What does IFAY mean in YOUTH

IFAY (International Federation of Anarchist Youth) is an international grassroots network which connects branches of anarchist youth organisations and activists, to better foster cooperation between them and increase the visibility of anarchism among young people.

IFAY's objectives are to deepen mutual understanding between its member organisations; promote international solidarity in the struggle against all forms of oppression and exploitation; and provide support for civil resistance campaigns around the world.

Any individual or collective who identifies as an anarchist activist or organisation may join. Member organisations must meet basic criteria, such as agreeing with IFAY’s mission statement, maintaining non-hierarchical internal structures, not taking part in electoralism or other reactionary tactics, and promoting freedom of expression and anti-oppression values among their members.

IFAY has organised several international campaigns across Europe on topics such as repression, migration issues, economic justice, women’s liberation and anti-fascism. In addition to this, our members regularly participate in local actions that defend civil rights and promote direct democracy.

Becoming an active member involves joining a local branch of your nearest anarcho-youth organisation that is affiliated with IFAY. You can also contact a representative from your region if you want more information about membership requirements or upcoming events that you can participate in.

The International Council meets every two years for a face-to-face meeting to discuss current issues affecting our network. This meeting takes place alongside social events which give delegates an opportunity to strengthen relationships between different branches from across the globe.

As well as hosting online forums where members can carry out discussions related to campaigns or initiatives they’re involved in, each year we also launch a general assembly mailing list which facilitates coordination between delegates attending our annual General Assembly meetings. We also use social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook to ensure open access to information about our activities and developments within the network more broadly.

Yes! We have regular fundraising initiatives that our members take part in to help cover travel costs associated with attending international meetings, as well as financing local activities run by member organisations throughout the world. We also have initiatives specifically designed for developing countries which allow us to provide grants for grassroots actions without having reliance on external sources of funding or governmental influence.

Yes! We publish a quarterly magazine called ‘Agon’ which is distributed through mailings conducted by our member organisations across Europe – it contains news updates from around the continent about what anarchists groups are doing locally but also articles discussing topics relevant to anarchism more broadly such as environmentalism and free education initiatives.