On the 5th of December, IFLRY delivered a speech at the Focus Iran International Solidarity Convention in the Netherlands.

Sandra Reynaers, International Officer and Deputy President of JOVD, addressed the delegates in the Convention hall as well as viewers via the Internet from Iran and beyond.

Find the video of her speech here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1QZF3sd_LI .

Find the text of the full speech at the bottom of this item.

For any questions or for more information, please consult the IFLRY Office (office@iflry.org).

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Dear friends,

My name is Sandra Reynaers and I am the Deputy President and International Officer of JOVD. I represent here the International Federation of Liberal Youth on behalf of its President, Mr. Bart Woord, who unfortunately couldn't attend this conference.

The International Federation of Liberal Youth, or IFLRY, is the worldwide umbrella of over 100 liberal, democratic, centrist, radical and libertarian youth organizations. In the Netherlands, both my organization as well as the Jonge Democraten are Full Members of IFLRY. Our Federation was established 62 years ago, in 1947, in order to peacefully spread liberal values around the world by engaging young people.

Over the years, many of our members have been battling oppression. Whether this was political oppression in authoritarian countries, where young people were silenced to speak out; whether this was economic oppression in communist countries, where people were prohibited from pursuing their dreams; or whether this was social oppression in conservative countries, where cultural and religious freedoms were being suppressed.

We have seen progress with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the waves of democratization in parts of Latin America, Africa and Asia. However, we shall be the last to declare that the dream of freedom, democracy and human rights for every individual on this globe is close to being finalized. In fact, we're worried.

We are particularly worried about our sisters and brothers in the great country of Iran. The world witnessed your revolt this summer and we are still in shock over the blatant injustice that you are facing every day since.

The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) expresses its sincere solidarity with the Iranian youth and their people in their right to expresses their grievances towards the establishments of Iranian society through peaceful and non-violent means. Taking into account Iran sensitive situation where elections are farcical and there is no genuine right of political participation, we viewed the riots as the natural result of built-up frustration by young people within a system that does not take their voice into account.

IFLRY believes in the freedom of expression and individualism. While we recognize that religion can be an important part of people's lives, a certain life style cannot and should not be enforced upon a person by the state, let alone with the use of coercion. We adhere to the ideal that each generation needs to define its own paths of life: the young Iranians should have a chance to decide upon theirs. We are in full support of all Iranian citizens especially the youth who embrace the values of freedom, human rights, civil liberties and rule of law. IFLRY continues to affirm the importance of democratic and fair elections. No government should rule without a clear and clean mandate from its people.

We are thankful to the organizers of this conference as well as to all those other people around the world who show that they care about their friends in Iran. By these acts of solidarity we show our common humanity and our dedication to the fundamental values of freedom and justice.

We hope that this spirit extends beyond civil society and reaches governments and international organizations. Whereas they seem to be only concentrated on the nuclear issue, one cannot lose sight of the connection between an authoritarian and populist government and the instability that it brings to the international community. We are skeptical about any change on the diplomatic level if the roots of the Iranian regime remain the same.

Our call for an international engagement to promote democracy and civil society in Iran is not a call for boycotts. Too often, it is the people who suffer from economic boycotts instead of their wicked governments. Instead, we believe that a solid and sustained engagement with Iranian civil society is what will help the change. Exchange programmes for students, professors, academics, business women and men, may all lead to the influx of new ideas and skills with which democracy can be built from bottom up.

Brothers and sisters, there is still a long way to go, but you can count on the young liberals of this world to support you in every step you take. Keep in mind that evil cannot be rooted out by evil and that only respect for freedom and the difference of people provides the way for true and sustainable change.

Thanks for your attention.

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