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.
Presidium
Presidium Meeting November 2013
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]
Clarification of the issue of IUSY Congress 2014
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IUSY Presidium statement
clarifying the issue of IUSY Congress 2014
In view of the latest communications and misleading information, IUSY Presidium believes it important for the sake of the organization to clarify the following:
The decision to advance the date of the World Congress has been an internal decision process within the decision-making bodies of our organization. This decision was founded on the concerns, agenda and workload of many organizations, especially European organizations, in view of the upcoming European Elections that would put a lot of pressure on most of our Member Organizations’ agendas for the next year.
In no sense this decision is rooted on the will to change our organization’s leadership structures, but on the will to have a successful Congress where all Member Organizations can be involved to the fullest, regardless their busy agendas.
We have now reached a decision. The upcoming congress is set for end of February in accordance to the democratic voting that took place via email. In no way the decision is questioned from any sides and we are now instead looking forward to a fruitful Congress where we together fight for socialism and democracy for all regardless of country or continent!
Finally, we are proud of the internal democracy in our organization and hope that the next IUSY Congress will be another milestone in the history of the largest youth political organization in the world.
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Declaración del Présidium de la IUSY
para clarificar las cuestión del Congreso Mundial en 2014
En vista de las últimas comunicaciones e informaciones engañosas, el Présidium de la IUSY cree que es importante por el bien de la organización aclarar lo siguiente:
La decisión de adelantar el Congreso Mundial de la IUSY ha sido un proceso de decisión interna en el seno de los órganos de decisión de nuestra organización. Esta decisión se fundamentó en las preocupaciones, agenda y carga de trabajo de muchas de nuestras organizaciones – especialmente de las organizaciones europeas – debido a que próximas las elecciones europeas añadirían presión en el calendario de muchas de nuestras organizaciones de cara al año que viene.
En ningún momento esta decisión se ha fundamentado en la voluntad de cambiar las estructuras de liderazgo de nuestra organización. Se ha fundamentado simplemente en la voluntad de celebrar un buen Congreso en el que todas nuestras organizaciones puedan involucrase al cien por cien, independientemente de sus apretadas agendas.
Ahora hemos tomado una decisión. El Congreso será a finales de febrero de 2014 de acuerdo con el proceso de votación democrático que ha tenido lugar por correo electrónico. De ninguna manera la decisión se ha cuestionado por ninguna de las partes y tenemos ya la vista puesta en celebrar un Congreso exitoso en el que podamos luchar por el socialismo y la democracia sin importar el país o el continente.
Finalmente, estamos orgullosos de la democracia interna de nuestra organización y esperamos que el próximo Congreso de la IUSY sea una nueva piedra angular en la historia de esta organización que es la organización juvenil política más grande del mundo.
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Déclaration du Présidium de la IUSY
en clarifient la question du Congrès de la IUSY 2014
À la suite des dernières communications et des informations trompeuses, le Présidium de la IUSY estime qu’il est important pour le bien de l’organisation de clarifier ce qui suit:
La décision d’avancer la date du Congrès mondial a été prise moyennant un processus décisionnel au sein des organes décideurs de notre organisation. Cette décision a été fondée sur les préoccupations, l’agenda et la charge de travail de nombreux organismes, en particulier les organisations européennes, dans la perspective des prochaines élections européennes, qui ont mis beaucoup de pression sur la plupart des agendas de nos organisations membres pour l’année prochaine .
En aucun façon cette décision se fonde sur la volonté de changer les structures de direction de notre organisation, mais sur la volonté d’avoir un Congrès réussi, où toutes les Organisations membres peuvent être impliqués au maximum, indépendamment de leur charge de travail.
Nous sommes maintenant parvenus à une décision. Le prochain congrès est prévu pour fin Février, conformément au vote démocratique qui a eu lieu par email. En aucun cas la décision est remise en question d’aucun côté et maintenant nous avons hâte d’avoir un congrès fructueux où nous pouvons nous battre ensemble pour le socialisme et une démocratie pour tous, indépendamment des pays ou des continents!
Enfin, nous sommes fiers de la démocratie interne de notre organisation et nous espérons que le prochain Congrès IUSY sera une autre importante étape franchie dans l’histoire de la plus grande organisation politique de la jeunesse du monde.
Signed by IUSY Présidium members:
Viviana Piñeiro (Uruguay) – Beatriz Talegón (Spain) – Rosa Isabel Montero Torres (Colombia) – Maybel Htoo (Burma) – Ana Pirtskhalava (Georgia) – Senia Bachir Abderahman (Western Sahara) – Boris Ginner (Austria) – Sam Muyizzi (Uganda) – Hanin Khoury (Palestine) – Srdjan Subotic (Croatia) – Tim Schlosser (Germany) – Felipe Jeldres (Chile) – Johana Ortega (Paraguay) – Evin Incir (Sweden) – Asmund Aukrust (Norway) – Roberta Capone (Italy) – Alejandro Encinas (Mexico) – Kah Woh Wong (Malasya) – Mikail Baguian (Burkina Faso) – Nimrod Barnea (Israel)
IUSY Study Visit ‘Western Sahara Conflict’
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.
Syria: Peace Conference instead of War!
IUSY is deeply concerned about the current war plans of the US and allies. Nobel Peace Prize Winner Obama and the EU must focus on a political solution in Syria – prevent escalation!
Read here the full statement from the IUSY Presidium:
IUSY World Council 2013
8-9 May 2013, Dortmund, Germany
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More than 100 delegates from 65 organizations from all around the world gathered in Dortmund for the IUSY World Council 2013. The World Council was marked by intense discussions on recent political events, updates to our political agenda and membership recommendations to the upcoming IUSY World Congress 2014.
After intensive and fruitful discussions the delegates at the Council adopted a series of political resolutions hightlighting the IUSY standpoint on important global challenges of today.
For the first time in the history of the organization, the Council unanimously passed a joint resolution put forward by the UJSARIO (Western Sahara) and the Ittihadia Youth (Morocco) calling for a peaceful and just solution to allow for the self-determination of Western Sahara through the implementation of a UN-supervised referendum. A study visit to both organizations and countries is also planned for September 2013. Another joint resolution put forward by comrades from Germany, Israel and Palestine and unanimously adopted gives unequivocal support for the two-state solution and an end to Israeli settlements in Palestine as the basis for allowing a peace and stability to take hold in the region.
Workers Youth Festival
The IUSY World Council was connected to the Workers Youth Festival that took place in Dortmund, Germany, from 9 to 12 May right after the Council. The Festival brought together more than 3000 young political activists from Germany, Europe and the World to celebrate 150 years of workers movement in Germany and gave inspiration to our movement for the future.
Check out the Video and the Pictures from the Festival.
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» Political Report by the IUSY President
» Organizational Report by the IUSY Secretary General
» Financial Report by the IUSY Control Commission
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Solidarity with the People in Egypt
The revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa that started in 2011 sent a clear message all around the world that dictators and authoritarian regimes can and will fall. People will never except living under oppression. The popular and peaceful struggles, not least in Egypt, showed that everything is possible through unity, organizing and peaceful means.
Now, two years after the beginning of the revolution, the situation is still worrying in Egypt. Even though elections have been held and a constitution has been adopted the situation is far away from stable. The winners of the elections, Muslim Brotherhood and their president candidate Mohamed Morsi, have in many cases neglected the will of the people and the political condition is alarming concerning the democratic, social as well as the economic situation. This is also the reason for the continuous demonstrations and uprisings in the country.
We, the International Union of Socialist Youth, urge President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood to accommodate the will of the people and find unity. Sustainable development and sustainable peace can be reached, but only through using the political power to strengthen democracy and establishing a political system that gives the people of Egypt the possibility to fulfill their dreams. Democracy, Freedom and Equality can be reality, but it requires a political will.
IUSY Presidium
Protests in Turkey 2013
In support of all peace seeking and democratic forces in Turkey
The International Union of Socialist Youth is following the situation in Turkey with great concern. Turkey has for long had a democratic deficit and over the last years the situation has gotten worse. The ruling AKP government has in many ways limited and tried to limit freedom of speech, freedom of religion and freedom of press. Turkey has many journalists imprisoned and imprisons more political activists than any other country.
What started out as a demonstration against turning down a green area in Gezi Park, Taksim, Istanbul, for a shopping mall has now lead to an uprising all around the country, bringing together a wide coalition of Turks, Kurds, Alevits, Sunni, women, homosexuals and elderly after an unprovoked violent attack by the police using water cannons and tear gas. People have had enough and ask for what should be obvious everywhere and all the time: Democracy, Freedom and Equality.
We as the youth of Socialist and Social Democratic parties all around the world support our member organizations CHP Youth, the youth of BDP and all other peace seeking and democratic forces in Turkey in their struggle. We therefore call for an immediate intervention by the UN to demand permanent stop to the police violence, which has led to thousands of people getting injured and at least 3 persons killed. The excessive use of water cannons, tear gas and peppers spray must be criminalized. The Turkish PM Erdogan must immediately accommodate the demonstrators’ demands and at the same time work for a constitution that, unlike the current one, embraces multiculturalism, different religions and multi ethnicity.
Turkey needs to move towards more democracy and not the opposite. The changes need to encompass all people regardless of ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender.
Finally, we want to express our deepest condolences to the family of Abullah Cömert, a member of CHP, and all other activists who lost their lives in the struggle against restrictions on freedom of speech and religion.
In Solidarity!
IUSY Presidium