The 14th regular congress of the FIR in Athens

29. Oktober 2007

On October 19 – 20, 2007 in Athens the 14th regular congress of the FIR took place. Round about 40 delegates from 15 nations were announced. Unfortunately the entry to Greece was refused to the veterans from Albania and the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia.

On this congress balance of the reconstruction of the FIR was drawn and advised over the future tasks. The most important fact in the balance was that we succeeded in the past three years with the opening of the organization for later born generations, to place the FIR as alive and active organization in the fight against neo-fascism, racism, anti-semitism and xenophobia – for peace and to form democracy and social rights. Despite small financial and personnel capacities an alive organization could be received and developed further. Up-to-date over 50 organizations and federations from 24 European countries and Israel belong to FIR. Thus the FIR is the largest international organization of former fighters against fascism, deported and pursuits of the Nazi regime and anti-fascist of today’s generations.

To the political balance it belonged also that it succeeded in the past years to make the voice of the FIR in the political concert audible. The statements on actual political problems, about “the danger of extreme rights in Europe” and to the peace problem were particularly heard and spread. The acceptance of the organization pointed itself in the large number of invitations to commemoration ceremonies, conferences of national member federations or to international conferences to these political topics. On the occasion of the congress the FIR committed also the 20-year anniversary of the appointment as an “Ambassador of the peace” of the United Nations.

In the ceremonial addresses the important role of the former resistance fighters, partisans, deported and pursuing organizations for the peace-movement was stressed. The representatives of the world peace council and the world league of democratic youth underlined in their political greeting words, which threat of the peace proceeds today from imperialistic main powers. The representative of the United Nations on the other side was content with a quite poor greeting formula.

The congress elected unanimously the leading committees of the organization. Michel Vanderborght was confirmed as president. As vice-presidents general Anatoli Bogdanow (Russia) and Vilmos Hanti (Hungary) were unanimously elected. The further members of the executive committee are Nikolai Chikachev (Russia), Christos Tzintsilonis (Greece), Heinz Siefritz (Germany, cashier) and Dr. Ulrich Schneider (Germany, Secretary-General).

For political adoption of resolutions altogether five explanations were present, which were accepted after alive debate. Also the next political activities were discussed. A first political high point of the further work is certain already: The international youth meeting on the Ettersberg in April 2008 on the occasion of the anniversary of the self liberation of the Concentration camp Buchenwald.

A detailed report and the documentation of the resolutions follow in the next expenditure of the FIR–bulletin.