HOW TO BUILD A YOUTH WING

FIVE TOPICS TO CONSIDER AND DECIDE UPON
1st TOPIC
FORMAL AND INFORMAL COOPERATION
There are many ways of establishing formal cooperation between a youth wing
and the mother party. Some youth wings are offered a seat on the Board of the
mother party, maybe with the right to speak but without the right to vote. Some
are invited in a smaller or larger delegation to participate in the Congress of the
mother party, thus using the opportunity to deliver open and sharp speeches
to the delegates. Some youth wing members will have seats on different mother
party committees at the local and national level. Other mother parties offer
free membership to all youth wing members who will then receive all the communication
circulated by the mother party to its members.
Informal cooperation between the two sections of the party will take place
in a variety of ways.
The youth wing can, by definition, allow itself greater space to communicate.
It can be more frank, more provocative, and therefore at times deliver
statements or actions which the mother party supports, but without actually
having to say it. The youth wing can also use its youthful identity to set an
agenda in a provocative way and the mother party can take advantage of this
and continue the debate.
When you discuss your relationship to the mother party you might want to
focus on the issue of independence: What kind of relationship can you establish
in order to support your mother party the best way possible and gain the maximum
influence – without losing your independence
TAX IS HOT
Tax on financial transactions is a hot issue within the European Community and
in Denmark. The government is against such a tax, while the youth wings of two
of the three government parties are strongly in favour. They are using their influence
and setting an agenda in order to put pressure on the government – but also
indicating that their mother parties were originally in favour of such a tax, but the
third party in the government coalition is against it.
2nd TOPIC
BEST FRIEND AND BEST WATCHDOG
Common to all youth wings is that they will use their youthful identity to support
the mother party in setting creative agendas. The youth party may not be
loyal to the mother party on every single issue, but it is so in terms of overall
political outlook or ideology.
HOW TO BUILD A YOUTH WING DANIsH INsTITUTe fOr pArTIes AND DemOcrAcY pAGe 45