot lunch our delegation met with the Foreign Minister from North Cyprus Özdil Nami. Main topic of the meeting was the current level of the negotiations between the North and South Cyprus. In a following round table with the former President of North Cyprus Mehmet Ali Talat the delegation got to know an historical point of view of the Cyprus conflict. Also the Thursday morning started with an interesting round table with a former member of the Assembly of North Cyprus Mustafa Yektaoglu. The main focus of the discussion was the question if petrol and gas at the Mediterranean are tools for peace or tension. After this fruitful discussion our delegation was received by the Prime Minister Özkan Yorgancioglu. This very interesting study visit was concluded by visiting the Parliament of North Cyprus and having a short coffee break with the former Prime Minister of North Cyprus Sibel Siber. Many Thanks to the CTP Youth for the invitation and this amazing study visit!

As the reception with the Prime Minister attracted media interest,
you can find some press articles (in Turkish) here:
» http://www.basbakanlik.gov.ct.tr/
» http://www.kibrishaber.com/

» Check out more pictures from the Study Visit here

Support for our Comrades in Philippines

IUSY Secretariat

Our thoughts and hearts, in this difficult time, are with our comrades in Akbayan Youth and all the people of Philippines.

Typhoon Haiyan has, until now, quenched the life of thousands and affected millions of people by leaving many without  shelter or proviants. The challenges are enormous and the country is in great need of urgent aid to minimize the already huge damage made by the typhoon. IUSY, therefore, urges all its member organizations to take part by donating through Active Citizenship Foundation:

Active Citizenship Foundation

Address: 34D, Matulungin street, Bgy Central, Quezon City, Philippines, Account number: 1991-0024-95, Swift code: BOPIPHMM, Address: Bank of the Philippines Islands, 114 Kalayaan Avenue, Queson City, Philippines, Paypal donation: www.acf.org.ph

Typhoon Haiyan is sadly one of many realities of what climate change means in practice. We as human beings have been part of creating this unsustainable development through our actions, and we are the ones that must change it. Without a change in our ways of living and without the countries taking their responsibility, we and the coming generation will face more uncertain future.

One of the main reasons behind the rapid climate change lays on the growing releases of greenhouse gases. IUSY, therefore, calls for strengthened system of global democracy in order to halt climate change. A better world is possible, but it requires political will from the international community to act. The future is being created today. The political solutions must, therefore, be implemented now. We need a system built upon sustainable development, humanity and solidarity, and not short term economic interests, which are being prioritized in the current capitalist system.

In Solidarity,

IUSY

American Committee 2013

IUSY Secretariat

This year’s American Committee Meeting took place from the 07th till the 10th of November 2013 in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Committee Meeting started on Thirsday with an International Seminar in cooperation with Friedrich Erbert foundation focusing on the Political youth and its challenges, Youth policies in the region, The role of youth and youth organizations in the achievements of the Frente Amplio Government in the extension of citizens’ rights and The challenges of the third Frente Amplio Government. Under the headline ‘Being Young is not a Crime! – against criminalization and stigmatization of youth’ a successful Committee Meeting took place in the following two days. Besides the meetings all participants had the chance to attend guided tours through the Parliament of Uruguay and the City of Montevideo.

» Check out the Pictures here

Presidium Meeting November 2013

IUSY Secretariat

In connection with the American Committee Meeting the Presidium Meeting took place from the 5th till the 7th of November 2013 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Main topics of the meeting were the upcoming IUSY World Congress and World Festival in 2014. Furthermore the Presidium members produced a video claiming for a reform in the Socialist International.

IUSY continues to claim the reform in the SI

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50tE9C4T7jI[/tube]

» Check out the Pictures here

 

University on Youth and Development

IUSY Secretariat

We’re in this together!
Youth of the Crisis- Jointly for societies of opportunities for all!
22-29 September, Mollina (Spain)

In the framework of the University IUSY was organizing a training with a view to to equip young people with a deeper understanding of the circumstances in which they are living and to help them formulating responses to the main common challenges, explore ways for (joint) action, and discuss best practice examples (e.g. existing campaigns, etc.).

 Youth is at the front line of the global economic and financial crisis, facing the immediate consequences of austerity policies and bearing the brunt of the crisis. The result is a loss of prospects for young people due to high rates of youth unemployment, precarious working conditions, the reform of social security systems – and hence a loss of autonomy. This not only leaves increasing numbers of young people disenchanted with politics but at the same time this situation favours the receptiveness for seemingly easy solutions to the crisis – often coming in form of right wing populism and re-nationalization of the political debate.

This training was addressed to IUSY young activists with a view to strengthen their capacity and efficiency – providing the participants with the knowledge and a common strategy participating in the political process and public debate in their societies and in our shared political spaces on regional and global level.

mollina

» Check out more pictures here

IUSY Study Visit ‘Western Sahara Conflict’

IUSY Secretariat

During the last IUSY World Council in May 2013, IUSY committed itself to carry out a study visit in September 2013 to the Morocco and the Western Sahara territory in order to explore and observe the situation of the conflict on the ground and strengthen the joint work of our organizations.

During the visit the delegates had the chance to meet and exchange with various activists and representatives from our member organizations, political mother parties, local authorities and civil society organizations. The study visit was jointly hosted and coordinated by the IUSY Member Organizations ‘Jeunesse de la Union Socialiste des Forces Populaires’ (J Ittihadiya, Morocco) and ‘Unión de Juventudes de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro’ (UJSARIO, Western Sahara).

Program

Starting point of the mission was Rabat, the capital of Morocco, where the delegation went for a series of talks with many Moroccan officials, including the presidents of the National Human Rights Council (CNDH), the Economic and Social Council and the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs (CORCAS) as well as with leaders of the USFP. After Rabat, the delegation visited Laayoune, Dakhla and Boujdour to meet members of local associations, local officials and elected representatives as well as pro-POLISARIO / pro-independence activists and delegates of organizations.

The mission concluded with a visit to the Saharawi Refugee Camps close to Tindouf. During the stay at the refugee camps the delegation had the opportunity to conduct a series of meetings with local authorities, leaders of POLISARIO as well as associations and engaged Saharawi youth. Amongst others the delegation met with Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of SADR and General Secretary of POLISARIO, Ada Ahmim, Governor of Smara, M’hamed Kadad, Member of POLISARIO and coordinator with MINURSO, the UNMS (Saharwi women’s organization), and human rights organizations active in the camps.