Speakers Corner Liberal Social

IFLRY's next Executive Committee will take place in Manila, the Philippines, from the 25th to the 27th of July. The event is kindly and generously hosted by Kalipi, the Young Liberals of the Philippines. The event's political theme is the impact of the growing role of China in regional and world politics and its challenges for young liberals. Several programme items will be dedicated to this theme.

From the 2nd to the 8th of June, IFLRY is organizing a seminar on trade and human rights in Budva, Montenegro. The seminar is hosted by the Young Liberals of Montenegro with the generous support of the European Youth Foundation and the Council of Europe. An invitation has been sent to our Member Organisations and the deadline for applications is the 1st of May.

From the 31st of March to the 4th of April, representatives from 11 liberal youth organizations from all around Africa convened in South Africa for an event organized by IFLRY and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty. The topic of the seminar was "Creating a Strategy for and with Liberal Youth Organizations in Africa" and sought to revitalize international cooperation between the various youth organizations around the continent. IFLRY was represented by Secretary General Bart Woord and Vice President Aïcha Camara, while former Vice President Tafsir Thioye was also present.

The International Federation of Liberal Youth, representing the young liberals of the world, calls on the Chinese Government to demonstrate value for human rights and show restraints in response to the protests in Tibet, and to address the concerns of all Tibetans by opening meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Only dialogue and reform will bring lasting stability. China's brightest future, and its most positive relationship with the world, lies in promoting understanding, discourse and respect.

The IFLRY Bureau strongly condemns today's violent actions by the Armenian government authorities against protesters in Yerevan, as well as the detainment of members of the opposition and the house arrest of presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian.

Today's announcement of Fidel Castro's stepping down from power is greeted with joy by the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY). After 50 years of totalitarian rule over the beautiful island and people of Cuba, which has been marred by poverty and human rights abuses, it is now time for the Cuban regime to cease its one-party rule and ensure a peaceful transition to an open and liberal democracy.

Sunday's unilateral declaration of independence by the government of Kosovo is the result of a diplomatic stalemate. Progress had been made with the good work led by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari and the successful execution of the parliamentary elections held in November 2007. However, the recommendations laid out in the Ahtisaari report, which proposed granting Kosovo independence under international surveillance with specific provisions to guarantee the rights of the Serb minority and which was adopted by the government of Kosovo, were dismissed by Serbian authorities as an unfair and untimely intervention into internal matters - leading to the current situation.

The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) condemns in the highest possible terms the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. The Federation is alarmed at the spiraling political violence and the lack of justice under the regime of President Pervez Musharraf. We call on the Pakistani authorities to apprehend those responsible for the killing of Pakistan's democratic icon and Liberal International's Prize for Freedom Award recipient.

El periodo de Festividades es el mejor momento para reunirnos con la familia y con los amigos ... La période des Fêtes est le moment privilégié pour se réunir avec parents et amis ... The holiday period is the time to re-unite with family and friends.

The International Federation of Liberal Youth held its General Assembly in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, from the 13th to the 15th of December, where it elected a new Bureau. Paola Silva, former IFLRY Vice President and member of UCJD from Colombia, was elected as President and hence became the first non-Western President of IFLRY. Bart Woord, member of JD from the Netherlands, was re-elected as Secretary General, while Chris Gallaway, member and former President of the Young Democrats of America, got elected as Treasurer. The four Vice President seats are taken up by Ahissata Camara (RJR, Cote d'Ivoire), Frederik Ferié (Julis, Germany), Jelena Spasovic (YLS, Serbia) and Jan-Argy Tolentino (Kalipi, the Philippines).

Tomorrow is the final day of the election to the Russian parliament, the Duma. IFLRY supports Yabloko that are struggling for influence in a country whose leadership is becoming increasingly dictatorial. Last weekend many of the oppositions politicians were arrested by the police in a brutal manor, including the president of Yabloko youth Ilya Yashin and the president of Yabloko Youth in St Petersburg Alexander Shurshev.

Andy Rivas, the Editor in Chief of IFLRY's magazine 'The Libel', has appeared today in two major Argentinean newspapers with an article on a liberal perspective on youth politics. His article titled 'Ideas para la nueva generacion politica' in La Nacion, and 'El verdadero cambio: una nueva generaction politica', can also be read on the website of the liberal network of Latin America, RELIAL.

The IFLRY Bureau congratulates Andy with this great achievement and hopes to enjoy even more of his commitment to the international liberal movement in the future.

IFLRY is placing a call seeking the application of skilled trainers for the help in running seminars and trainings.

December 2007 is an exciting time for IFLRY: a promising seminar, a General Assembly with the election of a new Bureau, and a gala dinner to celebrate our 60th anniversary. The international liberal youth movement is becoming stronger than ever, and you can be part of our growing global network by attending these events.

IFLRY is launching an Extranet to better communicate with its member and partner organizations.

The International Federation of Liberal Youth expresses its support for the campaign of the Transnational Radical Party on the abolition of the death penalty, initiated by Member of the European Parliament for the European Liberal Party ELDR, Marco Panella.

The Cuban regime arrested liberal activists in January this year. This was revealed at a Cuban panel in Lima, Peru, connected to IFLRY's seminar week on youth participation 4-11th of February. Daniel Wennick (Vice President of IFLRY) and Mauricio Lopez (Juventud Libertaria, Costa Rica) spoke about their recent trip to Cuba and explained how they got arrested while visiting liberal activists after just five days on the island. More than 30 young liberals from Latin America and Europe attended the panel.

The International Federation of Liberal Youth strongly supports the recent protests in Burma and calls upon the Burmese junta to step down from power.

16 liberal youth organizations signed a letter to Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, regarding the human rights situation in Belarus. The letter was sent to 4 Staraya Square, Moscow 103132.

The letter can be found in its entirety here.

The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) is satisfied with today's election in the UN General Assembly of Slovenia and Bosnia-Hercegovina for the Human Rights Council's Eastern European seats, thereby keeping Belarus out. Belarus, a notorious human rights abuser and often dubbed 'the last dictatorship of Europe', was defeated by Bosnia-Hercegovina in a 112-72 vote in the second round, after Slovenia received the necessary absolute majority of 97 votes already in the first round.