IFLRY: YOUNG LIBERALS WORLD WIDE: we unite the young liberals, democrats, radicals, centrists...

Study how young liberals think now:

: Manifesto of the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY)

Last revision: Dakar, Senegal, in June 2022

Introduction

The IFLRY Manifesto is the core document that outlines our values and beliefs which unite the young liberals, democrats, radicals, centrists and libertarians who are members of the International Federation of Liberal Youth.

Ch1 - The Individual

The Individual is the cause and limitation of all politics. It is the cause because politics exists to address issues where individuals cannot balance their interests by themselves.

The individual also sets the limitation by its possession of universal human rights. Dignity and freedom of the individual are the basis of all our political ideas and concepts.

Everybody is equal in freedom, independent of ethnicity, gender, heritage, culture, religion, or sexual orientation. It is our common goal to defend the freedom of the individual where it is challenged, where it has been lost, we aim to reinstitute it.

We are convinced that each individual needs to pursue their own goals for happiness and lives according to their own concepts, to live a satisfying life with decisions made by themselves and with self-responsibility.

To equip every individual with equal opportunities, we perceive unlimited access to basic education and the opportunity to pursue further education - free of political or religious influence - as the imperative precondition for individual development.

In an ideal world, the individual is - without limitations - the commander of their ideas and the captain of their opportunities.

Ch2 - Society

The rights of the free individual also apply to the voluntary cooperation of free individuals. In other words: a liberal, open society is a civil society, with a clear separation of religion and state, where people enjoy the freedom of peaceful assembly and association, freedom of expression, freedom of cultural identity, freedom of religion, freedom of ethnicity, freedom of gender, freedom of heritage, and freedom of sexual orientation and where diversity along all  these lines are understood not as a threat but as an opportunity for a more enriching society.

We acknowledge that society can only prevail if basic human rights are guaranteed for all. This includes, amongst others, sufficient nutrition, sanitation and security.

Liberals persuade the rule of law and the freedom of belief. We believe that the development of any society involves its expansion by the inclusion of diversity: cultural, linguistic, religious, and ethnic. In a globalized world, we attribute more importance to global society as the guiding paradigm for growth and prosperity across borders. Modern society is based on the totality of cultures of all citizens and not only a part of them.

Ch3 - Economy

The foundation for individuals to make their own choices in the economic sphere is an open and free market economy, giving individuals the freedom to deploy their talents as they wish while guaranteeing proprietary rights to the fruits of their labour. Private property, the stability of economic policy and fair competition are key factors for a liberal economic system to grow and prosper. Thus, we condemn protectionist tendencies and advocate for open markets across borders of all kinds.

At the same time, we recognize climate change as one of the greatest threats to humankind in general and to our and upcoming generations in particular.

We, nevertheless, believe that the market equips society with the most efficient resources and tools to tackle this challenge. Wherever the market has its limitations, however, we acknowledge the necessity of a framework of economic policy which provides barriers to economic activity for the purpose of addressing these limitations. As such, modern technology and private enterprise need to be seen as the best means to create a better environment rather than as obstacles to it.

Ch4 - State

The primary form of state interventionism should be the provision of a legal and economic framework, securing contract law, property rights, the well-being of the population and equal opportunities, while respecting the fact that changes can happen through individual effort.

The political institution, whose duty it is to preserve and protect these rights, should be orchestrated through democratic elections.

Transparency, the preservation of privacy rights and other civil liberties,

the strict separation of judicial and political powers, and the rule of law are basic principles every modern state should adhere to. be orchestrated through democratic elections. Transparency, the preservation of privacy rights and other civil liberties, the strict separation of judicial and political powers, and the rule of law are basic principles every modern state should adhere to.

  We believe that individuals have all rights over their body, their mind and the fruits of their labour.

Hence, we favour a limited role of the state with its main functions being: to uphold the rule of law, contract law and property rights, in particular, to create equal opportunities for all and to ensure the enforcement of human rights.

Democracy is a driving force of continuous reform and an instrumental way of ensuring a free society, while it imposes on the individual the responsibility to respect the opinions and rights of others. A modern, liberal society based on freedom and reason can only be maintained through democratic government since only democracy can ensure the fundamental human and civil rights of the individual.

Democracy is the political system, which to the greatest extent possible is capable of respecting personal freedoms and gives the best preconditions for individuals to fully develop their personalities and realize their hopes and needs. Democracy is the only legitimate form of governance and only by integrating liberalism and democracy can both systems fully develop.

An essential condition for a liberal democratic society is the strict separation of powers into an executive, a legislature and a judiciary. All three branches must subject themselves to public scrutiny and must account for all their actions through clear and transparent procedures and free and easy access to information.

Ch5 - International Order

A global civil society composed of freely associating individuals who are dedicated to human rights and individual freedom is the most powerful tool in overcoming the forces of coercion, fundamentalism, authoritarianism and totalitarianism. As liberals, we, therefore, stress the importance of international cooperation to promote and secure the universality of human rights, which extends across borders and continents.

We recognize that individuals involved in international trade and societal exchange have a high interest in peace and stability in our world. They can function as an effective stop to war and conflict. We therefore strongly reject protectionism, and nationalism, welcome globalization and support the free, uncensored exchange of ideas as well as the opportunity for people to travel.

We recognize that individuals involved in international trade have a high interest in peace and stability in our world and can function as an effective stop to war and conflict. We, therefore, welcome globalization and strongly reject protectionism and nationalism.

Facing the need to prevent conflicts, solve global problems, and address global challenges, including combating climate change, promoting human rights, achieving world peace, fighting inequality, and many others, we call for intense international collaboration that goes beyond the mere pursuit of narrow state interests. Such collaboration can be promoted by more transparency and democracy within international organizations, particularly mentioning the United Nations.

Ch6 - Mission

At IFLRY, we bring political youth work to a personal level by creating an environment to listen, share, experience and learn from each other. We, therefore, empower young liberal leaders to take responsibility to advance freedom for all, anywhere in the world.

Our history, being founded in the aftermath of WWII, defines our understanding of cooperation, collaboration and the importance of peace and prosperity. In everything we do, we strive for the understanding of a diversity of political ideas.

Wherever we observe deviations from our own beliefs and values, we aim at providing our internal resources for stimulating discussion and the critical approach to topics not yet on others’ political agendas.

Lastly, we aim to be a strong voice for liberal values globally. Advocacy is a cornerstone of our organisation, particularly the fight for the recognition of inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.

YOUNG LIBERALS INTERNATIONAL

Our roots go as far back as the 1920’s, when a series of international meetings between liberal youth organisations took place. However, we were first officially established at a meeting in Cambridge, United Kingdom in 1947 under the name of the World Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (WFLRY).

WFLRY was the first international liberal youth platform, though in reality it was almost completely European at this time, but it was not long before it had a competitor in the form of the European Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (EFLRY), who were founded in 1969.

Eventually it became clear that two organisations serving the same purpose were not necessary and so in 1978 WFLRY closed down and, at a meeting in Silkeborg, Denmark in 1979, the remaining EFLRY became the International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (IFLRY).

It was at this point that the Federation started to become more truly global, with expansions across Latin America and Africa and, after 1989, out to Central and Eastern Europe as well as Asia. Today IFLRY is proud to be present in all continents of the world.