The World Federation of Democratic Youth joins the African region in commemorating the Day of the African Child on June 16 2009. In 1991, the African Union the then Organisation of African Unity declared that June 16 be the Day of the African Child in remembrance of the June 16 1976 when hundreds of black school children in Soweto, South Africa were massacred in cold blood and thousands injured by the racist and imperialist regime when they took to the streets to protest against the inferior quality of their education, and to demand their right to be taught in their own language. Thus therefore June 16th of every year has been commemorated across the African continent as the Day of the African Child.

The World Federation of Democratic Youth hereby calls all progressive youth movements from across the continent to continue exposing such brutal, barbaric and uncouth acts by imperialists. We also note with great concern that in the current global political setup the intervention of imperialists is derailing the progress towards empowering the young people of African nations. We encourage governments to provide local resources for empowerment and shun the conditional meager donations of imperialists.

We therefore urge Governments of African Nations to effectively deal with issues which hinder the progress of child development especially in education, culture, religious, health, child abuse, ending the issue of child soldiers, enabling youths to participate in the economic issues of their nations amongst other issues. The leadership must also engage in robust educational campaigns on the dangers of HIV and AIDS.

We call for an end to the use of children as soldiers in countries, which are currently under war, an end to child trafficking.

The African Commission must encourage some African states that have not ratified African Youth Charter to do so and to enable child representatives to air out their views and concerns on how they expect to be done regarding their needs.

However we strongly encourage governments and concerned youth organizations to educate children the history of their nations as this helps them build a concrete historical background as well as preserving African values and culture.

We wish all Africans living in Africa and the Diaspora a strong commemoration of the Day of African Child 2009 under the Theme “Africa Fit for Children: Call for accelerated action towards their survival”

The World Federation of Democratic Youth, has been following the regretable happenings in Colombia against JUCO, which is being directly related with FARC, making yse of its excelent relations with the Socialist Youth of Norway. This is another demonstration of the coward actions of the imperialist Colombian government, trying to criminalize JUCO, alongside with a major campaing of persecution and murder of its members.

As part of its rights, the Communist Youth of Colombia (JUCO) has developped bounds of cooperation with several organizations around the world and has developped an excelent role as Regional Coordinator of WFDY for Latin America and Caribbean, which has allowed it to increase its international recognition and prestige at the same time as it has actively denounced in all possible places the criminal actions that the Colombian government has taken against all those who struggle to build a better future for Colombia. This is in fact why the government of president Uribe is so keen on taking this campaign against JUCO forward.

WFDY, condemns once again the unfair and criminal campaing of lies, persecution and murder against JUCO, demanging that its rights are all respected. Furthermore, WFDY calls upon all its member and friend organizations to join the solidarity campaigns towards JUCO and condemn the actions of the criminal government of the imperialist administration of Colombia against its own people.