HOW TO BUILD A YOUTH WING

GREETINGS FROM DENMARK
Youth politicians in Denmark have during recent time been keenly tuned into
the worldwide media coverage of the Arab Spring and your courageous fight for
democracy. It has been tremendously inspiring to observe how you, the Arab
youth, have been at the forefront of the dramatic change in your society.
On this note of respect, we would like to share our experiences gained over
the years as activists in various youth wings of political parties covering the
whole ideological spectrum of the Danish democracy.
The first Danish youth wing of a political party was founded as early as
1904. Today, 108 years later, our presence is felt more than ever. The eight Danish
youth wings contribute actively to the public debate, representing young
people’s points of view in national political discussions on a daily basis, thereby
making the Danish democracy more vibrant that it would otherwise be.
We are obviously a mixed group, as we are also political opponents and we
run our organisations very differently. As such, it is rare for all of us to work together
for the same cause. Nevertheless, we wanted to join forces in writing this
booklet with the aim of sharing some of what we have learned in the process
of building our parties and voicing our ideas and concerns in the context of a
democratic society.
We have divided the booklet into six chapters focusing on the building up
of a youth wing, development of political positions, members, the relationship
to the mother party – and campaigning and working with others.
It can only be a short version of our experience – the Danish experience
– and there is obviously an enormous difference between our reality and the
challenges you are right in the middle of today and in the years to come. The
disparities are clear but so are the similarities. Being young, activists and youth
politicians we also have a lot of things in common, and the similarities have
definitely emerged during recent shared meetings and workshops but they are
also striking when reading the interviews in the present guide. A wide range of
debates, challenges and struggles are common for all of us.
We sincerely hope that our reflections and experiences will serve as an inspiration
for you in coming years. May they also serve as a small token of gratitude
for all the inspiration we have received from you during the recent years
fight for political change in the Arab world.
Youth wings from Denmark,
Young Conservatives
Danish Libertarian Youth
Danish Liberal Youth
The Social Liberal Youth of Denmark
The Social Democratic Youth of Denmark
Socialist People’s Party Youth
HOW TO BUILD A YOUTH WING DANIsH INsTITUTe fOr pArTIes AND DemOcrAcY pAGe 9