The International Falcon Movement – Socialist Educational International (IFM-SEI) is an international non-profit organisation based in Belgium that campaigns for children's rights.
It has member organisations all over the world and is strongest in Europe and South America. Many of its member organisations work with children and young people of all ages through activities, groups and camping.
IFM-SEI members are children and youth self-organisations, family organisations and other organisations who are working for the benefit of children and young peoples. IFM-SEI organise campaigns, for example against child labour or child pornography, seminars, trainings, camps and other educational activities. Their activities are carried out by member organisation, and international seminars are held regularly in cooperation with other fraternal organisations. A recent activity was the Peace Camp with Israelis and Palestinians. The LGBT event of IFM is called Queer Easter.
It is a fraternal organisation of Socialist International and works closely with International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) and Young European Socialists (formerly ECOSY). IFM-SEI is a full member of the European Youth Forum (YFJ) which operates within the Council of Europe and European Union area and works closely with both these bodies. In Latin-America it is a full member of the Foro Latin-America de Juventud (FLAJ). It is also part of the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations (ICMYO) which consists of worldwide active youth organisations and regional youth platforms coordinating their activities towards the UN and its agencies.
Contents
President
Max Winter from Rote Falken, (1925)
Anton Tesarek from Rote Falken, (1955–1959)
Hans Matzenauer from Rote Falken, (1967–1980)
Eric Nielsen from DUI leg og virke, (1980–1983)
Piet Kempenaars from (1983–1985)
Eric Nilsson from Unga Örnar, (1985)
Jerry Svensson from Unga Örnar, (1985–1995)
Jessi Sörensen from DUI leg og virke, (1995–2001)
Östen Lövgren from Unga Örnar, (2001–2005)
Ted Birch from Unga Örnar,(2005–2007)
Tim Scholz from SJD - Die Falken (2007–2013)
Ana Maria Almario from Acacia Fondacion (2013–2016)
Sylvia Siqueira Campos from Mirim (2016–2018)
Christina Schauer from Kinderfreunde Rote Falken, (2018–2022)
Shesica Páez from Esplais catalans (2024-present)
Secretaries General
Kurt Biak from (Voluntary) (1931)
Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez from (first full-time) (1966–1972)
Ilpo Rossi from Nuoret Kotkat, (1972–1976)
Ulric Andersen from Unga Örnar, (1976–1979)
Jacqui Cottyn from (1979–1995)
Odette Lambert from (1995–2001)
Uwe Ostendorff from SJD - Die Falken (2001–2007)
Tamsin Pearce from Woodcraft Folk, (2007–2013)
Christine Sudbrock from (2013–2016)
Carly Walker-Dawson from Woodcraft Folk, (2016–2020)
Ruba Hilal from Independence Youth Union, (2020–2023)
Maria Felisa Gómez Mora from SFYU (2025-present)
Current Presidium
The Presidium is made up of the Secretary-General, President, Vice President and one Presidium members from each region (Africa, Latin America, Middle East, Europe and Asia) to make a total of 8 members. Regional Representatives have one seat reserved for a woman and one seat reserved for a person under 30. The last elections were held in May 2023.
Shesica Páez (President) Esplais Catalans,
Adalit Collantes (Vice-President) Club infantil CHAP "Mayo 23",
Mohammed Diab (Midle-East Presidium Member) Ajyal,
Jorge Gómez (Latin America Presidium Member) Integridad Absoluta
Republics and Camps of the IFM-SEI
There were four children's republics held by the international before World War II:
1933 First Republic: Oostduinkerke, Belgium
1935 Second Republic: Verneuil-l'Étang, France. 900 children from Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, UK and Switzerland.
1937 Third Republic: Brighton, England. Theme: Solidarity, 2,000 participants from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Britain, Spain and Tunisia.
1939 Fourth Republic: Wandre, in Liège, Belgium. Theme: Freedom and Peace, 1,600 participants, from Belgium, France, UK, Switzerland, Tunisia and refugee children from Spain.
Since the end of World War II the IFM-SEI organises international camps as well as encouraging bi- and multi-lateral camps between members. The following is a list of official IFM-SEI camps held since 1945:
1946 Brighton, England
1951 Döbriach, Austria
1952 Füssen, Federal Republic of Germany
1955 Oslo, Norway
1956 Stockholm, Sweden
1958 Vienna, Austria
1961 Deurne, Belgium
1965 Reinwarzhofen, Federal Republic of Germany
1967 Scunthorpe, England
1971 Lahti, Finland
1974 Döbriach, Austria
Member organisations
Member and candidate organisations are listed here:
Africa
Girls Excel
Youth Advocates Ghana
Oyoun Masr Association
Pionniers du Mali
Action Enfance Senegal
Mouvement National des Pionniers Senegalais
Union Youth Saguiet el-Hamra and Rio de Oro
Patsimederu Trust
Americas
Organizacion Nueva Generacion
Manque Chile
Agrupacion Integridad Absoluta
Movimiento Infantil Luis Alfonso Velásquez Flores (MILAVF)
Los Cachorros
Club infantil CHAP "Mayo 23"
Mundo Nuevo
Juventud País Solidario (JPS)
Asia
Antar Bharati
KKSP Foundation
Youth Organization of Bhutan (exile in Nepal)
Hashomer Hatzair
HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed
Ajyal
Independence Youth Union
Independent Youth Forum
Seeds Association for Development and Culture 'Bothoor'
Association for Social Democracy
Europe
Arciragazzi
Armenian Youth Federation (ARF-YO)
DUI - Leg og Virke
Esplais Catalans
Faucons Rouges
Framfylkingen
Georgian Falcons
Hungarian Childfriends
Kinderfreunde / Rote Falken
Lietuvos Sakaliuku sajunga
Nuorten Kotkain Keskusliitto
Pionýr
Rode Valken, RVPA
Sozialistische Jugend Deutschlands-Die Falken
Slovenian Falcons Youth Union (SFYU)
SYB - The Falcons Belarus (in exile in Lithuania)
Woodcraft Folk