Q 4. What were your accomplishments as ILPS Chairperson from 2004 to 2008? What are the objectives you wish to accomplish under your new term?
JMS: The ILPS and I benefited from the experience and achievements of the ILPS and ICC under Crispin Beltran as chairperson from 2001 to 2004. Whatever distinct contributions I could make to the achievements of the ILPS from 2004 to 2008 were made possible by the support and cooperation of colleagues in the ICC, ICG, General Secretariat, the staff and the study commissions and, most important of all, the ILPS member organizations.
My report to the TIA presents the major ILPS achievements and puts in context what I have done as ILPS chairperson after the SIA. I tried to do my best in performing the role of presiding officer of the ICC and ICG, chief spokesperson, chief coordinator and chief representative of the ILPS. In accordance with the ILPS Charter, General Declaration, resolutions on the 18 concerns and timely resolutions of the ICC and ICG, I issued many statements on a wide range of global issues. I called for particular actions and for sustained campaigns on various issues.
Under my new term, I wish the ILPS to issue statements and calls to action on an ever wider range of issues, to expand and intensify information and educational work, to engage and attract more member-organizations, build national chapters and global region committees, conduct sectoral and multisectoral gatherings and generate campaigns on various issues and raise more resources for the improved and expanded functioning of the ILPS at various levels.
Q 5.What are the global conditions favorable and unfavorable to the ILPS and the anti-imperialist mass movement?
Let me state first the unfavorable conditions. Under the baton of the U.S., the imperialist powers and the puppet regimes are united in escalating the exploitation and oppression of the people under the slogans of “free market” globalization and global “war on terror” despite inter-imperialist contradictions. The economic and financial crisis of monopoly capitalism is ever worsening and is driving the imperialist powers to whip state terrorism on a global scale, increase military interventions and unleash wars aggression.
But the unfavorable conditions are also precisely the conditions that challenge and drive the peoples of the world to wage resistance. The people’s discontent is deep and widespread in the imperialist countries as well as in the semi-colonies and dependent countries. The people’s armed resistance against aggression, occupation, social injustice and state terrorism is growing fast. Mass protests are breaking out at an accelerated rate all over the world.
The ILPS can avail of these favorable conditions for further clarifying the issues, raising the level of consciousness, inspiring the people to strengthen their organizations, encouraging them to take the anti-imperialist and democratic road of struggle and mobilizing them to fight for a new and better world of greater freedom, social justice, all-round development and a just peace.
Q 6: How is the ILPS similar and dissimilar to other comparable international organizations? How do you relate to them?
JMS: The ILPS has arisen and developed in sharp contrast to imperialist-funded organizations, alliances, networks and conferences that present themselves as critical of the manifestations of global capitalism but are in fact mere reformists begging for reforms from the oppressors and exploiters in order to preserve and prettify the system of oppression and exploitation.The ILPS addresses itself to the oppressed and exploited people to fight for reforms as means to a revolutionary process of national and social liberation.
Among truly progressive and revolutionary forces and people, the ILPS enjoys high prestige because of its anti-imperialist and democratic position on a comprehensive range of issues, such as those covered by its 18 concerns, and its resolute and militant campaigns mainly for the national and social liberation of the peoples of the world. The ILPS has accomplished so much despite its financial constraints.
The crypto-Trotskyites and social democrats formed the World Social Forum (WSF) to counter the ILPS and to coopt a wide range of organizations through the tactics of the variety show and carnival. But the WSF has been discredited because it is reformist. It does not strike at the roots of imperialism and global reaction. It receives funding from the most ignoble imperialist sources like the Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, the U.S. Institute of Peace and the like.
Organizations that are truly anti-imperialist and honestly for a new and better world have differentiated themselves from the pro-imperialist core of the WSF. They either stay within the overly wide framework of the WSF and cooperate with the ILPS and its member-organizations or separate themselves from the WSF to assert their integrity and cooperate with or join the ILPS.
Q 7: What are the most significant political forces that you wish to arouse, organize and mobilize against imperialism and reaction? How do you go about arousing, organizing and mobilizing them?
JMS: The ILPS is most interested in arousing, organizing and mobilizing the toiling masses of workers and peasants and the middle social strata. It gives highest priority to attracting the trade unions and peasant associations to become ILPS member-organizations. It is also eager to attract the progressive organizations of the women and youth and the associations of teachers, artists and writers, scientists and technologists, health professionals, lawyers and other sectors.
It is interested in the organizations that are active in movements for national and social liberation and in sectoral and multilateral organizations and alliances that are based on concerns and issues pertaining to sovereignty against imperialism, social justice, human rights, peace, protection of the environment, and so on.
The ILPS has its information and educational work to arouse the people, its enlistment of member-organizations and formation of national chapters and global region committees and the campaigns on various issues to mobilize large numbers of people. But in fact, the ILPS is essentially a coordinating center at various levels. It can only be as strong as the member-organizations are strong and willing to unite, cooperate and coordinate with other forces within the framework of the ILPS Charter.
