By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chairperson
International Coordinating Committee
International League of Peoples’ Struggle
16 January 2009
On behalf of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS), I convey the warmest and most militant greetings of solidarity to the organizers and participants of the Beirut International Forum for Resistance, Anti-imperialism, Solidarity Between Peoples and Alternatives to be held on January 16-18, 2009.
You are holding this forum at a most propitious time. The US-instigated policies of “neoliberal globalization” and “war on terror” are unraveling. The financial and economic crisis of monopoly capitalism is deepening and generating social and political turmoil on a global scale.
Today, the worst of economic conditions since the Great Depression have arisen. The broad masses of the people of the world, especially those living in Asia, Africa and Latin America, are suffering from this global crisis.
The US-instigated global war of terror has escalated the oppression of the people of the world. It has generated repression and fascism by imperialist and puppet states, acts of military intervention and massive wars of aggression as in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In this war of terror, the US has blacklisted and subjected to various forms of attack states invoking national independence, national liberation movements, revolutionary communist parties and progressive organizations and leaders. These attacks include economic sanctions, subversion, nuclear blackmail, bombardments and wars of aggression.
However, the US aggressors, their imperialist allies and puppets find themselves sinking in quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US-backed Zionist state of Israel which is currently carrying out a barbaric war in Gaza is facing the determined resistance of the Palestinian people and vigorous condemnation by the entire people of the world.
The grave problems faced by the imperialists and their puppets and the growing resistance of the people are excellent conditions for strengthening the anti-imperialist and progressive democratic movement the world over. The people are clamoring for revolutionary change. They are fighting for a new and better world.
The Beirut International Forum for Resistance, Anti-imperialism, Solidarity Between Peoples and Alternatives offers an excellent opportunity for strengthening the unity of all forces that are fighting imperialism and all forms of reaction. ILPS salutes the organizers and participants of this very important gathering of anti-imperialists and progressive democrats from around the world and wishes them great success.
Down with imperialism and all reaction!
Advance the peoples’ struggles for freedom, democracy and social liberation!
Long live international solidarity!
