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Delegates represent their country organisations at T-League's second annual general meeting |
A worldwide coalition of Tamil youth organisations, Global Tamil Youth League (T-League), pledged to continue the struggle against the genocide faced by the Tamil nation and work towards a political solution that was based on the Tamil nation's right to self-determination, at its second annual conference held on the 7th - 8th April.
In a resolution unanimously adopted by all of the coalition's member organisations, T-League called for 'the establishment of an independent, international mechanism to ensure truth, accountability and justice', and pledged to work 'to achieve a political solution that recognises the uncompromising, fundamental principles of the Tamil freedom struggle', 'to raise awareness about the ongoing multi-faceted genocide unleashed on the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state' and 'to promote the identity of the Tamil nation'.
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Global Tamil Youth League second AGM held in UK |
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The resolution was adopted by Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance, Canada (CTYA); Tamil Youth Network, Germany; Giovani Tamil, Italy; Tamil Youth Organisation, Norway (TYO-Norway); Tamil Youth Organisation, Switzerland (TYO-Swiss) and Tamil Youth Organisation, UK (TYO-UK); and endorsed by Voice of Tamils, Australia; Tamil Youth Organisation, New Zealand (TYO-NZ), Tamil Youth Organisation, Sweden (TYO-Sweden) and Tamil Youth Organization, USA (TYO-USA).
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Delegates from member organisations attended a two-day conference held in the UK, which included seminars on project management skills, identity, the Eelam struggle within an international perspective, future strategies of the struggle and a session on the genocide of Tamils run by Jan Jananayagam of the Tamil rights group, TAG (Tamils Against Genocide).
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Following the success of T-League's 2011 inaugural event, 'Aadukalam' - an international dance competition held in Germany, the coalition announced plans to hold Aadukalam 2012 in the UK later this year, along side the creation of the Tamil Eelam Football Association and the Global Tamil Archive Foundation, and plans to hold a film festival.
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Janarthan Sadacharalingam, a delegate from the Canadian Tamil Youth Alliance (CTYA), told Tamil Guardian,
“It was a great opportunity to meet fellow young Tamil activists from all around the world, and share our experiences and thoughts of how to resist the genocide our nation faces. We are also pleased to have been elected to chair T-League for the following year and look forward to strengthening and expanding this global network of Tamil youth”
Full text of resolution adopted by the Global Tamil Youth League reproduced below:
Global Tamil Youth League 08/04/12
Whereas the Tamil people have historically inhabited Tamil Eelam, the North-East of the island of Sri Lanka, as their traditional homeland; and
Whereas the Tamil people are distinguished from other people living in the island by their unique language, culture, traditions and history; and
Whereas for over sixty years the Sinhala Buddhist ideology of the Sri Lankan state is destroying the economic existence, the political and social institutions, and the demographic and territorial basis of the Tamil national identity; and
Whereas the Tamil people have been historically marginalised in language, education and citizenship and suffered state-orchestrated pogroms; and
Whereas these practices have been continuing for over sixty years in a systematic, intentional and targeted manner, constituting the genocide of the Tamil nation; and
Whereas the Tamil nation called for an independent and sovereign state of Tamil Eelam in 1977, and reaffirmed this in 2009 and 2010, based on the principles of the Vaddukkoddai Resolution of 1976; and
Whereas the Sri Lankan state cannot provide meaningful accountability or justice into the grave violations of international humanitarian law during the last phase of the armed conflict, through a domestic inquiry; and
Whereas in order to move forward with a meaningful advancement for the Tamil youth it is vital to preserve the Eelam Tamil identity and remember its history; and therefore
Be It Resolved that the Global Tamil Youth League calls for the establishment of an independent, international mechanism to ensure truth, accountability and justice.
Be it Resolved that the Global Tamil Youth League will work to achieve a political solution that recognises the uncompromising, fundamental principles of the Tamil freedom struggle; namely: recognition of the Tamil homeland, the recognition of the Tamil people as a distinct nation; recognition of the right to self determination of the Tamil nation.
Be It Resolved that the Global Tamil Youth League will work to raise awareness about the ongoing multi-faceted genocide unleashed on the Tamil people by the Sri Lankan state.
Be It Resolved that the Global Tamil Youth League will promote the identity of the Tamil nation by working to protect, foster and create awareness about the history and sacrifices of our martyrs, the national flag of Tamil Eelam, the national symbols of Tamil Eelam, our social, political and cultural symbols and national festivals associated with our rich heritage and history.
