Contribution of the PCP By Ângelo Alves - 20-22 November 2009. New Delhi
Dear Comrades,
On behalf of the Portuguese Communist Party, I want to thank the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India for the fraternal hospitality with which you are receiving us here in New Delhi and to commend you for the conditions you've created to hold this 11th International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties.
It is valuable that this Meeting is held, for the first time, in the Asian continent and carries onward a path that has included Europe, Latin America, the Middle East (with the recent extraordinary meeting in Damascus), and now Asia. We wish, that in a very near future, we may meet in the African continent.
Comrades,
In São Paulo, in our 10th International Meeting, we identified the profound causes, the systemic and structural character of the crisis, its dangers, and the alternative – Socialism. One year after, reality demonstrates the accurateness of our analysis when we affirmed that the crisis could result in attempts of the system to escape it by running forward. The crisis is very far from over, the dangers and threats are very visible but also the potential for the development of our struggle. The situation demands the definition of guidelines of struggle and we will concentrate our contribution on this issue.
Along with the criminal and millionaire bailouts to financial capital, workers and people are now faced with a new wave of generalized exploitation and impoverishment, of privatization and of concentration of capital. Therefore, we think that the social and mass struggle, the growing consciousness of workers towards a class perspective of the present causes of the economic and social crisis, the political and ideological struggle against the attempts to place upon the usual victims the burden of the effects of the economic and financial crisis, is fundamental to further engage the working masses in the general struggle for a rupture with the present socio-economic and political system. In this context, we think it is necessary to continue to give central attention to the reinforcement of the class-oriented trade union movement, fighting existing tendencies to dilute the workers movement into a supranational, reformist, burocratic trade unionism that often supports the capitalist machine of exploitation. Alongside with the necessary exchange of our experiences on how we organize ourselves among workers, we think that the subject of trade union movement should be further discussed in our meetings and in our movement.
As we alerted, the development of the crisis has aggravated the repressive face of the system and of its criminal and belligerent character. With new clothing, we witness the development of militarism; the opening of new fronts of the imperialist war; the strengthening of political-military blocks, like NATO; the accelerated consolidation and militarization of imperialist blocks, like the European Union and renovated attempts to engage regional powers in the revitalization or strengthening of military-strategic alliances, be it in Africa, in the territories of the ex-Soviert Union, in Latin America or here in Asia. In this context we think that the struggle for peace; against imperialist war; for solidarity with the people resisting to imperialist occupation and aggression; against NATO – whose next summit will be held in Portugal – against the militarization of the European Union and against new strategic military agreements with imperialism, are in our opinion also fundamental guidelines of the struggle of our movement. For that we must pursue our work of strengthening the peace and anti-imperialist movement both at national and international levels.
Freedom and democracy are threatened by a institutional, securitarian and media authentic war of the ruling class, seeking, on one hand, the rehabilitation of the dominant ideology - that the Obama operation is an outstanding example – and, on the other, the political persecution of forces and even countries that resist capitalist exploitation and oppression, namely those which clearly proclaim the objective of Socialism. In this framework, the struggle against anti-communism, against the opportunistic rewriting of history, against the rehabilitation of fascism and for the affirmation of the values and ideals of socialism, seem to us a fundamental task of the struggle of our movement. Actions such as the better circulation of information; exchange of experiences of communication with the masses; actions of solidarity among our struggles; common initiatives to promote the many common principles of the edification of Socialism that unite us; common actions of solidarity with the peoples in struggle, are some of the central lines of action that we could develop together with our cooperation towards the strengthening of the social struggle and together with another central task of our time which is for us of utmost importance and crucial: to strengthen the Communist Party, its ties to the masses; develop its organization and political and ideological intervention; affirm its communist identity, its autonomy and its patriotic and internationalist nature.
This factor, together with our unity and solidarity, determinant for the strengthening of our movement and, therefore, for the broadening, strengthening and consistency of the Anti-Imperialist Front that we must continue to develop as we are the historical builders of unity of the workers and peoples. That’s the same to say, quoting Lenin, today more than ever it is necessary to continue to "unite the forces that create the great events". Today, more than ever, it is necessary to pay attention to the subjective factor of the struggle, given that the objective conditions for these upturns and great events are becoming increasingly tangible.
Comrades,
One of the main topics of this meeting is the crisis of capitalism. And, if we speak of the crisis of capitalism we must speak of the profound and growing inequalities, both between classes and between nations. We also need to make reference to the "other" crises that are developing within this one – such as the food, energy and environmental crisis and therefore we must speak of the predatory character of capitalism. We should bear in mind that the thickening of the contradictions and historical limits of the system encompasses serious risks to basic conditions of subsistence of peoples, to the existence of Nation-States with its productive structures and their sovereignty, to peace, and even to the very existence of Humanity. We are speaking of phenomena and tendencies that the comrades of this region know well.
Tendencies that develop in a context of an accelerated and complex process of rearrangement of forces on a global scale, with contradictory dynamics, that, on the one hand, contain elements of assertion of sovereignty in opposition to the totalitarian "new order" of imperialism and, on the other, express the deepening of inter-imperialist contradictions in the context of the crisis. Context in which the so-called "developing" nations attempt to react to the imperialist strategy that limits their economic and social development using old and new instruments of domination, such as those designed for environmental issues. A context in which these same countries are simultaneously involved, in most varied forms, in the imperialist strategy of exporting to the periphery the costs of the system's crisis and of reforming the system to accentuate its exploitative, predatory and oppressive character. The present reality of the WTO, the calling of the G20, the evolution of NATO and its partnership agreements and even the contaminated discussion of reforming the UN and its Security Council are educating examples of the complexity of this reality.
These are turbulent times and processes that confirm the importance of continuing centered on the central objectives of our struggle without illusions about the role of the mechanisms of imperialist domination, despite the increasing contradictions that pervade in it. The popular struggle for the right to economic and social development of the less developed countries; the struggle against the scandalous regional asymmetries; the solidarity with the countries and peoples that defy the imperialist order; the struggle against the international institutions of capitalism; the political and ideological struggle around global issues like environment, land, water, energy, sovereignty, must be priorities our movement. Priorities that are only possible to concretize if we continue to insist in the deepening of the class struggle in each of our countries and in the struggle for revolutionary overthrow of capitalism.
It is in a context of uncertainty, of great dangers, but also of real potential for the development of progressive and even revolutionary struggle – as we see in Latin America – that in our Party we identify the main tasks and guidelines previously referred. We must improve our capacity to interpret reality with exactitude; to have the ability to dialectically relate the necessary intensification of the ideological offensive of communists, the assertion of the socialist alternative with the daily struggle for the resolution of the most pressing problems of workers and peoples, for the defense of national sovereignty and of the right to development.
Our cooperation, our points of intersection, our ability to advance in common or convergent action, our will and ability to develop and strength our process of the International Meetings, with sometimes insufficient steps, but steady ones, assumes in this important moment for Humanity a crucial importance.
If we are able to proceed in this directions, we will be able to meet the immense challenge we are faced with: on the one hand, to respond to the immediate tasks, repelling the attacks of the dominant class and steadfastly defending the historic achievements of the workers movement, and on the other hand to take advantage of the situation so that – even if in a process still of accumulation of forces - we can be the protagonists of new assaults on the heavens and move the World towards a future of peace, progress, justice. Towards Socialism!
The two Indian Communist parties, have given, with the organization of this meeting, an important contribution towards these objectives, by cooperating in a notable example of respect, mutual understanding and unity that will contribute to the affirmation, consolidation and strengthening of the Indian communist movement and also to this process that has revealed to be so important to our movement.
