Youth, Anti-Imperialism, and Non-Alignment: Reassessing the Role of the WFDY during the Cold War

This presentation offers a reassessment of the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) by exploring its evolving relationship with the Non-Aligned Movement and youth organizations from the Global South during the Cold War. Traditionally framed as a pro-Soviet front, the WFDY also functioned as a site of ideological confrontation and adaptation, especially in response to the rise of anticolonial struggles and post-Bandung internationalism. Drawing on recently accessed archival sources, the presentation will highlight how the WFDY attempted to redefine its anti-imperialist agenda beyond the dichotomies of East and West. From the reform debates of the 1950s to the internal conflicts sparked by the Sino–Soviet split and the expansion of solidarity campaigns in the 1970s, the federation increasingly opened itself to actors from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. These organizations did not passively follow a Moscow-driven line; rather, they contributed actively to shaping the WFDY’s political discourse, pushing for a more inclusive and multipolar vision of international youth cooperation. By focusing on these dynamics, the presentation aims to move beyond reductive Cold War narratives and shed light on the complex and often contentious processes that defined transnational activism in the second half of the twentieth century.