People's Democracy

WE, the delegates of the 15th World Festival of Youth and Students (WFYS) coming from more than 100 countries, representing millions of youth and students associated with hundreds of national, regional and international organisations;

Gathering together in Algeria under the slogan "Let's Globalise the Struggle for Peace, Solidarity, Development, against Imperialism" four years after the successful holding of the 14th WFYS in Cuba, at this first WFYS in the new century, held for the first time in Africa, and in the Arab world;

Basing ourselves on the traditions of the Festival movement, which has always stood for the values of peace, democracy and social progress, which has been the largest platform for international solidarity of world youth and students in the struggles against slavery, colonialism and imperialism, for liberation of all nations and peoples;

Acknowledging with pride the victories of the national and people’s liberation struggles against colonialism, neo-colonialism, fascism and apartheid as well as the numerous achievements of the people's struggle for political, economic and social liberation in the 20th century;

Recalling with pain the suffering of peoples all over the world in the 20th century from the two World Wars and hundreds of other wars, military conflicts, from the aggression, repression and exploitation by colonialism, fascism, racism and all other expressions of imperialism;

Basing ourselves on the fact that today the world peace and the peaceful life of people are endangered by imperialist policies of intervention, occupation and interference, by military build-up and arm race, by terrorism, civil wars, military conflicts and violence, by religious extremism and ethnic conflicts; that the ongoing neo-liberal globalisation dictated by multinationals is imposing economic recolonisation on the developing countries, expanding and intensifying exploitation, widening the gap between the rich and the poor, aggravating the economic and social situation of working people in all parts of the world; that the rights of people in decision-making are still deprived by repression, by force or the power of the rich and monopoly in many societies; that the discrimination against and oppression of women remains a global problems; that the rights of ethnic minorities, indigenous people, migrants, refugees, disabled people and other social groups are still being denied in many parts of the world; that the existence of the humankind today is threatened by the maintaining of nuclear weapons and other environmentally disastrous policies and practices;

Being alarmed by the fact that youth and students are among the most vulnerable and the primary victims of such a situation; that in many countries they are facing serious problems in access to and quality of education, employment, housing, health care, sport, and recreational and cultural activities; that young people are major victims of political and social oppression, poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and other social problems, of the policies of privatisation, commercialisation, depolitisation and deregulation of public programmes and services, labour relation, of wars and military conflicts, violence and repression, environmental destruction; that their rights to association, access to participation in decision-making bodies are denied in many countries;

Being encouraged by the growing awareness and struggles of the people, especially workers, peasants, women, youth and students in many parts of the world during the last four years against neo-liberal globalisation, against imperialist aggression, occupation and interference, embargoes and blockades, for peace, disarmament, independence and self-determination, for sustainable development, democracy and people's political, economic and social rights, for the rights of youth and students;

We do believe that youth and students are not only the future of humankind but also an important motive force to change the world for the better; that they are not only responsible but also capable of transforming societies in the interests of their people;

We do believe in and will strive for the world of peace, a world free from nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, free from all military alliances; for an interdependent world based on the mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, equal relationships between all nations, respect for the right to self-determination, peaceful solutions of all conflicts;

We do believe in and will strive for the development that benefits all human beings and does not reinforce exploitation of peoples and nations; for the international economic relations based on mutual benefit, on the unconditional support and equal opportunity for the less developed countries; for the development that gives first priority to the eradication of hunger, poverty and illiteracy; for development that preserves the environment and does not destroy nature risking the survival of future generations; for the scientific and technological progress that serves the interests of humankind, benefits all human beings and is not monopolised and used for exploitation and domination; for development in which all people have equal access to land and other natural resources in each country;

We do believe in and will strive for the societies in which all women and men are equal regardless of their political, economic, social, religious, ethnic background, sexual orientation; for societies in which women's rights are fully realised; for societies in which the decision-making really belongs to the people and not to the few rich and powerful; for the societies in which all peoples have access to knowledge and information which is not censored, monopolised or manipulated by corporations or any other forces; for societies that guarantee the political, economic and social rights of the poor, ethnic minorities, indigenous people, migrants, disabled people and other social groups; for societies in which all young people can realise the rights to free, public and quality education, decent employment with rights, political participation, health care, sport, and recreational and cultural activities.

We therefore call upon all the youth and students of the world to join together to widen and strengthen our unity and solidarity in the global struggle for these objectives.

We call for actions against US-NATO’s intervention, aggression, occupation and expansion, US "National Missile Defence" programme, US and European Union's interference in any part of the world.

We demand the abolition of all imperialistic military-political alliances and the withdrawal of all foreign bases.

We call for a truly democratic United Nations, which is independent from domination and manipulation by the US, G-8, NATO or any other power.

We call for more intensive actions to stop the imposition of the unjust economic order and anti-people economic policies of WTO, IMF, WB which are dominated and manipulated by US, EU and Japan.

We demand the cancellation of all foreign debts for the underdeveloped countries, implementation of measures of control over financial capital, the implementation of Kyoto agreement on environment.

We express our solidarity with the struggle of Latin American and Caribbean people against Plan Colombia, the FTAA and all other US military and economic offensives, with the people of Cuba and their revolution in the struggle against the illegal blockade, with the people of Puerto Rico in the struggle for their independence, with the people of Colombia searching for solutions to their internal conflicts without foreign intervention, and with the people of Venezuela and their Bolivarian revolution.

We fully support the struggle of Asian people for peace, democracy, development, social justice, against religious extremism, the just struggle of the Korean people for their revolutionary cause and the independent and peaceful reunification of their country; with the struggle of people of Afghanistan for democracy and human rights, against religious fundamentalism; with the people of Burma and Bhutan in their struggle for democracy and human rights; and with the people of Timor Lorosae in the struggle for the fulfilment of their independence.

We express our solidarity with the people of Cyprus in their struggle for reunification of their country and its people, with the people of Yugoslavia and the Balkans struggling against NATO presence and occupation, and with the Kurdish people struggling against their ongoing tragedy.

We reaffirm our strong support of the struggle of African people for democracy, self-determination and sustainable development, and call for the implementation of the "New Africa Initiative" and strengthening of the newly established African Union.

We pledge our support and solidarity with the people of Western Sahara in their struggle to end the Moroccan occupation of their country and call for a free and fair referendum; with the Sudanese people to end the civil war, promote democracy, human rights, social justice, unity and call for lifting of sanctions; with the people of Swaziland for democracy and the repeal of all oppressive laws; with the people of Angola for a peaceful resolution of their internal conflicts; and we demand the withdrawal of all foreign troops in the Great Lakes Region and condemn the involvement of Africa's children in war.

We reiterate our solidarity with the struggle of the Arab people for independence and sovereignty, against occupation and aggression, for liberation of their occupied lands, for their peaceful and dignified life. We reaffirm our solidarity with the struggle of the Arab people to end the racist, Zionist occupation, supported by international imperialism, in all occupied Arab territories in Palestine, Lebanese Shabba Farms and the Syrian Golan in accordance with the respective UN resolutions. We fully support the struggle of Palestinian people for an independent state of Palestine. We strongly condemn the Israeli genocide and massacres against the Arab people especially in Palestine, and demand the return of all Arab refugees to their occupied motherland, and the release of all Arab captives and prisoners in the Israeli prisons.

We also demand the complete lifting of the atrocious blockades imposed on Iraq and Libya and the release of the Libyan political hostages of the illegitimate Lockerby case, and the ending of the occupation of the two Moroccan cities, Sabta and Milila.

We thank Algeria for its generous efforts to successfully hosting this Festival, for its hospitality and friendship. We recognise the significant contribution of the youth and students of Algeria to the world youth to hold high the banner of the festival tradition with all its spirit and solidarity. We appreciate the heroic struggle of Algerian people for national liberation, against colonialism. We support the struggle of Algerian people against terrorism and all foreign intervention. We reaffirm our solidarity with the Algerian people, youth and students in their struggle for peace and national reconciliation, independence and sovereignty, development and dignified life.

We reiterate our determination to uphold the Festival traditions and to strengthen the unity of all progressive and democratic youth and student forces in the struggle for the alternatives in the interests of the people, youth and students, against imperialism. We call upon all youth and student organisations to prepare themselves for active participation in the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students.

The new century will be a time for new victories!