International. BRIAN GROGAN reports.
In 1969 the Fourth International made a decisive turn to link up with the new rise of the world revolution, This turn and Es couscotences created internal divisions International for eight years.
Not only was the world movement divided between two international groupings — the International Majority Tendency and the Leninist Trotskyist Faction but this division was reflected in splits in Fl groups in a number of countries or the emergence of new currents coming towards the FT which declared for one side or the other.
Recently this process has been reversed. Fusions bave been SPAIN IN SPAIN the two sumpathising organisations, the Communir League ILC] and Revolutionary Communist League [LCR], have ended five yeurs of division by voting to form a common organisation. Opposition from three minority groups within the LC was voted downatitsrecent congress, buta large chunk of the minority has refused fo The LCR Central Commitice ously approved the fusion.
The new organisation arve@membershipapprooching 10,000, with a united youth organisation, also ej several thousand The ICRs weekly paper Combate. with a 30,000 become the joint paper of the LC and LCR.
GREECE THE Organisation of Internationalist Communists (OKDE), the Greek section of the Fourth International, recently fused Comanutist Revolutionary Fran (KEM), another Trotskyist organsation. The united organisation now publishes a new papet. To Odophragma (The Barricades, which replaces the OKDE's Ergatike Pale (Workers" Fight).
AUSTRALIA TWO sympathising organnerIn the New Year a new weekly journal reflecting the views of the Fourth International will appear, combining the resources of the present Inprecor and Intercontinental Press. This important development symbolises the growth and consolidation of the Fourth completed in Spain, Canada Quebec, Mexico and Greeceand there are others being prepared in Australia, Colombia elsewhere. Both the IMT and the LTF have dissolved, convergences on many important questions. For instance, the senuns reclution on socialist international leadership. though it touched on a number disputed in the tendency fight.
There is now perspectives in Spain and Portugal and on women's #beration and WHIST This is testimony to the Jons of the FT in Australia, the Communist League Socialist Workers" Party, have FI begun discussions on fusion and @ thorouelt programme of Joint work. The latest move has been the production of a joint paper though with separately edited A joini statement of the two organisations explains that: "While political differences sill differences, largely of a tactical within singie will politicaldifferences.com lead toa healthy internal tie of political ВАОФРАГМА"
ENIAIR TREIHH НІМНТОПОІНІН МАНТІЯ ITH ПРОЕНПОГІНН ТРОМОКРЯТІ 420/10 ДЕ1.42 discussion and elaboration, disciplined by organistion s unity in action.
THE IRISH section Movement For a Socialist Repuhlic, is working towards a fusion with Peopie's Democracy, probably the best known revolutionary Marxist organisation in the North of Ireland. the Already comrades from the two organisations barc worked together in the Relatives Action Committee in Belfast and the defence campaign for John McAnulty, she secretary of PD held in jaul on remand on a trumped-up charge.
Neither the MSR nor PD see thefusionasthe finalact, but asa the whole Irish revolutionary left. A PD statement described the eventual aim as to create a new oreansalton based on organisational principles of the Plet heright to form tendencis and factions, precipitating everyone expected -guaranteed the integrity of the International and laid the basis for superceding political differences. increased the attraction of the Fl among the vanguard as it moves into discusson Tor Ioe and 11th World Congress to be heki The F1 bas increased tenfold since 1969. 150variOus so Inters which once claimod to be the SCOUTIE either all but disappeared - as with the International Commeven Intee led by Gerry Healy, or the Latin American Bureau of Juan had been Posadas — or are in the process of opening talks with the FI agreement on Eke the Organisation Communiste International of Lambert or Eurocom- Marxiste Revolutionnaire led by Michel Pablo. The national fusions detailed on this page Marxist and Leninist principles and WE WERE MIC BATESOT several existing groups and will revolutionary party:' USA AT THE Socialis Workers" supporters of the FIl in August, the Revolutionary Comational Socialis see encompursed Internarional Socialises, Leninist with the SWP. The significonce is not the numerical gain [which is small, but the fact rhat the RMC continues to maintain its analysis of the Sover Union and Eastern Europe capitalist Thatir is possible to contain these Tundomental differences of analysis within a organisation.
MEXICO THE extraordinary congress of the Revolutionary workers Party (PRT) in August saw the final stage of the unification of all Mexican Trotskyists.
PRThad been founded last yea through the fusion single the Fourth International.
Lois congress create organisation of morechan 1,000 miticants, through its fusions with the Socialist League, and a minority tendency Lambertiste group, the Marxist Workers League. The PRT i now inaposition tochallengetbe other major left tendency in Tar has This outcome has InternatiOnal havE confirm thetrend.
in its initial stages.
international examples.
Pierre the Alliance United States shows groups with of a genuine congress!
convention of the Party IUS Marxist tendency WeEC all a demonstration congress.
single The Uaf EL ESTADO POLICIACO CONTINUA naire, an Socialist Action Socialiste split which had Canada since 1972-3. In Britain, where the Fl group has remaimed intact, but other revolutionary groupings have multiplied, regroupment is only We have much to learn from these The SWP-RMC fusion in the unification.
widely differing theoretical herstages can coexist in a single organisation. Party. Theretation of fores st - the Communist begauged bythe fact that the CP. sent fraternal greetings to the The influence of the PRT in the mass movement is growing. It has played a prominent part in number of peasant leaders came COLLECES Independent Revolutionary Peassors co-ordinating comm as did the democratic of the electrical The main political documents approved by overwhelmingmajority, and the pre-conference tendencies each voted to dissolve during the THREE revolutionary Merkis groups in Canada and Quebec NOTE CONTESSES REAL COG Montreal in July-August — the Revolurionary Marxist Group, and the League for Lique They decidedto andly their forces in a newpon-Canadiansection of the FI. This brought to an end the existed in organisation, Revolutionary Workers" Leo The RMC certainly drew this the former International Socialist tendencies in Britain urging them to fuse with the FI.
Colombia shows bow revolutionary newspaper can be used as the instrument of while Greece, where we hope to see further developments towards Trotskyist unity in ooring months, is a further example not just of the gue /Ligue Ouriere. Revoluztonnaire, reckons that it was the classieglerself whichpushed the groups towards fission — in the particular last years genera! strike and the wictory of the other nationaiters in the Quebec COLOMBIA IN COLOMBIA there has been both a fusion of Trotskyist groupsand themovetowards tbe SUBSCRIBE!
tothenewWeeklyIntercontinentalPress/inp from January and feature in-dapth reparting and analysis of major word events togelher with doouments of the sections of Ile Fourth stomational and its reading committan, and pubn lociallat Democracy and the Dictatorship of the Proletaria SPECIAL OFFERI Every new subscriber willreceive frea the lin; Insue of inprecor, devoted enliraly to the current world economic situatior and me the special 10 lasues Introductory of e2.50 Britain and ireland, £4.0bConsinantal Eural And me a 6 month subscription (E5.00 Brl and, 28.00 Continental Europe - 211.00 alm Name (pisase PRINTI...
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Itwould he foolish to take any of these instances as a blue-print indeed the TOOTHLES obstacles in Britain are far greater. But the spirit in which these fusions have boon carried out, and the principles behind them, must serve as an cxample for the fragmenred and insular British Trotskyist movement, de lucha Fourth International of a powertul centrise grouping, the Socialist Workers" Party (PST) just a month before three organisations came together to form the Revolut ionary Communist League (L.CR), theofficialsupportersol the FI. Both organisations participated in a joint election campaign and adopted common resolution on the recent general strike and its COCCULT lecor.Hwillappes NY 10014. UBA.
The recent two-pronged moves by the racist regime in SOCIALIST CHALLENG E #December1977 page 12
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