Resolution number: 01
Title:

Resolution on combating rise of extremism among youth

Submitted by: Yabloko (Russia)

The Congress of the Liberal International, convened in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on 20 October 2012

Expressing deep concern of a global rise of extremism and xenophobia among youth;

Considering that this is conditioned by replacement of individual freedoms and civil responsibility by groups’ abstract interests; governments’ economizing on humanitarian development, education and culture; abolishment by some political elites and authoritarian regimes of democratic values and moral principles; transfer of political debates into confrontation and violence instead of political compromise and dialogue; use of public discontent for arousing of ethnic, religious or social hatred;

States that liberals must tackle these challenges basing on liberal values of human rights, individual freedoms, rule of law, respect for the individual, tolerance and civil and moral responsibility of each person

Notes that such a liberal response should include the following:

• public rejection of all forms of xenophobia, extremism, personality cult and revival of Nazism, Stalinism and fascism; abolishment of superiority and crude force cult and manipulations with public opinion by means of pseudo historical myths and conspiracy theories;
• broadening options for engaging youth in social and political life so that they would see their opinions influencing governments’ politics, provision of free and fair elections and independence of the judiciary; development of democratic and civil society institutions;
• protection of human dignity, person’s immunity and freedom of individual choice; strengthening of secular principles of the state, freedom of conscience and rejection of all forms of anti-Semitism;
• encouraging maximum integration and socialisation of the young into economic, political and cultural life; gradual liquidation of barriers in the society and between the states; global expansion of visa-free regimes, especially for young people;
• fostering of freedom of speech and open public debates on the most painful problems; development of intercultural, interlingual, interreligious, interethnic, inter-party and other forms of dialogue in the entire society, creation of an atmosphere of trust in the society;
• stimulation of contemporary arts contributing to such a dialogue; initiation of people into different cultural traditions, reduction of aggression and intolerance in the society;
• ensuring equal treatment and non-discrimination by the state of all ethnic groups;
• provision of a universal, free, basic education of high-quality for all, political education, citizenly upbringing of children and youth and ensuring social lifts for all.