We, the students of Canada, recognizing the need to speak with one voice in asserting our legitimate needs and concerns, wish to express our support for one national student organization whose basic aims will be as follows:

1. to organize students on a democratic, cooperative basis in advancing our own interests, and in advancing the interests of our community;
2. to provide a common framework within which students can communicate, exchange information, and share experience, skills and ideas;
3. to ensure the effective use and distribution of the resources of the student movement, while maintaining a balanced growth and development of student organisations that respond to students needs and desires;
4. to bring students together to discuss and cooperatively achieve necessary educational administrative, or legislative change wherever decision‑making affects students;
5. to facilitate cooperation among students in organising services which supplement our academic experience, provide for our human needs, and which develop a sense of community with our peers and other members of society;
6. to articulate the real desire of students to fulfil the duties, and be accorded the rights of citizens in our society and in the international community;
7. to achieve our ultimate goal — a system of post‑secondary education which is accessible to all, which is of high quality, which is nationally planned, which recognizes the legitimacy of student representation, and validity of student rights, and whose role in society is clearly recognized and appreciated.

In consideration to these needs, students from throughout Canada met in October, 1981, to found the Canadian Federation of Students/Fédération canadienne des étudiantes et étudiants.

The organisations that founded the Canadian Federation of Students were:
The National Union of Students/Union nationale des étudiant(e)s
The Association of Student Councils (Canada)/Association des conseils étudiants (Canada)
The Federation of Alberta Students
The British Columbia Students Federation
The Students Union of Nova Scotia
The Ontario Federation of Students/Fédération des étudiant(e)s de l’Ontario
The Saskatchewan Federation of Students

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The Canadian Federation of Students/Fédération canadienne des étudiantes et étudiants exists to perform the following functions:

1. to further the goals of the Canadian Federation of Students/Fédération canadienne des étudiantes et étudiants as outlined in the Preamble;
2. to represent, promote and defend the common interests of students studying at Canadian post-secondary institutions;
3. to promote and support the interests and activities of democratic student organisations in all provinces and at all educational institutions in Canada;
4. to bring together post‑secondary students from all parts of Canada to discuss and take common, democratic positions on questions affecting students;
5. to represent Canadian students in the federal level of decision‑making and to do so by speaking on their behalf with one united voice;
6. to formulate a national programme that will serve as a framework for coordinating the efforts of representative post‑secondary student organisations throughout Canada.  This programme will summarize a long‑term strategy for achieving the objectives of students in post‑secondary education; will describe general ways of reaching those objectives; and will be revised periodically as new objectives and approaches become appropriate;