Young Socialists from the border-regions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands met this weekend in Maastricht, Netherlands, to strengthen their concrete cooperation accross borders.
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
Repression of Opposition in Equatorial Guinea
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IUSY is publishing a statement of the Social Democratic opposition in Equatorial Guinea – Convergencia para la Democracia Social (CPDS) – condemning the latest repression against the opposition forces. With massive police presence and preemptive detentions the regime is trying to oppress mass protests organized by the opposition, calling for the reintroduction of basic liberties and improved social conditions. Protesting activists of the IUSY Member Organization J CPDS were detained by police and held captive.
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» Comunicado primeras detenciones de dirigentes de CPDS (ESPANOL)
» Communique premieres arrestations de dirigents de CPDS (FRANCAIS)
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Arrest of Activists
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IUSY is publishing a statement by Fatah Youth, our member organization from Palestine, condemning the arrest of 20 activists from the organization. Among the arrested was the General Secretary of the Fatah Youth in Palestine, Mohammad Matar, and Fatah Youth leaders in occupied Jerusalem Sami Ghalie and Thaer Anees.
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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
Solidarity with the Greek People
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Avanti Europe is leading a campaign called Solidarity with the people of Greece: for a revision of austerity policies. We encourage everyone to act to prevent the situation in Greece from becoming a humanitarian catastrophe and make sure that the same remedy is not applied to other weak economies.
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» Sign the online petition: Avanti Europe. On 9 May 2013, the results of the petition will be submitted to the “Troika.” [/ezcol_1third_end]
World Social Forum 2013
Secretary general, Beatriz Talegón, is going to represent IUSY at the World Social Forum (WSF) which will be held in Tunis from 26 to 30 March. This is the first time the WSF will be held in an Arab country and, moreover, in the country where the Arab Spring toppled the first dictator. Activists the world over agree that global finance undermines democracy and are set to blast austerity.
Statement by NSF on Violence Against Women
IUSY is publishing a statement by the National Salvation Front (NSF), in which the Egyptian Social Democratic Party (ESDP) is a member, about the escalation of violence against women in the country in the last few months. The struggle for women’s rights is taking place all over the world and we encourage progressive forces to stand in solidarity with this struggle.
24 March 2014
The last few months have witnessed an unprecedented escalation in the severity of assaults on women and their rights in Egypt. While violence against women is part and parcel of the violence meted out to Egyptian citizens now by a brutal regime bent on aborting the revolution and breaking the spirit of protesters using all means possible, it is nevertheless pertinent to address the attacks directed against women in particular as it is practiced on more than one level and manifested in various forms, namely:
1- The marked increase in the frequency and level of physical violence against women, which reached its peak on the 25th of January 2013, when a large number of women were subjected to sexual assaults in the vicinity of Tahrir square. The violence continued against women and women activists, the last case being the assault on the activist, Mervat Moussa who was attacked in front of the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood.
2-The deliberate marginalization of national structures that uphold women’s rights, using all different means, the targeting of distinguished national figures with malicious rumours with the aim of spreading confusion and unrest, and last but not least, the launch of initiatives that undermine existing national structures.
3-The loud calls for withdrawal from international conventions and treatises ratified by Egypt, particularly as regards conventions that protect women’s rights, a direction with potentially grave consequences for women and a direct negative impact on the regional and international standing of Egypt.
4-The dissemination of discourses that incite hatred and resentment against women and that rupture the fabric of society, while the perpetrators enjoy impunity as the ruling regime turns a blind eye.
Therefore, the National Salvation Front
1- Condemns all forms of violence against women and considers all such acts as systematic crimes against all Egyptians.
2-Pledges solidarity with all Egyptian women who are victims of all forms of assaults.
3-Commits to taking measures to prosecute perpetrators of violence before Egyptian courts as well as international courts.
4-Calls on the President of Egypt and state institutions to assume their responsibility in protecting men and women.
5-Rejects the initiative entitled “supporting Egyptian women’s rights and freedom” launched by President Mohamed Morsi today.
6-Rejects all attempts by the regime to withdraw from Egypt’s commitments to international conventions and treatises, particularly as regards women and human rights.
7-Announces the establishment of a permanent committee in the NSF to defend women’s rights and to counter the violence directed against them.
Long live Free Egypt.