YLDA Sec Gen elected IFLRY Vice President, YLDA to become IFLRY Regional Base
2007-12-20

In an outstanding show of support and confidence, the International Federation of Liberation Youths (IFLRY) elected Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia Secretary General, Jan Argy Tolentino as the organization's Vice President during its 30th General Assembly held in Bosnia and Herzegovina from December 13 to 15, 2007. Along with the other three elected Vice Presidents, Jan Argy garnered the highest number of votes (574) during the elections.

Only the third Asian to secure a post in IFLRY's bureau, Jan Argy is looking forward to expanding IFLRY's role in the region by strengthening partnership with YLDA. He hopes to pioneer activities that will bring IFLRY closer to Asia and to "help bring IFLRY into the new age," which many pundits consider to be Asia's coming of age epoch.

Sharing some light moments. YLDA Secretary General and the new IFLRY Vice President together with other IFLRY vice presidents.

In campaigning for the post, Jan Argy outlined his platform for action on the need to initiate skills-based training program to capacitate the federation's member organizations. He also campaigned to capitalize on the services afforded by modern technologies and sustaining improvements in the Secretariat by building up its resources.

Lastly, Jan Argy pushes the federation to have vigorous ties with regional groups and organizations of common ideals. He emphasized "the need to increase the presence of IFLRY in regions like Asia" as the best way to consolidate young liberal minds that can ultimately feed the federation's need for popular and grassroots support.

YLDA Secretary General and New IFLRY Vice President Jan Argy Tolentino together with UCJD President Paola Silva of Colombia, JD SecGen Bart Woord of Netherlands, YDA Treasurer Chris Gallaway of USA, Jelena Spasovic of LDP, Julis' Frederik Ferie of Germany, FAL's Anihassata Camara of Cote d'Ivoire and Sarah Wong of Canada

Jan Argy's election also brought forth the recognition by the IFLRY leadership on the role of the Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia in promoting liberalism and democracy in the region. Hence, with the approval of the federation's revised constitution, YLDA was granted a status of IFLRY regional member.

As IFLRY's regional member, YLDA becomes the regional partner of the global federation of international liberal youths and has a non-voting seat in the federation's bureau. A memorandum of understanding between the two organizations shall be signed next year formalizing this partnership, which would also see YLDA Secretariat acting as IFLRY's regional secretariat in Asia.

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