World Federation of Democratic Youth

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WFDY symbol.

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The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) is a left-wing youth organization, recognized by the United Nations as an international youth non-governmental organization. WFDY, which describes itself as an "anti-imperialist, left-wing" ^[1] organisation, was founded in London in 1945. WFDY was formed as a broad international youth movement, organized in the context of the end of the Second World War.

The organization was one of many Moscow's front organizations. WFDY, like the International Union of Students (IUS), targeted a specific age group. Others targeted occupational or other groups. WFDY and other front organizations became part of active measures conducted by the KGB and successor Russian intelligence agencies.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] Alexander Shelepin was involved in youth movement operations until he became head of KGB in 1958, having became experienced in infiltration.^[6] Many Western organizations pulled out of WFDY, due to its association with Soviet-aligned socialist and Communist parties.^[7]

Initially WFDY and IUS did little to mask their pro-Moscow purpose, and vocally attacked the Marshall Plan while supporting the Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 and the North Korean attack in 1950.^[8]

When the USSR and the Eastern Bloc collapsed, WFDY entered a crisis. With the power vacuum left by the collapse of the most important member organization, the Soviet Komsomol, there were conflicting views of the future character of the organization. Some wanted a more apolitical structure, whereas others were more inclined to an openly leftist federation. The WFDY, however, survived this crisis, and is today an active international youth organization that holds regular activities.

The WFDY Headquarters are in Budapest, Hungary.

The main event of WFDY is the World Festival of Youth and Students. The 16th WFYS was held in Venezuela 2005. The next event of the World Federation of Democratic Youth is expected to take place for the first time in the history of the festivals, to be held in South Africa being hosted by the ANC YL.

Origins[]

Template:See also The WFDY was one of dozen large front organizations established by the Soviet Union by 1955 and others included World Peace Council, International Federation of Trade Unions, Women's International Democratic Federation, International Organization of Journalists, International Association of Democratic Lawyers, Christian Peace Conference, International Federation of Resistance Fighters, World Federation of Scientific Workers, World Congress of Doctors, and International Radio and TV Organization.^[9]^[10]

WFDY, like the International Union of Students (IUS), targeted a specific age group. Others targeted occupational or other groups. WFDY and other front organizations became part of active measures conducted by the KGB and successor Russian intelligence agencies.^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14] Alexander Shelepin was involved in youth movement operations until he became head of KGB in 1958.^[15]

Initially WFDY and IUS did little to mask their pro-Moscow purpose, and vocally attacked the Marshall Plan while supporting the Czechoslovak coup d'état of 1948 and the North Korean attack in 1950.^[16]

Pledge of the WFDY[]

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-M23075, Budapest, II. Weltfestspiele, Eröffnungsrede, Guy de Boisson.jpg

Guy de Boisson, President of the World Federation of Democratic Youth, speaks at the opening of the 2nd World Festival of Youth and Students (Budapest, 1949)

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Member organizations of WFDY (incomplete list)[]

Africa[]

Mouvement des Jeunes istiqlaliens, Morocco
Juventude do Movimento Popular da Libertação de Angola, Angola (Youth of MPLA)
National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students, Eritrea (NUEYS)
Organização da Juventude Mozambicana, Mozambique (Youth of FRELIMO)
SWAPO Youth League, Namibia (Youth of South-West Africa People's Organisation)
Mouvement de la Jeunesse Démocratique, Senegal (Youth of Democratic League - Movement for the Labour Party
African National Congress Youth League, South Africa (Youth of African National Congress)
South African Student Congress, South Africa
Sudanese Youth Union, Sudan (Youth of Sudanese Communist Party)
Umoja Wa Vijana, Tanzania (Youth of Chama Cha Mapinduzi)
Union de la Jeunesse Démocratique Alboury Ndiaye, Senegal (Youth of Party of Independence and Work)
Unión de Juventud de Saguia el Hamra y Río de Oro, Western Sahara (Youth of Polisario Front)
United National Independent Party Youth League, Zambia (Youth of United National Independence Party)
ZANU-PF Youth League, Zimbabwe (Youth of Zanu-PF) - Vice President

Asia & Pacific[]

Resistance, Australia (Youth of Democratic Socialist Perspective and Socialist Alliance)
Bangladesh Students Union, Bangladesh (Students of Communist Party of Bangladesh)
Bangladesh Youth Union, Bangladesh (Youth of Communist Party of Bangladesh)
Democratic Youth of Bhutan, Bhutan
Students Union of Bhutan, Bhutan
All Burmese Student’s Democratic Front, Burma
All Burma Student League, Burma
Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League, DPRK (Youth wing of the Workers Party of Korea)
All India Students Federation, India (Students of Communist Party of India)
All India Youth Federation, India (Youth of Communist Party of India)
All India Youth League, India (Youth of All India Forward Bloc)
Democratic Youth Federation of India, India (Youth of Communist Party of India (Marxist))
Revolutionary Youth Front, India, (youth of Revolutionary Socialist Party (India)
Tudeh Youth, Iran (Youth of Tudeh Party of Iran)
Democratic Youth League of Japan, Japan (Youth of Japanese Communist Party)
Japan League of Socialist Youth, Japan
Korean Youth League in Japan, Japan
7th-term Hanchongryon (South Korean Federation of University Student Council), South Korea
Union of Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth, Laos (Youth of Lao People's Revolutionary Party)
All Nepal National Free Students Union, Nepal (Students of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist))
Democratic National Youth Federation, Nepal (Youth of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist))
Nepal National Youth Federation, Nepal (Youth of Communist Party of Nepal (United))
Pashthoonkhwa Students Organisation, Pakistan
ANAKBAYAN, Philippines
Communist Youth Federation, Sri Lanka (Youth of Communist Party of Sri Lanka)
Socialist Students Union, Sri Lanka (Students of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna)
Socialist Youth Union, Sri Lanka (Youth of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna)
Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Vietnam (Youth of Communist Party of Vietnam)
Vietnamese Youth Federation, Vietnam

Europe & North America[]

Young Communist League Armenia, Armenia (Youth of Armenian Communist Party)
Young Communist League Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan (Youth of Azerbaijan Communist Party)
Kommunistische Jugend Österreich, Austria
Leninist Communist Youth Union of Belarus, Belarus (Youth of Party of Communists of Belarus)
Bulgarian Socialist Youth Union, Bulgaria
Young Communist League of Canada, Canada
Komunistický Svaz Mládeže, Czech Republic (Youth of Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia)
United Democratic Youth Organization, Cyprus (Youth of AKEL)
Kommunistisk Parti i Danmark - Ungdom, Denmark (Youth of Communist Party in Denmark)
Kommunistinen nuorisoliitto ry, Finland
Mouvement Jeunes Communistes de France, France (Youth of French Communist Party)
Young Communist League of Georgia, Georgia
Freie Deutsche Jugend, Germany
Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterjugend, Germany (Youth of German Communist Party)
Communist Youth of Greece, Greece (Youth of Communist Party of Greece)
Baloldali Front, Hungary (Youth of Workers Party)
Connolly Youth Movement, Ireland (Affiliated Youth wing of the Communist Party of Ireland)
Workers Party Youth, Ireland (Youth of Workers' Party)
Giovani Comuniste e Comunisti, Italy (Youth of Communist Refoundation Party)
Federazione Giovanile Comunisti Italiani, Italy (Youth of the Party of Italian Communists)
Norges Kommunistiske Ungdomsforbund, Norway
Juventude Comunista Portuguesa, Portugal (Youth of Portuguese Communist Party)
Союз Коммунистической Молодежи, Russian Federation (Youth of Communist Party of the Russian Federation)
Socialistický Zväz Mladých, Slovakia (Youth of Communist Party of Slovakia)
Collectives of Communist Youth, Spain (Youth of Partido Comunista de los Pueblos de España)
Col·lectius de Joves Comunistes - Joventut Comunista, Spain (Youth of Partit dels i les Comunistes de Catalunya)
Unión de Juventudes Comunistas de España, SpainSpain (Youth of Communist Party of Spain)
Sveriges Kommunistiska Ungdomsförbund, Sweden (Youth of Communist Party of Sweden)
Young Communist League, Britain (Youth of Communist Party of Britain)
Young Socialists, Britain (Youth of Communist League)
Savez komunisticke omladine Jugoslavije , Yugoslavia
Young Communist League, USA (Youth of Communist Party, USA)
Young Socialist Alliance, U.S. (Youth of Socialist Workers Party)
Türkiye Komünist Partili Öğrenciler, Türkiye (Youth of Communist Party of Turkey)

Latin America & Caribbean[]

Federación Juvenil Comunista, Argentina (Youth of Communist Party of Argentina)
League of Progressive Youth, Barbados
Juventud Comunista de Bolivia, Bolivia (Youth of Communist Party of Bolivia)
Juventude Revolucionaria 8 de Outubro, Brazil (Youth of MR-8)
Juventude do PDT, Brazil (Youth of Democratic Labour Party)
Juventude do PMDB, Brazil (Youth of Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement)
União da Juventude Comunista, Brazil (Youth of Brazilian Communist Party)
União da Juventude Socialista, Brazil (Youth of Communist Party of Brazil)
Juventude Socialista Brasileira, Brazil (Youth of Brazilian Socialist Party)
Juventudes Comunistas, Chile (Youth of Communist Party of Chile)
Juventud Comunista de Colombia, Colombia (Youth of Colombian Communist Party)
Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas, Cuba (Youth of Communist Party of Cuba)
Federación Estudiantes Universitarios, Ecuador
Juventud Socialista Ecuatoriana, Ecuador (Youth of Socialist Party of Ecuador)
Juventud del Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional, El Salvador (Youth of Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front)
Maurice Bishop Youth Movement, Grenada
Juventud URNG, Guatemala (Youth of URNG)
Guyana Youth and Students Movement, Guyana
Walter Rodney Youth Movement, Guyana
Juventud Popular Socialista, Mexico (Youth of Popular Socialist Party)
Casa de la Juventud del Paraguay, Paraguay
Juventud Comunista Peruana, Peru (Youth of Peruvian Communist Party)
Juventud del Movimiento 26 de Marzo, Uruguay (Youth of 26 March Movement)
Juventud Comunista de Venezuela, Venezuela (Youth of Communist Party of Venezuela)
Partido Socialista Nicargüense, Nicaraguan Socialist Party

Middle East[]

Union de la Jeunesse Algérienne, Algeria (Youth of FLN)
National Union of Algerian Students, Algeria (Students of FLN)
Union of Progressive Youth of Egypt, Egypt (Youth of Progressive National Unionist Party)
Democratic Youth Federation of Iraq, Iraq (Youth of Iraqi Communist Party)
General Union of Students in Iraqi Republic, Iraq
Young Communist League of Israel, Israel (Youth of Communist Party of Israel)
Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth, Lebanon (Youth of Lebanese Communist Party)
General Union of Jamahiriya Students, Libya
Shabeeba Society of Bahrain, Bahrain (Youth of Progressive Democratic Tribune)
Istiqlal Party Youth, Morocco (Youth of Istiqlal Party)
USFP Jeunesse Ittihadiya, Morocco (Youth of Socialist Union of Popular Forces)
Jeunesse Socialiste, Morocco (Youth of Party of Progress and Socialism)
General Union of Palestine Students, Palestine
Palestinian Democratic Youth Union, Palestine, Youth of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Union of Democratic Youth of Syria-Khaled Baghdash, Syria (Youth of Syrian Communist Party)

Former members[]

Democratic Youth Organization of Afghanistan
Juventud Intrasigente Argentina
Juventud Socialista Auténtica, Argentina
Eureka Youth League, Australia
Graffiti Jeugendsdienst, Belgium
Jeunesse Communiste de Belgique, Belgium
Confederación Universitaria Boliviana, Bolivia
Juventude do PCB, Brazil
Dimitrov Komsomol, Bulgaria
People's Revolutionary Youth Union of Kampuchea, Cambodia
Juventud de la Izquierda Cristiana de Chile
Juventud del MIR, Chile
Juventud Rebelde Miguel Enríquez, Chile
Unión de Jóvenes Socialistas, Chile
Federación Juvenil Obrera, Colombia
Juventud de la Alianza Nacional Popular, Colombia
Juventud del Poder Popular, Colombia
Unión Nacional de los Estudiantes Secundarios, Colombia
Unión de Jóvenes Patriotas, Colombia
Juventud del Pueblo Costarriquense, Costa Rica
Juventudes Patrióticas, Costa Rica
Juventud Vanguardista Costarriquense, Costa Rica
Svaz Mládeže, Czechoslovakia
Juventud Revolucionaria Dominicana, Dominican Republic
Unión Democrática Orlando Martínez, Dominican Republic
Departamento Juvenil del Central de Trabajadores de Ecuador
Juventud Comunista de Ecuador
Asociación General de Estudiantes Universitarios de El Salvador
Færøske Socialister, Faroe Islands
Democratic Youth League of Finland
Finnish Union of Democratic Pioneers, Finland
Sozialistischer Jugendverband Karl Liebknecht, Germany
Greek Communist Youth (Internal), Greece
Union de la Jeunesse Communiste Guadeloupe
Union nationale des étudiants de france-Solidarité Etudiante, France
Juventud Patriótica del Trabajo, Guatemala
Young Socialist Movement, Guyana
Jeunesse Communiste de Haiti
Federación de la Juventud Comunista, Honduras
Revolutionary Communist Youth League, Iceland
Federazione Giovanile Comunista Italiana, Italy
Young Communist League of the Workers' Party, Jamaica
Jeunesse Communiste Luxembourgoise, Luxembourg
Union de la Jeunesse Communiste Martinique
Frente Juvenil Revolucionario, Mexico
Juventud Socialista de los Trabajadores, Mexico
Revolutionary Youth League (REVSOMOL), Mongolia
Algemeen Nederlands Jeugd Verbond, Netherlands
Juventud Sandista 19 de Julio, Nicaragua
Kommunista Ifjúsági Szövetség, Hungary
Juventud del PRD, Panama
Juventud Popular Revolucionaria, Panama
Federación Juvenil Comunista de Paraguay
CGTP Sección Juvenil, Peru
Juventud Aprista Peruana, Peru
Juventud Mariateguista, Peru
Związek Socjalistycznej Młodzieży Polskiej, Poland
Federación Universitaria para la Indpendencia, Puerto Rico
Juventud Comunista de Puerto Rico
Juventud Socialista de Puerto Rico
Federazione Giovanile Comunista San Marino
Congress of Sama Samaja Youth Leagues, Sri Lanka
Federation of Communist and Progressive Youth, Sri Lanka
Vanguard Youth Organization, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
National Youth Movement, Surinam
Ung Vänster, Sweden (1975–1992)
Jeunesse Communiste Suisse, Switzerland
İlerici Gençler Derneği, Turkey
Juventud Socialista del Uruguay
Committee of Youth Organizations of the USSR
Vsesouznyj Leninskij Kommunisticheskij Souz Molodezhi, USSR
Juventud Socialista-MEP, Venezuela
Union de la jeunesse congolaise, Congo-Brazzaville

Observing members[]

Youth for Communist Rebirth In France (Youth of the Pole of Communist Rebirth in France)
COMAC (Youth of the Workers Party of Belgium)
Communist Youth Movement (Youth of the New Communist Party of the Netherlands)
Communist Youth of Luxemburg (Refounded youth organisation of the Communist Party of Luxembourg), Luxembourg

External links[]

WFDY website

Members Organizations[]

Previous member organizations[]

Juventud Aprista Peruana
Sinistra Giovanile
Ung Vänster
Vasemmistonuoret
Związek Socjalistycznej Młodzieży Polskiej, Gdynia unit

Pending[]

References[]

↑ http://www.wfdy.org/welcome.htm
↑ The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169
↑ A century of spies: intelligence in the twentieth century. Jeffrey T. Richelson. p. 252
↑ Soviet foreign policy in a changing world, Volume 1986. Robbin Frederick Laird, Erik P. Hoffmann. p. 211
↑ Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia, Volume 1. Bernard A. Cook. p. 212
↑ The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169
↑ Richard Felix Staar, Foreign policies of the Soviet Union, Hoover Press, 1991, ISBN 0817991026, p.84
↑ The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169
↑ Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia, Volume 1. Bernard A. Cook. p 212
↑ A century of spies: intelligence in the twentieth century. Jeffrey T. Richelson. p. 252
↑ The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169
↑ A century of spies: intelligence in the twentieth century. Jeffrey T. Richelson. p. 252
↑ Soviet foreign policy in a changing world, Volume 1986. Robbin Frederick Laird, Erik P. Hoffmann. p. 211
↑ Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia, Volume 1. Bernard A. Cook. p. 212
↑ The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169
↑ The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169

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[1] ttp://www.wfdy.org/welcome.htm

[2] The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169

[3] A century of spies: intelligence in the twentieth century. Jeffrey T. Richelson. p. 252

[4] Soviet foreign policy in a changing world, Volume 1986. Robbin Frederick Laird, Erik P. Hoffmann. p. 211

[5] Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia, Volume 1. Bernard A. Cook. p. 212

[6] The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169

[Staar84-7] Richard Felix Staar, Foreign policies of the Soviet Union, Hoover Press, 1991, ISBN 0817991026, p.84

[8] The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169

[9] Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia, Volume 1. Bernard A. Cook. p 212

[centuryofspies-10] A century of spies: intelligence in the twentieth century. Jeffrey T. Richelson. p. 252

[11] The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169

[12] A century of spies: intelligence in the twentieth century. Jeffrey T. Richelson. p. 252

[13] Soviet foreign policy in a changing world, Volume 1986. Robbin Frederick Laird, Erik P. Hoffmann. p. 211

[14] Europe since 1945: an encyclopedia, Volume 1. Bernard A. Cook. p. 212

[15] The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169

[16] The cultural Cold War in Western Europe, 1945-1960. Giles Scott-Smith, Hans Krabbendam. p. 169

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