People's Democracy

INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF COMMUNIST AND WORKERS' PARTIES

A Socialist World Is Possible!

W R Varada Rajan

THE International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties, hosted by the Communist Party of Portugal, was held at Lisbon, on November 10-12, 2006, under the theme "Dangers and potentialities of the international situation; the strategy of imperialism and the energy issue; the struggle of peoples and the Latin America experience and the prospect of socialism."

Delegations from 63 communist and workers' parties from various countries participated in the meeting. From India, W R Varada Rajan, central committee member, represented the CPI(M). D Raja, secretary, represented the CPI while 17 other parties, which could not attend the meeting for various reasons, sent messages of greetings. 

Inaugurating the meeting, Jeronimo de Souza, general secretary of the Communist Party of Portugal, noted that the fundamental task of the communist and workers’ parties is to strive to make progress in the analysis and action that may lead to assert socialism – in a necessarily renewed conception, enriched by the lessons of experience – as the real alternative to the present system. Describing the meeting as a key moment to understand the struggles our peoples are involved in, Jeronimo said, “A better reciprocal understanding strengthens the confidence and international solidarity. Solidarity that is not momentary but is intrinsic to our values, our common history, our way of being in the world as communists and revolutionaries”. He emphasised the political content of international solidarity as one intimately tied to the fundamentals of workers’ internationalism, a solidarity of class. 

IMPERIALIST OFFENSIVES

This International Meeting was held at a time when the international community is facing the biggest danger of overwhelming offensive of imperialism, particularly that of US imperialism. US imperialism has proceeded to reap maximum advantage of the uni-polar world order that ensued following the ‘fall of the Berlin Wall’ and collapse of the Soviet Union. US president Bush declaration of a ‘global war against terror’ is aimed at establishing the US hegemony over the entire world. 

The US imperialism has loudly proclaimed that it intends to rule the world by sheer force. It has grossly undermined the United Nations and defying world public opinion attacked Afghanistan and subsequently Iraq. It claims a divine right to impose regime changes in countries, which do not toe its line. 

The US imperialism chose to bracket the countries which it considers to be its enemies under ‘axis of evil’, initially comprising Iraq, Iran, Syria, North Korea and Cuba. To enlarge this list of countries, which it intends to target for its militarist offensive, it had coined the terms such as ‘rouge states’, ‘outposts of tyranny’ etc. In an attempt to lend credibility to its otherwise dubious role and to justify its aggressive pursuits across the globe, it had made a pretence of forging a ‘community of democracy’ roping in the pliant countries and regimes. 

Imperialism today pushes its economic agenda of neo-liberal globalisation through the international financial and trade institutions. The imperialists steadfastly promote the interests of the international finance capital, which predominates today. 

CPI(M) ASSESSMENT

Presenting the CPI(M) contribution on the theme of the meeting, W R Varada Rajan dwelt in detail on the multi-pronged offensives of imperialism and said, “while these are the dangers lurking before us, the international situation is not one of gloom or despair. Everywhere the imperialists are facing stiff resistance, both to its aggressive militarist pursuits and to the designs of economic aggrandisement and we are witnessing the characteristics of a multi polar world order”. 

He went on to add: 

“The recent period has revealed the limits of US hegemony and expansion. Both Iran and North Korea have refused to be cowed down on the nuclear issue. It is an object lesson that the 21st century will see continued resistance to imperialist aggression and violations of national sovereignty.

“Imperialist globalisation and the unilateralism of US imperialism cannot check the trend towards a multipolar world. The international situation is marked by the development of bilateral relations and regional cooperation, which counter the hegemonist trends.

He also explained the complex struggle being waged by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), along with other Left forces of the country, against imperialism and its efforts to bring India under its sway. “On the strength of the concerted struggles that we conducted against the previous rightwing government, the last general elections threw up a situation where the present Indian government replacing the earlier one has been put in place. But it does not have a majority on its own and has to depend on the support of the Left parties. We have been trying to use this opportunity to reverse the orientation towards a pro-US foreign policy. It is through our intervention that the government committed itself to a programme, which talks of pursuing an independent foreign policy. However, there are digressions, if not, outright reversals, which we are fighting both inside and outside parliament. These struggles are enabling us to expose and mobilise the people in big numbers against US imperialism and its policies”. 

Detailing the backdrop of growing resistance by people’s movements to the policies of imperialist globalisation, he pointed out “all these are pointers to the basic truth that capitalism can never fulfill the aspirations of the teeming millions of the suffering humanity on the globe. Socialism has to and will emerge as the alternative to imperialist globalisation”. He emphasised the need to assess the role of the communists all over the world and added: “The anti-war movements and the anti-globalisation protests that have been witnessed in the recent years are creating an objective situation in the world, where we communists can effectively intervene. These movements and protests offer immense potential for the communist parties to mainstream them into the anti-imperialist struggle. The mood of the people coming out in the open to offer resistance to imperialist war mongering and designs of economic enslavement have to be raised to anti-imperialist and socialist consciousness and assiduously cultivated by the communists”.

INTENSE DISCUSSIONS

The International Meeting highlighted the most relevant aspects of the international situation. Besides expressing a vehement warning concerning the great threats of our time, it expressed confidence in the capacity of peoples to force imperialism to retreat in its hegemonic designs and achieve new advances, on the path of social progress, peace and socialism.

Addresses by the leaders of all the delegations represented in the meeting unequivocally pointed out that neo-liberalism, militarism, war and the attack against fundamental rights, liberties and guarantees are inseparable components of the offensive by big capital and imperialism. They also presented concrete experiences of struggle in different countries and regions, confirming that the workers and peoples are not docile and that, even in the present conditions, liberating advances towards sovereignty and social progress are possible.

The delegates valued the growing resistance against imperialist interference and aggression and underlined the importance of strengthening solidarity with all peoples who are in the front ranks of that struggle. They noted the increasing acuteness of the class struggle in all the continents of the globe and underlined the need to intensify the struggle against neo-liberalism and neo-colonialism, as also against the offensive of exploitation by big capital, which by attacking the most elementary human values is responsible for the social, cultural and democratic regression.

The struggle for the domination of the planet's energy resources and the control of their distribution routes is an important factor in the geo-politics of imperialism, both in terms of collaborations and in terms of rivalries, as is obvious in Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and in other regions 
At the same time, there was all-round denunciation of the wastage of energy resources by the unbridled consumption that characterises capitalist societies.

After three days of intensive work of discussion and exchange of views on the evolution of the international situation, the communist and workers’ parties emphasised the significance of the strong resistance that the US and NATO occupation forces are facing in Afghanistan and Iraq. They denounced the crimes perpetrated by Israel in Lebanon and in Palestine, and the complicity of the European Union with the USA, which is responsible for the situation of repression and humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the West Bank. They condemned the threats against Syria and against Iran, which in the past few days have become particularly serious, and demanded total respect for the sovereignty of Lebanon. They expressed their support for the struggle for Israel's complete withdrawal from all Arab territories occupied in 1967, in abidance with the relevant UN resolutions, as well as their active solidarity with the PLO and the Palestinian people in their struggle for the establishment of their own independent and sovereign State on territory of Palestine.

The meeting considered that there is a need to intensify the struggle against militarism and war; for the withdrawal of the forces of occupation from Afghanistan and Iraq; to dissolve NATO and other aggressive military treaties; to drastically reduce armament expenditures and channel them to promoting development; to abolish foreign military bases. It underlined the urgency of placing the issue of disarmament, and in particular nuclear disarmament, once again on the agenda; it highlighted the generalisation of attacks against fundamental rights, liberties and guarantees of citizens as a particularly disturbing trend in the international situation; it condemned the adoption by the US Congress of practices of torture and State terrorism.

The Meeting called for further intensification of the struggle in defence of democratic freedoms, against the advance of the extreme right, against xenophobia, racism, religious fanaticism and obscurantism, against anti-communism. It pledged solidarity with the young Czech communists, demanding the re-establishment of the rights of the Czech Communist Youth and rejected attempts to criminalize forces and peoples that resist the capitalist exploitation and imperialist oppression.

The meeting greeted the advances of the popular and anti-imperialist struggles that are sweeping through Latin America and the processes of sovereignty and cooperation in solidarity that are taking place there, and expressed solidarity with socialist Cuba, reaffirming the demand for an end to the criminal blockade imposed by the US. It also expressed solidarity with the people of Venezuela and their Bolivarian revolution, with the people of Bolivia, Nicaragua and with other peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. 

The concrete analysis of the situation in various regions demonstrated the incapacity of capitalism to provide solutions for the urgent problems confronting the workers and peoples, and the threats to which capitalism exposes the future of the planet. In this backdrop, the meeting significantly asserted the relevance and urgency of socialism, which increasingly emerges as an alternative to capitalism and as a condition for the survival of Humanity itself. 

The Meeting adopted an "Appeal against militarism and war, for freedom, democracy, peace and social progress" and a "Motion of solidarity with Latin America and Cuba".

FUTURE INITIATIVES 

The Meeting decided upon several initiatives to develop the solidarity and joint action of the communist and workers' parties, as well as of other progressive and revolutionary forces. Among those proposed on issues of immediate concern included:

· Against militarism and war and in particular for the withdrawal of the forces of occupation from Iraq; 

· For the dissolution of NATO and the abolition of foreign military bases; 

· Against the imperialist strategy in the Middle East and for actions of urgent solidarity with the Palestinian people and to send missions of solidarity to Palestine and Lebanon; 

· Of solidarity with Bolivarian Venezuela and Bolivia and with Socialist Cuba, with the promotion of a week of joint actions of solidarity with this country; 

· Against historical revisionism, the whitewashing of fascism, and anti-communism, marking significant dates such as September 11, 1973, in Chile; 

· Against the neo-liberal offensive to dismantle workers' rights and achievements, working to strengthen the mass action and the class-based trade union movement and in defence of migrant workers; 

· To take advantage of participation in international events to hold meetings and coordinate the activity of communists; 

· To stimulate cooperation on a regional basis and on specific issues, between the parties.
Highlighting the importance of the battle of ideas in our times, the Meeting stressed the importance of marking the 90th anniversary of the October Revolution in 2007 with various initiatives and expressed support for the project of an international event to be held in the Russian Federation.

The Meeting noted that the present international situation makes it particularly necessary to strengthen the cooperation of all progressive and anti-imperialist forces and, in particular, that of communist and workers' parties from all over the world. In this sense, the importance of the International Meetings, being held for the last consecutive eight years, served as an arena for the exchange of information, of experiences, of points of view and for the possible definition of common positions and initiatives. 

With the aim of ensuring further continuity, the meeting also re-elected a Working Group comprising 11 parties to decide the venue, date and theme of the International Meeting to be held next year. From India, both CPI(M) and CPI are included in the working group. At a meeting of the Working Group held later in the evening on November 12, it was decided that the next meeting of the Working Group will be hosted by the Communist Party of Greece and may be held in March next year.

On November 11, there was an international rally at Alamada, near Lisbon, in an auditorium, participated by an enthusiastic audience and attended by all the delegates to the International Meeting. The rally was addressed by comrades from the Communist Part of Cuba, Communist Party of South Africa and by Jeronimo de Souza, general secretary of the Communist Party of Portugal. The International Meeting concluded on a refreshing note expressing the profound confidence that a different, socialist, world is possible!