Version imprimableStatement of Concern in the WSF 2005, on the threat of violence in the resolution of political differences
The last few years have seen a very large number of diverse groups and organisations coming together in spite of their differences to confront neo-liberal globalisation. However, we are deeply concerned that there are still some groups in the world today that attempt to deal with political differences using physical attacks and death threats.
A recent example of this is the situation which has emerged in the Philippines where a number of individual intellectuals, activists (Walden Bello and Lidy Nacpil) and organisations engaged in various forms of struggle against militarism and globalized capitalism have been listed by the international department of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) as ’counter-revolutionary’ and as ’agents of imperialism’. Some individuals named on this list have already been assassinated and, based on past experiences, this list constitutes a credible threat of assassination.
Therefore, those of us gathered here in the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil and others in the world, inspired by the pluralism and inclusiveness of this global process, believe that when the security of activists is at stake we cannot act as if the problem is a local one. In our efforts to consistently build an international movement for fundamental transformation we strongly reiterate that the resolving of political differences must be done through the struggle of ideas and democratic dialogue and not through the politics of individual assassination.
We call on everyone within the global justice movements to re-assert this principle and express solidarity with all those who are victims of such threats.
Adnane Ben Youssef, CCIPPP, France
Alejandro Bendaña, Centro de Estudios Internacionales, Nicaragua
Alessandra Mecozzi, FIOM, Italy
Alex Callinicos, York University, UK
Ali Fayyad, Centre for Research and Documentation, Lebanon
Allianca Social Continentale (ASC)
Alvaro Porticas, Socialist Party, Uruguay
Alvin Anthony, Jubilee South Africa
Amit Sengupta, Delhi Science Forum, India
Andrés Thomas Conteris, Nonviolence International, USA
Anibal Quijano, sociologist, Peru
Anna Maria R. Nemenzo, Freedom from Debt Coalition, Philippines
Anna Marize, ICARIA, Spain
Annick Coupe, Solidaire, France
Antonio Martin, ATTAC, Brasil
Dr. A. Sivanandan, Race & Class, UK
Bertil Kinkunnen, Social Democratic Party of Sweden
Brid Brennan, TNI, Netherlands
Campagna Continentale contra a ALCA
Catherine Coumans, MiningWatch, Canada
Chico Whittaker, Brasil
Chris Nineham, Stop the War Coalition, UK
Christian Schroeppel, ATTAC, Germany
Christophe Aguiton, European March against Unemployment
CUT, Brasil
Dave Batker, Asia Pacific Environmental Exchange, US
Dave Webb, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK
Diana Palmo, Alliance for Democracy, US
Dominique Caouette, University of Montreal, Canada
Dot Keet, AIDC, South Africa
Einar Olafsson, Campaign Against Military Bases, Iceland
Elisabeth Gauthier, Espaces Marx, France
Ernst Van Weizaker, MP, Germany
Franc Branco, Right Livelihood Award Foundation
Francis Wurtz, MEP & GUE/NGL Group
Francois Houtart, CETRI, Belgium
Georges Menahem, ATTAC, France
Hillary Wainwright, Red Pepper, UK
Isabel de la Torre, Earth Economics, US
Jack Dalton, POAC, USA
James Cockcroft, USA
Jonathan Neale, Globalise Resistance, UK
Jan Nederveen Pieterse, University of Illinois, USA
Joao Pedro Stedile, Movimiento Sem Terra, Brazil
Jean Luc Rous, Political Director, Greenpeace International
Jean Pierre Dubois, Federation internationale des droits des hommes (FIDH)
Jeremy Corbin, M.P., UK
John Cavanagh, Institute of Policy Studies, USA
John M. Miller, War Resisters League, USA
Jose Correa, Brasil
Josu Egireun, ESK, Basque Country
Kamal Chenoy, Jawarhalal Nehru University, India
Klaus Hartmann, World Union of Freethinkers, Germany
Laura Gonzalez de Txabarri, ELA, Basque Country
Leo Gabriel, Suedwind, Austria
Leo Panitch, Socialist Register, Canada
Lim Soei Liong, TAPOL, Indonesia Human Rights Campaign
Liz Fekete, Race & Class, UK
Louis Weber, Federation Synicale Unitaire, France
Loring Wirbel, Citizens for Peace in Space, USA
Luciano Muhlbauer, SinCobas, Italy
Marcha Mundial des Mulheres
Marco Berlinguer, Transform! and Parti Rifondazione Communista, Italy
Marcus Arruda, Global Workshop on Solidarity Socioeconomy, Brasil
Mark Rand, USA
Matthias Reichl, Center for Encounters and Active Non-Violence, Austria
Maud Barlow, Council of Canadians
Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange, United States
Moema Miranda, IBASE
Mubarak Awad, Non Violence International, Palestine/US
M.P. Giyose, Jubilee South Africa
Nahla Chahal, CCIPPP, France
Nancy S. Lovejoy, USA
Naomi Klein, Canada
Niclas Hallstrom, Dag Hammarskjold Foundation, Sweden
Njoki Njoroge Njehu, 50 years is enough, USA
No Nukes North, US
Ole von Ulexhill, Right Livelihood Award Foundation
Paola Manduca. World March of Women, Italy
Patrice Barrat, Bridge Initiative, France
Peiro Bernotti, COBAS, Italy
Peter Damo, Romanian Social Forum, Romania
Peter Rosset, CECCAM, Mexico
Petros Constantinou, Campaign Genoa 2001, Greece
Pierre Galand, senator, Belgium
Pierre Khalfa, ATTAC France
Pierre Rousset, Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières, France
Pouria Amirshahi, 4D, France
Prabir Purkayastha, Delhi Science Forum, India
Qamar Agha, Coalition For Nuclear Disarmament And Peace, India
Rabia Abdel Karim, Senegal/Algeria
Robin Broad, American University, USA
Rogate Mishane, Tanzania
Roger Burbach, CENSA, USA
Salim Vally, Anti-war Coalition, South Africa
Sandeep Pandey, India
Sophie Zafari, Federation Syndicale Unitaire, France
Soren Ambrose, 50 years is enough, USA
Sungur Savran, Turkey
Susan George, ATTAC, France
Tariq Ali, UK
Tewoo Tangela, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, SA
Theo Roncken, Acción Andina, Bolivia
Theresa Wolfwood, Barnard-Boecker Centre Foundation, Canada
Tobias Plüger, MEP, Information Office Militarization, Gemany
Toufik Ben Abdullah, ENDA, Senegal
Vinod Raina, Jubilee South
Vittorio Agnoletto, Deputy European Parliament
Wilbert van der Zeijden, Transnational Institute, Netherlands
Workers’ Democracy, Thailand
Yoko Akimoto, ATTAC Japan
To sign the statement please contact Wilbert van der Zeijden: wilbert@tni.org
Second International Meeting of Radical Parties Solidarity Declaration concerning the Philippines Porto Alegre, 31st of January 2005
Some 12 years back, the Communist Party of the Philippines began to condemn to death and assassinate member cadres of other progressive and revolutionary organizations. The situation continues to worsen today.
All the Left movements find themselves threatened, except for those which the CPP itself is leading. It is especially the case with the different Filipino organizations that participate in our international Network of Radical Parties.
Likewise, persons active in the anti-war movement and with whom we oppose capitalist globalization, like Walden Bello and Lidy Nacpil, have been named and denounced as "counter-revolutionaries".
We cannot accept the use of violence, including armed violence, within the workers and people’s movements. We strongly affirm our full and deepest solidarity with the progressive and revolutionary organizations in the Philippines threatened by the CPP.
We call for the broadest expression of this solidarity on the international level, for the Communist Party of the Philippines to put a final end to this policy of threats and assassinations.
(Editor’s note: To read more about the background of this issue, see the articles: In Solidarity with the Filipino left, May 2003; After Kintanar, the killings continue. The post-1992 CPP assassination policy in the Philippines’, July 2003; The post-1992 Communist Party of the Philippines and its policy of “death condemnations”, October 2003; and A new Letter of Concern, January 2005.
