years later.
Eastern Europe Solidarity Campaign.
RICHARD CARVER , did the Eastern ENTODD Solidarity Cumpaign start and what are its airasi Discussions about forming a united cocaist Campa m olidarity with people suffering oppression in Eastern Europ stumber the ar A number of participatine dhel erent deas of what the plasform of tbe campaign The main difference whether all repression should be defended or woeter there Show De all element of discrimination.
Some people argued that groups that seek to propagate lead to the restoration capitalism SOUL IKOL SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 29 June 1978 page 12 He had been a member of an opposition group comrades Imprisoned or executed by the regime.
talked suppurted.
The Labour Party members, IMG. SWP and Party look the position victins of repression should he defended and this position that was eventuall adopsed:
groups One of the main arguments against the position adopted by Defending ull victims гергеніна sou play into hunk of the ticht wine who seek overthrow post-capitalist social relations in Eustern Europe. How would You answer thalr 1 should say first that the of Compagn does position on the class character members that all the of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European states Personally I take the view irrespective thut characterisation of those states it is impossible for socialists 1o the exert any influence in Bastern the without taking manifestations of opposition to the regimes.
If we fail to do this, the tield is open to people who may seek have relations. In this sense people F who argue that discrimination are trying of wish to avoid effective political lavers of the Europe movement European close.
and the capitalist value: the IE.- should in the CSSK movement nationally.
Ir's must be the basis for solidarity are helping those elements who TO can only objective that they claim they En Britain the association of supported by with the Eastern Teginies Ir's the Thatcherite argument experiment claims of Soviet propagunda taken at their face ITIE more repressive CATES ATTRE DOVICISTALLI UPAS are seen as the embodiment of It is therefore important for the shour morencat here that absolutely disms sociate itself from the negative features of the political system That's oblonsis one aspeci presentation alternative model of socialisa But the dominunt tendencies Labour have heen the cally Communist Party and u lahour hureaucracy which has been pro-Soviet interWhen the issue is Chile. say, or South Africa it's easy in a routine way to push a resolation through your labour movement brunch. It's a bir different when you're talking ahout Eastera Europe.
La questibe of explanation of oppression of individuals or social groups The official attitude within the trade unions and the higher echelons of the Labour Party influenced by pressure from below. to take the issue up, and this is many people at the branch level who are very STELLELIE what they regard as a socialist At the time of the inception BUSILE same British goverument that offensive agairat the working offensive against the propaganda exploited the absenE -of uncouployment, while evervone could see tbe West.
The rise of fascism was linked in people's consciousness with che ruling classes in the West and the Soviet Union wasseen as the bulwark against it That's a matrer for debatt but that show people tended li see it.
That was confirmed daring the war when the Soviet army had to carry for three years the major burden in the military conflict.
Thesc attitudes survived long after the war. To change the attitude of the rank and file w's have to familiarise them with TIE TANES If this information, which a be quac accurate, come the presE Ton politicians then it is automati dismissed Tory propaganda.
There should be a credible from socialists, This is the basis Solidarity Campaign.
* You can contiet the EESC STEVE.
NWIT The campaign has brought out its first brieting on Soviet Trade Union посвині ша вст воо movement (modies to pass resHaucas in support of these unofticial unionists and to situate to the catalen The EESC is planning a mujor conference and demon. stratiot on the tenth anniverWarsew Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in There will also be a concert organised in conjuneAgainst Racisti The campaign needs u lot of money to put on that sirt of event, so send donations to the above address.
1978 relatives of political prisoners ON 21 September 1876 two explorers raised the Chilean flag over the Magellan Straits. On 22 May "disappeared began an indefinite hunger strike in Santiago against the Chilean dictatorship. CHRIS KOSEBLADE asks: What links these two events? who have
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WHEN VLADIMIR DERER arrived in Britain in 1939 as a political refugee from the Nazis he cannot have imagined that he would still be here nearly 40
inside the Czechoslovak Communist Party, and pru- dently decided not to return home when the CP seized power. The trials of the 1950s saw the bulk of his old
In Britain he joined the Labour Party and is secretary of the Campaign for Labour Party Democ- racy. He is also convenor of the recently formed to VLADIMIR
DERER about the campaign and the problems of the defence of democratic rights in Eastern Europe.