Last Sunday, November 15, WFDY organized an international seminar in Paris, France, under the slogan: “The crisis of capitalism and the attacks to the rights of youth will be defeated by the anti-imperialist struggle!”

Below you can read the final declaration of this event:

Final declaration

The 37 national and international organizations that took part in WFDY seminar “The crisis of capitalism and the attacks to the rights of the youth will be defeated by the anti-imperialist struggle!”, in the Headquarters of the French Communist Party, on November 15, 2009, deeply analyzed the current situation of the youth of the world.

The diverse and rich contributions of the participants lead to the common conclusion that, despite local and regional differences, the threats of imperialism are, today, more than ever, alive and having its impact on the everyday life of the young people.

Particularly under the umbrella of the international capitalist crisis, the imperialist blackmail upon the youth and workers has deeply increased, which has deepened the already exisiting social phenomena as: narrowing of the access to education (due to its parcial or full privatization), precariousness, unemployment, poverty, misery (both hidden and explicit) and starvation. The plans elaborated by imperialists and the forces of capital within the international organizations (IMF, EU, OECD, etc.) aims to protect their profits by loading the crisis and its consequences on the peoples. We reject the ideas of the “humanization”, “better administration” of imperialism, since these ideas have only one target: to mislead the peoples frustration and struggle from the need to imperialism to be overthrown.

Furthermore, the imperialist order, lead by USA, European Union and Japan, has continued its manouvers of militarization and threat, creating the political and military field for new military operations. The increasing number of soldiers and extension of NATO mission in Afghanistan (country where other forces before promoted by imperialism are contributing to the current situation lived by the people), the constant blackmailing operations against Iran and DPRK, the expansion of NATO and the new military concept of the EU present in the recently revived Reform Treaty, the new seven military bases to be implemented in Colombia together with the reactivation of the USA 4th Fleet and deploy of more soldiers in the French Guyana, the reinforcement of the USA military bases in Botswana and the steps to implement the AFRICOM project by USA are just some few evidences of many possible that leave not doubt about the present moment and militaristic strategy of USA, which is continuing by the new Obama administration and whatever cosmetic manoeuvres the imperialist media and other tools may attempt to create confusion among the peoples of the world.

The imperialist agenda extends to the eastern shores of Africa in the Indian Ocean where several countries deployed their troops to protect the commercial ships from the alleged attacks of the pirates coming from Somalia. US, France, Britain and others have deployed their fleet their in addition to surveillance planes and troops. Also in the Mediterranean Israel continues its piracy over civil and commercial ships under the pretext of fighting smuggling of arms to neighbouring countries and organizations. Its navy is spreading throughout the eastern Mediterranean and also reaches the Red Sea on several occasions.

At the same time the intra-imperialist rivalries for the control of markets, natural resources and their routes, are evolving. Huge areas all over the world such as Eastern Europe, Balkans, Middle East, Africa and Latin America have become the field of such rivalries between the ruler imperialist forces USA and EU and new rising powers such as Russia. It is a proof that the so called “multi polar” world is a world of sharpened intra-imperialist contradictions far from peoples’ needs.

As part of our common analysis, the participants of this seminar observe the increasing of restrictions to democratic rights, particularly by anti-communist action and propaganda. The myths created by imperialism that aim to make the young generations to believe that the communist ideology is the same as the racist, anti-democratic and militaristic ideology of fascism (which is, in fact, supported by imperialism), are a sign that what imperialism fears the most is the capability of people to think for themselves and to create the conditions for organizing the struggle for their liberation. An example of this is the continuous shameful campaign of distortion of the History and the role of the communist and progressive forces conquering youth rights, namely by the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall of Berlin.

This international seminar has also focused on several concrete cases of important struggles developped by the young people of those countries, as Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, Western Sahara, Zimbabwe, DPRK and Cyrpus, which demand the full solidarity of all the anti-imperialist young people of the world.

The capitalist crisis is a proof of the system’s weakness. Young people should take advantage and courage at this weakness by strengthening their anti-imperialist struggle.

Finally, the participants in this seminar of WFDY agreed that, despite the adverse context, there are also signs of hope, and the reinforcement of the anti-imperialist forces, disregard whether they are ruling forces in their countries or not, are a demonstration that it is worth to keep struggling. In this frame, the implementation of WFDY campaing “Against military bases and occupation armies, the struggle is the way for victory!” is valuable tool that should be used in favor of the reinforcement of the struggle of each organization, both at national and international level.

The General Council of WFDY, its main organ between Assemblies, held its meeting in Havana, Cuba, on May 8 and 9. The meeting was highly participated by WFDY member organizations from all the regions of the world.

Al Shabeeba Bahrain, AISF India, CJC Spain, CL/YS UK, DYUS Syria, DNYF Nepal, EDON Cyprus, FEU Ecuador, FMLN Salvador, HCMCYU Vietnam, Istiqlal Morocco, JCP Portugal, JCV Venezuela, JJCC Chile, JLSY Japan, JMPLA Angola, JPL Brazil, JS Morocco, JUCO Colombia, KISSYL DPRK, KNE Greece, MJCF France, PNPYO Jamaica, RYU Syria, SDAJ Germany, SFPYO Sri Lanka, SKMRF Russia, SSU Sri Lanka, TKPY Turkey, UDY Jordan, ULDY Lebanon, UJC Brazil, UJC Cuba, UJC Uruguay, UJCE Spain, UJS Brazil, UJSARIO Western Sahara, UNEA Algeria, VYF Vietnam, YCL Canada, YCL USA, YS New Zealand and YS USA were the organizations that actively participated in fraternal and deep discussion on how to tackle the problems of the youth of the world and its main root: imperialism.

From the report of activities it was highlighted the very rich and broad activity of WFDY and the demanding calendar attended by the HQ, as well as the important steps regarding the communication and media of WFDY, namely by its renewed website the regular bulletin WFDY News.

The discussion on the 17^th World Festival of Youth and Students was very deep in the need to keep the anti-imperialist character of the WFYS. The meeting reaffirmed the possibility of still being possible to have a massive, broad based, self-financed, anti-imperialist WFYS in the year of 2010.

From the ambitious plan of action discussed and approved during the GCM, there are three aspects that deserve particular highlight: 1) WFDY Summer Event “We will defeat imperialism!” (Voluntary work brigades and seminars), to take place in July and August, in Cuba, and to which all organizations should do their deepest efforts to mobilize; 2) WFDY campaign against imperialist military bases and occupation armies, to start this August, and which should be creatively implemented by all WFDY members as it will, at the same time, be developed by WFDY internationally; 3) WFDY missions to the hotspots of the World, such as Western Sahara, Palestine and Colombia, among others.

The meeting analyzed and took deep steps on reinforcing the structure of WFDY and its anti-imperialist character, as meeting point of the struggles of the youth of the whole world. Once again, all present organizations affirmed that, despite the difficulties and obstacles, just as 64 years before (when the peoples’ defeated the Nazism and Fascism) it is possible to reach victory and build a world of peace, solidarity and social justice!

In the frame of the meeting all delegates took also part in the 2^nd International Solidarity Meeting for the Freedom of 5 Cuban Heroes and, alongside with 200 hundred international delegates more, solidarity was shown for the freedom of these 5 Cuban people that are unfairly kept in jail in USA and against the USA economical blockade on Cuba.

WFDY holds its next General Council (GC) meeting in Havana Cuba on May 8-9, 2009. The meeting is supposed to discuss and evaluate the Report of activities of WFDY for the past year 2008, and also approve a new plan of action for the current year.

In the new plan of action, WFDY will continue some of its actions like the update contacts campaign to have a renewed list of members that are in the daily life of WFDY. WFDY will also discuss a new international campaign against imperialist military basis, occupation troops and NATO policies. The meeting will set the plans for this campaign with suggested events and dates. WFDY will approve its summer events that will be celebrated also in Havana, Cuba in July and August in solidarity with the Cuban revolution and against NATO on its 60^th anniversary. The meeting will also discuss new developments related to the 17^th World Festival of Youth and Students reaffirming its character as an anti-imperialist mass event.

After the meeting, WFDY will organize several solidarity events with the 5 Cuban heroes detained in the USA. The events will occur on May 11 and 12, 2009, with very broad international and local participation. The issue of those heroes has become an international issue where tens of organizations around the globe show their solidarity till their freedom out of US political detention.

WFDY notes the importance of the wide participation confirmed till now in the GC and the solidarity events that reaches more than 50 organizations. It will be another important moment in the life of WFDY and will help to reinforce its bodies, daily life and future plan.