IFLRY
IFLRY stands for International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth. It is a federation of 51 Liberal youth Organisations from 34 countries all over the world. IFLRY was formally founded in 1979 in Silkeborg, Denmark. It grew Out of two other organisations the World Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (WFLRY) and the European Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth (EFLRY). WFLRY was founded 1947, but its Role was taken over by EFLRY in 1969. in 1978 WFLRY closed down, and in 1979 EFLRY changed its name to International Federation of Liberal and Radical Youth. Since then, the Federation has been expanding rapidly. First new member organisations from North America joined, then IFLRY expanded into Latin America. Later the first member organisations from Africa and Asia followed. Since 1989, many organisations from Central and Eastern Europe have joined WLRY
IFLRY's Structure
IFLRY is a federation of organisations, not individuals. This is why it has only 51 members. The members take part in the activity of IFLRY. The main sources of income are the Council of Europe, the European Community, and membership fees. Most of the income is related to (and spent on) political activities. The day-to-day work in IFLRY is done and by an elected Bureau of seven people. Technical and administrative work is done in IFLRY's own office in Brussels, where the Executive Director is employed
IFLRY's Convictions
IFLRY is a federation of liberal and radical organisations ("Liberal" and "Radical" are two names for the same thing. For example, our Swiss member organisation is called "Jungliberale Bewegung der Schweiz" in German speaking Switzerland and "Jeunes Radicaux" in French speaking Switzerland). For IFLRY, liberalism is more than an ideology of freedom and market economy. It is also the ideology of human rights. tolerance, social justice, and equal opportunities. Liberalism is more than just a set of political ideas. It is almost a way of life, a continuous fight for respect of human rights, for creating equal opportunities, for social justice.
IFLRY's Activities
The activities of IFLRY are of diverse nature. IFLRY organises thematical seminars, training courses, delegations study visits, summer camps, and campaigns. Last year's activities included seminars on participation of youth in society, ethnic minorities, Central and Eastern Europe, as well as a Baltic Sea Conference, a study visit to Paraguay, and a delegation visiting the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. For 1994 delegations to the elections in South Africa and the Ukraine are planned. IFLRY publishes a magazine, "Libel", which serves as a platform for debate, exchange of information and reports from activities.
IFLRY is also actively involved in different youth structures and is a member of the Liberal International
IFLRY in Austria
The Ring Freiheitlicher Jugend was one of the founding members of the IFLRY. It has for quite some sears been very active in participating in IFLRY's activities and Martina Gredler was Vice President of IFLRY for two years. With the Rise of Jorg Haider, the RFJ became more and more of an embarrasment to IFLRY. Haider's populism, the expression of sympathy for right-wing ideas and his intolerance against foreigners became more and more relentless.
Especially under the pressure of IFLRY's Dutch member organisations an investigation into the rightwing and intolerance of the FPÖ and its relation with RFJ started. In view of the Nazi-occupation of Holland expressions of an Austrian politician are especially painful.
Very soon it became clear that nearly everything Haider said and did was, in the opinion of the vast majority of IFLRY's member organisations, conflicting with IFLRY's consciousness. It also became clear that, although the RFJ claimed in international meetings that they did not agree with Haider and were fighting him within the party, most of them were in reality supporting the party and especially its leader. In 1992 the IFLRY General Assembly was 5 minutes away from expelling the RFJ, when the organisation resigned voluntarily.
Since then, there has not been any contact between RFJ and IFLRY But since the split of Liberales Forum from the FPÖ, contacts have existed between IFLRY and Liberales Forum. Now that Liberales Forum is working and establishing a youth and students organisation, contacts have become more intensive. Many people in IFLRY hope that in the near future we can welcome Austrian liberals as full member of our family again.
Jan Weijers, Executive Director of IFLRY. This article originally appeared in Libertas (1994), the newsletter of the Liberal Students of Austria.
