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 Today, blogger and IFLRY Freedom Award Laureate Maikel Nabil is finally free. He was sentenced to two years in prison but after national and international pressure, he has was one of 1,959 who were granted release. The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) welcomes this release, but would also like to urge for continued pressure until Egypt is truly democratic.
Maikel Nabil Sanad has been a blogger and activist for several years in Egypt. From 2006 until recently, Maikel Nabil has used the internet to mobilize public opinion for values such as human rights, peace and democracy. He was part of IFLRY’s official delegation to the Liberal International Congress in 2009 in Cairo. Maikel Nabil was arrested on 28 March 2011 in his home in Cairo for criticizing the army through Facebook. On 10 April, he was initially sentenced to three years in jail by a military court, even though Maikel Nabil is a civilian. From 23 August until 31 December Maikel Nabil was on a hunger strike in protest against his continued imprisonment.
In August, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) admitted that some 12,000 civilians across the country had been tried by military courts following grossly unfair trials. At least 13 have been sentenced to death. Maikel Nabil and others like him have been put in a cruel condition for many months. And although Maikel Nabil has been released, it should not be forgotten that he was pardoned rather than found innocent. This is why IFLRY supports Amnesty International’s call for the expunge of his criminal record and for him to be compensated for his ordeal.
IFLRY President Thomas Leys comments: “Maikel Nabil’s release is a victory for the freedom of expression. Moreover, as a civilian, Maikel Nabil should never have been tried before a military court. The right to a fair trial and the right to freedom of expression are among the foundations of democracy. We therefore call on the Egyptians authorities to ensure, safeguard and defend these rights of the Egyptian people.”
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The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) is pleased to announce its participation in the  organization of the G(irls)20 Summit in Mexico City from May 29 to June 4, 2012. Applications for this annual event – which runs parallel and is modeled on the G-20 Leaders Meeting – are now open to young women aged 18 to 20 from G-20 countries and the African Union. Delegates will work together to provide G20 leaders with recommendations on empowering girls and women as agents of social and economic development in their communities and around the world. They will also receive training in areas ranging from media relations to the development of business plans.
Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of leadership skills and experience, and ideas for confronting challenges arising from the global economic and euro-zone crises. Please complete and forward the following application form, in addition to one reference letter, to girls20Summit@tbsf.ca before 5:00 PM CET on January 9, 2012 to be considered as a candidate.
Background:
In September 2009 at the Clinton Global Initiative Summit, the Belinda Stronach Foundation, a charitable foundation in Canada, committed to creating a platform that provides greater coordination of global advocacy efforts for girls and women, with a goal of ensuring that their issues became part of the G20 narrative. Now in its third year, the G(irls) 20 Summit has generated 150 million media impressions and leveraged youth-led educational and economic development projects around the world.
The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) is a forum for cooperation between a hundred liberal and democratic youth organizations in sixty countries around the world. It facilitates the exchange of ideas and best practices between these organizations through seminars, bilateral exchanges, advocacy campaigns and engagement with multilateral bodies like the UN Alliance of Civilizations and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
For further information, please contact Coralie D'Souza (Coralie.DSouza@tbsf.ca) at the Belinda Stronach Foundation or Mateusz Trybowski (mateusz@iflry.org) at the International Federation of Liberal Youth - IFLRY
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 2/12/2011 - At the General Assembly of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) in Istanbul, Turkey, Maikel Nabil was given the first IFLRY Freedom Award for his firm commitment to freedom. Maikel Nabil Sanad (1985) has been a blogger and activist for several years in Egypt. From 2006 until recently, Maikel Nabil has used the internet to mobilize public opinion for values such as human rights, peace and democracy. He has been active in liberal organizations, and he was part of IFLRY’s delegation to the Liberal International (LI) Congress in 2009 in Cairo. Maikel Nabil was arrested on 28 March 2011 in his home in Cairo, for ‘insulting’ the military through Facebook. On 10 April, he was sentenced to three years in jail by a military court, even though Maikel Nabil is a civilian. Since 23 August, Maikel Nabil is on hunger strike in protest against his continued imprisonment and solitary confinement. IFLRY president Thomas Leys states “No civilian should be tried before a military court, just like nobody should be imprisoned for peacefully expressing their opinion.” As Maikel Nabil remains imprisoned, the award was accepted by Amr El-Bakly (Cairo Liberal Forum) on his behalf. The speakers at the award ceremony included Klaas Dijkhoff MP (VVD, Netherlands) and LI Secretary General Emil Kirjas. At the ceremony, young liberals from all over the world wrote personal supportive postcards to Maikel Nabil. Thomas Leys adds “Maikel Nabil embodies the spirit of the non-violent struggle for freedom and democracy in Middle East and North Africa. Although the change in Egypt and the region offers the prospect for freedom and human rights, we believe the case of Maikel Nabil also calls for vigilance and continued support for democratic principles and forces in these countries. Maikel Nabil also represents the changing nature of democratic protest, by using social media and new technology, thus underlining the need to secure digital freedoms for all. Finally, as IFLRY, we feel the role of youth as contributors to democratic change needs to be recognized. We hope this award serves as an inspiration and an acknowledgment for the work of millions of other young people working towards freedom, democracy and human rights.” Help demand his immediate release Stand in solidarity with Maikel Nabil and call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release him, and to stop criminalising peaceful freedom of expression in Egypt: http://www.amnesty.org.au/action/action/26960/
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Dear Members and Friends of IFLRY
The IFLRY Seminar on Freedom of Expression invites you to consult an archived copy of its webinar on the Role of Digital Media in Freedom of Expression Advocacy . It connected seminar participants gathered in Istanbul with young liberals around the world and on the front lines of rights advocacy in countries under authoritarian governance. Guest speakers included Emin Milli, a blogger and legal expert for the Council of Europe who discussed his experience as a former prisoner of conscience in Azerbaijan; and Alix Dunn, a strategist and trainer on digital human rights campaigns in emerging pro-democracy movements. Click here to consult an archived copy of this webinar Room ID = "LSF_main"
Name: please enter your name
We are looking forward to hearing your feedback on this IFLRY webinar!
Kind regards, Mateusz Trybowski,
IFLRY Vice-President
On behalf of the Freedom of Expression Seminar Team
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Dear friends,The IFLRY Climate Change Team is assembling a delegation for the upcoming United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP-17). The conference will be taking place in Durban, South Africa from November 18 to December 9, 2011. Nominations must be submitted by midnight UTC on September 19th to climatechange@iflry.org by an official representative (President, Secretary General or International Officer). As spots are limited, we will be using a competitive selection process. Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of availability, experience and objectives for the conference.  For further information, please consult the following documents: INVITATION LETTER NOMINATION FORM
We are looking forward to seeing you in South Africa.
Regards,
The IFLRY Climate Change Team
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We are the
young liberals of the world. It is our obligation to show a notion of global
humanity, moreover to show solidarity that embraces all humans. That is why
IFLRY, International Federation of Liberal Youth, organizes a traditional
project called Liberal Solidarity Week. This year’s topic is United in Solidarity – together we are
stronger. We are united with a specific purpose, united with a task to
expand a liberal cultural power. In other words, we fight against injustice,
oppression and tyranny.
WHAT IS LSW?
The IFLRY LSW is a project where
countries and MOs in democracies want to show their support to those who fight
for freedom, human rights and democracy, while at the same time we want to
spread liberal thoughts and visions to help developing a better world.
WHAT IS THE MAIN AIM?
IFLRY, as an international
federation, has member organization all around the world but not all of them
live in democracies where freedom of speech, free market and democracy itself
are fundamentals rights. That is why we need your help. We want that our MOs
and their members show their support with those who can’t live in freedom
because they live in authoritarian countries.
WHAT WE FOCUS ON?
We focus on political freedom,
classical human rights and fundamental rights of liberalism. We focus on promoting direct democracy. We believe
that all people should have a right to work in citizen initiatives, whereby
people can propose new legislation, a right for fair elections and a right to
recall, under which people can force a vote on whether to expel an incumbent
elected official by collecting enough signatures in a petition. We claim from
authoritarian countries to recognize the equal and absolute rights of all members of the human family,
moreover to accept the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.
WHICH COUNTRIES?
We are proposing you to orient your
activities in promoting democracy and shifting awareness of human rights
problems in Cuba, North Sudan, Libya, Belarus and Syria. These countries are
also prior objectives that IFLRY with its programme teams and individual
acting of Bureau members fights for. If you choose any of these five countries
Bureau and Programme managers will prepare manuals and provide you with the
materials, information and help. Of course you are free to choose any other
countries you think that our mutual actions are needed.
WHEN LSW WILL TAKE PLACE?
From the 19th - 25th of September. You can do
actions and activities every day during this week. You are also free to choose
the days you think that are the most appropriate. The more you do the better
success we can achieve. Just don’t forget to inform us about your activities,
so we could coordinate activities around the world.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
We are kindly asking you to carry
out activities addressing injustice in determined countries. These mutual
activities around the world will help us to claim pure and fundamental rights
for people in authoritarian countries. Here is a list of activities you can do:
- Workshop. An internal debate in you organization about
the issue and after it a resolution for you and your mother party.
- Articles in media. Sometimes it is difficult that
media cover our actions, let’s give them the job done and show our concern in
media.
- Salon debate. Make a debate with influential
people and NGOs.
- Interactive action. Make a web action, Facebook event,
Facebook page of support, etc.
- Conference. Invite dissidents, people in
exile, NGOs or who ever you thing will help you having an interesting session.
- Movie night. Speaking feds you up? We can send
you movies in DVD about it. Watch it and send us your opinion before and after
watching it.
- Demonstration. You think that being sit down wont
help much? Do a placard, get a megaphone and jump and scream for freedom.
- Letters to MP in your Parliament. Contact the most influent people
of your country and explain what’s going on.
- Donation campaign. Collecting materials, money, or
anything else you thing it will help to send them and make their life easier.
WHERE CAN I GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?
You can find all about the project
on IFLRY website and FACEBOOK page. If you need any other information,
additional data and materials please contact us on: jordi@iflry.org, naomi@iflry.org, davor@iflry.org.
DON’T FORGET!
We are obligated to show our support
to people who are fighting for their freedom. We need your support to expand
our solidarity around the world and don’t forget that we are stronger together.
Sincerely yours,
IFLRY Bureau
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Empowering and facilitating dialogue between young people worldwide in the interest of promoting freedom has been the principal objective of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) since its creation in 1947. Today, on International Youth Day in a year that has been marked by political and economic turmoil, IFLRY would like to highlight the role of youth in accomplishing a free and prosperous society. As IFLRY we believe that offering young people substantive opportunities to influence decision-making is the best way to improve their understanding of citizenship, tolerance for diversity, and capacity to forge connections that break-down geographic, generational and ethno-cultural cleavages. We approach universal access to education and freedoms of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association, and religious or cultural identity as fundamental to these goals’ achievement. Political apathy amongst youth threatens the integrity of established democracies and stability of emerging democracies. IFLRY encourages young people to engage in issue-advocacy, but also emphasizes the importance of electing youth and political parties that represent youth interests to legislative assemblies. Young political participation helps to keep governments accountable and focused on long-term policy objectives. It also allows young people to develop organizational and communication skills that can be applied in other areas, as well as exposure to different cultures, perspectives and ideas. For IFLRY, political freedom should go hand in hand with economic freedom. Social and economic problems associated with low youth employment are intensified by its concentration amongst insecure work arrangements characterized by low productivity and earnings. We believe young citizens should have the necessary tools to achieve autonomy in dealing with their economic life. IFLRY calls on governments to pursue active employment policies focused on education and economic development through private investment, competition and the free movement of workers and goods. This also means equal rights to pursue business opportunities in the absence of intimidation, corruption or discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Rule of law and stable financial systems are fundamental to economic and employment growth. IFLRY also calls on states to cease incurring debt on the backs of future generations and to abolish trade barriers and protectionist policies that condemn youth in developing countries to perpetual poverty. London, 12th August 2011
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The International Federation of Liberal Youth is deeply concerned with the inhumane behavior of the Syrian government on peaceful demonstrators, in particular the brutal attack on Hama that left more than 145 people dead on Sunday. IFLRY calls upon the international community to join in denunciating the violence. IFLRY condemns the Syrian Government’s violent crackdown in its strongest possible term and urges the authority to stop killing innocent people immediately and unconditionally. It is utterly deplorable for any government to attempt to force its population into submission, using tanks, artillery and snipers. IFLRY urges the Government to halt this assault on its own people's most fundamental human rights. Last week, IFLRY’s Executive Committee in Timisoara (Romania) unanimously adopted a resolution calling for an end to the violence against its civilians, most prominently against those protesting. IFLRY reiterates to the Syrian authorities their obligation to respect the human rights of the Syrian people, including their freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly, and urges them to listen to the legitimate aspirations of the population. IFLRY calls on the international community/organizations to remind the Syrian authorities that they are accountable under international human rights law for all acts of violence perpetrated by them against the civilian population. It called on the authorities to refrain from violence and to listen to the legitimate aspirations of the people and address them through inclusive political dialogue and genuine reforms and not through repression and more bloodshed. Since the mass protests against Assad began in March, about 1,500 civilians and 350 members of the security forces have been killed. More than 12,600 people have been arrested and 3,000 civilians are listed as missing. However, the accounts could not be independently verified because international journalists have not been allowed access to Syria as part of the government’s censorship. IFLRY President Thomas Leys: “Today, we must show our solidarity with the people of Syria. We strongly believe that the voices of the free people are much more powerful than bullets and massacres. We hope this courageous act of the people of Syria will not be stopped before reaching their aspired goal. At the same time, we hope that the UN Security Council does not remind blind for what is happening in Syria and that necessary actions are taken to force the Syrian government to stop the violence.”
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Joint statement by IFLRY and the Young Liberals of Norway (NUV) The International Federation of Liberal Youth, gathered in Timisoara in Romania, strongly condemns the attack that took place in Oslo on July 22. As liberals, we hold the value of life in highest esteem and find this cruel attack to be a violation of humanity. IFLRY sends most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the eight victims of the Oslo bombing and the sixty-eight victims in the Utøya shooting. As young people, we find the killings at Utøya to be very disturbing. The horrendous attack on politically active and interested youth has been received by all participants at the IFLRY meeting as a huge shock. At this point, we want to express our solidarity with the Norwegian Workers’ Youth League (AUF) by strongly condemning this terrorist action. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of all victims, including those injured and traumatised. We, the International Federation of Liberal Youth, are committed to fight terrorism, protect lives and uphold political, civil and human rights all over the world. As a means of showing our condolences for all those killed in these incidents, we held a moment of silence to commemorate their death. For IFLRY: Thomas Leys
For NUV: Andreas Skjæret
For LYMEC: Alexander Plahr
For OALY-LEAD: Lebo More
For YLDA: Harshana Rajakaruna
For TNL: Florin-Alexandru Alexe
For CSL: Radu Surugiu
For JNC: Jordi Villanueva Calvet
For the Juventude Democratas: Joao Victor Guedes
For Future Youth: Rabih Fakhreddine
For YLC: Mateusz Trybowski
For SU: Danica Vihinen
For Finnish Centre Youth: Virva Leväinen
For Radikal Ungdom: Christian Schmidt-Sorensen
For LUF: Johanna Lönn
For YMRF: Stanislav Anastassov
For Liberal Youth: Harriet Ainscough
For JRG: Nasha Gagnebin
For JuLis: Julia Hesse
For UJTL: Ameth Nasses
For JD: Maarten Koning
For JOVD: Timo Roeleveld
For L²: Jefrey Van der Straeten
For the Liberal Youth of Moldova: Ludmila Lupu
For Youth Yabloko: Ksenia Vakhrusheva
For MLD: Nusa Anna Hrustek
For Liberal Youth Guild: Harshana Rajakaruna
For DA Youth; Lebo More
For 3H: Afra Uysal
For JLA: Lukas Kaleinikovas
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The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) is deeply
concerned for the health of Jorge Cervantes Garcia, a human rights
defender in Cuba. Mr. Garcia has been undertaking a hunger strike since
the start of June, seeking to call attention to the abuses of an
undemocratic regime that continues to repress his country. Like many
Cubans, Mr. Garcia has long suffered under a government which does not
tolerate dissent or new and innovative ideas.
No longer willing to accept the rule of silence, Mr. Garcia has
engaged in this brave but dangerous protest in solidarity with Cuba's
many political prisoners.
IFLRY calls for the immediate release
of all Cuba's political prisoners. The peaceful protest of repression
ought not to be met with yet further repression.
IFLRY also calls upon the Cuban regime to enact serious democratic
reforms. By taking steps to conform with democratic best practices and
the terms of the 2001 Inter-American Democratic Charter, the Cuban
people will enjoy true freedom - free to determine the fate of their
country, and free to choose their form of government. Through such
efforts, a society can be forged where individuals like Jorge Cervantes
Garcia do not feel compelled to imperil their health in order to have
their voice heard.
Libertad y vida. Liberty and life. These are the values for which
Mr. Garcia has been protesting; these are the values upon which the
Cuban regime must deliver.
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On Thursday Serbian authorities arrested Ratko Mladić, the wartime commander of the Bosnian Serbs Army. Mladić was arrested in the small village of Lazarevo, near Zrenjanin, a town north of the Serbian capital Belgrade. He was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in 1995 for crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. Mladić is charged with being responsible for the siege of Sarajevo and for the genocide in Srebrenica, the largest ethnically-motivated massacre in Europe after World War II. IFLRY and LYMEC welcome the arrest of Mladić as an important step for Serbia towards EU integration and especially as a step forward for regional reconciliation. However, there is still a bad feeling in sense of late finding of Mladić, especially because intellectual elites in Serbia say that Mladić had the support of former Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and of several political groups. Though the arrest was long overdue, IFLRY and LYMEC welcome Mladić's arrest as the necessary first step towards genuine regional reconciliation and stabilisation. The act of arresting Mladić shows that Serbian authorities are committed to dealing with the past atrocities and Serbia's role in the 1990's wars, particularly because Mladić's image as a Serbian national hero is still kept alive by the nationalistic bloc in Serbia. Belgrade proved that it is ready to enforce the rule of law, despite the pressure coming from Mladić’s supportersin the streets of Belgrade. Now more than ever it is important that Serbia continues with political and legal proceedings to confront a painful and dark period of their history. Arresting Mladić is not the end of the path. The positive justice will not be served until Serbia arrests and hands over Goran Hadžić to ICTY. We urge Serbia and Serbia’s political leadership to quicken the hand-over of Hadžić, to admit its guilt for the actions during the war in Former Yugoslavia and to assume responsibility. Furthermore, we call for Serbia’s institutions to make a subtle and formal apology to Mothers of Srebrenica and citizens of Sarajevo. We also suggest to Belgrade to take full advantage of this positive momentum and speed up domestic, political and legal reforms leading to the establishment of the rule of law in the country. Serbia will soon close one of the darkest chapters of its history; it is time that it returns to the family of the European nations by embarking on a historic journey closer to the European Union. We would also like to congratulate our Serbian member organisation Young LDP fortheir consistent and uprightly actions and efforts to to create a better future for Serbs in European Serbia
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Dear IFLRY Member Organizations, The IFLRY Bureau is looking for a Programme Manager to lead its Climate Change Teamfor one year beginning in July 2011. This term will be particularly interesting because it coincides with the end of the Kyoto Protocol’s commitment period and efforts to negotiate a successor agreement within the United Nations. Aims: The IFLRY Climate Change Programme’s leading objectives are to develop, deepen and expand the voice and activities of young liberals on the topic of climate change and climate-related policies at large in order to influence public debate and political decision-making. Combating climate change to preserve the environment for future generations is a central component of the IFLRY Manifesto (Section IV) and is an area in which IFLRY has demonstrated leadership in recent years. The Programme Manager will have an opportunity to develop his or her own strategy and priorities in the context of ongoing efforts to: - Further develop IFLRY’s climate change policies - Lobby on behalf of ambitious emission reduction commitments and market-based approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation in Liberal International and other political forums. - Build capacity on climate change issues by fostering communication between member organizations, promoting their activities, and functioning as a clearing house for information on climate change policies and advocacy efforts. - Develop working relationships with climate change think tanks, advocacy groups and other stakeholders that share our aims and principles. - Prepare for the participation of an IFLRY delegation to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP17) in Durban, Africa. - Organize or co-organize young liberal climate change events such as seminars. Qualifications: Applicants for this position do not need to be experts but should have some knowledge of climate change issues and enthusiasm to contribute to this very important initiative. They should also be active in an IFLRY Member Organization and be prepared to commit at least four hours per week on average to their programme management responsibilities. The Programme Manager will be responsible for chairing regular meetings of the Climate Change Team and for delegating responsibilities amongst its members. Most of this work will be conducted through online platforms. If you are interested, please send an email with your CV and a one-page motivation letter to IFLRY Vice President Mateusz Trybowski (mateusz@iflry.org) no later than June 13th, 2011, after which the appointment will be made public. Outgoing Climate Change Programme Manager Stephan Korte (stephan@iflry.org) is also available to answer questions about this position and offer training to its selected candidate.
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 The European Youth Forum has invited the IFLRY Bureau to nominate a representative to the EU-China Year of Youth Conference on Sustainable Development occurring in Beijing-Xi’an on July 4-11, 2001. This conference follows on the heels of the IFLRY Bureau's participation in the EU-China Year of Youth summit in February. Working groups and activities will focus on economic and ecological approaches to sustainable development while creating opportunities for dialogue and cooperation between youth from both continents.
Background 2011 was designated as the EU-China Year of Youth at the 12th EU-China summit, held in Nanjing on 30 November 2009, with a view to "promoting and deepening partnership between Europe and China" (art. 24). Its main objectives are: · - To promote intercultural dialogue and strengthen mutual understanding andfriendship between European and Chinese youth; · - To encourage young people to care about and support the development of EU-China relations; · - To achieve extensive and positive impacts and help ensure that cooperation between policy makers as well as between youth organizations is sustainable beyond 2011. Nomination Criteria: Applicants must be nominated by an IFLRY Member Organization, aged between 18 and 35 years old, and have EU nationality while residing in a EU country. Precedence will be given to applicants who have experience in sustainable development and EU-China cooperation issues, and the capacity to encourage initiatives related to the conference in their home country. Travel, Accommodation and Meals: International travel costs will be covered by the European Union. Domestic travel and accommodation are being covered by the All-China Youth Federation. Deadline: The nomination form is available at the Documents Centre: http://iflry.org/files/folders/climate_change/entry93623.aspx Completed nomination forms must be submitted by a MO executive (President, Secretary General or International Officer) to IFLRY Vice-President Mateusz Trybowski (mateusz@iflry.org) no later than June 3, 2011.
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Only a few days before the International Day against Homophobia (celebrated annually on 17 May), Uganda's parliament announced that they are extending the Spring session for one extra day in order to push through the death penalty for homosexuality. The bill not only introduces the death penalty for “serial offenders”, it also proposes the imprisonment of people who facilitate same sex-relations. The International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) strongly condemns this initiative. IFLRY stands in solidarity with all lesbians, gays, bi-sexuals and transsexuals, and those that support them, in Uganda. IFLRY believes that diversity in every sense should be cherished and stimulated, not suppressed or denied. Therefore, IFLRY calls on the international liberal community’s members to mount pressure on Uganda and continue advocating for LGBT rights. IFLRY Bureau Member Ivo Thijssen (Netherlands) “President Museveni has the opportunity to end this battle against human dignity by vetoing this bill. It is time for him to rise to the occasion and keep the government out of the bedroom. Let love rule!” The situation in Uganda proves that one of the main liberal challenges for the 21st century is to fight homophobia and promote equal rights for all sexual orientations. IFLRY Vice President Mateusz Trybowski (Canada) added: "Should the bill pass, it is up to our governments to prove that the support for human rights goes beyond words. Asylum needs to be granted to those individuals that flee persecutions and death on grounds of their sexual orientation.”
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Following IFLRY’s launch of a Free Trade Programme (FTP) and the call for a FTP Manager, the IFLRY Bureau has decided to appoint Adrian Proos. He is a long-time active member of IFLRY full Member Organisation JOVD. The IFLRY Bureau is convinced that his experience as an entrepreneur will help IFLRY build a strong FTP. Beside that he is Political Commissar Economy and Innovation for the JOVD.
Following the appointment of Adrian as FTP Manager, IFLRY is looking for FTP Team Members for IFLRY's work on Free Trade from spring 2011 to spring 2012. This term will be particularly interesting due to the fact that this is a new IFLRY Programme. The FTP Team Members will therefore have the opportunity to help shape the Programme. Role of Free Trade Programme Team Members
The FTP Team shall work pro-actively on, and be responsible for, the implementation of the FTP. The FTP Team will carry out its work mainly through online platforms and telecommunication. Physical meetings may be held in addition. There are several issues that the FTP Team Members will be working on:
1. Participate in a team of volunteers from IFLRY Member Organizations around the world
2. Developing of IFLRY policy recommendations on trade liberalization.
3. Monitor all activities of the WTO and identify opportunities for NGO engagement offered by the WTO.
4. Look for funding for a WTO visit and organise it.
5. Design of communication strategy regarding free trade (articles, campaigns).
There may be more issues coming up in the course of the year and Programme Members are free to come up with their own ideas as well. There is no financial compensation available but working for an international organization is an enriching experience for yourself and for your resume.
Join the fight for free trade, apply now!
FTP Members do not need to be Free Trade experts but should have the enthusiasm and inspiration to contribute to this very important initiative. In addition, they should be active in an IFLRY Member Organisation and have basic knowledge about the WTO and trade liberalization. In particular, IFLRY is looking for thinkers, writers and doers!
The FTP Team Members shall be appointed for the duration of one year. The composition of the FTP Team shall be decided upon by the IFLRY Bureau in cooperation with the FTP Manager. If you are interested, please send a note of interest and with your CV to IFLRY Bureau Member Ivo Thijssen ( ivo@iflry.org). Please send this no later than 15 May 2011, after which the appointments will be made public. For questions on the FTP and FTP Team Membership, please contact Ivo. IFLRY would like to thank all of you who participated and made the event to what it was, and wishes all involved a fruitful training future!
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