Russian socialists regroup to deepen struggle for new left party
Vpered and Socialist Resistance merge into Russian Socialist Movement
The 2011 congress of the Socialist Movement “Forward” (Vpered), its sixth, has voted to join with two other socialist organisations to form the “Russian Socialist Movement” (RSD). This congress was notable because the discussion has held in parallel with the preparations for the simultaneous congress of “Socialist Resistance” (Sotsialisticheskoye Soprotivleniye). [1] During many debates and discussions, members addressed the consolidation and unity of the Left forces in Russia and the need to develop a full-fledged political agenda left. These issues took up the major part the Congress.
The Congress of “Forward” decided to dissolve the organization to unify with “Socialist Resistance”. The founding conference of the new association - which was called the Russian Socialist Movement - took place the next day. A new network of RSD activists will group together the members of the Fourth International, which will become the official section of that international revolutionary organization in Russia. In February 2010 “Forward” was granted the status of the Russian section of the Fourth International. The congress voted in support of projects outlined in the draft charter of the newly established organization. In addition, the congress supported the draft “road map” for the integration of the left in 2011 and its focus on building a broad anti-capitalist left party, together with representatives of other Russian left-wing organizations and social movements.
It was agreed that the Central Council of the united organization shall include eight activists of “Forward” and “Socialist Resistance”. In addition, there was support for the inclusion of the Central Council representative of the Left Front in an advisory capacity. In turn, the Left Front will include in its Executive Committee one representative from the unified organization with an advisory vote. This kind of exchange of ambassadors in the governing bodies of the two key actors of the future will demonstrate a broad alliance, and the seriousness of our intentions of unification. Also in new organization will operate a Publishing Center (IC). The task of the IC includes publication of a newspaper, as well as books and pamphlets, which express the organization’s position, maintaining its website, making symbols and paraphernalia, and other areas of publishing work. On the same day, as the “Forward” conference, the “Socialist Resistance” conference discussed the same issues and adopted similar decisions.
Duncan Chapel
[1] “Socialist Resistance” was the Russian section of the Committee for a Workers International until 2008, when the CWI and SR diverged over the South Ossetia War. “Forward” also diverged from the CWI, in 2005