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Youth

Socialist Working Youth League of Mauritius, now Council of Students and Youth Movement was launched on 22nd September 1971. Inspiring Socialism following a visit of some young Mauritians to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea while participating at the 6th Congress of the Socialist Working Youth League of Korea in July/August 1971, where some 1500 left-oriented youth and student’s delegates from around the world had attended. On their way back to Mauritius they visited Russia, Egypt and Tanzania where they had several fruitful meetings for a better coordination among the world progressive, socialist, revolutionary and democratic youth/student’s unions standing against Colonialism, Neo-Colonialism, Imperialism, Apartheid, Fascism, Zionism and Repression in all its forms.

Several awareness events on youth, students and world burning issues were carried via public meetings, conferences, debates, seminars and round table were on agenda of SWYLM/COSYM till early 2000’s where the name was amended as COSYM.

From early 2000’s, COSYM move on most programs of activities on developmental, environmental and social themes.

SWYLM at its foundation had embarked on an International Centrist left oriented politics. As such SWYLM sided in solidarity and supports to most Liberations Movements, Progressive, Socialist and Revolutionaries Youth and Students Organizations around the world.

SWYLM/COSYM joins international networking as from 1972. SWYLM was invited to participate at the 10th World Festival of Youth and Students, held at East Berlin, East Germany in 1973: Theme “For Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and Friendship”. Then to the 1st Pan African Youth Festival held at Tunis, Tunisia in 1973.

SWYLM was invited and participated at the 4th Congress of the Pan-African Youth Movement (PAYM) held at Benghazi, Libya in 1974. It was first direct inter-action of Mauritian Youth with entire African Youth organizations. We met as first Mauritian Youth representative with Colonel Moammar Khadafi at Benghazi and had excellent and good memories as our first person to person meeting with Khadafi. PAYM is now transformed into the African Youth Union and under the umbrella of African Union.

SWYLM get its affiliation in 1974 with the PAYM as a full member and we enjoy the membership status until 2003 where we loss it in favor of MNYC.

SWYLM participated at the 1st World Youth United Nations Population Conference held at Bucharest in 1974 as member of the World Federalist Youth. In same year SWYLM got its affiliation with the International Youth and Students Movement for the United Nations-ISMUN and enjoying the status of full members until to date.

In 1975, SWYLM participated at the 1st Youth and Students Conference of the Third World, held at Palais des Nations at Algiers. It was attended by participants coming from all third world countries. SWYLM during its bilateral discussion with foreign delegations create the awareness for the need of launching of a Non-Aligned Youth and Students Movement as a support to NAM. Concept was welcome by the Yugoslav Socialist Youth Union and foundation process started from Algiers.

SWYLM got affiliated with the World Assembly of Youth in 1976 and keep the status until 2011. SWYLM play crucial role in the 70’s in the reviving WAY from ashes following the wrong doing of its former secretariat members while the office was in Nairobi. Credit of revival goes also to Mr. Shiv Khare from India, Ole Simonson of Denmark and Datuk Mohamed Ali Rustom of Malaysia.

SWYLM is the key instrument in the launching of the following as independent Registered Mauritian Organizations:

1. Mauritius Branch of the World Federations of the United Nations Association which later became the United Nations Association of Mauritius.

2. Mauritius-African league of Human and People’s Rights.

3. Union of Women’s Committee

4. Mauritius Socialist Students Association, its play’s key role in Mauritius during May 1975 student’s Revolution by its President late Ahmed Rajbally who went to jail for his contribution.

5. Several Friendship Societies with foreign countries.

6. In between, SWYLM/COSYM was admitted as member of All African Students Union, Southern African Youth Movement and Asian Students Association-ASA.

7. SWYLM/COSYM admitted as a member of International Union of Students and is having working relation with World Federation of Democratic Youth and several other regional and international bodies.

SWYLM/COSYM had played the following historical international role.

1. Lead a delegation of some 100 Mauritian Youth & Students to the 2nd Pan-African Youth Movement festival hosted by the Libyan Youth at Tripoli in 1983

2. Invited to participate at the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students held at Havana, Cuba 1978 and 13th WFSY held at Pyongyang, DPRK in 1989.

3. SWYLM with the support of Iraqi Youth and Students convene the 1st General Conference of the Non-Aligned Countries at Palestine Hotel, Baghdad in April 1993 under the Patronage of President Saddam Hussein. Some 100 youth and student’s organizations from NAM countries participated. With the proposal of SWYLM, the Non-Aligned Students and Youth Organizations (NASYO) was formed as an international organization. NASYO got its UN ECOSOC Consultative in 2003, the year that Iraq was invaded by USA and the West. SWYLM/COSYM hold the position of General Secretary of NASYO.

4. SWYLM/COSYM Initiated the 1st African Youth Summit held at Tripoli in 2006 where some 20 Mauritians fully participated along with some 2000 Africans youth from Africa and the diaspora. COSYM and the Libyan youth negotiated for a grant from leader Khadafi where an amount of 11,000.000.00 US $ were provided by leader Khadafi personal fund to cover all air tickets and related cost.

5. COSYM is the conceiver with WAY for the launching of the SADC Youth Council. Unfortunately, we are out like the PYU episode as its membership is now only opens for NYCs

6. Since 1970’s SWYLM/COSYM had delegated its members to participate in hundreds of regional and international conferences, seminars and other meetings and had been resulted as capacity building for our respective members.

7. SWYLM/COSYM members had also participated at the UN World Youth Forum, Barcelona.

8. Oomar Karbarry as Representative of SWYLM/COSYM had addressed the UN General Assembly on behalf of the UN Millennium Youth Summit.

Several Members of SWYLM/COSYM have been successful in Political and professional careers. SWYLM/COSYM had produces professional in fields like: engineers, medical doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs as well as diplomats and members of parliament.

WORLD YOUTH: However, at this stage, it is very painful to see that political youth wings, revolutionary, progressive and democratic youth structures that had fought for the liberations of their country, struggling against the Colonialism, Neo-Colonialism, Imperialism, Racism, Fascism and all reactionary evils are being put aside and their place in national, regional and international youth structures are taken by force by NYCs. Finally, today we are witnessing that youth are deserting social, voluntary and patriotic fields and leading them towards more personal life.

PRESIDENT 2020 – Roopun Mahess                                        Secretary General: David Rabaud

Email: cosymmauritius@gmail.com