“We’re the ones that can lead society out of the darkness of Capitalist Modernity!”
The First World Youth Conference has officially started.
300 young people came together from over 50 countries.
“In today’s world of chaos, wars and crisis, it is the youth that will lead the way to a free world!”
The opening ceremony started with a minute of silence for the martyrs of various struggles around the world. A commemoration table is set up, where some people that have lost their lives in the struggle are portrayed.
This was followed by an introduction to the conference’s program. Today’s first session is a panel discussion aiming to outline the current situation of the multi-layered crisis we are facing. Tomorrow, Saturday, twelve workshops will explore the different aspects of the various problems that the Youth is facing. On Sunday, the last day, discussions will be focused on Women’s Liberation, and on concrete ways to shape collective perspectives for freedom.
The evenings will be filled with different cultural activities where all comrades, friends and families that are hosting the participants, will have the chance to get to know each other better.
Once again, we were reminded of the crucial context that this conference is taking place in: the history of the previous two youth conferences held in the Middle East, the first in 2015 in Amed, Bakur (North Kurdistan) and the second 2019 in Kobanê, Rojava (Western Kurdistan). The history is one filled with great struggle and heavy repression, taking place in the context of the genocidal wars waged against the people of the Middle East.
This conference owes its legacy to the youth led struggle against this destruction. Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Freedom movement, and architect of the Kurdish struggle for liberation, has been held in solitary imprisonment for the last 25 years. Our conference is dedicated to him. It was he who said:
“Young we have started and young we will succeed!” A slogan that will shape these three days, as it has the paths that have led to this historic gathering.
The preparation network’s arts commitee prepared a short film to set the stage for the historic situation that today’s youth is confronted with. In a system of war, exploitation, genocide and ecocide, the solutions can only come from the people themselves.
“The enemy might be big, but he has not the power of the people – we are the people!”
“None of the participants here should see themselves solely as listeners. All of us are subjects fighting for our future “
We will let this youthful spirit lead us at this conference.
