Sahrawi Youth Union

Sahrawi Youth Union
اتحاد شبيبة الساقية الحمراء ووادي الذهب
Secretary GeneralAli Mohamed Salem
Founded1984; 41 years ago (1984)
HeadquartersSahrawi refugee camps
IdeologySahrawi nationalism
Mother partyPolisario Front
International affiliation
Websitewww.ujsario.org
Politics of the SADR
Constitution
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Politics
Administrative divisions
Elections
Foreign relations

Sahrawi Youth Union (Spanish: Unión de la Juventud de Saguía el Hamra y Río de Oro; Arabic: اتحاد شبيبة الساقية الحمراء ووادي الذهب, romanized: Ittiḥād Shabībat al-Sāqiyah al-Ḥamrāʼ wa-Wādī al-Dhahab), also known by its Spanish acronym UJSARIO, is the youth organization of the Polisario Front.

Organization

UJSARIO was founded in 1984 through the merger of Unión de Estudiantes Saharauis (Sahrawi Students' Union or UESARIO) and the Polisario Front Youth. It operates from the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, organizing youth and students within the exile community, and promoting the interest of the youth within the POLISARIO and the Sahrawi republic.

The work of UJSARIO is divided in different national areas:

  • Juvenile groups in the Wilayas, Institutions, Occupied territories and Europe.
  • Union of Sahrawi Students (UESARIO).
  • Organization and integration of the young women.
  • Organization of scouts groups.
  • Volunteer groups.

It has extensive international contacts with other youth political or cultural movements, especially in Spain, like the Spanish Youth Council or the Spanish Youth Organization. It is a full member of the Arab Youth Union, General Union of Arab Students, the World Federation of Democratic Youth,[1] the International Falcon Movement - Socialist Educational International,[2] the International Union of the Socialist Youth,[3] the African Youth Union, the Pan African Youth Movement, the Youth for Development and Cooperation (YDC) and the Economic, Social and Cultural Council.[4] It campaigns for a free Western Sahara, and tries to organize international youth exchanges and opportunities for refugee Sahrawis to study abroad.

From late 2005 to 31 December 2013 the General Secretary was Musa Salma.[5][6] followed by Zain Sidahmed (2014 – 2017)[7] and Mohamed Said Daddi (2017 – 2022).[8] The current SG is Ali Mohamed Salem since May 2022.[9] In April 2012, Teceber Ahmed Saleh, member of the UJSARIO delegation, was elected as one of the African vicepresidents of the IUSY Presidium for the 2012–2014 term, at the IUSY World Congress held in Asunción, Paraguay.[10][11]

Since 2006, UJSARIO organizes jointly with not-for-profit organizations a "Religious Dialogue for Peace" forum in the refugee camps, with presence of imams, priests, bishops and professors from Algeria, Austria, Canada, Great Britain, South Africa, Spain, Turkey and the United States.[12][13]

In May 2013, UJSARIO and the Ittihaida Youth (the Moroccan party Socialist Union of Popular Forces youth) presented a joint resolution in the framework of the International Union of Socialist Youth World Council defending a peaceful, just, permanent and mutually-accepted solution that enables the self-determination of Western Sahara. At the same time, both organizations supported the UN mission to organize a referendum in Western Sahara.[14]

Sections

  • Logo of the "Unión de Estudiantes de Saguia El-Hamra y Rio de Oro" (UESARIO) (in English: Sahrawi Students' Union), an UJSARIO section with branches in Algeria, Cuba, Italy, Libya and Spain.
    Logo of the "Unión de Estudiantes de Saguia El-Hamra y Rio de Oro" (UESARIO) (in English: Sahrawi Students' Union), an UJSARIO section with branches in Algeria, Cuba, Italy, Libya and Spain.
  • Logo of "Nosotros Somos Capaces", an UJSARIO section founded in the Sahrawi refugee camps in 2013 for the handicapped.
    Logo of "Nosotros Somos Capaces", an UJSARIO section founded in the Sahrawi refugee camps in 2013 for the handicapped.

See also

References

  1. ^ "WDFY African Member Organizations". Archived from the original on 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  2. ^ IFM-SI memberfees situation 2009 Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "IUSY World Congress 2010 - Booklet". Archived from the original on 2012-10-13. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  4. ^ "UESARIO Officially Joins the General Assembly of ECOSOCC". Sahara Press Service. December 11, 2024. Archived from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  5. ^ "Celebración del VII Congreso Nacional de la UJSARIO" (in Spanish). UJSARIO-Dakhla. 2009-12-14. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-10-16.
  6. ^ 11ème Congrès du Front POLISARIO - 11th Congress of the Frente POLISARIO - 11º Congresso del Frente POLISARIO Archived 2022-08-17 at the Wayback Machine ARSO
  7. ^ "Eighth Congress of Sahrawi Youth Union elects new Secretary General". Sahara Press Service. January 1, 2014. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  8. ^ "9ème congrès de l'UJSARIO: Mohamed Saïd Daddi élu secrétaire général". Sahara Press Service (in French). December 12, 2017. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  9. ^ "El Décimo Congreso de la UJSARIO elige a Ali Mohamed Salem como Secretario General de la organización". Sahara Press Service (in Spanish). May 24, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  10. ^ "UJSARIO elected as vice-president of the International Union of Socialist Youth". Sahara Press Service. 2012-04-23. Archived from the original on 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  11. ^ "New IUSY Presidium 2012-2014". IUSY. Archived from the original on 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  12. ^ "Religious Dialogue for Peace is a message of Solidarity with the Saharawi people, says Prime Minister". SPS. 26 November 2012. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  13. ^ "Prophet David (Peace Be Upon Him), subject of 8th forum of Religions' Dialogue for Peace". SPS. 18 November 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  14. ^ "IUSY World Council 2013". IUSY. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.