The conference call below was endorsed by the Consistent Democrats, other LCFI sections and some of our close allies in the Marxists Speak Out initiative. The call is positive as it is clearly in favour of defence of Russia, but it is also somewhat marred by pacifist illusions and calls for a ‘just peace’ and “an armistice between’ the belligerent forces”.
When we took part in initiating the Marxists Speak Out initiative at the beginning of the Russian SMO, there was a lot of discussion on the need for something akin to the Zimmerwald initiative in WWI, an international meeting of anti-war socialists and communists with a view to re-establishing international collaboration. A representative of the Bolshevik Tendency put forward the correct view that what was needed more was something like the Zimmerwald left, the revolutionary wing of Zimmerwald which effectively became the Communist International in due course after the war. Unfortunately, the BT has not participated in our continuing efforts to make this a reality.
That said, this Rome Conference initiative seems more like Zimmerwald than the Zimmerwald left. Lenin and the Bolsheviks did sign the Zimmerwald manifesto despite its pacifist illusions and worked to overcome those weaknesses. This was still a step forward towards a new international anti-imperialist movement, and we endorse it on this basis. We will produce more material on this in due course.
The clash between Russia and Ukraine, due to the direct involvement of NATO, threatens to unleash a third world war. The Euro-Atlantist elites justify their direct support for the puppet regime in Kiev as »necessary to repel Russian aggression«.
Actually, the real aggressor is the US-NATO-EU coalition, which took advantage of the Soviet Union’s dissolution to economically and politically subdue all of Eastern Europe in order to encircle and defeat Russia. The final step in this strategy would be the definitive annexation of Ukraine to NATO and the European Union, and thus a regime change in Moscow.
Only the foolish and forgetful can believe that the blockade led by the United States of America has triggered this war to defend the principles of democracy and self-determination of peoples. The truth is that this blockade, after supporting the Euromaidan coup, financed and armed the Ukrainian army and neo-Nazi groups to hurl them against the Donbass republics and Russia itself. The truth is that the US-NATO-EU bloc uses the Ukrainian peopleas cannon fodder to establish its supremacy thus preventing a multipolar order based on respect for the peoples and the sovereignty of nations from coming into being. If this blockade succeeds in subduing Russia, the doors will be wide open to war against China.
Preventing the third world war is the first duty of all those who have the good of humanity at heart. It is therefore necessary to build a great and strong international coalition for peace and brotherhood among nations. Such an alliance must be able to set in motion the different souls fighting against militarism and imperialism in all their forms.
To start this process, we invite you to join the European Peace Conference that will take place in Rome on 27 and 28 October 2023.
As signatories of this Appeal we ask for:
● the immediate halt of arms shipments to Ukraine;
● an end to the sanctions on Russia as well as the Russophobic campaign;
● the invalidation of the statement condemning Russia as a terrorist state;
● an armistice between the belligerent forces;
● a truly neutral and democratic Ukraine;
● the stop to the arms race and the dissolution of NATO.
Finally, we call upon the peoples to fight against all forms of imperialism, and nationalist chauvinism and we advocate the advent of a multipolar world based on respect for every people and all nationalities.
FOR A TRUE PEACE, FOR A JUST PEACE
Divided We are nothing, united we can do everything
First signatories:
· Borotba (Ukraine)
· Unified Communist Party of Russia
· Socialist Movement of Georgia (Georgia)
· Stop Killing Donbass (Europe)
· Socialismo
· XXI (Spain)
· PARDEM (France)
· Selbstbestimmtes Österreich (Austria)
· Freie Linke (Austria)
· Antiimperialistische Koordination (Austria)
· Freie Linke Zukunft (Germany)
· Fronte del Dissenso (Italy)
· Comitato No Guerra No NATO (Italy)
· Italia Unita (Italy)
· Ancora Italia per la Sovranità Democratica (Italy)
· 3V (Italy)
· MMT (Italy)
· Liberiamo l’Italia (Italy)
Further signatories (list is open and will continually be updated):
· Friedensbrücke-Kriegsopferhilfe e.V (Germany) Ostdeutsches Kuratorium von Verbänden (Germany)
· Friedensglockengesellschaft Berlin e.V. (Germany)
· dieBasis Thüringen (Germany)
· Handwerker für den Frieden (Germany)
· PCUSA – Party of Communists USA
· Freie Linke Anarchisten (Germany)
· Revolutionärer Freundschaftsbund (RFB) e.V. (Germany)
· Partito dei CARC (Italy)
· Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan
· US Friends of the Soviet People (USFSP)
· Liga Comunista (Brazil)
· Platform of Independence (Greece)
· Partido Comunista do Povo Brasileiro (Brazil)
· 23 September (Bulgaria)
· Neue Richtung (Germany)
· Liga Socialista (Brazil)
· Consistent Democrats (Great Britain)
· Class Conscious (Australia)
· Bolshevik Militant Tendency (Argentina)
· Unified Communist Party of Georgia
· Socialist Unity Party (USA)
· All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks vkpb.ru (former Soviet republics)
· Union of Political Emigrants and Political Prisoners of Ukraine
· Zimbabwe Movement for Pan African Socialists
· Communist Party of Kenya
· Mothers Against War Berlin-Brandenburg (Germany)
