Communist groups meet in Belgium

The following release, issued by the Workers Party of Belgium, describes what was achieved at a recent international meeting of communists there.

The annual International Communist Seminar (ICS) was held in Brussels, from May 4 to 6. As the 90th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution will be celebrated later this year, the main theme of the seminar was “The validity and current relevance of the October Revolution of 1917 for the 21st century.” Fifty-three communist and workers’ parties and organizations from 41 countries participated in the seminar. The reports presented contained elements of reflection and analysis on the October Revolution’s significance as well as concrete examples of its current relevance for today’s working class and people’s struggles and for the building and the tasks of the communist and workers’ parties. [Most reports are available on www.icsbrussels.org, the web page of the ICS.]

Part of the seminar was dedicated to the drafting, discussion and adoption of a General Resolution on “The type of party needed to respond to the challenges of the 21st century.” The resolution reaffirms the identity of the Communist Parties as having three main characteristics: a Leninist party, a vanguard party linked with the masses, and an internationalist party. [The resolution is available at www.icsbrussels.org, and signatures can be sent to ics@icsbrussels.org.]

Several specific resolutions were presented at the seminar. One expresses solidarity with Cuba in its fight to obtain the extradition of the terrorist Luis Posada Carriles and the liberation of the Cuban Five. Another one supports the Filipino people’s struggle against the so-called “war on terror.” Still others tackle the undocumented workers in the U.S.; the repression at the May Day rally in Turkey; the hopeful perspectives in Latin America; and the resistance against war and occupation in the Middle East. [The specific resolutions are available at www.icsbrussels.org, and signatures can be sent to ics@icsbrussels.org.]

There were likewise calls for the liberation of the Palestinian political prisoners; to support the nomination of Bolivian president Evo Morales for the Nobel Peace Prize; to the Soviet people to restore Soviet power and socialism; against a new repressive law on political parties in Russia; and for the defense of the sovereignty of Belarus.

The first day of the Seminar, the participants decided to send an urgent solidarity statement to Cuba regarding the aborted attempt to hijack an airplane in Havana, in which a Cuban military official was killed. On the second evening, a meeting was held with the representatives of Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador and Brazil to highlight and discuss the ongoing revolutionary processes in Latin America.

At the closing session of the seminar, it was agreed upon that next year’s edition will be held on May 16-18, 2008, with as main theme “The working class, its role and its mission today. The tasks and concrete experiences of the Communist Party in the working class and the trade union.”

The participants were satisfied with the content, the positive atmosphere and the results of the 16th International Communist Seminar. They parted ways determined to continue to develop and intensify the cooperation and coordination among communist and workers’ parties.