- Youth Association of Kuwait
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- This article is about a Kuwaiti youth organization called the Youth Association of Kuwait. The National Democratic Youth Association is its former name.
Youth Association of Kuwait 
Abbreviation yakuwait Formation 2006 Type Non-Government Organization Headquarters Khaldiya, Kuwait Affiliations Kuwaiti Democratic Foundation, Women's Cultural and Social Society Website http://www.yakuwait.org The Youth Association of Kuwait - yakuwait (Arabic: رابطة الشباب الكويتي - ياكويت) is a social democratic youth organization in Kuwait which was founded in 2006 under the name National Democratic Youth Association. It aims at building a new generation of Kuwaitis that are interested in public affairs, politics and human rights. Also, the association is concerned with youth issues such as education, unemployment and youth activism. It is the main Kuwaiti Neosocialist youth organization in Kuwait.
Contents
History
Some young members of the Kuwaiti Democratic Forum proposed in its 2005 convention to establish a youth organization affiliated to the Foundation to tackle youth issues, campaigning on its behalf, to politically educate and attract youth towards the political faction.[1]
The association was formed as the National Democratic Youth Association (Arabic: رابطة الشباب الوطني الديمقراطي) in 2006 and its appointed administrative body was composed of Ali Alawadhi (chairman), Ahmed Abdulraheem (secretary), Jassim Alenezi, Shorouq Alnabhan and Mohammad Alhasan.[2]
While most organizations with political alignments backed the Nabeeha 5 electoral remapping campaign in 2006, the association opposed it because it saw it as an unfair redistribution that would marginalize sects of society.
Due to perceived stagnation in the Kuwaiti Democratic Forum, as well as divergent visions, the association decided to dissociate itself from the parent organization towards complete organizational independence.[3]
In 2009, the association held its first convention as a fully independent organization and elected an administrative body with Ahmed Soud (chairman), Mohammad Alhasan (secretary), Ahmed Abulraheem (board member), Dalal Almussalam (board member) and Mubarak Almussalam (board member). Later Dalal Almussalam quitted to focus on her law education and Husain Alharbi was elected to fill her vacant seat.[4]
Later in 2009's parliament elections, the association backed the Kuwaiti Democratic Forum's candidates which are Abdullah Alnibari, Mohammed Alabduljader and Saleh Almulla.In 2010, the association, along with the Union of Petroleum Workers and other civil societies, spearheaded a campaign against the government's then proposed privatization plan. It claimed that the plan would effectively destroy the middle and working classes of Kuwait in the long run, describing it as unconstitutional.
After its second convention in 2011, the majority of members voted on changing the name of the organization to its current one and adopting social democracy as its ideology along with the Masaruna document. Also, the convention elected Ahmed Soud (chairman), Mohammad Alhasan (deputy chairman), Ahmed Abdulraheem (secretary), Abdulwahab Alnajdi and Abdulghaphor Hajjieh.
Ideology
When the association was founded, it was committed to the Kuwaiti Democratic Forum's political program which was a traditional reformist platform. In 2008, when the association broke organizational ties with the parent organization, it started developing its own thought based on the objective political and socio-economic conditions of the state of Kuwait and the Gulf region. Nevertheless, in 2011 after its second convention it produced a document that was the manifestation of the aggregate of its experiences called Masaruna (Our Path) (Arabic: مسارنا) which is considered by some Kuwaiti Neosocialism.
Organizational structure
The highest authority in the association is its convention which is held every two years. The convention elects an executive board which is made of chairman, deputy chairman, secretary and two members. The executive board creates committees and appoints members with special tasks and runs the day to day affairs of the association.
The organizational structure is fluid and adapts to changes in behavior and activities of the association to operate effectively.
Local issues
The association is very active in promoting its agenda, organizing grassroots campaigns and seminars to do so.
Freedom of education
The association advocates that it is the right of every higher-education student to have the choice to choose between a co-educated environment and a segregated one, and it does not endorse co-ed itself.
2011 Friday Protests
One of the main events on the political arena in Kuwait in 2011 was the Friday Protests which were spearheaded by Islamist and tribe-backed MPs, in addition of some youth groups. The association did not participate nor indorse the protests because it saw that a lot of corrupt figures were involved in it, nevertheless the association does not deny that it is the right of every Kuwaiti to politically assemble.[5]
2011 MP Bribery Allegations
A newspaper claimed that some MPs might have gained up to 25 Million Kuwaiti Dinars and they are kept in their bank accounts.[6]The association gave a statement to the press demanding that the legislative body should pass information transparency laws and a law for asset disclosure regarding people in leadership positions in the executive, legislative and judicial bodies.[7][8]
Regional Issues
The association is very opinionated when it comes to regional issues and politics and has taken stands to support the Bahraini democratic opposition and the Palestinian's rights of Gaza.
Location
Currently, the organization's headquarters is located in the Woman's Cultural and Social Society in Khaldiya.
References
- ^ Altaleea Newspaper article, May 10, 2006
- ^ Youth Association of Kuwait website National Democratic Youth Association's Statement of Foundation
- ^ Alqabas Newspaper interview, Nov 8, 2009
- ^ Aljarida Newspaper article, Apr 22, 2009
- ^ Alqabas Newspaper report about 2011 Friday Protests, June 2, 2011
- ^ Alqabas Article claiming MP corruption, August 20, 2011
- ^ Alkuwaitiah Newspaper Kuwaiti youth stunned of legislative corruption, August 21, 2011
- ^ Alaan Newspaper Youth Association demands transparency and financial disclosure laws August 24, 2011
External links
Categories:- Kuwait
- Organizations based in Kuwait
- Politics of Kuwait
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