Anti-imperialist League: Programme and process

We publish the PRogramme and process from the Anti-imperialist League.

THE ANTI-IMPERIALIST LEAGUE AS AN INTERNATIONAL UNITED CENTRAL ORGANISATION OF THE STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALISM

INTRODUCTION:

The imperialist system prevails even in the remotest corners of our world. The essential and important difference between the capitalist system and all previous systems of exploitation is that it has an international character. This structural feature requires that the system prevails not only economically, but also politically, culturally, morally, ethically, philosophically, administratively… in all areas of life. The owners of the exploitative system, on the one hand, ruthlessly compete with each other to get a bigger share of the exploitation and expand the areas of exploitation, and on the other hand, they organise international alliances against the working class and the oppressed peoples of the world. While the ruling classes, with their economic, political and military organisations at national and international level, are trying to secure both the imperialist system of exploitation as a whole and their own areas of domination, they are forcing all oppressed and exploited groups to fend for themselves. For the unity and common struggle of the oppressed and exploited groups is their greatest fear.

The main cause of hunger, deep and widespread poverty, endless unjust wars of division is the ruling imperialist (monopoly capitalist) system that dominates our world and in which we live, that has led the whole of humanity into a great decay, that continues its existence through brutal and unbridled exploitation, oppression and plunder. Either humanity will be doomed with all the negative consequences that this brutal system of exploitation entails, or it will send this rotten system to the dustbin of history where it belongs. There is no other way and no intermediate solution. The Anti-Imperialist League defines itself as a direct part of the class struggle and represents one of the two irreconcilable lines in the class struggle. The line it represents includes the defence of the just and legitimate demands of the workers and labourers of the world, the poor and landless peasantry, the oppressed peoples and nations. It positions itself as one of the important subjects of the action of change, not as a general resistance against the existing, not as a complaint about the existing.

The anti-imperialist political line will only have a coherent character and mobilise for the revolution if it is subordinated to the scientific ideology of the proletariat.

Apart from the working class, the anger and reaction of the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, the oppressed nations and other labouring groups against imperialism will undoubtedly not be unified on class grounds. The social and national liberation movements representing these classes, the environmental movements, the peasant organisations, the women’s movements, the youth movements that oppose the destruction of imperialism will never have the consistency of the political line of the proletariat. Therefore, it will be a historical task of the proletariat to make the anti-imperialist forces, which do not agree with the various forms of organisation, means of struggle and, of course, with its political line, transform indecision into determination, inconsistency into consistency. On this axis, the working class has the task of forming a political line that makes its allies, who feel anger and reaction against imperialism for class, social and economic reasons, consistent and determined.

In today’s conditions, where the class struggle continues fiercely in all spheres of life, it is our inescapable responsibility to be more effective in favour of the proletariat and the oppressed peoples by realising trade unions guided by proletarian class consciousness on an international scale. The AIL is the practical organisation of this responsibility.

QUALITY, PROGRAMME, ORGANISATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND FUNCTIONING OF THE ANTI-IMPERIALIST LEAGUE

1) Name: ANTI-IMPERIALIST LEAGUE (AIL)

2) The nature of the Anti-imperialist League:

a) The Anti-imperialist league is an anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, antifascist, antifeudal and antibureaucratic capitalist formation. It stands against imperialism, fascism, racism, discrimination and all kinds of reaction.

b) The Anti-imperialist League regards the imperialist system as the source of all the problems we face. Therefore, its struggle is not limited to the fight against the visible negative consequences, but also aims to eliminate the causes of these consequences.

c) The Anti-imperialist League is based on the policy “from the masses to the masses” and adopts the mechanism of criticism-self-criticism as a method of accountability to the masses as a necessity of this policy.

3) The Organising Principles of the Antiimperialist League

a) The Anti-imperialist League is based on the principle of democratic centralism and this principle is decisive for all its activities.

b) The Anti-imperialist League is open to the participation of all organisations and individuals who define themselves as antiimperialist and accept the programme and principles of the AIL. The AIL accepts as members all individuals and organisations that accept the principle of democratic centralism and the programme of the AIL.

c) In accordance with the principle of democratic centralism, the members of the Anti-imperialist League shall participate in the decision-making process and in the definition of the political and practical guidelines of the AIL.

d) The members of the Anti-imperialist League take over the decisions taken within the framework of democratic centralism and the practical work and act with a sense of responsibility for the success of the political, practical and organisational work decided upon.

4) Organisational structure of the Anti-imperialist League

a) The highest organ of the Anti-imperialist League is the AIL Congress. The programme, the organisational mechanism, the functioning and the working style of the AIL are determined by the AIL Congress.

b) The Congress of the Anti-imperialist League shall meet every two years.

c) In the period between the two Congresses, the Anti-imperialist League shall be led and guided by the Central Leadership Committee of the AIL, which shall be chaired by the President of the AIL and formed by elections according to the principle of democratic centralism.

d) The Anti-imperialist League seeks to set up sub-committees at regional level, in parallel with the expansion of the countries in which it is organised. In the current membership structure, there are Latin American and European AIL regional committees.

e) The chairpersons of the regional committees of the Anti-imperialist League are part of the central governing body of the AIL.

f) Commissions are formed on the topics contained in the programme of the Anti-Imperialist League. These commissions shall work in coordination with the AIL’s central governing body.

Goals of the Anti-imperialist League (AIL):

1) The Anti-imperialist League is an anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, anti-fascist, anti-feudal and anti-bureaucratic capitalist formation. It stands against imperialism, fascism, racism, discrimination and all forms of reaction.

2) The Anti-imperialist League It advocates the greatest possible unity against imperialism and fights for its realisation.

3) The Anti-imperialist League opposes unjust and reactionary wars. The AIL defends an attitude in accordance with the principle of proletarian internetionalism against the war of occupation and division waged by the imperialist powers among themselves and by their lackeys.

4) The Anti-imperialist League: It is against all kinds of military and economic alliances (OTAN, IMF, WB,UN, BRICS, EU…) formed by the imperialists and reactionary ruling classes against each other and against the peoples. It considers the struggle against these alliances as one of the most important goals of the antiimperialist struggle.

5) The Anti-imperialist League recognises the struggles for social and national independence against imperialism and its henchmen and strongly supports revolutionary liberation struggles, especially people’s wars and national liberation wars against imperialist occupations. The Anti-imperialist League is a supporter and part of the struggle of the world proletariat and oppressed peoples against the ideological, political, economic, military and cultural oppression and aggression of the imperialists and their lackeys.

6) The Anti-imperialist League stands by the communist, revolutionary and democratic prisoners and prisoners of war who are fighting for social, national and democratic liberation and supports them by all means.

7) The Anti-imperialist League fights against the violent apparatuses (military, police, secret service, etc.) of the ruling structure, which have been functionalised for the purpose of oppressing and controlling the peoples, and against all forms of reaction that attempt to dominate the lives of the masses. For imperialism is reactionary from beginning to end. The nature of this reactionary system produces economic, political and social crises. The crisis-producing structure of the imperialist system inevitably develops the tendency of the ruling structure and the section of society influenced by it to become militarised and fascist. 8) The Anti-imperialist League recognises the current and historical task of the working class. It opposes policies that exacerbate the exploitation of the working class and aim to disperse it and render it powerless against capital by forcing disorganisation. It supports the class unions in which the economic and democratic rights and demands of the working class are expressed and in which the struggle for these demands is organised jointly. It endeavours to realise the unity and class solidarity of the class trade unions at national and international level. It involves the struggle to make class union dominant within unions that capitulate and agree with the bourgeoisie.

9) Anti-imperialist League defends the rights of poor and landless peasants and agricultural workers against feudal, semi-feudal and capitalist-imperialist exploitation and plunder. Anti-Imperialist League adopts the slogan “Land for the Landless” and the land revolution that will eliminate semi-feudal and imperialist rule over all peasants. It supports struggles to destroy all large landowners and large landowners through revolutionary means.

10) The Anti-imperialist League fights against discrimination, racism and national oppression by the imperialists and the submissive, collaborating ruling classes. It unconditionally defends the right to self-determination of national minorities and oppressed nations.

11) The Anti-imperialist League opposes the suppression and disregard of religious and sectarian beliefs and sees this as part of the struggle for democracy.

12) The Anti-imperialist League: supports all efforts for the emancipation of women workers, labourers and poor peasants who live under patriarchal oppression, who are oppressed and suppressed because they are women and class exploitation. It believes that the real emancipation of women can be realised through the emancipation of all the oppressed, and all its efforts are aimed at achieving this goal.

13) The Anti-imperialist League opposes the suppression and oppression of persons based on their sexual inclination and sees this as part of the struggle for democracy.

14) The Anti-imperialist League regards the youth of the people as a very important part of the anti-imperialist struggle and endeavours to get them actively involved in the anti-imperialist struggle.

15) The Anti-imperialist League defends the right to education in general. In particular, it fights for the removal of obstacles to access to education for oppressed and poor youth. The AIL is in favour of education taking place within the framework of scientific principles and in the service of the people. It rejects education as a commodity.

16) The Anti-imperialist League fights for the free development of the democratic culture of all peoples and nations and especially supports all efforts to develop the national culture of oppressed nations.

17) The Anti-imperialist League defines the fight for the prohibition of child labour as one of its most important tasks.

18) The Antiimperialist League fights for the right to a healthy, liveable home, which is one of the most basic human rights, and supports the struggles for the realisation of this right.

19) The Anti-imperialist League recognises and fights for the unconditional and free access of all oppressed classes and strata to all health-related rights as one of the fundamental rights.

20) The Anti-imperialist League fights for the protection of migrants from discrimination, chauvinist racism, persecution and oppression in the countries of origin. The AIL recognises migration caused by imperialist destruction as a right and at the same time fights against the causes and consequences of imperialist-induced migration.

21) The Anti-imperialist League directly represents the anti-imperialist goals of the environmental movement. The Anti-imperialist League fights against the destruction of nature and the habitats of all living beings, including humans, for the purpose of profit maximisation. When it comes to environmental issues, the well-being of people and the protection of their habitats come first.

It fights against the destruction of the natural environment, against imperialist megaprojects that destroy the traditional habitats of farmers and indigenous peoples, and against all forms of oppression of indigenous peoples.