The Youth Association of Kuwait (Arabic: رابطة الشباب الكويتي) is the mainstream leftist youth organization in Kuwait which was founded in 2006 under the name National Democratic Youth Association.[1] It aims to build a new generation of Kuwaitis that are interested in community service and help youth achieve their goals. Also, the association is interested in youth issues such as education, unemployment and youth activism.
رابطة الشباب الكويتي | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | yakuwait |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2009 |
| Type | Youth Organization |
| Headquarters | Khaldiya, Kuwait |
| Affiliations | Women's Cultural and Social Society |
| Website | http://www.yakuwait.org |
History
editMembers within the Kuwait Democratic Forum (Arabic: المنبر الديمقراطي الكويتي) established the National Democratic Youth Association (Arabic: رابطة الشباب الوطني الديمقراطي) as its youth wing in 2006 to focus on cultural and societal issues facing young people in Kuwait.
Declaration of Establishment
editThe Declaration of Establishment for the organization came in May 10, 2006 and was published in Al Taleea Newspaper, the mouthpiece of Kuwait Democratic Forum,[2] and it was announced that the first board was composed of Ali Hussain Al-Awadhi as President, Shurouq Al Shammari as Secretary, Ahmed Abdulrahim as Treasurer, Mohammed Al Hassan as Head of Communication, and Jassim Al Enezi as Head of Events and Activities.
The declaration stated its organizational goals which were that it aimed to increase cultural awareness and build young people's intellectual capacity, spread democratic values, tolerance and multiculturalism, tackle divisive rhetoric, defend public liberties and citizen rights, and spread constitutional awareness.[1]
In 2009, the association held its first convention and elected an administrative body and approved its bylaws. After that it kick started its activities with a rigorous social agenda defending the freedom of thought by organizing a campaign and meeting members of parliament regarding the problem of unemployment and hidden unemployment with the help of the Graduates' Society and the Women's Cultural and Social Society. Also, the association worked hand-in-hand with other groups tackling human rights and other issues.[3]
After its second convention in 2011, the majority of members voted on changing the name of the organization to its current one and adopting social democracy as its ideology along with the Masaruna document. The second convention elected Ahmed Soud (president), Mohammad Alhasan (vice-president), Ahmed Abdulraheem (secretary), Abdulwahab Alnajdi and Abdulghaphor Asirri.
Kuwait Civil Alliance
editAlong with five other non-governmental organizations, Kuwait Civil Alliance was established in 14 January 2014 to issue a Universal Periodic Report to be presented at the United Nations Human Rights Council.[4]
In early 2014, the association organized its third convention at the Women's Cultural and Social Society, appointing Abdulwahab Alnajdi as president of the executive board, Ebrahim Awadh as vice president, Ali Alsalem as secretary and Abdulghaphor Hajjieh as treasurer.
On September 17, 2015, it gained recognition by the Kuwaiti Government and became an officially registered organization with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.[5]
Organizational structure
editThe highest authority in the association is its convention which is held every two years. The convention elects an executive board which creates committees and appoints members with special tasks and runs the day-to-day affairs of the association. The current executive board is made of Abdulwahab Alnajdi as chairman, Ebrahim Awadh as deputy chairman, Ali Alsalem as secretary and Abdulghaphor Asirri as treasurer.[6][7]
Local issues
editThe association is very active in promoting its agenda, organizing grassroots campaigns and seminars to do so.
Nabeeha 5
editWhile most organizations with political alignments backed the Nabeeha 5 electoral remapping campaign in 2006, the association opposed it because it saw it as an unfair redistribution that would marginalize sects of society.[8]
Mass Privatization
editIn 2010, the association, along with the Union of Petroleum Workers and other civil societies, spearheaded a campaign against the government's then proposed privatization plan. It claimed that the plan would effectively destroy the middle and working classes of Kuwait in the long run, describing it as unconstitutional.
Freedom of education
editThe association advocates that it is the right of every higher-education student to have the choice to choose between a co-educated environment and a segregated one, and it does not endorse co-ed itself.
2011 Friday protests
editOne of the main events on the political arena in Kuwait in 2011 was the Friday Protests which were spearheaded by Islamist and tribe-backed MPs, in addition to some youth groups. The association did not participate nor endorse the protests because it saw that a lot of corrupt figures were involved in it, nevertheless the association does not deny that it is the right of every Kuwaiti to politically assemble.[9]
2011 MP Bribery Allegations
editA newspaper claimed that some MPs might have gained up to 25 Million Kuwaiti Dinars and they are kept in their bank accounts.[10] The association gave a statement to the press demanding that the legislative body should pass information transparency laws and a law for asset disclosure regarding people in leadership positions in the executive, legislative and judicial bodies.[11][12][13]
Location
editCurrently, the organization's headquarters is located in the Woman's Cultural and Social Society in Khaldiya, Block 2, Salem bin Ali Bougamaz Street.
Leadership
edit2006-2009
edit- Ali Hussain Al-Awadhi, President
- Shurouq Al Shammari, Secretary
2009-2011
edit- Ahmed Soud, President
- Mohammed Al Hassan, Secretary
2011-2013
edit- Ahmed Soud, President
- Mohammed Al Hassan, Vice President
2013-2014
edit- Abdulwahab Al Najdi, President
- Ebrahim Awadh, Vice President
- Abdulghaphor Hajjieh, Representative in Kuwait Civil Alliance
2014-2016
edit- Abdulwahab Al Najdi, President
- Bebe Al Khashti, Vice President
2016-2018
edit- Bebe Al Khashti, President
- Abdulghaphor Hajjieh, Vice President
2018-2022
edit- Falah Al Khaldi, President
- Raed Al Tamimi, Vice President
References
edit- ^ a b Association, National Democratic Youth (2006-05-10), English: A PDF document that has the establishment declaration of the National Democratic Youth Association (PDF), retrieved 2022-05-13
- ^ Alawadhi, Ali. Declaration of Establishment of the National Democratic Youth Association. Altaleea Newspaper, May 10th 2006
- ^ Aljarida Newspaper article, Apr 22, 2009 Archived July 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "التحالف المدني الكويتي التقرير المقدم لمجلس حقوق الإنسان في جنيف يضم 28 قضية". alanba.com.kw (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-05-25.
- ^ taleea (2015-11-10). "نالت اعتراف وزارة الشؤون بها رسميا.. النجدي: رابطة الشباب الكويتي تسعى لتمثيل مصالح الشباب الوطنيين". جريدة الطليعة (in Arabic). Retrieved 2020-01-31.
- ^ The Association's executive board members.
- ^ "رابطة الشباب الكويتي » المكتب التنفيذي". archive.is. 2014-05-12. Archived from the original on 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
- ^ Official Website post
- ^ Alqabas Newspaper report about 2011 Friday Protests, June 2, 2011
- ^ Alqabas Article claiming MP corruption, August 20, 2011
- ^ Alkuwaitiah Newspaper Kuwaiti youth stunned of legislative corruption, August 21, 2011[permanent dead link]
- ^ Alaan Newspaper Youth Association demands transparency and financial disclosure laws August 24, 2011
- ^ الالكترونية, جريدة الآن. "رابطة الشباب: قوانين شفافية المعلومات وكشف الذمة المالية". Alaan Online Newspaper. Retrieved 2020-01-31.