Written by ILPS International
Coordinating Committee
ILPS
International Coordinating Committee
The International League of Peoples'
Struggle (ILPS) successfully held its Fifth International Assembly
(5th IA) from November 14 to 16, 2015 in Manila, Philippines with
the theme, “For a Socially Just World, Strengthen the Peoples’
Solidarity and Intensify the Struggle Against Imperialist Plunder,
Crisis and War!”
The 5th IA was attended by more than
400 delegates, observers and guests from 180 organizations in 39
countries, territories and autonomous regions; namely, Argentina,
Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Eritrea,
France, Germany, Guatemala, Hong Kong (SAR), India, Indonesia,
Japan, Kurdistan, Macau, Malaysia, Manipur, Mexico, Nagaland, Nepal,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
Philippines, Puerto Rico, Senegal, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan
ROC, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam,
and West Papua.
The gathering confirms the League’s
status as the largest and most consolidated global formation of
militant, anti-imperialist and democratic organizations in the world
today.
Before a packed audience at Sequoia
Hotel, Len Cooper, Vice Chairperson of the ILPS, opened the 5th
International Assembly by welcoming the delegates from all the
global regions. He noted that the timing of this conference
was chosen to coincide with the leaders meeting of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Conference (APEC) in Manila. He put forward the
people’s demand that APEC and its imperialist agenda be scrapped.
Cynthia McKinney, former member of the
US Congress, delivered the first keynote speech. She recounted
the numerous ways that US President Obama has betrayed and thwarted
the aspirations of the peoples in Asia. She concluded by
warning the audience, “Beware President Obama’s Pivot to Asia!
Don’t get tricked and don’t be fooled!”
Also keynoting the Assembly was Leila
Khaled, the celebrated Palestinian freedom fighter. She spoke of the
intifada emerging in Palestine today, “an intifada that like its
predecessors is based among those who are most marginalized, most
oppressed and most determined to seek their freedom.” She
called on the international movement of the peoples of the world to
support the Palestinian people in materially changing the balance of
power and escalating the cost of occupation – through escalating
the boycott of Israel economically, militarily, politically,
academically and culturally.
After the open forum with the keynote
speakers, the Assembly approved the Agenda and the Rules of
Participation including the Rules for Nominations and Elections to
guide the conduct of the whole proceedings.
ILPS Chairperson Jose Ma. Sison then
gave his report on the work of the ILPS through a recorded video.
Sison said that the Assembly is
deliberately timed to oppose the APEC summit and the neoliberal
economic policy of imperialist globalization which continues to
brutally exploit the working people and plunge the world further in
an ever worsening economic and social crisis. He discussed the
major aspects and trends regarding the current global crisis of the
capitalist system, the intensifying exploitation and oppression of
the people by imperialism and reaction, and the growing resistance
of the people.
He then summarized the accomplishments
of ILPS over the last 14 years covering the 17 concerns of the
alliance. He concluded by outlining the important tasks of the
ILPS in terms of information campaigns and political education;
mobilization around burning issues; cooperation with other
organizations, institutions and international alliances; and
expanding the membership of ILPS.
Malcolm Guy, General Secretary of the
ILPS, delivered the report of the work of the general secretariat.
He made a rundown of the speeches and statements made by the
Chairperson; the major actions and meetings organized by ILPS
members or attended by ICC members; and changes in the website.
He noted the challenges faced by the League as it develops more as a
multilingual, multinational anti-imperialist united front. He
concluded by pointing out the major tasks for the ILPS in terms of
political education, organization, mass mobilization and
establishment of ILPS Chapters.
Lyn Meza, Auditor of ILPS, shared the
report prepared by ILPS Treasurer, Theo Droog, on the financial
situation of the League. She noted the increase in the
“reserve funds” of the League due to membership and assembly
fees collected during the last 4th IA. Nevertheless, she noted the
ongoing weakness in terms of the irregular collection of membership
dues. For a while, the Treasurer lacked knowledge of tax obligations
but the secretariat was able to consult tax experts knowledgeable
about tax laws and private foundations.
Workshops on the different concerns of
the League were successfully held, combining theoretical discussions
and sharing of practical experience in peoples’ struggles. They
passed important resolutions and approved major campaigns on their
respective areas of concern. In the tradition of ILPS assemblies,
the results of the workshops were presented in the plenary through
creative and militant presentations by the respective commissions.
These were all enthusiastically received and approved by
acclamation.
The 5IA was also a fighting assembly
with delegates joining mass actions after or in-between sessions.
ILPS delegates joined the “kampuhan” (people’s camp) of the
Manilakbayan from Mindanao at the Baclaran Church to express
solidarity with the struggle of the Lumad against intensifying
militarization, killings and imperialist plunder of their lands.
ILPS delegates also held a
candle-lighting ceremony at the Boy Scouts Memorial Rotunda for the
victims of the recent bombings in Beirut and Paris. Speakers
condemned the Daesh (or ISIS) for targeting and killing civilians
but also blamed the US and its NATO allies for waging imperialist
wars on the peoples of Southwest Asia and North Africa and beyond
while arming and training terrorist groups like ISIS in order to
help bring down independent regimes and destroy societies that do
not fit in their imperialist schema.
International delegates also joined
Hacienda Luisita farmers and supporters to mark the 11th year of the
Hacienda Luisita massacre with a protest at the Ninoy Aquino
Memorial Shrine on November 16. On the same day, ILPS delegates
joined workers at the Boy Scouts Rotunda for the International Day
of Action against trade union repression. Briefings were also held
for the Peoples Caravan Against Imperialist Globalization and the
big march against APEC to be held two days after the Assembly.
All these actions were well covered by the media.
On the last day, the Assembly
discussed and approved the General Declaration of the 5th IA by
acclamation. It reflects the Assembly’s analysis of the major
contradictions in the world capitalist system today, the increasing
brutality of imperialist powers led by the US, and the rising tide
of people’s resistance in all corners of the globe.
The Declaration also took note of the
recent spate of bombings in Beirut and Paris. The Assembly
warns that US imperialism and its NATO allies will be using or
taking advantage of these criminal terrorist attacks against the
people as a pretext for further aggression and intervention and to
justify intensifying fascism and state terror, as they did with the
9/11 attacks. The ILPS resolved to thoroughly expose this duplicity
and be prepared to confront more imperialist attacks.
As in previous assemblies, the major
documents from the 5th International Assembly such as the Report of
the Chairperson, the Report of the General Secretary, the ILPS
Charter as amended, the General Declaration and the resolutions
resulting from the workshops on the various Concerns and other
special resolutions approved by the assembly will be published as a
book.
The election of the new members of the
International Coordinating Committee was held and the following were
elected as regular members of the ICC:
- Michelle Allison – Kurdistan
- Ramon Bultron – Hong Kong
- Jang Chang Weon – South Korea
- Len Cooper – Australia
- Rudi Daman – Indonesia
- Demba Dembele – Senegal
- Bill Dores – USA
- Pascual Duarte – Argentina
- Bernadette Ellorin – USA
- Malcolm Guy – Canada
- Nelson Herazo – Ecuador
- Takane Ikeda – Japan
- Mohammed Khatib – Palestine
- Mustafa Kilinc – Germany
- Elmer Labog – Philippines
- Florentino Lopez Martinez – Mexico
- Liza Maza – Philippines
- Lyn Meza – USA
- Nadia Mora – Venezuela
- Peter Murphy – Australia
- Chennaiah Poguri – India
- Paloma Polo – Spain
- Sarojeni Rengam – Malaysia
- Jose Maria Sison – Netherlands
- Antonio Tujan – Philippines
- Veerle Verscheuren – Belgium
- Samuel Villatoro – Guatemala
And the following as alternate
members:
- Inti Barrios – Mexico
- Fatima Burnad – India
- L Muh Hasan – Indonesia
- Dennis Maga – New Zealand
- Rafael Mariano – Philippines
- Malem Ningthouja – Manipur
- Aiyanas Ormond – Canada
- Tess Tesalona – Canada
Two books were launched on the last
evening of the Assembly - "More Than a Red Warrior: Arnold
Borja Jaramillo, Beloved Son of Abra", a tribute to a Red
fighter captured, tortured and summarily executed by the Philippine
military last year; and the book of proceedings of the International
Peoples’ Tribunal recently held in Washington, DC. This
Tribunal concluded that the governments of the Philippines and the
US were guilty of systematically violating the rights of the
Filipino people, including such crimes as the extra-judicial
killings and massacres of critics of these governments.
The 5th International Assembly was
concluded and a Solidarity Cultural Night was held to celebrate the
achievements of the League with the participants expressing their
continuing commitment to the struggle. Delegates and guests
from all participating countries and from various mass organizations
in the Philippines sang, rapped, delivered poems, performed music,
danced and celebrated international solidarity and the spirit of
resistance. Highlights included a duo between and rapper from the US
and a young Lumad singer along with a performance remembering the
Ayotzinapa 43 in Mexico. Participants thanked the hosts of the 5IA –
the ILPS Philippine chapter supported by Hong Kong and Macau – for
the well-organized Assembly and warm hospitality and collected and
presented a donation to the hotel staff who looked after the needs
of the delegates and guests.
ILPS allied networks also held their
own international assemblies before and after the 5IA. These
include the International Women’s Alliance, the International
Migrants Alliance, the Peasant Anti-Imperialist Solidarity
Conference and the International Festival for Peoples Rights and
Struggles.
Inspired and revitalized by the
resounding success of the 5th International Assembly, the delegates
reaffirmed their commitment to raise higher their political will and
capabilities in facing up to the challenges and in effectively
advancing the work of the League in every arena of the
anti-imperialist and democratic struggle of the world’s peoples.
- See more at:
http://ilps.info/index.php/en/office-of-the-chairperson/125-communique/901-communique-of-the-ilps-fifth-international-assembly#sthash.u7AkboiP.dpuf
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