Consultative Committee

Monika Gärtner-Engel, Edithluz Irene Castro Muñoz, Co-Presidents United Front            October 22nd, 2024

  

Dear friends of the United Front!

 

With this newsletter we would like to inform you about a very successful webinar! Never before have so many speeches (24) been prepared as for this webinar. Over 100 participants from 27 countries took part. This shows the growing seriousness and initiative of the member organizations and the need for international exchange and closer cooperation.

Before summarizing the report, we would like to remind you of the opportunity to travel with the United Front to Baku for the environmental conference (around 16.11.) or to the celebrations of 50 years of the Women's Union of Western Sahara from 4-8.12.24. Please get in touch quickly if you are interested!

1. Seven introductory contributions dealt with the catastrophic situation in Gaza and solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon. The webinar adopted a solidarity resolution with Fouad Baker from the DFLP, who is being threatened by the Israeli media. Maryam Abu Daqqah from Gaza reported on the endless suffering of the population, but also on initiatives by Palestinian women to help themselves. Hatem Laouni, Deputy Chief Coordinator of the ICOR, underlined the great importance that the ICOR attaches to solidarity with Palestine, which is why, among other things, a Solidarity Week was held from October 1-7, 2024. The CPI (ML) Australia reported on the remarkable merger of trade union activists to form the “Unionists for Palestine”, which thus strengthened the influence of the labor movement.

2. this webinar offered not only an impressive “view of the world”, but also a deeper insight into the work of the organizations in their countries. The ICOR reported on the extremely successful international Lenin Seminar, to which the United Front had also called. 700 participants and 201 brigadists from 12 countries brought “Lenin's teachings to life”. The ICOR was able to hold its 5th World Conference with great initiative and unity and pass resolutions with a promising future. (Further information on the ICOR homepage) From Italy we learned about steps towards the fascization of the state apparatus with a new law that expands the scope for taking action against social movements. There were also reports from France of a further right-wing development in the government with ingratiation with the Rassemblement National and attacks on the workers and broad masses. The Union of Cypriots explained the background to the day of solidarity with the Cypriot people on October 10. Cyprus is not “divided” but occupied! UF organizations became active to the extent possible. It was reported from Iran: “The Iranian people have never agreed with the reactionary policy of the regime in supporting Islamic terrorism in the region.” Comrades from RMP Russia reported on their commitment to a unified trade union among forestry workers and in the energy sector. An anniversary celebration was held in Bochum/Germany.

3. The United Front calls for action on November 16, this year's International Day of Environmental Struggle! On this day, in addition to the work in the countries, a coordinated action will take place in Rotterdam. In addition, a UF delegation will travel to the COP29 world climate summit in Azerbaijan to strengthen the militant and anti-imperialist environmental movement there and to protest against the imperialist climate summit. If you are interested, please contact us quickly so that we can organize the joint journey! An international environmental council is planned for spring 2026. This is absolutely necessary in view of the major worldwide challenges posed by the global environmental catastrophe! If you would like to participate/support, please contact us at post@umweltstrategiekonferenz.org.

As you can see, it was a very rich webinar! The next webinar will take place on 23 February 2025 with the tried and tested look at the world, evaluations of the work of the UF and its member organizations, as well as preparations for Women's Day on 8 March.

Attached you will find the resolutions of the webinar. In addition to the adopted resolution on Fouad Baker, we are sending you again the “Declaration of the Co-Presidents of the United Front on Palestine” from December 2023. Furthermore, the resolution on solidarity with the struggle of the cleaners in Yemen. In addition, all previously submitted speeches in your language, as well as the development report of the United Front, which takes stock of 1 year of work after the World Congress.

 

We look forward to any feedback and especially to your plans for the Environmental Struggle Day on November 16!

 

Best wishes and solidarity,

on behalf of the Consultative Committee

Monika Gärtner-Engel, Edithluz Irene Castro Muñoz, Co-Presidents of the United Front