The International Young Democrat Union (IYDU) is a global alliance of

centre-right Centre-right politics lean to the Right-wing politics, right of the Left–right politics, political spectrum, but are closer to the Centrism, centre. From the 1780s to the 1880s, there was a shift in the Western world of social class structure a ...

political youth organisations and the

youth wing A youth wing is a subsidiary, autonomous, or independently allied front of a larger organization (usually a political party but occasionally another type of organization) that is formed in order to rally support for that organization from members ...

of the

International Democrat Union The International Democrat Union (IDU) is an international alliance of centre-right political parties. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the IDU consists of 84 full and associate members from 65 countries. It is chaired by Stephen Harper, ...

. The IYDU in its current form was founded in March 1991 in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

A previous organisation of the same name had been established in July 1981, also in Washington, but subsequently ceased to exist. The IYDU fights for

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

and

free-market In economics, a free market is an economic system in which the prices of goods and services are determined by supply and demand expressed by sellers and buyers. Such markets, as modeled, operate without the intervention of government or any ot ...

policies worldwide. IYDU host a number of events for member organisations each year including a Freedom Forum (mid-year), an Annual Council Meeting, and overseas study visits. Following almost 6 years of the IYDU being split over differences in the interpretation of the IYDU constitution, the International Young Democrat Union Joint Council Meeting elected a unified IYDU Board in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

on 21 October 2017.

Principles

"The International Young Democrat Union is a global alliance of centre-right political youth organisations united by a common desire for greater

freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

and less

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

. First established in 1981, two years before its parent organisation the

(IDU), then re-established in 1991, the IYDU has grow from 14 members to 127, from more than 81 different nations. Our membership is diverse. We come from a rich array of histories, cultures and political traditions, but we are united by a shared commitment to

, and to fighting

socialism Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

. Some of us come from established

democracies Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (" direct democracy"), or to choose gov ...

with deep-rooted beliefs in

individual freedom Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology and social outlook that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual. Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and to value independence and self-relianc ...

and

liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

; some have experienced first-hand the destructive evil of

communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

; others are still fighting for

basic freedoms BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages designed for ease of use. The original version was created by John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz at Dartmouth College ...

. Throughout the year the IYDU hosts a number of events around the world. Current and future leaders network, discuss ideology, share ideas and build friendships. Our events include a Freedom Forum in the middle of the year, a Study Trip, and a Council Meeting held towards the end/start of the calendar year. Becoming involved in IYDU demonstrates a commitment: to a better world, created through genuine

democratic process Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choose gover ...

. Participants at our conferences have progressed to become

cabinet ministers A cabinet is a body of high-ranking state officials, typically consisting of the executive branch's top leaders. Members of a cabinet are usually called cabinet ministers or secretaries. The function of a cabinet varies: in some countries ...

members of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

, senior advisers and

leaders Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...

within their respective industries in

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

and

private sectors The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government. Employment The ...

Parent organisation

The parent organisation to IYDU, the

(IDU) is a working association of 71 full and associate members from 63 different countries. Formed in 1983, founder members included Britain's Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...

;

US Vice-President The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice pr ...

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

; Mayor of Paris, and later

French President The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is ...

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...

; and

German Chancellor The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,; often shortened to ''Bundeskanzler''/''Bundeskanzlerin'', / is the head of the federal government of Germany and the commander in chief of the Ger ...

Helmut Kohl Helmut Josef Michael Kohl (; 3 April 1930 – 16 June 2017) was a German politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1973 to 1998. Kohl's 16-year tenure is the longes ...

Chairmen

, - bgcolor="#cccccc" ! Name ! Years ! Organisation ! Country , - , Mark Heywood , 1992–1994 , Young Liberals , , - , Tony Zagotta , 1994–1998 ,

College Republicans College Republicans are college and university students who support the Republican Party of the United States. Many members belong to the organization College Republican National Committee (CRNC), College Republicans United (CRU), or various in ...

, , - ,

Andrew Rosindell Andrew Richard Rosindell MP (; born 17 March 1966) is a British Conservative politician. He became the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Romford constituency in Greater London in 2001. He has been the international director of the European ...

, 1998–2002 , Young Conservatives , , - ,

Shane Frith Shane Frith is a New Zealand politician and political activist. He is director of the Brussels-based think tank New Direction. He was director of Progressive Vision, a classical liberal think tank in London, and managing director of the Stockh ...

, 2002–2004 , Young Nationals , , - , Donald Simpson , 2004–2006 ,

Conservative Future Scotland Conservative Future Scotland (CFS) was the youth wing of the Scottish Conservative Party. The organisation formed in early 2005 by the merger of the Scottish Young Conservatives and the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Students (SCUS) group, ...

, , - ,

Peter Skovholt Gitmark Peter Skovholt Gitmark (born 15 April 1977, in Kristiansand) is a Norwegian politician representing the Conservative Party. He is currently a representative of Vest-Agder in the Storting, first elected in 2005. He was elected a reserve candidate ...

, 2006–2008 , Young Conservatives , , - , Tim Dier , 2008–2010 ,

Conservative Future Conservative Future (CF) was the youth movement of the Conservative Party in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The organisation was made up of all members of the Conservative Party who were 30 years old or younger. Conservative Future was fou ...

, , - , Daniel Walther , 2010–2012 ,

Junge Union The Junge Union Deutschlands (''Young Union of Germany'') or JU is the joint youth organisation of the two conservative German political parties, CDU and CSU. Membership is limited to individuals between 14 and 35 years of age. Junge Union clai ...

, , - , Nicolas Figari , 2012–2012 , Independent Democratic Union Youth , , - , Aris Kalafatis , 2012–2014 ,

Youth Organisation of New Democracy The Youth Organisation of New Democracy ( el, Οργάνωση Νέων Νέας Δημοκρατίας, ΟΝΝΕΔ) is the youth organisation of the liberal Greek political party New Democracy. It was founded in 1974 by young members of New Democr ...

, , - ,

Gerti Bogdani Gerti Jusuf Bogdani (born 7 July 1980) is a former member of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania for the Democratic Party of Albania. Background Bogdani was born in Tirana and followed the "Harry Fultz" high school. After high school he foll ...

, 2014–2016 , Youth of Democratic Party of Albania , , - , - , Simon Breheny , 2016–2017 , Young Liberals , , - , - , Bashir Wardini , 2016–2018 , Lebanese Forces Youth Association , , - , - , Abdelmajid Fassi Fihri , 2018–2019 , Youth Istiqlal Party , , - , - , Bruno Kazuhiro , 2019–2021 , Juventude Democratas , , - , Michael Dust , 2021– ,

Board 2021

* Chairman: : Michael Dust (Junge Union) * Deputy Chairman: : Dorcas Francis (Bavicha) * Secretary General: : Nick Francis (NDP) * Deputy Secretary General: : Josh Manuatu (Young Liberals) * Treasurer: : Syrilla Makarezou (ONNED – Greece) * Vice-Chairs: Martin Cesar (PRO) Marwa El Ansari (Istiqlal) Fredrik Hultman (MUF) Nicola Richards MP (Young Conservatives) Lilit Beglaryan (YRPA) Hikmat Jung Karki (NDYO) Rick Loughery (YRNF) Sourabh Choudhary (BJP) Isabella Tymviou (NEDISY) Nana Asafo Adjei Ayeh (NPP) *Co-Opted Vice-Chairs: Thomas Belligh (Jong CD&V) Javier Molina (RN) Virgilio Falco (EDS / Italy) Kendron Christopher (JLP) Glen De Waele (Jong N-VA) Heidi Hanhela (KNL) Eduardo Lacayo (ARENA) Jose Montero Limao (JP CDS-PP) Patricia De Guzman (PSC) Roberto Pellizzaro (Forza Italia Giovani) Falah Hasan (KDP – Kurdistan Region) Eva Dohalova (JVP)

Members

Current IYDU members are (as of November 21, 2022https://iydu.org/members/): * : One Anguilla Youth * : Young PRO * : Young Republicans of Armenia * :

Australian Liberal Students Federation The National Union of Students (NUS) is the peak representative body for Australian higher education students. As of 2020, there are 21 student unions in Australian campuses affiliated to NUS. A student union is eligible for membership by its c ...

, Young Liberals * : Young People's Party * : NIPA Youth * : Jong CD&V, Jong NV-A * : United Democratic Party Youth * : Juventud Demócratas (MDS) * : Juventude Democratas * : MSDS * : Young Conservatives * : Youth National Renewal, New Generations of Independent Democratic Union * : New Generations of Conservative Party * : Youth of National Integration Party * : Protoporia, Youth of the Democratic Rally (NEDISY) * : Young Conservatives, Young Civic Democrats * : Young Conservatives (KU), Konservativ Studentere (KS) * : Young Freedom Movement * :

Juventud la 6 Juventud, a Spanish word meaning youth, or Juventude, its Portuguese equivalent, may refer to: Places * Isla de la Juventud, Cuba People * Juventud Guerrera, ring name of Mexican professional wrestler Eduardo Aníbal González Hernández also ...

* : ARENA Youth * : Res Publica (IRL) * :

Youth of the European People's Party Youth of the European People's Party (YEPP) is an umbrella organization of European political youth organisations and is the official youth wing of the European People's Party. YEPP brings together 64 Centre-Right youth political organisations fr ...

(YEPP),

European Young Conservatives The European Young Conservatives (EYC) is a grouping of youth wings of conservative and centre-right political parties in Europe. As of 2014, the group has a membership of 25 political youth organisations from 22 different countries and territori ...

(EYC),

European Democrat Students European Democrat Students (EDS) is a pan-European centre-right student and youth political association, and the official student organisation of the European People's Party. Founded in Vienna by Scandinavian, German and Austrian students in 1961, ...

(EDS), Nordic Young Conservative Union (NUU), Nordic Conservative Student Union (NKSU), Democratic Youth Community of Europe (DEMYC) * : Kokoomusnuoret (KNL) * : Mouvement des etudiants * :

(JU) * :

Youth League of the New Patriotic Party Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood (Maturity (psychological), maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as b ...

* :

(ONNED), DAP – NDFK * : New National Party Youth * : Juventud Unionista * : Juventud Nacionalista * : Fidelitas * : Chaldo Assyrian, KDYU (in Kurdistan) * : Youth LIKUD * : Forza Italia Giovani * :

Young Jamaica — Generation 2000 Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...

* :

Lebanese Forces Students Association Lebanese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Lebanese Republic * Lebanese people, people from Lebanon or of Lebanese descent * Lebanese Arabic, the colloquial form of Arabic spoken in Lebanon * Lebanese culture * Lebanese cuisin ...

* : TS-LKD Jaunimo Bendruomene * : MDP Youth Wing * : Democratic Youth Union * : PZP Youth * :

Istiqlal Youth Istiqlal ( ar, اِسْتِقْلال, istiqlāl) means ''independence'' and may refer to: Political parties *Azərbaycan Milli İstiqlal Partiyası or Azerbaijan National Independence Party, political party in Azerbaijan *Harakat Al-Istiqlal or In ...

* :

National Democratic Youth Organisation National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

* :

CDJA The Christian Democratic Youth Appeal (Dutch: Christen-Democratische Jongeren Appèl), officially abbreviated as CDJA, is the youth organisation of the political party Christian Democratic Appeal in the Netherlands. It came about via the merging o ...

* : Young Nationals * : Juventud Conservadora Nacional * : Young Conservatives (Unge Høyre), Hoyers Studenterforbund * : Juventud Popular Cristiana * : Mlodzi Demokraci * : People's Youth, Juventude Social Democrata * :

Christian Democratic Youth of Slovakia The Kresťanskodemokratická mládež Slovenska (''Christian Democratic Youth of Slovakia'') or KDMS is the youth organisation of the conservative Slovakia, Slovak political party, Christian Democratic Movement, KDH. They share the same ideologi ...

(KDMS) * : New Generations of the People's Party (NNGG) * : United Youth Front * : People’s Action Movement Youth * : United Youth * : Young Democrats * :

Moderate Youth League The Moderate Youth League ( sv, Moderata ungdomsförbundet ; MUF), officially known in English as the Swedish Young Conservatives, is the youth wing of the Swedish Moderate Party. Of the political youth organizations that received financial supp ...

(MUF), Young Christian Democrats (KDU), Fria Moderata Studentforbundet * : Young Swiss People's Party * :

Kuomintang Youth League The Kuomintang Youth League (), also known as Young KMT, is a youth group under the Kuomintang. The Kuomintang Youth League was created in 2006 by Kuomintang chairman Ma Ying-jeou to help promote cultural and political awareness among Chinese yo ...

* : Chadema Youth * : Forum for Democratic Change Youth * : Young Conservatives, Young Conservatives Scotland * :

, Young Republicans National Federation * :

Primero Justicia The Justice First ( es, Primero Justicia) is a centre-right political party in Venezuela. Founded in 1992 as a civil association, it became a political party in 2000. Henrique Capriles was the candidate of the party in 2013 general election. ...

Proyecto Venezuela Project Venezuela ( es, Proyecto Venezuela) is a center-right political party in Venezuela. At the legislative elections, 30 July 2000, the party won seven out of 165 seats in the National Assembly of Venezuela. The legislative elections of 2006 ...

Former members

* : Forumi Rinor i Partisë Demokratike * : Young Nationals * : Youth Acción Demócratica Nacionalista * : Young Civic Democrats * : Juventud de Alianza Republicana Nacionalista * : The Young Republicans * :

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) (translation: Indian People's Youth Front) is the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of the two major political parties in India. It was founded in 1978, and its first national president w ...

* :

Young Independents Young Independents ( is, Ungir sjálfstæðismenn), abbreviated to SUS, is the youth wing of the Independence Party of Iceland. Young Independents was founded at Þingvellir on 27 June 1930: the year after the Independence Party itself. Its curr ...

* : Junge Generation * : Youth of the Democratic Party of Kenia * : Youth of the Democratic Change (observer) * : Youth of the Democratic Party * : Youth Colorado Party

Footnotes

{{reflist Youth wings of political parties 1991 establishments in Washington, D.C. Political organizations established in 1991