World Federation of Democratic Youth

(WFDY), an international union of youth organizations and the center of the international democratic youth movement, uniting young people regardless of political or religious affiliations, race, and national origin.

The World Federation of Democratic Youth was founded Nov. 10, 1945, at the World Youth Conference of October 29-November 10 in London. (Now November 10 is celebrated as World Youth Day.) The WFDY struggles for peace, the rights of youth, the independence of peoples, and the international solidarity of progressive youth and against imperialism, colonialism, neocolonialism, fascism, and racism. In 1970 approximately 200 youth organizations from 98 countries were members of the WFDY. Soviet youth is represented in the federation by the All-Union Lenin Communist Youth League (Komsomol) and by the Committee of Youth Organizations of the USSR.

At the initiative of the WFDY several conferences have been convened, including the International Conference on the Problems of Working Youth (Warsaw, 1948), the International Conference for the Defense of Youth Rights (Vienna, 1948), the International Conference for the Defense of Youth Rights (Vienna, 1953); the International Seminar on the Youth Struggle Against Foreign Military Bases in the Near and Middle East (Cairo, 1967), and the consultative meeting of European organizations of the WFDY on problems of European security (Warsaw, 1967). The International Fund of Solidarity With Youth Organizations of Colonial and Dependent Countries (1954), the Committee of Solidarity With the Peoples of Portuguese Colonies (1967), and the International Committee of Solidarity with Vietnam (1968) were created with the active participation of the WFDY. These organizations provide great material assistance to the youth of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America by sending them medical supplies, cultural and sports equipment, and educational aids. Thousands of young men and women from these countries study in institutions of higher learning on WFDY stipends. The Federation is an initiator and active participant in world festivals of youth and students.

The highest organ of the WFDY is the assembly of members organizations (called the congress before August 1957). The Second Congress of the WFDY was held Sept. 2-8, 1949, in Budapest; the Third Congress, July 25-30, 1953, in Bucharest; the Fourth Congress, Aug. 16-23, 1957, in Kiev; the Fifth Assembly, Aug. 10-16, 1959, in Prague; the Sixth Assembly, Aug. 10-16, 1962, in Warsaw: the Seventh Assembly, June 6-17, 1966, in Sofia; and the Eighth Assembly, Oct. 26-Nov. 4, 1970, in Budapest. The Eighth Assembly adopted a program declaration for the WFDY and, on the initiative of Soviet youth organizations, adopted the decision to lead a campaign during 1971-73 called Youth Unmasks Imperialism. The federation’s executive organs are the executive committee, elected by the assembly, and the bureau, elected by the executive committee. The day-to-day activities of the WFDY are carried out by the secretariat, located in Budapest. The president of the WFDY is P. Lapicherella (Italy, since 1973), and the secretary general is A. Teruz (France, since 1971). The WFDY publishes a monthly journal, World Youth, in English, Spanish, and French.