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

centre-right Centre-right politics lean to the right of the political spectrum, but are closer to the centre. From the 1780s to the 1880s, there was a shift in the Western world of social class structure and the economy, moving away from the nobility and ...

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 in ...

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 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 ...

. 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 freedom, and to fighting

socialism Socialism is a left-wing Economic ideology, economic philosophy and Political movement, movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to Private prop ...

. 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 go ...

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-reli ...

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 ...

; others are still fighting for basic freedoms. 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 countrie ...

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 ''Öffentlichk ...

and private sectors."

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 from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

; US Vice-President George H. W. Bush; 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; 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 Ge ...

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 , , - ,

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 , 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 , 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 c ...

, , - , 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 , 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, 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 * : 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 f ...

(YEPP), European Young Conservatives (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 * : Lebanese Forces Students Association * : TS-LKD Jaunimo Bendruomene * : MDP Youth Wing * : Democratic Youth Union * : PZP Youth * : Istiqlal Youth * :

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

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 * : 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