Daphna Whitmore talks about the world’s foremost anti-imperialist organisation, the International League of People’s Struggles, which gathered in the Philippines capital Manila July 7-9 2011

For three days over 400 people from 200 organisations in 43 countries came together to share their struggles and plans for the future. But this was no talk-fest, it was about getting the business done. (Check out the website ilps.info).

There were six delegates from New Zealand, (all of us self-funding our travel) representing solidarity and migrant groups.

I was present at the founding of the ILPS ten years ago when this ambitious project – to unite all the anti-imperialist and democratic forces in the world  – was launched.

How does a radical grouping reach out to so many organisations? It starts with a list of concerns that are very encompassing:

1. The cause of national liberation, democracy and social liberation;

2. Socio-economic development and social justice;

3. Human rights in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural fields;

4. The cause of just peace;

5.Independent trade union and workers’ and toilers’ rights and reduction of working hours at full pay against mass unemployment and decreasing wage levels;

6.Agrarian reform and rights of peasants, farm workers and fisherfolk;

7.The cause of women’s rights and liberation;

8.Rights of the youth to education and employment;

9.Children’s rights against child labour, sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation;

10.Rights of indigenous peoples, oppressed nations and nationalities against chauvinism and racism;

11.The rights of teachers, researchers and other educational personnel;

12.The right of the people to health care and the rights of health workers;

13.Science and technology for the people and development, and environmental protection;

14.Arts and culture and free flow of information in the service of the people;

15.Justice and indemnification for the victims of illegal arrest and detention;

16.Rights and welfare of displaced homeless persons, refugees and migrant workers;

17.Rights of aged people towards a life in dignity and secured existence; and

18.Rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and trans-gendered.

Around these Concerns the ILPS is forming Commissions that coordinate actions and projects at a global level.

Some have generated offshoot bodies to broaden the reach of their work. For instance the Commission dealing with Concern No 16 (Rights and welfare of displaced homeless persons, refugees and migrant workers) has launched an International Migrants Alliance  in 2008. It has 214 reps from 152 migrant organisations from 35 countries. They met in Manila just prior to the ILPS Assembly.

There’s now an International Women’s Alliance formed out of Concern No 7 (The cause of women’s rights and liberation). Its aim is to link the struggles of women to form an anti-imperialist global women’s movement.

Bringing together so many groups and causes takes extraordinary organisation.

Many hours of preparation had gone into the draft resolutions written up ready for discussion. During the Assembly an army of activists were kept busy typing up notes and putting together powerpoint displays for workshop reports to the plenary sessions. Outside there were stalls with books, t- shirts, posters, badges and cultural displays.

There is no denying that despite all its problems capitalism is still a powerful beast. Without underestimating the tasks ahead, the ILPS is about mustering a counter force of real resistance. As Carol Pagaduan-Araullo a leading figure in the ILPS put it “For the past ten years, the ILPS has steadily gained the capacity to launch globally coordinated campaigns and mass actions led by its member organisations in several countries on a wide range of people’s issues”. (Business World 15-16 July 2011)

There is potential for solidarity groups and progressive organisations in New Zealand to join the ILPS and to be part of international actions and campaigns. An action here will be more potent when linked internationally than in isolation. For instance, one of the resolutions was to make March 20 an international day of action against US-led wars of aggression.

As the old saying goes, workers and oppressed of all countries, unite!

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