History of the world fellowship of Buddhist youth

by B. Kanthie PERERA

Recalling the Buddhist youth movement of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth, the first international Buddhist Youth Conference held in Bangkok 39 years ago in December 1971, a concrete proposal for the establishment of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth was unanimously accepted.

It was sponsored and organised by the WFB and the standing committee on youth affairs. Young Buddhist leaders from many countries almost all Asian countries, India, Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Kampuchea, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and United States of America among others participated in the major conference.

The conference resolved to request the WFB to establish an international Buddhist youth movement called the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth at the WFB's Tenth General Conference scheduled to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1972.

The WFB headquarters readily accepted the proposal and executive council took all the necessary steps to fulfil this as an accomplishment at the Colombo conference, and every WFB regional centre was requested to include a youth delegate in their delegation to the tenth General Conference.

In her Presidential address Princess Poon Pismai Diskul mentioned" since 1950 the WFB had grown from 30 regional centres in 33 countries in all parts of the world to 61 regional centres in 34 countries". Young Buddhist leaders recommended that the WFB should set up and sponsor the inauguration of an International Buddhist Youth organisation at this 10th conference.

Thirty-five member countries and states represented by a youth leader at the Colombo conference in the afternoon of May 26th 1972 immediately following the concluding session of the WFB 10th general conference, the historic inauguration of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth took place at the YMBA Hall, Borella, Colombo. The occasion commenced with a religious ceremony of panca sila administered by the Ven. Piyadassi Maha Thera of Vajiraramaya.

That was historic landmark for the WFB in its 22nd anniversary year, indeed that event was a memorable landmark in the annals of Sri Lanka's history.

The people of Sri Lanka enjoyed a pardonable pride since twenty two years after the unanimous election of Lanka's revered Buddhist leader Dr. Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera as the founder president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists at its inauguration in 1950, the Young Buddhist leaders bestowed a similar honour to Sri Lanka by electing unanimously Mr. Nemsiri Mutukumara as the Founder President of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth.

He was followed by President Prok Amranand of Thailand and later by Mr. Boon Young Vongvanij of Thailand Mr. Phallop Thaiaryy of Thailand, Mr. Sommai Kornsakuof Thailand. The present President of WFBY is Mr. Anurut Vongvanij of Thailand. Thus where World Fellowship of Buddhists was born in Sri Lanka, it gave the birth to World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth.

Having fulfilled the aspirations of the Buddhist youth, the elders reposed hope that the RFBY will be a world movement of Buddhist youth working for the welfare of Buddhist youth in particular and young men and women in general.

It is my considered view that on this landmark year when the WFBY meet in Sri Lanka and celebrate its thirty eighth anniversary and 16th general conference, the WFBY headquarters and their regional centres review the record of their past activities with a view to improve, develop and organise their service for the greater benefit of young people.

The writer is an Advisor to the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth Sri Lanka