13th International Communist Seminar
Brussels, 2-4 May 2004
www.icsbrussels.org
, ics[at]icsbrussels.org
1. The Declaration of the International Communist Seminar, with as title "Workers and peoples of the world, let us unite against imperialism, in particular against US imperialism, its policies of aggression and its preparations for a new World War!", builds on the General Resolution of the 2003 Seminar and stands as the common declaration of the 2003 and 2004 Seminars.
The Declaration contains information, arguments, analysis and positions – thus differing from a resolution in the strict sense.
The communist and workers’ parties are invited to sign, publish and distribute this Declaration.
By next year, a short resolution will be elaborated, containing the main positions of the current Declaration, as updated and amended.
2. The theme of the 14th International Communist Seminar of May 2005 will be "The Leninist Party, the experience of the Third International and their relevance for our struggle today".
In 1919, pushed forward by Lenin and the Bolshevik Party, the communists of the entire world united in the Communist International. Its Statutes stipulated: "Art. 1. The new International Workers’ Association is founded with the purpose of organizing the common action of the proletariat of the different countries aiming at one and the same objective, namely: the overthrow of capitalism, the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat and of the international Republic of Soviets, allowing for the total abolition of classes and for the realization of socialism."
At the time, the workers of the developed capitalist countries, even as they had common interests, had only few links between them, and the conscience of common revolutionary interests was low. It was through an extraordinary ideological, political and organizational effort that the communists were able to provide the global working class with an instrument to realize its liberation at the international level. With the Third International, the international working class possessed an international fighting organization that was more united and developed than the political weapons the bourgeoisies of the different imperialist countries disposed of.
More than 80 years later, this relation has completely changed to the disadvantage of the revolutionary forces. Among the communists there is still an almost complete lack of coordination and organizational unity, while the different poltical currents of the big bourgeoisie and of the petty bourgeoisie have created solid supranational political organisations.
In the new European State that is being put into place, the monopoly bourgeoisie has formed various European parties serving the interests of European imperialism. It now tries to enclose the parties that still refer to communism within the framework of the imperialist order, and to marginalize or eliminate the genuine communist parties.
In this context we wish to discuss at the 2005 International Communist Seminar the issue of the Leninist Party, the experience of the Third International and their significance of our current struggles.
3. The communist and workers parties and organizations can broaden and strengthen their common action. There is the active and intense solidarity with Cuba and with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea against the imperialist attacks and threats and for the defense of their project of society, referring to socialism. There is also the solidarity with the Iraqi and Palestinian resistance against the barbarous occupation and for the right to self-determination. And there is the mobilization against the NATO Summit in Istanbul on 28 June 2004. These themes provide opportunities for communists who wish to act together.
4. The contributions of the 13th International Communist Seminar will be available on www.wpb.be by June 2004. However, in due time the Seminar should avail of its own website, managed by various parties present at the Seminar, for all its participants and in the service of the International Communist Movement.