Appeal to the Youth of the World to Participate in the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students

   The youth of the world, according to the history and the tradition of the social and revolutionary struggles, have always been a vital part of the struggle in every society for progress and social justice. In a world that imperialism presents itself as inevitability, the anti-imperialist struggle of the youth and the peoples is proven as a necessity. The answer of the youth in the defeat of imperialism, is found in its militant present in the struggle for youth rights and in all the common struggles of the peoples for a society of peace, solidarity and social justice. The 19th World Festival of Youth and Student that will take place in Russia between 14/10 and 22/10 2017 is the space for the young women and men of the World to unite and raise their power in this common struggle.

   On the basis of the lines of action constructed since the 18th World Festival of Youth and Students, our estimations and calling for anti-imperialist struggle have been even more justified. The past years with the continuation and the deepening of the international capitalist crisis, where its cost is on the shoulders of the workers and the youth, imperialism, the system where the monopolies rule, is still attacking and also counter attacking, is revealing more and more clearly its true brutal and barbaric nature, that leads to wars, occupations, international injustice with many deaths, migrants and refugees, with human rights violations, threats and blackmail against people, with new strategies and tactics in order to control and manipulate the youth. The capitalist crisis leads the imperialist alliances to intensify their aggressiveness, in order to impose their control on the markets. Class barriers are raised in every aspect of daily life, and they become more irrational and untenable. The youth in a lot of countries continue to experience violations and attacks of their rights for education, work, culture, sports, housing, and health.

   Τhe World Festival of Youth and Students is a movement that was born after the victory of the peoples against Nazi-fascism, the youth through the 19th WFYS shall unite their voices against fascism, since the developments show that fascism, fundamentalism, chauvinism and Neo-Nazismare rising in several countries and is threatening their integrity and sovereignty. Fascism and fundamentalism has always been an instrument in the hands of imperialism and the ruling classes that support it for the division of the people’s unity against its struggle, in order to impose withdrawal of rights, exploitation and oppression.

   The international resistance, the anti-imperialist struggle and the solidarity of the Youth and Students internationally is the flame that lights up and guides the Festival Movement since 1947,wherethe world Youth has united their voices and its struggle against imperialism, fascism, colonialism, war, occupation, discrimination and demanded lasting peace, freedom, sovereignty and national independence, solidarity, equality and social justice.

   Upon the above mentioned reasons we call for every young man and woman to join our struggle in the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students. We call the Youth to:

   • Join our struggle for the overthrown of imperialism, since our prosperity and happiness cannot be found within the system that gives birth to poverty, exploitation, unemployment, that destroys the environment, and creates racial gender and sexual orientation discriminations.

   • Join our struggle for the right for work and for dignity in our working rights, for the fulfil of our contemporary needs, for access to Free and Public Education as a universal right and duty of the state, against privatizations, tuition fees and class barriers.

   • Struggle against the interventions of imperialist countries and their associations such as NATO - EU, and their tools such as the world financial associations, which they act in favour of the capital and against the people.

   • Express solidarity with the peoples suffering from the aggressive imperialist agenda and its militaristic offensive, to refugees that are the victims of the imperialist wars, and to the peoples that are fighting for their freedom, against occupation and foreign interventions.

   • To support the democratic right of the peoples to chose their own path of development against the imperialist forces and their threats.

   • To participate in this global multicultural and international festival that will provide the space for exchange of ideas and opinions, multinational cultural activities, and also to promote through sports the ideas of cooperation friendship and solidarity.

   Today more than ever, it is necessary for the Youth to stand on the unity with theworking people, the student movement and the popular strata in generalfor the reinforcement of a common front against imperialism and reinforce their struggle to build the new world, of peace, equality, solidarity, friendship, and social justice, where the wealth created by the work of the peoples will be used by the people for their needs, where the development of science will affect positively and healthy the humanity.

   After a successful 18th World Festival of Youth and Students in Ecuador, we renew our Festival Movement meeting in the region of Europe, and more specifically is taking place in a land that was part of the Soviet Union where its people with their great sacrifice had an undeniable contribution in the defeat of nazi-fascism in the 2nd World War. Regardless the anti-communist propaganda, within which lies the effort to equate communism with fascism, and to overwrite history, the millions of deaths of soviet people during the 2nd World War is a testimonial of the decisive role of the Soviet Union in the victory against nazi-fascism. Therefore along with thatwithin the framework of the 19th WFYS the youth of the world together with Russia and its people will commemorate the 100 years from the triumph of the Great October Socialist Revolution, which is a significant date, for its character and goals, and for its importance in the development of the anti-fascist, anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist movement worldwide.

   In the year of 2017 we also celebrate the 70th anniversary of the festival movement that started in Prague in 1947, carrying for the present and for the future the values of unity and anti-imperialist solidarity that characterize the Festival's Movement. One of the greatest editions of the WFYS was held in Moscow, USSR, in 1957, a Festival that celebrates in 2017 its 60th Anniversary, a Festival that is still a present memory for the people and youth of Russia and of all the world, and that inspire the 19th WFYS.

   Additionally, considering the tradition of the last two WFYS of dedicating the festival movement to important personalities, we are dedicating the 19th WFYS to Ernesto Che Guevara. The assassination of Ernesto Che Guevara will be completing 50 years in 2017. We are also dedicating this festival to Mohamed Abdelaziz who dedicated his life to the anti-colonialism struggle, and to the independence of Western Sahara.

   The 19th WFYS will take place in a region where the youth have been facing the imperialist aggression against their rights: the raise of fascist forces in many countries, the policies of the European Union and national governments attacking the workers, people and youth's rights, together with a growing militarism. In a moment where imperialism tries to spread the most reactionary values among the youth, the World Festival of Youth and Students will show that, 30 years after the last Festival in Europe, the youth continues to consolidate for peace, solidarity and friendship, to keep the flame of the WFYS and the anti - imperialist struggle alive!

   Supported by the youth and people of Russia, embraced by the anti-imperialist youth of all the world, let us unite our struggle against imperialism in the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students. Slogan of the 19th WFYS:

   " For peace, solidarity and social justice, we struggle against imperialism - Honoring our past, we build the future!!!"