Workers' Youth League (Norway)

Workers' Youth League Arbeidernes Ungdomsfylking Arbeidaranes Ungdomsfylking
Chairperson	Mani Hussaini
Vice-Chairperson	Emilie Bersaas
Secretary General	Ragnhild Kaski
Founded	1927
Headquarters	Oslo, Norway
Membership	13,922 (2011)[1]
Ideology	Social democracy, Democratic socialism
Mother party	Labour Party
International affiliation	International Union of Socialist Youth
European affiliation	Young European Socialists
Website
auf.no

The Workers' Youth League (Bokmål: Arbeidernes Ungdomsfylking, Nynorsk: Arbeidaranes Ungdomsfylking, or AUF) is Norway's largest political youth organization and is affiliated with the Norwegian Labour Party.

History

In 1903, the Norwegian Social-Democratic Youth League was formed, which the organization and historians consider to be the foundation of the organization.

As an organizational entity, AUF took its current form in April 1927 following the merger of Left Communist Youth League and Socialist Youth League of Norway corresponding with the merger of its parent parties^[2] after the conclusion of disputes over the "Twenty-one Conditions". Its ideology is social democracy and democratic socialism.

In 1958, the local chapter of Berge Furre and Kåre Sollund, Sosialistisk Studentlag, was closed down. A conflict arose after the USA had been offering its NATO allies American nuclear weapons as a defence against the Eastern Bloc. Sosialistisk Studenlag opposed this and as an attempt to prevent West Germany from getting access to nuclear weapons it contacted MPs during the Easter break to sign a petition. More than half of Labour’s MPs signed in what is known as the Easter Rebellion of the Labour Party. The rebellion was badly received by the party leadership when the Easter break ended. Several people were excluded from the Labour Party, including the members of Sosialistisk Studentlag. All the MPs who signed the petition were later offered by the party to retract their signatures, which all but one of them did.^[3]

Three years later, Furre was one of the founders of Sosialistisk Folkeparti, which got two seats in the parliament after the 1961 election. Labour, who had been winning the majority of the seats in every election after World War II, got just 74 out of 150. No party has won the majority of the seats after this.

In 1998, the Workers' Youth League membership scandal resulted in two former treasurers and two former leaders of the Oslo chapter being found guilty of fraud, and given prison sentences for having unlawfully received NOK 648,000 in grants from the City of Oslo between 1992 and 1994—Ragnar Bøe Elgsaas, Anders Hornslien, Bjørn Jarle Rødberg Larsen and Anders Greif Mathisen.^[4][5]

On 22 July 2011, AUF's traditional summer camp on the island of Utøya was the target of a massacre carried out by the right-wing extremist terrorist Anders Behring Breivik dressed as a police officer. He shot and killed 69 people, most of whom were members of AUF, and wounded several others.^[6]

Three prime ministers, Trygve Bratteli, Thorbjørn Jagland, and Jens Stoltenberg have been leaders in AUF.^[7] In addition, Oddvar Norli was leader of local chapter of Hedmark AUF^[8] and Gro Harlem Brundtland was deputy leader of Sosialistisk Studentlag and Arbeiderpartiets Studentlag, local chapters of AUF,^[9] before they both served as prime ministers.^[8][9] The German Chancellor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Willy Brandt was a member of AUF during his exile in Norway.^[10]

Organisational structure

Its current leader is Mani Hussaini. AUF employs county secretaries in all 19 counties of Norway.

Its central office is situated at the historical seat of the Norwegian labour movement, Youngstorget in Oslo, in the Peoples' Theatre building. At the main office the elected leadership work together with different political advisors with national campaigns, organisation and political issues. It is co-located with the offices of the Oslo and Akershus county wards.

The National Congress assembles every second year, and is the supreme body of the Workers' Youth League. The Congress will also elect the party leadership, consisting of a leader, a deputy leader and a secretary general. These three together with 14 other elected members constitutes the Executive Board. On a day-to-day basis AUF is governed by the Executive Board. The highest body between the Congress is the National Delegate's Board, consisting of two representatives from each of the 19 counties and is observed by the Executive Board.

The party magazine is Praksis, with roots back to 1923.^[11]

The organization is a full member^[12] of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) and the Joint Committee of the Nordic Labour Youth Movement (FNSU). AUF is also an observer member of the Young European Socialists (YES).

Leadership

Leaders[7] 2014-Present : Mani Hussaini 2010–2014 : Eskil Pedersen 2006–2010 : Martin Henriksen 2002–2006 : Gry Larsen 2000–2002 : Eva Kristin Hansen 1996–2000 : Anniken Huitfeldt 1992–1996 : Trond Giske 1989–1992 : Turid Birkeland 1985–1989 : Jens Stoltenberg 1981–1985 : Egil Knudsen 1977–1981 : Thorbjørn Jagland 1975–1977 : Sissel Rønbeck 1973–1975 : Rune Gerhardsen 1971–1973 : Bjørn Tore Godal 1969–1971 : Hans Raastad 1964–1969 : Ola Teigen 1961–1964 : Reiulf Steen 1958–1961 : Bjartmar Gjerde 1955–1958 : Reidar Hirsti 1952–1955 : Ivar Mathiesen 1949–1952 : Frank Andersen 1946–1949 : Rolf Åkervik 1945–1946 : Trygve Bratteli (acting) 1934–1945 : Gunnar Sand (partly in exile) 1931–1934 : Kåre Hansen 1927–1931 : Hjalmar Dyrendahl

Deputy leaders[7] 2014-present : Emilie Bersaas 2010–2014 : Åsmund Aukrust 2006–2010 : Eskil Pedersen 2004-2006 : Martin Henriksen 2002–2004 : Eirik Øwre Thorshaug 2000–2002 : Gry Larsen 1996–2000 : Jo Stein Moen 1994–1996 : Anniken Huitfeldt 1992–1994 : Beret Bråten 1989–1992 : Geir Axelsen 1987–1989 : Turid Birkeland 1985–1987 : Grete Berget 1983–1985 : Jens Stoltenberg 1981–1983 : Norvald Mo 1977–1981 : Anne-Lise Bakken 1975–1977 : Sigbjørn Johnsen 1973–1975 : Sissel Rønbeck 1969–1973 : Rolv Lasse Lund 1967–1969 : Britt Hildeng 1964–1967 : Kurt Mosbakk 1961–1964 : Sverre Gullikstad 1958–1961 : Bjørn Skau 1955–1958 : Bjørn Sørensen 1952–1955 : Reidar Hirsti 1949–1952 : Bjarne Andersen 1946–1949 : Erling Nordberg 1937–1946 : Rakel Seweriin (not in exile) 1934–1937 : Finn Moe 1931–1934 : Per Lie 1927–1931 : Arne Strøm

See also

• Framfylkingen

References

1. AUF med historisk medlemstall
2. arbeidernes ungdomsbevegelse – Store norske leksikon. Snl.no. Retrieved on 2014-04-28.
3. Hagen, Andrea Kvamme (12 April 2004). "Påskeopprøret i 1958" (in Norwegian). nrk.no. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
4. "Ikke ny behandling av AUF-saken". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). 30 July 1998. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
5. "AUF-saken: Et kjempesvik mot tillit". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). 30 January 1998. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
6. 68 mistet livet på Utøya (“68 lost their lives at Utøya Island”). Aftenposten.no. 24 July 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
7. Halvorsen, Terje (2003). Partiets salt (in Norwegian). Oslo: Pax. pp. 535–542. ISBN 82-530-2576-9.
8. "Biografi: Nordli Odvar" (in Norwegian). stortinget.no. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
9. FORLAGET EBOK - Historie. Files.itslearning.com (1939-04-20). Retrieved on 2014-04-28.
10. Der Jugendverband AUF (Arbeidernes Ungdomsfylking), in den ich 1933 kameradschaftlich aufgenommen wurde, stellte mit seinen, in Gruppen über das ganze Land verstreuten, gut 20 000 Mitgliedern eine Massenorganisation dar., in Brandt, Willy: Links und frei: mein Weg 1930-1950
11. Maurseth, Per (1987). Gjennom kriser til makt 1920-1935. Volume three of Arbeiderbevegelsens historie i Norge (in Norwegian). Oslo: Tiden. p. 306. ISBN 82-10-02753-0.
12. IUSY member organizations

External links

• Official website (Norwegian)