Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1950. WORLD YOUTH

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 262, 23 August 1950, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1950. WORLD YOUTH

There is greater need to-day than ever for sustained interest in' the young people. Special youth weeks are being conducted in this 'country, and one of more than ordinary interest took place in Istanbul last week. Delegates from more than 30 countries attended the function, which was actually the second council meeting of the World iAssociation of Youth (W.A.Y.). The representation was very widespread, but the one country not present was Russia. Turkey, as the host country, set up a special hospitality committee, formed by the Turkish National Students’ Federation, which had been busy for months making*preparations to welcome the delegates during their short stay in one of the world’s oldest but loveliest cities. The history and aims of W.A.Y. are of more than passing moment. Actually the association was founded in Brussels only in August last, but the movement from which it sprang began in London in July, 1947, when some 50 leaders of youth organisations from a dozen countries belonging .to the United Nations decided to work for the creation of an international organisation. These people had a most commendable double purpose in view, namely: (1) To pro-> vide opportunities for young people from many countries to discuss together the problems of youth and to study ways of meeting their needs in the .social, economic, health and cultural spheres, and (2) to promote a wide agreement between the different ideological, cultural, religious and political, movements for the solution of real and precise problems confronting young people in many parts of the world and thus to co-operate by every possible means in efforts for the establishment of world peace which the United Nations is making on a larger scale. W.A.Y. has been attacked consistently by the Communist-inspired World Federation of Democratic Youth, “using themes which are too well-known to need repetition,” as the executive committee remarked in the report which it prepared for the Istanbul Council. Its work, apart from administration and keeping in contact with National Committees of member countries, had been on two main lines: The establishment of an information and documentation centre, and the development of travel by young people to encourage international friendship of a personal kind. Some idea of the problems which this body is tackling and its methods of doing so may be gathered from the report on education and apprenticeship problems prepared by the Information and Documentation Commission for debate by the Istanbul Council. This report is based on replies received from five couptries : France, Flolland, Italy Turkey and Gaboon to a questionnaire issued by the Commission. Aftbr summarising the replies, the commission’s report observes: “EVen in the more advanced countries, the situation concerning the equality of access to education and culture and the. legal status of young workers is unsatisfactory whilst in the under : developed countries everything remains to be done.” From this brief outline of the aims of W.A.Y., it can be seen that it is performing worthwhile service, and it is to be hoped that it will continue to grow and fully achieve its objectives. v .