Signalling the resurgence of worldwide struggle:
International League of Peoples' Struggle founded

Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

The league of struggle of the peoples of the world against the imperialist ogre is born.

On May 25-27, the first assembly of the International League of Peoples' Struggle (the League) was held in Zutphen, The Netherlands.

The League serves as a broad international anti-imperialist and democratic mass formation. It carries an anti-imperialist and democratic line. It attempts to unite a broad international united front to arouse, organize and mobilize the hundreds of millions of the world's peoples in the struggle for democracy and social liberation against imperialism and reaction.

According to the League's communique for the occasion, "this is a historic moment for all progressive forces worldwide, struggling for national independence, democracy and social liberation against imperialism and reaction."

The assembly was attended by 336 workers, farmers and representatives of various national minorities, women, youth, professionals and other sectors. They embodied 232 mass organizations from 40 countries worldwide. During the assembly, the charter as well as resolutions regarding the concerns of the League were discussed and ratified. Members of the coordinating committee and general secretariat of the League were also elected. The international assembly is the highest organ of the League.

Comrade Jose Maria "Joema" Sison, chairperson of the International Initiative Committee (IIC), declared open the assembly. He reported on the preparations made by the IIC for the first general assembly of the League.

While citing the historic origins of the League, Ka Joema recounted that it "is inspired by the anti-imperialist and democratic mass struggles that have arisen since the 20th century." The League also draws strength from anti-imperialist protest actions these past years, such as that in Manila (APEC, 1996), Vancouver (APEC, 1997), Seattle (WTO, 1999), Washington (IMF-World Bank, 2000), Okinawa ("Group of 7", 2000) and Prague (World Bank, 2000).

Ka Joema stressed the significance of the League in these times, when imperialism is wreaking havoc on the people through intensifying poverty, hunger, disorder and injustice. "The League answers the urgent need of the broad masses of the people for the creation of an international rallying force in the struggle for national independence, democracy and social liberation," he said.

The League affirmed the promotion, advocacy and development of anti-imperialist and democratic struggles of the peoples of the world. The League vowed to expose and oppose the destruction wrought by imperialism and reaction by means of puppet states, multinationals, imperialist agencies such as the IMF, WB and WTO and military alliances such as the NATO and US-Japan Security Council.

In order to effectively coordinate all these struggles, it was noted that the League must remain broad and mass-oriented. It shall not subordinate itself to any political party, religion or state, with all participating organizations enjoying equal rights.

Fifteen workshops were held, wherein the delegates shared experiences, information, ideas and policies. From these were formed the 18 concerns of the League. Also formulated were resolutions regarding these concerns. They expressed the aspirations of the peoples of the world to break free from imperialism, which was pinpointed as the root of the widespread and intense poverty that holds them in chains.

The League shall act to promote unity on issues confronting anti-imperialist and democratic movements. To achieve this, the League shall strive to unify the peoples of the world in taking concrete steps and to attain solidarity, cooperation and coordination in advancing anti-imperialist and democratic struggles. It shall conduct researches, publishing, conferences, seminars and political and social actions. The League shall seek the help of as many groups or individuals as possible towards the attainment of its aspirations.

The League welcomes the participation of any organization willing to make the League's concerns its own.

The 35 members of the first International Coordinating Committee (ICC) were elected. The ICC shall serve as the highest organ of the League in between international assemblies. It shall coordinate the correspondence, meetings, cooperation and collective actions of the League's participant organizations. Elected were Ka Crispin Beltran of the Kilusang Mayo Uno, Liza Masa of GABRIELA and Rafael Mariano of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. Meanwhile, the ICC elected to the International Coordinating Group (ICG) Crispin Beltran of the Philippines as chairperson; Memic Horoz of Turkey, An Leaerts of Belgium and Bernardo Ranferi of Mexico as vice chairpersons; Arman Riazi of Iran as general secretary; Cherry Clemente of the Philippines and Jim Balikwisha of Congo as deputy secretaries; Danny Claes of Belgium as treasurer; and Irene Fernandez of Malaysia as auditor. The League recognized Ka Jose Maria Sison's role as chairperson of the International Initiative Committee and invited him to serve as the League's adviser.

About 50 mass organizations from the Philippines participated in the assembly. The vigorous and fruitful participation of organizations involved in struggle from the Philippines and other countries contributes to the undying spirit of solidarity and determination of the world's peoples to struggle until imperialism is vanquished.

The League will stand and fight for the following:

1. The cause of national liberation, democracy and social liberation against imperialism and all reaction;
2. Socio-economic development for oppressed and exploited countries and nations and social equity for all working people;
3. Human rights in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural fields against state violence, national oppression, class exploitation, gender oppression, fascism, casteism, racism and religious bigotry;
4. The cause of just peace and struggles against wars of counterrevolution and aggression and against nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, missiles and other weapons of genocidal and random mass destruction;
5. Promotion of trade union and other democratic rights of the working class, improvement of wage and living conditions against all forms of intensifying exploitation of labor and the destruction of working class organizations in their pursuit of the historic mission of fighting for social liberation;
6. Agrarian reform and rights of peasants, farm workers and fisherfolk against feudal, semifeudal and capitalist exploitation and oppression;
7. The cause of women's liberation and rights against all forms of sexual discrimination, exploitation and violence;
8. Rights of the youth to education and employment;
9. Children's rights against child labor, sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation;
10. Rights of indigenous peoples, national minorities, and nationalities for self-determination and decolonization against discrimination, racism, and national oppression by imperialism and local reaction;
11. The rights of teachers, researchers and other educational personnel and struggle against ideas and researches directed against the people;
12. The right of the people to health care and the rights of health workers;
13. Science and technology for the people and development, environmental protection against plunder and pollution and the destruction of the foundations of human life, the right to safe and healthy food and water and opposition to manipulation of genetic technology for imperialist profit;
14. Arts and culture and free flow of information in the service of the people and the rights of artists, creative writers, journalists and other cultural workers against imperialist and reactionary propaganda and oppression;
15. Justice and indemnification for the victims of illegal arrest and detention (especially political prisoners), violations of due process, torture, extra-judicial executions, disappearances, mass displacement, and other blatant forms of human rights violations.
16. Rights and welfare of homeless persons, refugees and migrant workers displaced by imperialism and local reactionaries;
17. Rights of aged people towards a life in dignity and secured existence;
18. Rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered against discrimination, intolerance and xenophobia.

June 2001
English Edition

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