International Conference of Marxist and Maoist Organizations

  

International Conference of Marxist and Maoist Organizations
Founder	Zhou Zhiyong
Founded	June 1, 1969
Split from	Landonist International
Newspaper	Struggle and Solidarity
Youth wing	Marxist–Maoist Youth Alliance
Ideology	Marxism Commuism Maoism Anti-imperialism Anti-derzhavism Third World socialism
Political position	Far-left
Official colors	Red

The International Conference of Marxist and Maoist Organizations, also known as the Marxist–Maoist Conference, is an international political organization of communist parties and political organizations guided by the ideology and principals of Maoism and traditional Marxism. It was formed in 1969 admist the backdrop of the Cold War and was formed by Zhou Zhiyong to consolidate allied parties that were not aligned with the Landonist International and/or were opposed towards Landonism in favor of adhering to traditional communism. This insured that China had ideological allies and avoided ideological, political, and diplomatic isolation within the Second World and retained a position of global infleunce.

The conference claims to be an alliance of what it views as "true and rightful" parties commited the true vision of Karl Marx and the communist ideology at large. As such, member parties are largely ones that adhere towards either Maois or Marxist thought and away from Landonism, which is regarded as western revisionist by many of its members. During the Cold War, both the Landonist International and the Marxist–Maoist Conference maintained a tense rivalry with both competing for dominance within the Eastern Bloc. The rivalry continues between the two internationals well after the Revolutions of 2000 and the end of the Cold War at-large over intense ideological disagreements.

The first meeting of the conference was in 1969 and was held in Beijing. The most recent meeting, the 2021 World Marxist–Maoist Congress, was held in Mexico City, Mexico. Governance of the organization is left up to the General Committee made up of representatives from the member parties all from numerous countries. The General Secretary is the title for the leader of the conference at large.

History

Sino-Continental split

After the death of Mao Zedong in 1964 a shift in Chinese foreign policy occurred with the administration of Zhou Zhiyong that pushed for a peaceful coexistence with western nations and denounced several of Mao's domestic policies. This was met with fierce criticism from the United Commonwealth who accused the Chinese of treason and revisionism, while China accused the United Commonwealth of social imperialism and neocolonialism. This cumulated in the expulsion of the Chinese Communist Party in 1969. Other parties, particularly those in Asia followed suit and founded the International Conference of Marxist and Maoist Organizations that year in Beijing. While Vietnam and Korea were largely in agreement with most economic changes and changes in foreign policy, the Andes withdrew from the Landintern for other ideological reasons, particularly the treatment of African-Continentals and the Haywoodite movement in the Continental south, which the Andes considered a legitimate anticolonial movement while denouncing Landonism as an "idealistic degeneracy" of Marxism.

Organization and structure

The ICMMO is organized according to the principles of democratic centralism, meaning that the member delegations elect the higher councils (Regional and Central Committees) of the organization from their midst. They are completely responsible to the electors who can remove them from office at any time if a simple majority favoring the removal is reached. In turn the electors are subordinated to the orders of the regional and central committees.

Regional Committees

All ICMMO member organizations are categorized into five regional groups according to their geographical location: America (both North and South), Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa. The Regional Committees are made up of representatives from every organization in the respective region and are elected by the individual party members. The function of the regional committees is to increase cooperation between organizations of a particular region and to coordinate actions on a wider scale. They are responsible to both the Central Committee and their regional elector groups and are allowed to give orders within the boundaries of their respective region as long as they are in accordance with the general ICMMO line.

Central Committee

The central committee is elected by members of all regional committees as well as the individual member organisations on the International Marxist-Maoist Conference which is held usually every three to five years with elected representatives. The Central Committee is the highest organ of the ICMMO and can give orders to both regional committees, the member organizations and even individual members, however the latter two cases occur only on very rare occasions. Under the direct order of the central committee also falls the organisation of the militant actions of member organisations and the joint International Liberation Brigades which are made up of volunteers fighting in several conflicts such as Ethiopia.

International Liberation Brigades

Main article: International Liberation Brigades

The International Liberation Brigades were founded in 1980 by former leader of the Cuban Liberation Front and veteran of the Cuban insurgency Fidel Castro after he fled Cuba. Initially the ILB were founded as a foreign legion to prepare displaced Cuban soldiers to eventually retake their homeland but with decreasing activity of the conflict in the Antilles the focus shifted more towards supporting ideological allies in foreign conflicts. Together with officers of the Bolivarian People's Liberation Army they set up training and guidance for militant groups abroad, with Castro as the Comrade-General of the ILB. The International Liberation Brigades have been active in multiple wars and civil wars as a volunteer force with guidance from Andean, Indonesian military officials and guerrilleros from revolutionary groups currently waging armed struggles against the governments of their respective countries. Operations of the International Liberation Brigades include the Tajikistani Civil War in the 1990s, the Syrian Civil War and the Congo War. Currently there are several deployments of significant strength (with at least 1000 deployed), including Ethiopia on the side of Somali separatists, the anti-colonial insurgency in German New Guinea since 2006 and Siam since 1990. The ILB have been declared a terrorist group or are under observation in several countries, including the European Community, the Conference of American States, Ethiopia and Hashemite Arabia.

Marxist–Maoist Youth Alliance

Main article: Marxist—Maoist Youth Alliance

The Marxist—Maoist Youth Alliance is the official youth wing of the ICMMO. Children from the age of 14 are able to join, members of the youth wings of the member organisations become passive members by default. The goal of the MMYA is to "politically educate" and "raise young people in the sense of proletarian internationalism and solidarity". Annual meetups are held with attendees from all over the world with summer camps or other group activities being provided that aim to improve international understanding and a sense of togetherness, as well as political education but also physical fitness and general education. In countries where schools are either unavailable or too expensive for the poor, the MMYA sends volunteers to teach children the basics of mathematics, reading, writing and medicine. In other regions (primarily Europe, North America and Asia) tutoring is provided for children struggling in school for free, regardless of membership.

Membership

Current

Country	Name	Abbr	Notes
Albania	Party of Labour of Albania	PPSh	Joined in 1999.
Bolivia	Movement for Socialism	MAS	Joined in 1998.
China	Chinese Communist Party	CPC	Governing party of the People's Republic of China from 1949 until 2000. The ICMMO was founded by the CPC in 1969.
Ethiopia	Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party	SRSP	Joined in 1980. Political wing of the insurgent group Somali Liberation Front. The native Somali abbreviation XHKS is used by the party in non-Somali texts as well
France	Parti Nouveau Jacobin	PNJ	Split from the Communist Party of France in 1980.
Germany	Communist Party of Germany/Red Faction	KPD/RF	Split from the Communist Party of Germany in 1979.
India	Communist Party of India (Maoist)	CPI (Maoist)	Joined in 2004.
Indonesia	Communist Party of Indonesia	PKI	Founding member in 1969 after the Sino-Continental split. Governing party of Indonesia.
Japan	Japanese Communist Party	JCP	Joined in 1969.
Kurdistan	Communist Party of Kurdistan	PKK	Joined in 1993. Not to be confused with the governing Kurdish Worker's Party with the same abbreviation.
Manchuria	Manchu Communist Party	MCP	Joined in 2000.
North Vietnam	Communist Party of Vietnam	CPV	Joined in 1969. Governing party of North Vietnam
Portugal	Portuguese Workers' Communist Party	PCTP/MRPP	Joined in 1970. Split from the Portuguese Communist Party.
Romania	Servi Poporul	SP	Joined in 2008.
Thailand	Thai Popular Front	TPF	Joined in 1988, engaged in armed struggle since 1990.
Superior	Superian Revolutionary Council	SRC	Joined in 1986.
United Commonwealth	Revolutionary Commonwealth Communist Party	RCCP	Joined in 1977. Considered a terrorist group from 1978 until 2006.
United People's Committees	Communist Party of the Andes	CPA	Governing party of the Andes and a founding member of the ICMMO in 1969.

Former

Country	Name	Abbr	Notes
Tajikistan (Tajik Socialist Republic)	People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan	PDPT	Joined in 1969, governing party of the Tajik Socialist Republic from 1978 until its dissolution in 1994.
Manchuria (Manchu People's Republic)	Communist Party of Manchuria	CPM	Joined in 1970, ruling party of Manchuria from 1946 until its dissolution in 1999.
Sierra	Black Panther Party	BPP	Political wing of the terrorist organization Revolutionary Continental Army with multiple affiliate organizations all over Anglo-America, however only the Sierran chapter was member of the ICMMO. Dissolved in 1999 along with the RCA.

World Marxist–Maoist Congress

The World Marxist-Maoist Congress is held every few years, usually every three to five years. The first Congress apart from the founding convention in 1969 was held in Beijing in 1971 with only 6 delegations participating: China, North Vietnam, the Andes, Indonesia, Tajikistan and German Qingdao.

See also

• List of communist parties
• List of left-wing internationals

Internationals

• First International
• Second International
• Landonist International
• Fourth International
• First Interstellaire
• Second Interstellaire