In a message addressed to the youth and
Students of the world, participants in the
12th World Festival of Youth and Stu-
dents, held in Moscow from July 27 to
August 3, called for new relations of
friendship, trust and co-operation among
peoples. The festival, under the slogan,
For Anti-Imperialist Solidarity, Peace and

. Friendship, issues this message. (It is
slightly abridged.)

The aspiration to get to know and un-
derstand each other better, to think
Jointly about the possible contribution of
the younger generation from different
countries to solving the most urgent
problems of today, has become the guid-
ing idea that brought to the Festival
forum over 20,000 young people of dif-
ferent political, philosophical and religi-
Ous convictions from 157 countries all
Over the world and from West Berlin.

Although differences of opinion on
some questions were to be expected in
such a representative forum, this did not
prevent us from highlighting what was
most important in combining the efforts
of the wide democratic, progressive and
peace forces of the younger generation,
1.e., the struggle for the all-round imple-
mentation of everyone’s inalienable right
to live in peace and freedom.

Prevent Nuclear Catastrophe

Forty years ago the allied nations
triumphed over nazism. Terrible was the
price for the great victory. of freedom
over slavery, of democracy over tyran-
ny, and of humanity over barbarity. At
the Festival we paid tribute to the mem-
ory and immortal exploit of all the forces
that have delivered mankind from
enslavement — to the Soviet people who
made an outstanding contribution to. the
rout of Hitler fascism, to the other allied
nations, the partisans, the Resistance
fighters, the anti-fascists and the demo-
crats, to the millions upon millions of
freedom fighters who fell in battle, to all
those who perished in dungeons and
concentration camps and in the ruined
towns and villages. :

The tragic lessons of World War II
compel the younger generation of today,
who shoulder much of the responsibility

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“Rights of Youth and Students”.

for the present and the future of the
world, to fight resolutely to avert war.
This is why we call on young people in
all countries, regardless of their political,
philosophical and religious beliefs, to do
all they can to halt the forces of mili-

Michael Bertelet of Canada displays a
picture he had taken eight years ago with
Soviet hockey champion Vladislav Tre-
tyak. Bertelet met his hero again at the
festival.

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i i 3 4

ONE OF THE FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS: a rally by delegates at the USSR Economic Achievements Exhibition in Moscow for

tarism and aggression and to pool their
efforts to prevent a nuclear catastrophe,
to put an end to the nuclear and conven-
tional arms race on Earth and prevent it
from being taken into outer space, to
achieve a general ban on nuclear and
other types of weapons of mass destruc-
tion and their elimination.

The tragedy of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki whose 40th anniversary is
being marked this year should never be
repeated!

For Freedom, Independence
This year, which marks a decade since
the successful completion of the Con-
ference on Security and Cooperation in
Europe, we use the Festival tribune to

reiterate our adherence to the letter and

spirit of the.Final Act, to the principles of
interstate relations laid down in it, our
desire to contribute to bringing about all
of its provisions, to reviving the policy of
détente and strengthening mutually ad-
vantageous cooperation among states
with different social systems.

We stand for a peaceful solution of all
disputes at the negotiating table, for a
more equitable and human system of
international relations, free of the injus-
tice and coercion that inevitably lead to
tensions and conflicts. A positive role in
this process is played by the non-aligned
movement.

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founding in 1947.

A scene from the 1947 festival held in Moscow. Peace and solidarity have been the cornerstones ofthe festival movement since its

the

The Festival has been a vivid manifes-
tation of the strengthening of anti-
imperialist solidarity with the peoples,
youth and students of Central and Latin
America, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa
and southern Africa in particular, the
Mediterranean and the Middle East, with
all those who are fighting against
infringements upon the freedom,
independence, and sovereignty of na-
tions and their right to self-determina-
tion, to be masters of their own destiny,
against the vestiges of colonialism,
expansionism, against apartheid and all
other forms of racism and racial discrim-
ination, against fascist and dictatorial re-
gimes. aor es

We stand for overcoming economic
backwardness, for genuine economic in-
dependence, for the cessation of neo- ©
colonial exploitation, domination and
oppression, for the solution of the related
problems of the external debt of under-
developed countries, which they were
unable to pay, for the establishment of a
New International Economic Order.

Developed and developing countries
should work together on the basis of
equality to help alleviate current con-
flicts (and solve) economic, ecological
and other global problems through
environmental protection, liquidation
of hunger and disease, eradication of
illiteracy.

For a Better Future

In the year of the 40th anniversary of
the United Nations we reiterate our
adherence to its goals and principles.

The International Youth Year, pro-
claimed by the United Nations under the
slogan ‘‘Participation, Development,
Peace’’ has allowed the attention of
world public opinion to be drawn to the
needs, problems, and aspirations of the
younger generation.

We believe that young people may and
should have a better future. To achieve
this, we should jointly see to it that each
and every one has a sense of security, a
right to work and to live with dignity, to
general education and vocational train-
ing, to participate in the management of
state and public affairs, and a chance
to realize one’s social, economic, poli-
tical, civil and human rights.

(The delegates expressed sincere
gratitude for the excellent conditions
provided to them as guests of the Soviet
youth and people during the eight-day
festival.)

—_

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE, AUGUST 21, 1985 e 5

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