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World Youth Forum Encounters Opposition

The World Youth Forum will he held in Moscow in July, 1961. Called by Its organisers "a major international undertaking aimed at strengthening the co-operation, peace and friendship among young people of all countries," it Is organised along the lines of the highly propagandists world youth festivals. The only difference seems to be that for the Forum emphasis is placed on the participation of youth organisations rather than individuals, as Is the case with festivals.

Among the organisations which recently voiced their criticism of and opposition to the Forum is the International Union of Socialist Youth (Iusy), which has nearly one million members. At its recent congress in Vienna, the Iusy called the Forum "another Communist manoeuvre to throw dust in the eyes of youth." Based on past experience, Iusy condemned the Communist organisers of these events because they are misusing the "idealism of youth for the purpose of powerblocs," and because these gatherings are nothing but "demonstrations in favour of Soviet foreign policy."

A similar stand has been taken by a number of other organisations. The Indian Youth Congress, the youth section of the Congress Party of Prime Minister Nehru, rejected a Soviet invitation to participate in the preparations for the Forum and refused to send even observers to the preparatory meeting in Moscow last September. In the United States, the National Committee of the Ymca took a stand against sending an official delegation not only to the preparatory meeting but also to the Forum. The Usnsa (U.S. National Student Association) sent a letter during the last week of January to each of the student governments at the 380 colleges and universities where it has affiliates, reporting on the results of an investigation into the Forum and taking a strong stand against American participation in it. The letter declares that the Moscow meeting "was not broadly reflective of student and youth groups in the world and, in some cases, individuals were falsely listed as representative." In addition, the "tone of speeches at the meetings were reflections of the partisan line which has been followed In most Soviet propaganda; the Chinese delegate even suggested that the purpose of the Forum should be to attack American imperialism which 'aims at unleashing a new world war1."

A careful analysis of the preparatory meeting for the Forum held in Moscow—on the basis of the material distributed by the Committee of the Youth Organisations of the U.S.S.R. (Cyo)—shows that out of 118 persons listed as delegates (18 are listed as observers), 66 represent Communist organisations and 15 represent Communist front groups. Thus, over two-thirds of the delegates attending the preparatory meeting represented Communist youth and student organisations. In this respect the meeting was even less representative than any of the prefestival preparatory gatherings.

The true nature of the gathering and of the "non-partisan nature of the delegates" was revealed by an Indian weekly which reported that an Indian delegate to the preparatory meeting declared at a press conference that "true democracy will be ushered in India only after Mr Nehru's death; it is therefore the duty of every Communist to work for his liquidation." This statement was too radical even for the Soviet authorities which did not allow Its publication.

The opposition of the non-Communist student and youth organisations to the World Youth Forum is due to their past experience with festivals and similar events, which has taught them that there is little to be gained by their participation in Communist-staged and stacked events.