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Successfully held 3rd Europe Conference of the ICOR in May 2016

ICOR European Continental Committee - coordinators, August 2016

The 3rd European Conference of ICOR took place in an atmosphere of solidarity, with a convincing culture of debate and inspired by revolutionary optimism. Eleven parties and organizations of ICOR Europe took part. The new ICOR Main Coordinator Monika Gärtner- Engel/ MLPD introduced herself at the conference and actively contributed to the success of the conference.

The report of the ECC was lively discussed and unanimously adopted, also the Financial Officer was unanimously discharged. In particular, the new CCC Europe was strengthened, further parties took over responsibility for this work as well as for auditing. The unanimity in the elections and in further decisions expresses a great and grown trust in the joint work of the ICOR Europe.

The third European Conference was a step forward in the ideological-political discussion and unification in regard to the practical consequences of cooperation, coordination, revolutionization and mutual support in party-building. In a certain sense, the question and task that the ICOR Europe consciously takes up the initiative to grow into its new societal relevance and how this is done was the red thread running through the conference. As a consequence, also the work among the masses as ICOR organizations acquires a pivotal importance. The realization of the ICOR tasks requires a conscious effort, for example in order to organize the ICOR days of struggle in the individual countries; but also for the payment of membership contributions.

At the 3rd European Conference the following discussions were led in particular:

regarding the character of the form of rule in different countries like for example Turkey and whether they have developed to new imperialist countries, there was a necessary as well as controversial discussion;
The conference came up with new analyses, facts and interesting developments regarding the polarization throughout Europe, the state of the Kurdish liberation struggle, the struggles in Syria, the intensification of the political climate in some countries, the emergence of reactionary governments and also the open promotion of protofascist and fascist forces.
A debate was in particular started about which position revolutionaries adopt and how they act in such situations of climatic intensification up to the point of open counterrevolutionary politics. The conference dealt with the problem how party-building can and must be advanced also in times of internal and external intensified reaction of imperialism.
This included the discussion that principles of ICOR, of the revolutionary position, of the socialist objectives, and our slogans like “workers of all countries, unite” and our attitude towards the worldwide refugee movement are not up for negotiation. ICOR parties and organizations must also swim against the tide, act from a minority position, but always apply the mass line.
This was also discussed in regard to the refugee movement. The initiative for the ICOR observers in Greece was welcomed very much, but must also be made a “common cause” by everyone.
Important experiences from the world women's process of grassroots women for a successful work of the ICOR parties in the correct support of it were especially evaluated and discussed, also in regard to other non-party-affiliated seminars, projects and initiatives (miners and automotive workers conferences etc.).

We succeeded in putting the work of ICOR Europe in context with the whole work of the ICOR worldwide. This was shown with the ICOR solidarity pact and the ICOR brigades in constructing the health-care center and especially in the discussion and proposals for the campaign “100 years October Revolution”. The conference represented important focal points in the European development of class struggle and the people's movements as well as of the national liberation struggle: for example the working-class struggles and mainly trade-union strike movements in Germany and in the Netherlands, the grown antifascist struggle and the increased antifascist consciousness in several countries; the struggle against the shifting of the burdens of crisis like in Bosnia-Herzegovina with the overthrow of several governments and prime ministers in the year 2014; the Kurdish liberation struggle and important class disputes in Turkey. A number of resolutions were submitted.

In the run-up of the European Conference a one-day exchange of experiences on environmental politics and work of the ICOR on the basis of the “environmental resolution” adopted by the Second World Conference. All parties and organizations – even if at different levels – deal with the struggle for preserving the human foundations of life. Here also in the analysis new aspects were revealed: in certain European countries the deforestation plays a special role, but also the poisoning of soils. The problem was discussed that there is the necessity of environmental work, but in the concrete situation in different countries the social question, mass unemployment, mass poverty etc. come to the foreground spontaneously.

The 3rd European Conference gave an important signal for more and more member organizations thinking, feeling and acting as “ICOR members”. There was a great agreement at hearts, communication on equal footing and cultural diversity in the internationalist sense. The inspiring international festivity with many contributions from the ICOR countries was also marked by this!