Students Unite!

The students of the world have never been successfully integrated in a single organization. I.U.S.. founded in the first flush of united victory, soon succumbed to the cold war. The western breakaway group formed CoSec in 1952. I.U.S. went more Stalinophillic than ever, and the Afro-Asian and Latin American blocks started delicately walking the tightrope—often with links with both bodies.

On the relief and cultural levels, W.U.S. does good practical work (chiefly in the committed "West"), and W.S.C.F, and Pax Romana unite Christian students of similar persuasions.

While the I.U.S.—CoSec. rift is probably here to stay for a while (two worlds are better than none), moves towards co-operation in practical matters have been noticeable lately.

I.U.S. Conference last August 'Prague supported a Polish move for an international seminar on "Economic and Social Factors affecting Access to Higher Education", and to approach CoSec. and W.U.S. for help in organizing it. This followed a W.U.S. conference on "University Needs" last year which was attended by I.U.S. and reached a large measure of agreement.

I.U.S. has also accepted an invitation from a joint W.S.C.F.-Pax Romana committee to take part in a round-table on "Man in University and Society."

A passage in I.U.S. Executive Report stated frankly that "Neither I.U.S. nor CoSpc. satisfies the requirements of all national representative student organizations for an international forum of universal character . . .The efforts of I.U.S., together with all national and international student bodies, should be directed towards the elaboration of mutually acceptable principles constituting the basis of world student unity . . ."

Five national unions whose positive work for this unity has been seen in both I.U.S. and CoSec., are the French. Tunisian, Ecuadorian. Sudanese and Polish—the latter another instance of Poland's comparative independence inside the Iron Chickencoop?