Public Statement of the 2nd ICOR World Conference
The Second World Conference of ICOR (International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties and Organizations) was held in the middle of Europe a few weeks ago. The Conference was attended by delegates from 28 parties from 24 countries and 2 guest delegations from 2 parties.
The Conference began with the introductory speech of the ICC Main Coordinator (International Coordinating Committee), in which he welcomed the participants, explained the tasks of the 2nd World Conference and opened the meeting. Subsequently all delegates and guests introduced themselves, also offering their best wishes for the success of the conference and defining its importance in the present period. Then messages were received from various ICOR organizations which were not present. The participation of some organizations was seriously impeded regarding visas and partly made impossible due to bureaucratic hurdles created by the German and other European governments. Messages of greetings followed from the chairman of ILPS (International League of People's Struggles), José Maria Sison, from Otto Vargas and Irene Alonso from the PCR (Revolutionary Communist Party of Argentina), and the CPA (ML) (Communist Party of Australia [Marxist-Leninist]).
The former International Coordinating Committee presented a report of the work of ICOR over the past period since its formation in 2010. The report was read out by the members of the Secretariat of ICOR and then discussed by the meeting. It became clear that ICOR has not only grown by over 12 percent in the period in terms of member organizations, but has also matured ideologically-politically and organizationally. ICOR presently has 45 member parties / organizations from 34 countries. The financial report showed that the principle of financial independence was being realized increasingly better.
Some changes were made to the Statutes of ICOR to make it more effective and more democratic in its functioning. In particular, the composition of the International Coordinating Committee was made more dynamic and more representative of the various continents. Changes were accepted to allow the Continental Conferences to function more flexibly.
Many resolutions were passed after lengthy discussion. Politically, the focus was on two resolutions: the first one concerned the importance of the movements for freedom and democracy all over the world and the tasks of ICOR; the second one concerned the globally threatening environmental catastrophe and the responsibility of the ICOR for building a worldwide front of resistance. The unanimous adoption of these resolutions marks the great cognitive progress in the international revolutionary and working-class movement during the last two years.
In the discussion on the movements for freedom and democracy, there was a great deal of discussion about the details of the movements. Participants from the countries concerned like Tunisia, Turkey, Nepal, etc. were able to provide first-hand experiences of the actual state of and details about the movements in the countries concerned. There was a general agreement that the world economic and financial crisis had given a stimulus to such movements for democracy and freedom all over the world. It was agreed in the discussion that whereas the working class and the oppressed masses in these countries were ready to fight for a better and more democratic society, the subjective forces were still not sufficiently strong and organized to be able to offer a concrete revolutionary alternative to such movements. It was agreed that the rapidity and ferocity with which such movements were drawing in the working class and the oppressed people all over the world only highlighted the need for better cooperation and coordination among the Marxist-Leninist and revolutionary forces all over the world. This also underlines the need for an organization like ICOR and the need to strengthen it.
The discussion on the environmental question was also long and had a high level of political understanding. Active participants of such movements for protecting the environment from all over the world gave detailed reports on them. It was described how imperialism is wantonly destroying the environment in its unending greed for profits. It was discussed that as the crisis of imperialism deepens, it has to exploit both, human and natural resources to an ever greater extent to try and resurrect its profits. Some participants were of the view that the contradiction contained in the environmental question had become one of the major contradictions in the world today, which threatens the very existence of human life on the planet.
There was also much discussion of the nature of alliances that the working class has to make in the new neo-colonial context and in the context of the new classes that have arisen in various parts of the world. It was pointed out that the working class has to come to the leadership of the movements of crucial sections being oppressed by imperialism, whether these are women or people fighting against the destruction of the environment or the movements of the indigenous people or other such movements.
There was also a lengthy discussion on the exact nature of the crisis that imperialism is presently embroiled in, and about how far it has been able to recover from the crisis which arose following the sub-prime crisis of 2008. A PowerPoint projection prepared by a member organization with great detail and collation and analyses from various sources was presented.
It was discussed that one of the reasons why the grave crises of these times did not develop into open political or even revolutionary crises in various countries was because of the weakness of the subjective forces. Today imperialism temporarily practices an international crisis-management with enormous financial effort, which did not fail to have dampening effects. Nonetheless, revolution remains the main tendency in the world.
Resolutions were also passed on solidarity with the people of Afghanistan, Iran, Rojava and Turkey.
The resolutions in support of the 2nd Miners Conference, slated to be held in India in 2017, in support of the 2nd World Women's Conference, slated to be held in Nepal in 2016, and of the Coordination of Dock Workers, slated to be held in Germany in 2014 (October), were also approved by the majority of ICOR.
The conference elected a new International Coordinating Committee. Com. Stefan Engel of the MLPD was re-elected as the Main Coordinator and Com. Sanjay Singhvi of the CPI (ML) was re-elected as the Deputy Main Coordinator.
The whole of the conference was held in a spirit of comradeship, and the proletarian culture of debate prevailed. All decisions on the reports, the Statute and on resolutions were taken strictly on the basis of independent voting based on the Statutes of ICOR.
There was free, constructive and frank debate in a forward-moving spirit of grown solidarity. The conference opened with a festive opening on the first day along with the messages of greetings and ended with a cultural evening on the final day when there was a program of cultural presentations from all across the globe.
The conference ended with the singing of the Internationale in various languages.
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