People's Democracy

WFDY Seminar On Youth And Unemployment

Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee at the seminar

THE two-day meeting of Asia-Pacific Regional Committee of World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), a world body of youth founded in 1945 committed to work for issues primarily concerning youth-employment, education, peace and unity, concluded in New Delhi on September 11 with an international seminar on ‘Youth and Employment’ held at India International Centre. 

Lok Sabha speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, participated in the seminar as the chief guest. While expressing concern about the aggravating unemployment scenario in the context of Asia-Pacific region in particular and the world over in general the speaker said that large-scale unemployment was one of the principal causes for mass poverty and poorer quality of living everywhere. Complimenting WFDY for its work and efforts, he said only through concerted national endeavors can we effectively harness the full potential of youth –– the most important human resource of a nation. Chatterjee called upon the youth to shun their apathy to politics and come forward to shoulder their responsibility by bringing the issues facing the youth among the central concerns of governance. 

The keynote of the seminar was placed by the coordinator of Asia-Pacific Region of WFDY and DYFI general secretary Tapas Sinha.

In this two-day meeting, international delegates from Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Portugal and delegation from WFDY headquarters in Hungary and delegates from India discussed the issues on the agenda in detail. Apart from discussion on review of activities of member organisations, the delegates placed and discuss the reports about the political developments in their respective countries. The meeting expressed its concern about the recent developments in the Middle East, particularly Palestine and Lebanon. While strongly condemning the Israeli aggression on these nations, they expressed solidarity with the people struggling against the US-Israel nexus. On its part the DYFI, which is one of the important members of WFDY, gave Rs 1,00,000 to the Palestine Solidarity Fund. The general secretary of DYFI Tapas Sinha handed over this fund to WFDY vice-president Uday Raj Pandey. The committee congratulated the people of Nepal, particularly the youth, for their successful and glorious victory and expressed its solidarity for their resolve for a democratic republic of Nepal.

The two-day meeting gave a call to observe:

• November 10, 2006, the 61st Foundation day of WFDY, as Palestine and Lebanon Solidarity day.

• November 25, 2006 as anti-terrorism day.

• February 21, 2007 as mother language day

• March 14, 2007 as ‘right to education for all’ day

• March 23, 2007 as anti-imperialist day and

• April 10, 2007 as anti-unemployment day.

The Asia-Pacific regional meeting also passed the following resolutions unanimously:

• Against imperialism and war, 

• Against Terrorism, 

• Expressing Solidarity with Palestinian and Lebanese people, 

• Democracy and Human Rights in Pakistan, 

• Congratulating the people of Nepal on their victory and 

• Employment and education.(INN)