About YPD

ORGANISATIONAL BACKGROUND

Young Progressives for Social Democracy Movement, Thailand (YPD) was founded in October 2002 by a group of young activists who were interested in politics, democracy and sustainable development.

In the General Assembly 2007 recently, YPD decided to adjust itself to be more affirmative by reconstruction and starting to operate the membership systems for supporting the concrete and continual organized activities among young people to reach our objectives of equality, democracy and peace.

In addition, YPD is working to promote international cooperation among young people both at regional level and at global level. YPD has been a member of Young Progressives Southeast Asia (YPSEA) and has been proposed as a regular member of International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) in 2008 after participating as partners working together over 4 years.

PRINCIPLES AND RATIONALES

After The Cold War in Indo-China sub-region and the war between government and the Communist Party of Thailand ended in 1980 decade, Thailand never has socialist party so far. Moreover, the word “Socialism” also has political negative meaning in Thailand because of government’s propaganda during the cold war.

Nowadays, Thai society is confronting with a huge challenge among the conflict colour between red and yellow shirt movement, between dictatorship and democracy and importantly, between old power such as military and elite and power of ordinary people who want to decide their future by themselves.

We, in the name of Young Progressives for Social Democracy movement, strongly believe that social democracy ideology will be the best resolution and will be the best answer for Thai society at the critical time.

In order to setting up social democracy ideology, firstly, we change our name to distinctly clarify ourselves, our objectives and our mission, from Young People for Democracy to be Young Progressives for Social Democracy.

Among many complicated conflicts in Thai society, we, the committee, agree that we need to declare who we are, what we will be and where we want to go. From now on, our advocacy, campaign and direction will base on social democracy ideology in all cases.

IDEOLOGY

Social Democracy

MISSION

1. To be a representative of social democratic ideology in Thai society and to push forwards its values

into practice

2. To create a movement where young people regardless of ideology, nationality, race, religion can gather and produce a meaningful participation.

STRATEGIES

1. To create young leaders, to expand member system and to gather young people as Young Progressive for Social Democracy movement from every part in Thai society.

2. To build up the knowledge about social democracy ideology in Thai society through many activities

e.g. capacity building, field visit, political camp, training and seminar

3. To push more involvement of young people in term of political and social movement at local and

national level and state policy designing e.g. tax reform and welfare state policy.

4. To fight for the oppressed people e.g. farmer and labour and to deny every kind of hierarchy.

5. To raise human rights, peace and social justice awareness among young people through our

activities.

6. To support gender equality in all cases.