People's Democracy

WFDY To Heighten Solidarity Campaigns

Tapas Sinha

PREPARATIONS for holding the 17th Assembly of the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) in Hanoi, Vietnam, in March 2007 are in full swing. The finer details of the Assembly, including the preparations, were chalked out at the Coordinate Council meeting of the WFDY which was held in Beirut, Lebanon, during November 17-19, 2006. The Council meeting was hosted by WFDY member organisation, Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth (ULDY).

On behalf of the central executive committee of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), this writer attended the WFDY council meeting and addressed the session.

Evaluating the activities carried out since the last meeting of the WFDY General Council held at Athens, Greece, in May 2006, the Coordinate Council decided on the forthcoming actions and activities to be taken up. As part of its effort to boost the campaign of solidarity with Palestinian and Lebanese people in their resistance against war and occupation, WFDY organised a solidarity visit to the southern suburbs of Beirut, a meeting with General Union of Palestine Students (GUPS) and a visit to Palestinian refugee camps around Beirut.

On the concluding day of the meeting, delegates went straight to Dahir town, just north of the Litani river. Later they visited a few refugee camps in Beirut. It may be recalled one million people became refugees in their own country due to the Israeli aggression. The delegates had a meeting with the Lebanon government minister Kamel Ozagna who explained how the Lebanese people have been resisting Israeli aggression since 1982 and how they could successfully free big part of their territories from occupation. Even in the recent aggression despite using American made cluster bombs and all sorts of missiles the Israelis could not advance in their 33-day war. He lambasted the US designs for Middle East region which was resulting in wars and massacres of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.

We were informed that the Lebanese economy is suffering from a recession and the general debt has been increasing. The unemployment levels have been at unprecedented levels and this is compounded by a serious immigration problem.

UNITE FOR PEACE! 

The resolution passed by the Coordinate Council called upon the youth to unite to fight against wars and for peace. It felt the Middle East region is today rocked by great instability due to the aggressions of US imperialism that is resorting to all means to achieve its goals. The widespread Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Palestine by the war machinery of Israel – actively supported by the United States and its allies – is resulting in the killings and massacres of innocent Lebanese and Palestinian people, destroying their society and economy and devastating their territories. 

The targeting of Syria, Palestine and now Iran by US imperialism as part of its Great Middle East Project under the guise of “fight against terrorism” and “democratisation” is destablising the region like never before. The resolution notes: “Although the struggle for ensuring real democracies for people is a long road ahead, we believe the only way forward is to have the democratisation process flow from the free will of the people and their daily struggle and not by any imperialist intervention that only aims to exploit the people and the natural resources of the region”.

Through the resolution the WFDY expressed its deep solidarity with its Lebanese member organisation and the progressive and patriotic forces in Lebanon, expressing confidence that like before they would resist against the aggression and will defend and preserve the independence, sovereignty and territorial unity of the country.

On the Palestine question, the WFDY reiterated its support to the struggle of Palestinians against the Israeli occupation, for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and for the right of return of Palestinian refugees and the immediate dismantling of the apartheid wall, which Israel is constructing in occupied territories of Palestine. “We consider that all steps to achieve solution to this issue must have as main content the rights of Palestinian people on the basis of the respective UN resolutions. WFDY believes that the way to peace and security for the both peoples is two States for two peoples. We denounce the manoeuvres of Israel to use the demand of releasing captive soldiers in Palestine or Lebanon as pretext for its violent attacks and at the same time keep in jails around 10,000 Arab political prisoners”.

SOLIDARITY WITH RESISTANCE 

WFDY expressed once more its solidarity towards the people and youth of Iraq in their struggle and resistance against imperialist occupation forces. It demanded the immediate withdrawal of US, British and all occupation forces and the preservation of Iraqi sovereignty and unity. The Iraqi people, like all the peoples in the world, have the undeniable right to decide their own future. The WFDY also demanded an immediate end of occupation and withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan. 

The imperialist manoeuvres against DPRK have been incessant, The ambition of the US is to establish its power of control and dominance in the strategically important Korean peninsula. The WFDY called upon the young people of the world to express their solidarity towards Korean youth for the reunification of its country under the principles of independence, peace, national unity and the June 15 North- South Joint Declaration. 

The WFDY congratulated the Nepalese youth, students and political parties for their historic victory in the struggle against the King's dictatorial government. It wished them all success in their ongoing struggle to declare Nepal as a "Democratic Republic State". It demanded the return of all Bhutanese refuges to their country with respect and dignity. It also expressed solidarity with the struggle of student, youth and democratic movements in Myanmar for restoration of democracy. These forces are fighting against the ruling military junta which continues to dent the verdict of the people in successive general elections and continues the repressive actions against the people.

SOLIDARITY WITH KSM 

The WFDY strongly condemned the prohibition of the Communist Youth Union (KSM) in Czech Republic by the Czech government and expressed its strong protest against this draconian measure. It demanded respect for freedom and democracy from the government. “This act of the government is primarily against democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms of which the European Union (EU) claims to be the defender. To perpetuate this anti-democratic crusade, everything is admissible for the capitalist ideological offense –– from comparisons of the progressive and peace-loving organisations of workers, youth and students with the terrorist actions or the heinous crimes carried out by the fascism. We express our profound solidarity with KSM and all the victims of these undemocratic and autocratic assaults. In Czech Republic and all over the world, a solidarity campaign has emerged towards the KSM through the ‘International Campaign for Democratic and Civil Rights and Liberties’ of WFDY. This campaign is going to be reinforced till the retreat of the resolution to prohibit the KSM. We believe that this issue does not concern only the communists but all democratic people, as it comprises a clear attack against the most elementary democratic rights”.