Salient: An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 12, No. 5, June 8th, 1949.
Promise
Promise
The persecution of European students by the Nazis during the war and in particular the treatment meted out to the Czech students in 1939 convinced the students, of Europe in particular, that a strong world organisation of students was necessary. In 1945 under the aegis of the British National Union of Students a meeting of students of many countries was held in London. This was followed by a congress in Prague in Nov. 1945 which set up an International Preparatory Commission to organise an international student body. In 1946 a second congress was held at Prague at which I.U.S. was officially constituted. Now Zealand was represented at that congress.
The preamble to the constitution states that "the purpose of the I.U.S.. which is founded upon the representative student organisations of different countries, shall be to defend the rights and interests of students, to promote improvement of their welfare and standard of education and to prepare them for their tasks as democratic citizens." These aims are detailed in the constitution itself. The business of "defending the rights and interests of students" is defined in three main ways: (1) "to secure for all young people the right and possibility of primary, secondary and higher education regardless of sex, economic circumstances, social standing, political conviction, religion, colour or race." This is of first importance to our near neighbours of S.E. Asia in particular. (2) "To represent the interest of students in international affairs; to bring before international organisations the problems of students; and to publicise in all spheres the most urgent needs of students." (3) To assist the students of colonial, semicolonial and full social economic and educational dependent countries to attain their development."