BE ON
DEAR FRIENDS, We live in extraordinary times—times of change, advancement, progress and technology— today, wherever you live, you can hold in your hand access to information more than what the world’s greatest libraries could offer. It is a new world that promises impressive medical breakthroughs, that promises education for children in the most remote places, This might be the best time in hu-man history to be born. Times of grave challenges, new dangers, ideological clashes and conflicts lay ahead. Whether it is a political, economic conflict, youth employment or climate change. Each of these problems is a symptom of a more significant problem – the failure of our international system to cope with an interconnected and ever-changing modern world. Do not underestimate the importance of our work; foreign affairs equal power. A power that we can use—and we have in the past, to bring a change. Therefore it is a great honour to be writing you this message, as the re-elected Chairman of the International Young Democrat Union (IYDU). This term will be an iconic and historical one for our organisation, it already started by the Brussels joint Council Meeting, and I cannot begin to thank you enough for the support you have given us. We have made history together; for that, we will always be remembered as the people that brought back our Centre-right global coalition to-gether. The International Young Democrat Union is a global alliance of Centre-right political organisations united by a common desire for greater freedom. First established in 1981, the IYDU has grown from 14 members to 139, from more than 85 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. Approximately eight years ago, I became active in IYDU; I looked up for this organisation as a plat-form for democracy and honest politics, coming from a Middle Eastern country, a region that lacked both. However somewhere along the road, obstacles slowed down this organisation, back then I made it my political priority to bring back the IYDU to its full potentials. Today, I am genuinely honoured to announce that I was part of the negotiating team that made the joint Council Meeting successful, to be re-elected as IYDU Chairman and the first in our his-tory from a Middle Eastern member organisation. Being able to serve the IYDU is a great privilege, and I promise to do my best to meet the needs and interests of the IYDU Membership and build the IYDU brand. As head of the united coalition, I could tell you that we have come a long way and there is a lot to be proud of. Not only we have ended the division, but we have also produced the most diverse Board in our history. That is why I believe that IYDU will be more active, relevant and valuable for all of our members. I will make sure that this exceptional organisation offers unique and unparalleled opportunities to our Members regardless of where they come from, and that every-one is treated equally. I am especially excited about working with the newly elected board which is made up of repre-sentatives from 25 different countries, the most diverse in our history. All these members are committed to IYDU’s core values of human rights, democracy, the rule of law, free markets and free trade and with their own
unique political experience, knowledge and expertise. As the world becomes more global and issues continue to transcend national and regional bor-ders increasingly, it is becoming more critical than ever that we work together. As the youth, our voices are often not heard, however when we stand together united, our voice and ability to make an impact is much stronger. IYDU will be our platform to face injustice around the world, and I will need your help in building such a platform. The IYDU has sought to become more open, global and inclusive – a platform for connecting and collaboration between centre-right, Christian democratic and conservative youth. We have reached out and expanded into different regions and countries and sought to become more relevant and exciting to our Members across continents, in the last Council Meeting alone, we have welcomed 12 new Members. Much has been achieved but the IYDU is yet to reach its full potential. On behalf of this new board, I would like to thank our Member Organisation, the European Democrat Students (EDS), and its current Chairman Virgilio Falco and the whole bureau once again for their continuous support. I will also extend my gratitude to the young men and women who bravely stood up for the IYDU over the past years to keep it together, my predecessors, and to the newly-elected Secretary General of IDU, Mr Christian Kattner, for ensuring the success of the ne-gotiation process. I promise to work tirelessly towards making IYDU more active, relevant and val-uable for all of our Members. I am very encouraged to note that IYDU is as popular as ever.
Bachir Wardini IYDU Chairman
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