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p The emergence of the world socialist system after the Second World War, the achievements made by the Soviet Union and other socialist countries, the growth of the national-liberation movement, the aggravation of imperialism’s internal socio-economic and political contradictions and many other factors roused broad sections of the working and young people to vigorous action and created favourable conditions for the growth of the Communist parties’ influence among the masses and for a new flourishing of the international communist and democratic youth movement.

p Young people are beginning to realise with increasing clarity that capitalism is organically incapable of solving its basic problems. That is why, together with the working class, which has established itself in all the continents as the main social force of modern society, they are actively participating in the everyday struggle which the Communist and Workers’ parties, trade unions, May 31, 1970. Moscow. Opening of the World Youth Rally called
“Leninism and the Young People’s Struggle for Peace, National
Independence, Democracy and Social Progress" 225 women’s organisations, and other workers’ progressive organisations are waging for the solution of urgent problems.

p The young communist leagues, which in several countries, including Britain, France and Italy, have turned into mass militant organisations enjoying high prestige among the young democrats, are in the vanguard of those fighting for the young people’s interests. The youth leagues are growing and consolidating their ranks in Austria and Norway. The young Communists are waging a difficult underground struggle for their rights in Spain, Portugal, Greece and other countries where they are subject to constant persecution.

p The young people, who are beginning to understand what is the root of all evil, are determined to settle accounts with the bourgeoisie. Young people in various countries are steadily increasing their political activities in the struggle for democracy and progress. These activities are part of the general struggle being waged by the working people and the democratic forces.

p Seeing that young people would soon be “ social dynamite" for capitalism, the US Government is taking all possible measures to distract their attention from acute social problems and the workers’ active struggle. No wonder that when he became president, Richard Nixon announced the establishment of a department for young people at the White House as early as February, 1969. The task of this department is to study youth problems and make proposals for solving them.

p The mass participation of young people in all spheres of struggle against imperialism and reaction, for better living and labour conditions and 226 greater political rights, shows that they belong to the Left-wing forces and are helping the revolution.

p To confuse world public opinion and justify the domination of the underdeveloped countries, US Government circles are increasingly referring to the “mass infiltration" of Communists, who are^ allegedly inciting young people to riot and overthrow the government, into the youth movement in the Latin American countries.

p The courageous struggle which the young students in Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay are waging against the dictatorial regimes, the young people’s constant battle in Panama for the reestablishment of the country’s sovereignty over the Canal Zone, the young people’s anti- imperialist protests in Colombia and the Colombian students’ attempt to burn the hateful US flag during demonstrations do not speak of "communist infiltration”. On the contrary, they go to show that US imperialism, the suppressor of freedom, democracy and man’s basic rights, has penetrated into the countries of Latin America.

p The growth of young people’s political awareness, and their choice of socialism in the main dispute of the century between socialism and capitalism, are the result of the objective contradictions between the young people’s interests and aspirations, on the one hand, and capitalism, which is preventing them from being realised, on the other.

p No wonder it was the young people who formed the core of the revolutionary forces in Cuba, Algeria, Egypt and several other countries which overthrew the reactionary regimes and began to build a new life.

p The young people are still an important shock 227 force in the struggle for their greater socio- economic and political rights.

p Today this fact is borne out especially clearly by heroic Vietnam, which has made the imperialists reckon with it as a strong political force.

p Imperialism is unable to oppose the great communist concepts with any positive ideals that would fire the enthusiasm of young people.

p Which side will the rising generations support and which road will they take? This is the question worrying all the political forces in the world today. Lenin once said: “There is no party in the civilised countries that does not realise the tremendous value of the widest and most firmly established educational and trade unions; but each seeks to have its own influence predominate in them."  [227•1 

p The youth movement has always clearly reflected all the social and political processes in various countries and the world as a whole. Young people are taking an active and direct part in all the events and spheres of human activity in the socialist, capitalist and developing countries. The role and importance of young people and their numerous organisations in the life of their countries and in the international arena extends beyond youth issues alone.

p Today, the international youth movement is largely distinguished by its struggle against war and aggression. This struggle has united the young people of various views, ideologies and creeds into a single anti-imperialist front.

p The Communist parties’ influence on young people has increased markedly. This is borne out 228 by the growing number of young people adopting a Marxist-Leninist stand and joining Communist parties and youth organisations. The First Congress of the YCI in 1919 was represented by 14 youth leagues with 229,000 members. Today there are young communist leagues in over 70 countries, and they have more than 80 million members.

p Among these young communist leagues, the ones in the socialist countries are the most organised and active. They are taking an active part in the construction of socialism and communism in their countries, and are rendering all-out support and assistance to young people in countries which have either won or are trying to win independence.

p Most young communist leagues in capitalist countries have markedly consolidated their stand and increased their membership. They are rallying the most progressive and conscientious young people in the struggle for democracy, workers’ unity and the working people’s rights against monopoly capital’s oppression.

p Although the young communist leagues face different tasks in the various countries, they are all united by loyalty to communist ideals, party principle, and the desire to unite all the Leftwing forces in the struggle against imperialist oppression.

p The young Communists have to act under extremely difficult conditions in a bitter struggle against the forces of imperialist reaction which are backed by the state machinery, the army and the police.

p Since 1958 the young communist league members in Britain have taken an active part in the Aldermaston marches for peace and nuclear 229 disarmament and against the government’s suicidal and reckless policies.

p Together with their counterparts from the Soviet Union, Poland, the GDR and other socialist countries, the young communist league members from the Scandinavian countries and Finland take part in conferences and seminars demanding that a nuclear-free zone be established in Central and Northern Europe and that the Mediterranean and the Baltic be turned into “seas of peace".

p Young communist league members in Britain, West Germany, Italy, Belgium and other states are likewise intensifying their struggle against their countries’ membership in the aggressive NATO bloc and participation in setting up NATO’s multilateral nuclear forces, and for the elimination of all imperialist military blocs, which constitute a mortal danger to all peoples and could lead to another world war.

p Young communist league members in France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and many other countries are stepping up their youth solidarity movement against imperialist intervention, racial oppression in the Republic of South Africa and the United States, and interference in the internal affairs of the countries of Latin America. They are staging more and more demonstrations in support of the peoples in Angola, “Portuguese” Guinea, Mozambique, South Arabia and other countries fighting for national independence.

p The young people regard the struggle for disarmament and against imperialist aggression and intervention not only as the quickest road to peace, but also as a means of solving other problems and improving their position. However, many youth leagues in the capitalist countries still face 230 extremely difficult conditions. The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), the vanguard of the progressive young people, is playing a big part in consolidating the young people’s international solidarity.

p The WFDY, which was set up at the World Youth Conference in London on November 10, 1945, is the largest international youth organisation and enjoys very high prestige. It unites about 200 various national youth organisations in 96 countries representing over 100 million young people.

p The WFDY has always strongly sided with the most active forces for peace, national independence, democracy and progress, fought for the recognition and realisation of the young people’s basic rights, and done its best to help spread the ideas of solidarity, peace and friendship.

p The Second World War had barely ended when imperialism started the "cold war”, which was fraught with the danger of another world war. In November 1948 the WFDY launched a widescale peace campaign which involved millions of young people. The WFDY and the organisations belonging to it took an active part in the campaign against US aggression in Korea and the colonial war in Indochina. True to its principles, the WFDY is strongly denouncing US imperialism and its allies, who are responsible for the aggravation of international tension. The federation is mobilising the young people at large for an uncompromising struggle against US militarist policy and the aggressive blocs of NATO, SEATO and CENTO. Among other things, the WFDY took an active part in collecting signatures for the Stockholm Appeal, carried out measures to support the proposals made by the peace- 231 loving and progressive forces for general and complete disarmament, staged mass demonstrations for easing international tension, expressed solidarity with the young Arab people against the triple imperialist aggression in 1956, launched a powerful and truly world-wide campaign of solidarity with the Cuban people and youth, particularly during the Caribbean crisis, and campaigns against West German revanchism and neonazism, strongly opposed Israeli aggression in the Middle East, and carried on activities to increase solidarity with fighting Vietnam.

p The struggle for peace and for European and general security is always the most important principle in the WFDY’s action programmes. The federation took part in the World Forum of Solidarity of Youth and Students in the Fight for National Independence and Liberation, for Peace held in 1964, and in the Consultative Meeting of European Youth Organisations held in Warsaw in 1967.

p The WFDY is leading young people in the struggle for national independence and against imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism. The federation organised and took an active part in the powerful solidarity and protest campaigns, and initiated broad programmes of moral support and material assistance to the fighting peoples and youth in Asia, Africa and Latin America. At its initiative, the young democratic people of the world annually celebrate April 24 as the International Youth Solidarity Day. The International Solidarity Aid Fund was set up under the WFDY to render practical assistance to youth organisations working under difficult conditions, particularly in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

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p The federation has condemned the crimes committed by the colonialists in Algeria, Angola, South-West Africa and Mozambique and by the racists in South Africa and Rhodesia, the Portuguese colonialists’ inhuman war in Africa and the acts of aggression by imperialism and world reaction in the Congo, the Middle East and South-West Asia. It has come out with many proposals for consolidating solidarity with the young African peoples in their struggle for complete liberation from all forms of colonial oppression and for truly independent development and progress. The federation has taken an active part in the work of the International Committee of Solidarity with the Young People in the Portuguese Colonies in Africa, who are fighting for freedom, and has called for support of the struggle waged by the people and youth in the Congo (Kinshasa) against intervention by the imperialist states and agents of imperialism in its internal affairs. Other measures of solidarity carried out at the WFDY’s initiative include the International Seminar of the Young People Against Racism held in Tanzania in 1966, and the International Conference of Solidarity with the liberation movements of the Portuguese colonies and against Portuguese colonialism in Africa held in Guinea in 1967.

p The federation is consolidating its ties with the young people in the Arab countries and giving them increasing support in their struggle against imperialist schemes in the Middle East. At the WFDY’s initiative the International Youth Seminar on the Struggle Against the Aggressive Military Pacts and Foreign Military Bases was held in Cairo in May 1967. Owing to Israel’s imperialist aggression against the Arab countries, 233 the Executive Committee of the WFDY held an extraordinary session in Berlin in June 1967, at which it strongly condemned Israel and its imperialist pairons and called on young people at large to support the righteous cause of the Arab peoples and youth.

p In Latin America the WFDY is supporting progressive and democratic youth movements against US monopoly domination, against the reactionary, pro-imperialist regimes, against persecution and for an amnesty for political prisoners. The federation is mobilising public opinion against the fascist military dictatorship in Greece and the reactionary, fascist regimes in Spain, Portugal and other countries.

p Today the federation is giving prominence in its work to solidarity with the people and youth of heroic Vietnam. This solidarity is concretely expressed in the militant democratic principles on which the WFDY is based.

p The International Committee of Solidarity with the People and Youth of South Vietnam, who are fighting against the US aggressors and their Saigon puppets for the peaceful unification of their country, was set up under the WFDY. The federation strongly condemns the escalation of the US war against Vietnam and the atrocious bombing of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

p The Vietnam solidarity campaign is steadily intensifying all over the world in response to the WFDY’s appeal and with the help of the leagues that belong to it. Young people are picketing and holding many rallies, demonstrations and meetings in support of Vietnam. Many youth organisations belonging to the WFDY are collecting money for the solidarity fund for the young Vietnamese people, and are sending medicine, food, 234 clothing and equipment to Vietnam. There was a strong public response to the proposal by the young Italian Communists to set up, with young people’s help, an international hospital for Vietnamese patriots, and also to the young French people’s Dollar for Vietnam campaign, and the Solidarity Caravan, set up on the WFDY’s proposal and sent to various countries to demonstrate fraternal support for fighting Vietnam. WFDY delegations visited the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1966 and 1967 and conveyed messages of support and solidarity to the young Vietnamese people. The Executive Committee of the WFDY held an extraordinary session in Budapest in February 1968, at which it drew up a new programme for increasing democratic young people’s solidarity with Vietnam.

p The WFDY is making an important contribution to the young people’s struggle for democratic rights. In collaboration with the progressive trade unions it gives constant attention to young working people’s problems and the struggle for economic and social rights.

p At all its assemblies, the WFDY has given prominence to the question of mobilising youngpeople in the active struggle for peace, national independence, democracy, young people’s rights and social progress.

p The WFDY directly participates in planning and carrying out large-scale activities by democratic young people and students. The federation was the first international youth organisation to support the World Forum of Youth and Students held in 1961, and the World Forum of Solidarity of Youth and Students in the Fight for National Independence and Liberation for Peace in 1964 in Moscow, in both of which it took an active part. 235 The history of the WFDY is closely linked with that of the youth festivals, the largest event organised by democratic young people.

p In connection with the Lenin birth centenary, the WFDY adopted an Appeal to the Young People of the World in May 1969, in which it emphasised Lenin’s important contribution to the development of revolutionary theory, the victory of the proletarian revolution and the establishment of the first socialist state. The federation called on the young people of the world to celebrate the Lenin centenary by staging vigorous protests against the forces of imperialism and reaction for peace, national independence and social progress, and also to acquire a proper understanding of Lenin’s ideas and spread them among the various sections of the young people.

p The International Union of Students (IUS) is another international youth organisation which enjoys high prestige. It was set up at the First World Congress of Students in Prague in 1946 as a result of the joint struggle which the students waged against fascism during the difficult years of the Second World War. It is now the largest and most militant anti-imperialist and democratic international union of students.

p No less than 87 national student organisations, about 75 per cent of all the student organisations in the world, belong to the IUS. The union’s membership and influence in the international student movement have increased considerably in recent years because its principles and activities are in accord with the interests of most of the world’s progressive students.

p The IUS is vigorously fighting for peace, against imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism, and is rendering enormous assistance to students in 236 various countries fighting for independence, national liberation, sovereignty, economic progress and the development of national cultural traditions. Its struggle has made the IUS very popular and has won it high prestige among students in all parts of the world.

p Student committees for solidarity with the struggle waged by the peoples and students of South Vietnam and the Portuguese colonies were set up in recent years at the lUS’s initiative, and widescale campaigns of international solidarity with students in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Sudan and other countries were launched.

p The IUS took an active part in the young people’s and students’ world festivals for peace and friendship, and in their world forums in Moscow in 1961 and 1964. It also supported the students in various activities, and organised a campaign of student solidarity with the Vietnamese people. It strongly condemned the US Government’s activities, demanded the cessation of bombing of the DRV and the withdrawal of US forces from Vietnam, and calling on all its member organisations to support the Vietnamese people and render material assistance to Vietnamese patriots.

p The International Union of Students annually holds the International Student Week for the struggle for peace and national independence from November 10 to 17, which ends with International Students’ Day.

p The Union is carrying on an enormous amount of work in drawing students into the struggle for peace, peaceful coexistence and general and complete disarmament. It also organises and takes an active part in various conferences, seminars and meetings.

p In recent years the IUS organised such 237 important events as the International Seminar on the Struggle Against Colonialism, Neo-Colonialism and Racial Discrimination in Nigeria; the PanAfrican Student Conference in Kenya, and the campaign for the elimination of illiteracy in Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil.

p The IUS took an active part in a young people’s International Meeting held in Leningrad in August 1967 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. With its assistance the East-African Seminar was held in Kampala (Uganda) in December 1967, which dealt with the student movement not only in East Africa but throughout the whole continent, and with the problems facing the international student movement.

p One of the lUS’s largest undertakings was the conference of solidarity with Vietnam, held in Prague in March 1968. The participants in the conference appealed to all the students and student organisations in the world to give greater political, moral and material support to the Vietnamese patriots and to express their solidarity in all forms, that is, at demonstrations, rallies and marches. This would help to develop and coordinate the solidarity movement on a nation- and continent-wide scale.

p The participants in the conference called for the mobilisation of world public opinion with a view to forcing the US Government to end the war in Vietnam, to cease bombing and all other acts of aggression against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, to withdraw all US and satellite forces from South Vietnam, to recognise the National Liberation Front, the only organisation that really represents the people of South Vietnam, and to give the Vietnamese people the opportunity to 238 settle their own affairs without foreign intervention.

p The IUS actively co-operates with the World Federation of Democratic Youth. In 1968, when the WFDY launched the World Youth Action Campaign for the Victory of the Vietnamese People, for Freedom, Independence and Peace, the IUS called on the national student unions affiliated to it to join in the campaign.

p Campaigns of solidarity with the students in Portugal, Spain and Greece have also been launched in recent years.

p The IUS attaches great importance to reforming and democratising education, improving tuition and student life, and helping student organisations in the developing countries to train national specialists. An example of this is the European Seminar on the Problems of the Democratisation of Education held in Ireland in 1968.

p This is also expressed in the consistent policy of the IUS to increase oo-operation between all the democratic forces and unite the international student movement.

Loyal to their militant democratic principles, the WFDY and the IUS are marching in the vanguard of the international youth movement. They are enjoying growing prestige among the young people and are mobilising the new generation of young democrats and revolutionaries for the struggle for a better future for young people and the whole of mankind. Their policies and practical activities are in full keeping with the basic interests of the vast majority of the world’s young people and this is the token of their present and future success.