Dear friends and comrades,
I’m very moved and impressed to attend this conference in the complex context that has just been stressed and which raises important challenges for Sotsialny Rukh.
I’m here, like Alfons who intervened before me and two other comrades who came from Italy and Poland, as active member of ENSU - European Network in Solidarity with Ukraine. I will not repeat the collective message from ENSU that Alfons expressed centered on trade union campaigns and workers rights. I will only add that I’m particularly involved in ENSU in activities supporting the Ukrainian feminist Manifesto and specific campaigns on abortion in the context of the war. I do hope that, as for the trade union activities, we can also come back from your conference with further plans for joint actions in defence of women's rights and globally in support of your precious endeavour to build a left alternative in Ukrainian society.
I’m also here as a « veteran » of the Fourth International (FI) to express on behalf of its leading body, full solidarity and the warmest greetings for your conference.
Alltogether, I will summarize my message using a kind of « concrete utopia » :
« We need the Ukrainian popular resistance to win against the Russian imperial war » !
« We », meaning you and us, all Ukrainian and international Left fighting any kind of (neo) colonial relations : as we did against US imperialist war in Vietnam ; or against The French colonial war (which was up to a recent time was never called a « war » but a kind of « special operation »… ) ; but also against Moscow-led Warsaw Pact troops in Hungary, Poland, or Czechoslovakia…
Putin has explicitely claimed, against independant Ukraine, the neo-colonial legacy of the Russian Empire and of Stalin - against Lenin’s recognition of the right of self determination of dominated nations. We know - like Lenin did - that it is impossible to build a consistent and strong socialist union on the basis of relations of domination..
But the Ukrainian popular resistance cannot really win and be consolidated without increasing dignity and rights for all Ukrainian population, for its workers (men and women) : this is a particular responsability and challenge for Sotsialny Rukh and for the internationalist Left. Because those who oppose such dignity and social rights are dominant forces not only in Ukraine but in Europe and the world.
That is our common task and commitment : fighting against all those reactionary forces at all level of their power of decision making.