DWARS

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DWARS, GroenLinkse Jongeren, is the independent youth wing of GreenLeft, the Dutch green political party. It promotes green politics and has five core principles. Founded on 4 January 1991, DWARS grew out of a merger of the youth wings of several parties that joined GreenLeft. In its early years it was more action‑oriented and sometimes anarchist, but over time its ties to GreenLeft strengthened and a more moderate approach emerged.

DWARS has engaged in cross‑party cooperation, notably through the Paprika‑accords (2001) and Pepper‑accords (2004), which sought closer work with Labour, the Socialist Party, and the Christian Democratic Appeal to influence future government coalitions. In 2001, DWARS also helped push GreenLeft to oppose the War in Afghanistan.

The name DWARS can mean “transverse” or “stubborn” in Dutch, and it is often understood as "contrary." The organization has about 5,000 members, most of whom are GreenLeft members. The eight‑person national board includes a chair, secretary, treasurer, and five general board members sharing ten portfolios. The congress meets twice a year, with an extra congress every four years to decide a new political program, and the summer congress elects the board.

DWARS publishes the independent magazine OverDWARS and communicates with members via mailing lists, including the Minutespider and a newsletter. In its early years it operated with a flexible, anarchist‑leaning structure and groups such as UFO, ParGo, and Dodo played key roles; a crisis period in the late 1990s led to reorganization and the formation of a single, coordinated board.

DWARS is affiliated with the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) and the Global Young Greens (GYG). Headquarters: Sint Jacobsstraat 12, Utrecht, Netherlands. Website: https://www.dwars.org