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.
Involvement in the Cold War
Reforms in Asia and the Great Debate
In the early 1980s, most Asian ICMMO allies such as China, Indonesia and North Vietnam have shifted away from a strict Maoist line, embracing varying degrees of market oriented reforms. The reasons for this varied. In Indonesia the collectivisation efforts were halted in the early 1970s after what many called a coup within a party by the right wing of the Communist Party of Indonesia as a result of a wide spread famine and internal power struggles along with the lacking capacities of the state to uphold such policies. Meanwhile in China the transition was more gradual beginning in the late 1960s with the introduction of cooperative systems that loosened the control of the state over the economy and full private ownership in a corporatist system in the early 1980s under the leadership of Zhou Zhiyong. Similar measures occured in North Vietnam, albeit only in the later half of the decade. However, the reforms were seen by many within the ICMMO as an attempt to restore capitalism and therefore revisionist. In particular the American ICMMO section (dominated by the Communist Party of the Andes) and the African section led by the Mosambikan National Revolutionary Movement were vehemently opposed to the reforms while the European and Asian sections were split on the issue, but generally supported the opposition to the reforms. This conflict became known as the "Great Debate", a period lasting from around 1980 until around 1994. Of particular importance was a publication titled "Struggle and Solidarity an essay written by the Chairman of the Communist Party of the Andes, Camilo Velazquez and member of the ICMMO Central Committee José Simón Canchaya. The essay outlines the importance of continued class struggle even after the revolution and accuses the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party and other pro-reform Conference members of establishing an elitist, opportunistic and ultimately anticommunist new capitalist system while betraying Mao's ideas and legacy. At the same time the Andean Cultural Revolution took place which was heavily influenced by the debate, attempting to root out every remnant of capitalist or feudalist thinking out of fear reactionary tendencies could take hold in the newly formed United People's Committees as well. The CCP responded with the pamphlet On the preconditions of Socialism, that stressed the importance of a thoroughly developed economy with sufficient productive forces for socialism to take hold in a nation while condemning the cultural revolution in the Andes as an act of adventurism and unnecessary excessive violence. The Chinese and Indonesians also emphasized the role of the progressive elements of the nationally based bourgeoisie and petty bourgeoisie within the new democratic system.
The height of the debate would be reached on the 1988 International Marxist-Maoist Congress, where calls for an expulsion of the Chinese and Indonesians were heard but ultimately silenced by the Andeans themselves, stating that another split in the socialist camp would have catastrophic consequences and that the correct ideas should prevail and be adapted through an open debate. In the election of the Central Committee a narrow victory (13-12) for the anti-liberalization faction would be secured, but little measures were taken towards the governments that did not fully comply. After the death of Zhou Zhiyong and increasing instability within the socialist bloc including the Landintern the 1997 International Marxist-Maoist Congress brought the resolution of condemning economic liberalization and a prolonged period of new democracy as destabilizing and revisionist, ending the position of China as the undisputed leader of the ICMMO and establishing Andean ideological dominance over the organisation.
Relationship with the Landonist Internationale
After the Revolutions of 2000
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
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
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. |
 Laos |
Lao People's Revolutionary Party | LPRP | Joined in 1969. Ruling party of Laos |
 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. |
 Sierra |
National Republican Party of Sierra | NRPS | Joined in 2022. Alleged political wing of the terrorist Provisional Sierran Republican Army. |
 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.