Last weekend saw a meeting of representatives of youth organizations of the CIS and Baltic states in Kyiv, aimed on implementing an idea born long ago: to create a Social Democratic Youth Forum of Eastern Europe. For around two years a project to create such an international youth organization, initiated by the Ukrainian Social Democrats (united), had been discussed and worked over by the founding countries. As a result, a decision to create the Social Democratic Youth Forum was adopted unanimously by its first plenary session. Eleven youth organizations from eight CIS and Baltic states (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Latvia) were represented at the meeting. Five of the eleven organizations are members of the Socintern international Socialist organization’s youth wing. In the view of International Secretary of the Young Social Democrats of Russia Dmitry Kupov, this will secure forum’s representation in the international youth society, whose opinion no civilized power could neglect. SDPU(o) leader Viktor Medvedchuk arrived to the meeting to express his wishes and support the young people’s initiative. As chairman of the Eastern European Social Democratic Forum, Mr. Medvedchuk made no secret of his gladness about the success of this initiative and the fact that youth followed the example of the so-called grownup parties, uniting its forces to popularize Social Democratic ideology. In his opinion, this ideology sets the fashion in the political thought of Eastern Europe. Mr. Medvedchuk also stressed the importance of the Social Democratic movement to the political and social life in every represented country. According to him, “Regions of Eastern Europe often cultivate an inadequate idea of European processes and the role of Social Democratic force in these processes. According to the data of one poll, 21% of Ukrainians believe that Margaret Thatcher is still leader of the Great Britain, while 72% cannot name even three European presidents.” In Mr. Medvedchuk’s opinion, “European integration for most political forces is connected with political tourism and seeking grants.” In the words of newly elected Chairman of the Youth Forum and Chairman of the Ukrainian Socialist Youth Congress Vadym Mysiura, “It is the cooperation of the regions that accompanies international unity, this is why Europe supports open forms of regionalism in many ways.” At the plenary session representatives of all member states of the forum expressed their intention to proceed and develop their activity in multifaceted social, cultural, educational, and economical cooperation in Eastern Europe as a part of the common European process, reports Hanna TELIUK.







