Progressive Youth Organisation of Guyana

The Progressive Youth Organisation of Guyana is a youth organisation in Guyana, the youth wing of the People's Progressive Party.^[1] The membership of Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) is predominantly Indo-Guyanese, like its mother party.^[2]

The organisation was established in 1952, through a decision at the second party congress of PPP.^[3] The name of the organisation at the time of its founding was the Pioneer Youth League of British Guiana.^[4][5] Brindley Benn was the secretary of the organisation.^[6] In February 1953, the Pioneer Youth League became an affiliate of the World Federation of Democratic Youth.^[4] The Pioneer Youth League was banned by the British colonial authorities on December 15, 1953.^[7][8]

In the early 1960s a split emerged in the PPP as Benn and others from the PYO led a black leftist revolt against the party leadership.^[9][10] The young ideologues of PYO resisted the increasing Indo-Guyanese dominance of the party.^[11] During the 1960s PYO developed a self-defence structure, as Guyanese politics became more violent. At the same time the Indo-Guyanese sector of PYO became more dominant within the organisation.^[12] In 1964, during the four-month-long strike by the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (the PPP-aligned sugarcane workers' union) the PYO repeatedly clashed with the rival Young Socialist Movement.^[13] Neville Annibourne was the PYO secretary at the time.^[14] By 1962, 87.1% of PYO members were Indo-Guyanese. As of 1963, PYO had 92 branches with 813 members. Moreover the organisation had around 3,000 sympathizers.^[15]

PYO organised different sporting and cultural activities, and built up libraries in many communities.^[15]

The Student Council of the Progressive Youth Organisation was previously a member organisation of the International Union of Students.^[16] Through the PYO, scholarships for Guyanese students for studies in the Socialist Bloc were distributed.^[15]