Editorial

Pre-World Congress discussion…

International Council for Friendship and Solidarity with Soviet People

The World Congress in September of 2001 is producing much interest in the countries where NSC is read… from Communist Workers Parties and Movements. Their proposals and suggestions plus their views on the situation that caused the temporary demise of the USSR are voiced, some in no uncertain terms. In this regard, our friends and comrades from Azerbaijan have sent us an 82-page document of questions and answers which were answered by Sayad Sayadov, Secretary General of the United Communist Party of Azerbaijan.

Since the document is too lengthy to reproduce in NSC, it shall be (together with many others) included in the delegates Congress materials for discussion.

Below we print the thoughts of the Organizing Committee for an International Council as to what our program is and should be - and the terms of reference for the forthcoming World Congress in Toronto in 2001.

We invite comments which are going to be incorporated into the documents of the World Congress.

Editorial Board of NSC and
Organizing Committee for an International Council

We point out that the Azerbaijan friends appear to be under a misconception as to our character and substance in that we are addressed as a "political party" or entity. We are not and never have been a political party from our earliest days and origins more than eighty years ago as the "Hands Off Russia" Committee. Since then we have carried a number of names, during World War II and after, but we have always based our activities and development of friendship, peace and solidarity between the Canadian people and the nations and the Soviet people. Since the debacle of the sell-out and downfall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the 1985-1991 period, we have sought to rally support and friendship to the Soviet people in order that they will, at their discretion and by their own means, restore Socialism to their republics and lands. The establishment of an International Council to carry on and further our purpose of "friendship, peace and solidarity" will be the result of those activities. Northstar Compass has emerged as the journal designed to further those aims.

While we are not a political party, we firmly believe that the restoration of Socialism in the Soviet Union is a desirable end for them and all humanity, based on the political economic science of Marxism-Leninism as it would be applied by the Soviet people But we are convinced that any and all such processes belong to political parties and their activities in support and leadership of the working people and their allies. We are profoundly convinced that our role in the promotion of friendship and international solidarity is both important and vital, given the fact that our journal is circulated and read in almost seventy countries and has grown to that stature during the past nine years with only volunteer work and voluntary financial support.

We appreciate that the enclosed document is among several and is a comprehensive evaluation of the causes of the downfall of the USSR.

Additionally, however it introduces certain aspects of the internal inter-Communist parties relationships in the former Republics of the Soviet Union that we suggest we should not act upon, or even comment upon. We further suggest that relationships between these parties is not a legitimate area for our presence as a "Friendship, Solidarity and Peace" body. If there are, as the document states, problems of "Great Power Chauvinism" such will not be resolved within our mandate or activity. We can suggest that they will be resolved properly when their is a mutually held acceptance of the restoration of Socialism, however the Soviet people may decide such should be done and put to effect.

We therefore refer you to page 15 of the last edition of Northstar Compass (Vol.9-#1) together with a newsclipping from the International Herald Tribune of Wednesday, August 9, 2000, to provide information on certain material conditions that apply, and problems confronted by the peoples of the Feraghana Valley. Affected are people of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Dagestan, Karachasy Cherkass, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kirghystan,. Uzbekistan, Russia and in fact all former USSR Republics where now live Soviet people, but living in separate enclaves under weak "national" governments. What they have in common today is the theft by outside interests of their national oil and natural gas resources... among the richest in the world. The outside interests include the oil and gas monopolies of the USA, Germany, Britain, Russian capitalists plus the financial investors of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank of Reconstruction, none of whom give a tinkers dam about the people of these lands, in fact they are widening and intensifying further conflicts and wars between the people in the most brazen thievery and military assertion of power in recent history. The cockpit of world war yaws wide in that oil rich area. Division of the people will assure catastrophic results... as it already has in Chechnya.

We, friends of ALL Soviet people are absolutely opposed to this oil and gas fed "fanning of the flames of war"... as day by day they mount higher in this entire region. Surely it is now time for all of these Soviet people to restore common Soviet control of the exploitation of their oil, gas and above all, human resources (even initially under the mandate of the United Nations). Potentially the peace of the world is at stake!

Unfortunately the document forwarded by our Azerbaijan friends deals with the problem only in terms of an Azerbaijan-Armenia-Russia axis, and that is why we do not and cannot suggest endorsement of it at this time. We await your considered opinion and guidance on this matter.

Sincerely, comradely and fraternally,
Michael Lucas, President and Editor of NSC
Ray Stevenson, Associate Editor

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