15^th World Festival of Youth and Students

Thousands of youth and students from over 140 countries, including Canada, gathered in Algeria from August 8 to 16 for the 15^th World Festival of Youth and Students. Under the slogan "Let's Globalize the Struggle for Peace, Solidarity and Development Against Imperialism", the Festival brought together youth representing around 1200 organizations, including student, environmental, indigenous peoples', human rights and women's groups, political parties, religious organizations and trade unions.

Organized four years after the 14^th and largest Festival to date - held in Havana, Cuba - Algeria was chosen to enable more youth and students from Africa and the Arab world to participate. As a result, a great deal of discussion during the festival focused on the devastation caused in Africa by decades of imposition of the policies of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Special workshops around the current uprising amongst the Palestinian people and youth were also held.

The Festival's closing ceremonies were held at the Houari Boumediene University of Science and Technology and featured a lavish cultural production, with performances from one of Algeria's most popular singers, Bilal, and Magda Roumi, of Lebanon.

The Festival's final declaration boldly declares that "youth and students are not only the future of humankind but also an important force to change the world for the better; that they are not only responsible but also capable of transforming societies in the interests of their people." Amongst other points in the final declaration are expressions of solidarity with the struggle of the Cuban people in defense of their revolution and against the illegal and immoral American blockade and with the national struggle of the Palestinian people against Israeli occupation.