Paving the way for an international league of people�s struggles
THE WORLD HAS BEEN WITNESS to the outbreak of peoples� struggles calling for liberation from intensifying poverty, hunger, disorder and injustice, environmental destruction and devastating wars, which all deprive the world�s youth of their future. Millions of people continue to advance armed and unarmed struggles�from the guerrilla fronts of the Philippines, Peru and Colombia to the streets of the US, Melbourne, Prague, Paris and London� to fight for the interests of peoples enslaved and oppressed by imperialism.
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With the objective of forging unity and cooperation among various struggling peoples, all-out preparations are being made for the establishment of the International League of People�s Struggles (ILPS) on May 2001. The ILPS will primarily serve as a forum for the exchange of experiences and cooperation among diverse struggling peoples.
First International Assembly. The International Initiative Committee (IIC) is currently in the thick of preparations for the First International Assembly (FIA), the foremost assembly that shall form the ILPS. It shall be held in May 2001 in The Netherlands. The IIC is led by Jose Ma. Sison, founding chairperson of the CPP and head of the Center for Social Studies, and is composed of representatives from Germany, the Philippines, Mexico, Britain, Turkey and various other international institutions.
The FIA carries the theme �Peoples� Demands for International Unity in the 21st Century�. Declarations drafted by the IIC shall be discussed and approved during the assembly. The FIA shall also ratify the objectives of the ILPS and shall draft resolutions that will detail the league�s tasks.
The IIC is initially organizing the FIA by assiduously gathering comments on, and support for, the assembly, systematizing details including the registration of participants, drafting proposed policies and presenting proposals for the preparations. Proposed characteristics. According to its preparatory committee, the ILPS is for both industrialized and backward countries; for those confronting any environmental tragedy, poisoned water or food, or all those who suffer from intensifying exploitation, job destruction or loss, absence of aid or any human rights violation and a host of other crises.
Based on the declarations drafted by the IIC, the ILPS shall be broad and massoriented in character and independent from any political party, government or religion. It shall promote, advocate and develop the antiimperialist and democratic struggles of workers and oppressed peoples of the world in order to do battle against the ideological, political, military, economic and cultural dominance and attacks of imperialism and reactionaries that cause humanity�s various hardships. It shall also expose and oppose the inhuman policies and actions of multinational companies, their governments and international agencies such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization and military alliances.
According to the draft declarations, the ILPS shall act in order to achieve the unity, cooperation and coordination of workers, unions and organizations of women, children, farmers, teachers, health workers, journalists, writers, scientists, technologists, lawyers and other professionals, popular movements, campaigns and just foundations that shall uphold the league�s concerns when formed and finalized.
Broadening and growing in number. As of October, more than 90 organizations had stated their intention to participate in the first assembly. Before the end of November, the number of organizations had increased to 217 from about 50 countries. According to the IIC, this reflects the unity and cooperation of all the organizations that participated in or supported the preparations of the IIC from the beginning. The IIC also added that after its fifth meeting in October, it has become more �determined to accelerate its efforts to further increase the number of participating and supporting organizations.�
Proposed concerns of the ILPS that shall serve as workshop topics during the first international assembly: - National and social liberation from imperialism and all reaction;
- Human rights in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural fields;
- The cause of peace against wars of aggression and against nuclear and other genocidal weapons;
- Workers� rights and reduction of working hours at full pay against mass unemployment and decreasing wage levels;
- Rights of peasants, farm workers and fisherfolk against feudal and semifeudal exploitation and oppression;
- Women�s rights against gender discrimination and children�s rights against child labor and other forms of exploitation;
- Rights of indigenous peoples and nationalities against chauvinism and racism;
- The rights of teachers and the youth;
- Environmental protection against plunder and pollution; and
- Rights and welfare of refugees and migrant workers.
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