My Resignation from the CWO/ICT

Oct 4, 2016 by Communist

After much thought and reflection after the 6 monthly meeting I have

decided to resign from the Communist Workers’ Organisation/Internationalist Communist Tendency (CWO/ICT).

A number of issues have finally led me to this decision.

The Turkey article nonsense around the word “old” and nonsense, along

with the over reactions whenever disagreements appear like on the

Paris bombing and also the Italian translated article around Dallas

and Baton Rouge, has lead me to believe that the CWO/ICT is to stuck

in its ways to be dragged into the 21 century, while it has clearly

moved forward on some things, Facebook page/internal bulletin, this is

simply tinkering. The fear expressed because someone disagreed

publicly (on a private email list for member and friends of the

CWO/ICT) with the article written by a Italian comrade on Turkey is

totally baffling.

The Canadian rape affair

The fact that after 11 months without a single public comment being

made by ICT or any section on the “rape crisis” within the Canadian

section (GIO) isn’t simply bad, but beyond the pale. The shrieks in

the meeting when I dared to suggest the Canadian section (3 people)

should be dumped, along with the idea I have heard a number of times

that it’s just the feminists trying to stir up trouble, suggests the

ICT doesn’t either understand or take seriously the question of rape.

The fact that a member of the GIO with a past history of rape came

into the organisation without it being publicly know is not a form of

positive rehabilitation and even then, who is deciding whether someone

is rehabilitated or not? He then went on a speaking tour in the UK and

still nobody other than the GIO knew about his past. The fact that no

public apology has come from the GIO or the the International Bureau

(IB) of the ICT since it found out in November 2015 and also no public

comment from Alexis either for that matter is disgusting. Not to

mention the fact that he is still a member of the organisation.

No revolutionary organisation is ever perfect, but a public statement

should have been released straight away under the circumstances at the

very least and by breaking off relations with the GIO until it either

withered away, dissolved or sorted itself out, however nothing has

been done. In a email to a EC member back in April when I first heard

some of this I wrote,

“further to my email and rereading the international report and the

stuff on Facebook (which is all still there, i never noticed it before

now) dating back since Feb. The group needs to put out a statement

asap on this situation, as it is no longer acceptable to have some

sort of resolution on the matter before commenting. Rehabilitation

takes more than just saying sorry, it means being fully transparent

all the time. The fact that Alexis came here and did a speaking tour

and failed to mention whatever he did in his past, is a total breach

(odd that the other didn’t think to mention it, but the blame lies

with Alexis first and foremost) of transparency and at odds with the

idea rehabilitation.”

For all the above there is still much good stuff in the ICT, but it

won’t move forward until it can deal with the above and I am not

sure if the ICT can do that at the moment. For my part I will continue

with my page/website and other projects while promoting a

internationalist left communist outlook.

Cheers

Mark