Official Communique of the ILPS International Coordinating Committee Meeting

Communique of the International Coordinating Committee

International League of Peoples’ Struggle

6  October 2022

The International Coordinating Committee (ICC) of the International League for Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) held a face-to-face meeting on September 26 – 27, 2022 in Phuket, Thailand. The ICC meeting also enabled the virtual participation of ICC members who were not able to attend in person. 

The following officers participated in the two-day meeting: Len Cooper (Chairperson), Azra Talat Sayeed (Vice-Chair), Victor Garces (Vice Chair for Internal Affairs), Malcolm Guy (Vice Chair for External Affairs), Liza Maza (General Secretary), Veerle Verschueren (Treasurer), Nilufer Koc (representing Erdelan Hakan as First Deputy General Secretary), Samuel Villatoro (Second Deputy General Secretary), Cody Urban (Auditor), Sarojeni Rengam (Vice Chair for Asia-Pacific), Yasmin Ahmed (representing Alessio Arena, Vice Chair for Europe), Rhonda Ramiro (representing Bernadette Ellorin, Vice Chair for North America) and Raphael Chiposwa (Vice Chair for Africa). The following ICC members and alternate members also participated:  Helda Khasmy, Aaron Ceredoy, Yoshio Nakamura, Renato Reyes, Rafael Mariano, Razan Zuayter, Pascual Duarte, Jane Brock, Kurinawan (representing Rahmat) and Malem Ningthouja.  Regional Coordinators Julia Marcelo (LatAm and Caribbean), who also served as translator in Spanish and Sonny Oliveros (Africa/West Asia) were also in attendance. 

ILPS Chair Emeritus Professor Jose Ma. Sison provided a discussion paper ‘On The World Situation’ in which he expounded on the historical background of the major contradictions and crises confronting the world today, as well as the prospects of anti-imperialist struggle and the resurgence of socialism. 

Reports

ILPS Chair Len Cooper said that the work of the ILPS becomes more critical and more important than it has ever been as the economic and political crisis will worsen acutely as imperialism threatens the future of the globe itself, and is heading the world towards wider war and fascism. 

The Chair reported on the growth of initiatives  in 2022 like the organizing of the International Coordinating Network (ICN) composed of international organizations which previously joined the call to establish a united front. The ICN held activities aimed at exposing the growth of fascism in the world, opposing imperialist war and calling for the scrapping of NATO.

He said, “An important development in the anti- fascist, anti-imperialist united front will take place following the ICC meeting with the launch of the International Peoples Front (IPF), which has grown out of the ICN, and which involves most of the international people’s organizations which joined the front when it was originally formed, including the ILPS, and some additional organizations.”

Len also expressed appreciation for the inspirational work which continues to be done for the ILPS by Prof. Joma Sison, by way of research, writing, analysis, exposures, and other contributions to the anti-imperialist/anti-fascist cause in his position as Chairperson Emeritus of ILPS.

ILPS Vice Chair Azra Talat Sayeed reported carrying out various tasks associated with different parts of ILPS. The main thrust of engagement in these people’s umbrella organizations is to develop an anti-imperialist discourse, with emphasis on highlighting US militarism, exposing its economic and political agenda through neoliberalism. In addition, work has focused on building a resistance from small and landless farmers in the Asia Pacific region against imperialist impositions in food and agriculture. A key area of movement building has been on highlighting the call for Food Sovereignty, and the Vice Chair was very involved in the Global People’s Summit (GPS) on Food Systems in 2021.

The Vice Chair for Internal Affairs Victor Garces reported on the great advance in the operationalization of the commissions, noting that from only six commissions active before the 6^th International Assembly, the work of the commissions has increased since the Jan 2020 meeting, putting electronic media to good use to adjust to the pandemic. Most commissions focused on issuing statements and conducting webinars and online activities while coordinating with the broad anti-imperialist united front formations that are associated with the ILPS.

The commissions on environment and indigenous peoples coordinated with other commissions to launch common activities and campaigns like the initiative for COP26 in Glasgow and preparations for Egypt. Propaganda was uneven across commissions, most active being commissions 10 and 4 which also produced newsletters.  The Vice Chair for Internal Affairs also reported on the work around assisting the regions and chapters.

Vice Chair for External Affairs Malcolm Guy continued to focus on expanding the ILPS and seeking new ILPS members, with particular attention to Africa and West Asia, as well as assisting in the development of an expanded global anti-imperialist and anti-fascist peoples’ united front. He coordinates the ILPS Newsletter team, and continues to work towards making ILPS a truly multilingual and multinational organization. The VC for External Affairs also reported representing the League in several anti-imperialist anti-fascist /anti-war activities in other countries, as well as supporting the organization of the successful 5^th Assembly of the ILPS in Canada. 

General Secretary Liza Maza, who supervises the General Secretariat, reported on the solidarity campaigns, commemorative campaigns and campaigns/engagements co-organized with allied networks as well as red letter days launched to support the peoples’ struggles across the globe. She reported that there were more than 300 statements issued by the ILPS to elaborate and clarify our positions on important international issues during this period.

The ILPS released seven issues of the newsletter, aside from infographics and a short informational video on the ILPS. The Secretariat dealt with constant attacks on the ILPS website and service provider, while continuing to maintain visibility in other communication platforms like Facebook and Twitter. 

ILPS Treasurer Veerle Verschueren reported on the state of the League’s finances, noting that ILPS still maintains a positive balance. However, the reserves are going down particularly attributable to uncollected membership dues. The Treasurer highlighted the need to find a more effective way to collect dues as well as other creative ways to mobilize financial resources crucial for the League’s sustainability.

ICC officers and members, regional coordinators and chapters also presented their reports which show the vibrancy of the League and its members in the face of the intensifying crisis of imperialism and the growing peoples’ resistance. 

The ICC approved the nomination of Pascual Duarte as Vice Chairperson for Latin America and the Caribbean replacing Florentino Lopez.

Resolutions

The ICC approved the following resolutions proposed and debated on during the plenary discussions:

• On the ILPS 7^th International Assembly – to be held in 2024 with the theme “Build a Peoples’ United Front to Fight Against Imperialist Plunder, War, and Fascism. Draw in More Organizations and Movements to the ILPS to Win the Struggle for a Socialist Future for Humanity and the Planet!”

• On the International Peoples’ Front (IPF)
• On Launching Peoples Campaigns Against Imperialism and All Reaction
• On Instituting Safe, Effective System of Collecting Dues and Finance Generation
• On Kurdistan
• On the Philippines
• On Palestine
• On Guatemala
• On the G20 Summit in Indonesia 
• On the Monsoon Rains and Floods in Pakistan
• On Drone Warfare

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