We are the Young Liberals of the world.
IFLRY - International Federation of Liberal Youth is the international umbrella organisation of liberal and radical youth organisations. It is the platform for co-operation among liberal and radical youth and student organisations in the world.
IFLRY's policies are based on the belief in the universality and indivisibility of human rights. As liberals and radicals we strive for a free and tolerant society without any form of discrimination, with equal opportunities, respect for the individual and the minorities. These goals can only be reached through a democratic system of governance.
As liberals and radicals we are in favour of a market economy operating within the limits of a fair distribution of wealth and ecological sustainability. To reach the goal of equal opportunities distribution of wealth has to take place within the states as well as between them.
History
IFLRY was constituted in 1979 in Silkeborg, Denmark. It grew out of two other organisations: the World Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (WFLRY) and the European Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (EFLRY).
This means that IFLRY's history goes back to the year 1947, when on August 26th WFLRY was founded in Cambridge, England, as the first international liberal youth platform. But in 1978 WFLRY was closed down, after it's role was taken over by EFLRY from 1969 on. It was then in 1979 in Sikeborg when EFLRY changed its name and was constituted as the International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth. This name prevailed until 2001 when it was changed into IFLRY - International Fedeartion of Liberal Youth. In the 80's the Federation first expanded to North America, then to Latin America and after 1989 to Central and Eastern Europe. Nowadays the federation has members in all continents.
Structure
IFLRY's highest body is the General Assembly, which meets at least every second year. It adopts IFLRY's political platform, the Manifesto, and decides about IFLRY's activities. These are stated in a two-year Programme of Action. The General Assembly also decides on the federation's policies by adopting resolutions. Furthermore the General Assembly elects the Bureau and decides upon the budget.
The Executive Committee is composed of one representative from each member organisation and the Bureau. It meets twice a year and takes all policy decisions within the framework of the General Assembly's resolutions.
The IFLRY Bureau consists of a President, a Secretary General and three to five Vice-Presidents. The Bureau has the responsibility for IFLRY's day to day management and is elected every two years. The IFLRY Bureau appoints an Executive Director who runs the IFLRY secretariat in Brussels, Belgium.
Members
At present IFLRY has over 90 member organisations from all continents. IFLRY member organisations subscribe to the principles stated in the IFLRY Manifesto. In order to become a full member of IFLRY an organisation must first apply for candidate membership. After having hold this status for at least one year, the General Assembly may accept the organisation as full member.
IFLRY may also grant an organisation observer status, which is a status for organisations IFLRY wants to be in regular contact with, but which for political or for other reasons cannot or want not become full members. From time to time IFLRY also invites guests to some of its activities, for example to the General Assemblies.
Activities
IFLRY's main goal is to promote and represent the interests of young liberals and radicals as well as the interests of youth on international level.
Therefore IFLRY encourages and facilitates contacts and exchange of ideas between its member organisations. The Federation is a means to increase the interest in and knowledge of international politics within the member organisations through running and offering seminars, delegations, study visits, training courses, summer camps, a youth network and thematically networks. IFLRY also publishes a quarterly magazine called "Libel", a monthly internal newsletter and runs home pages on the world wide web.
The IFLRY magazine LIBEL is meant to give information on activities and a wide range of themes, to stimulate debates as well as it serves as an exchange of information and ideas between the different member organisations. Contributions to this magazine are very welcome. You can write articles about political topics or activities of your organisation in English, Spanish or French.
Other publications of IFLRY include seminar and delegation reports, a Handbook on IFLRY, an Info File on the federation's member organisations, readers on specific topics or regions and a policy book, which includes all adopted resolutions since 1985.
IFLRY is full member of Liberal International and co-operates with the Liberal group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
IFLRY is also an active member of the European Youth Forum, holds a consultative status with the NGO sections of the Council of Europe, UNESCO and ECOSOC and is active in the Youth Forum of the United Nations. The federation also regularly participates in the activities of the Youth Directorate of the Council of Europe.