DYLJ embarks on new effort to increase activities with thousands of young people

The Democratic Youth League of Japan (DYLJ) held its 30th National Congress from November 22 to 24 and confirmed that it will further develop its struggles to achieve young people's demands.

In presenting the DYLJ Central Committee report, DYLJ Chair Sakai Nozomi drew attention to the fact that a variety of peace activities were held in the past year, including rallies, parades, concerts, and signature-collection campaigns, each with hundreds of young people taking part. She said that the DYLJ should continue to focus on the question of employment, while tackling various issues such as students' scholarships and peace.

Speaking on behalf of the Japanese Communist Party, Ichida Tadayoshi, JCP Secretariat head, analyzed the present situation characterized by an impasse reached by Liberal Democratic Party politics, and encouraged the DYLJ to do its utmost to realize the demands of young people who are suffering from the difficulty of finding jobs or maintaining jobs due to corporate restructuring. "I want to see Japanese youth take up their various progressive roles for Japan and the world in the 21st Century," he said.

In the three-day discussion, delegates spoke about their activities. Referring to his experience with a signature drive against the wartime bills at his university, a student in Kanagawa Prefecture said, "We will be able to meet the demands of young people, who are forced to give up their hope, by making our organization bigger and stronger."

In concluding the discussion, DYLJ Chair Sakai emphasized that the DYLJ will develop a major campaign that will attract thousands of young people to efforts to realize their demands. (end)