Acting for a better world

9. Dezember 2008

The “Universal declaration of human rights” of the United Nations is a central political document of post-war history. The International Federation of Resistance fighters (FIR) – Association of Anti-fascists reminds in this connection of the fact that the political foundation for the foundation of the UN and the adoption of this declaration was the freedom fight of the peoples and nations against the fascist barbarism.

Already the survivors of the KZ Buchenwald demanded in April 1945 as consequence: “Creating of a new world of peace and freedom!”

These principles were in the “Universal declaration of human rights” write out in full. The goals of the declaration base on the ideals of the French revolution and their promises of “Freedom, equality, brotherliness”. Fascism in ideology and political practice tried to turn back these ideals. The common acting of the peoples in the antifascist fight overcame this threat.

Of cause we know that the principles of the “Universal declaration of human rights” do not determine actually the political and social reality in the today’s world. We have however no cause to point with the finger only in one direction. Human rights cannot be reduced to freedom of the expression of opinion or the entrance to the Internet. Even in the developed industrial nations fundamental rights and freedoms are often not ensured, like in particular the right to work and education, to have a human beingworthy accommodation or the protection from racist discrimination.

The FIR and its member federations stand today and in the future for the implementation of the ideals of the “Universal declaration of human rights” as a whole. These rights are not given humans. Such rights and freedoms are realisable – in such a way the historical experience teaches – only by social fights. Veterans of the anti-fascist fight and the anti-fascists of today’s generations are fellow combatants in such movement.

The memory at the 60th anniversary of the “Universal declaration of human rights” is in this way none “empty commemorating”, but a request for acting for a better world.

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.

Financial rules of FIR

20. Oktober 2007

Expanding the statute of FIR, the Congress decided on the following rules
for membership fees.

  1. Membership in FIR is also based upon an annual membership fee of the
    individual member organisation to be paid no later than June 30th of the
    current year. Membership fees provide for the operating expenses of FIR.

  2. The rate of the FIR membership fee is determined by the proper statute of
    the participating organisation and its financial leeway, and is normally
    determined by 0.50 Euros per year and member.

    Standard FIR membership fee is 300 Euros per year.

  3. The number of the delegates of the membership organisation to the
    congresses is determined by the amount of membership fees paid.

    Paying an annual membership fee of

    – at least the minimum of 150 Euros: 1 delegate,
    – more than 300 Euros: 2 delegates,
    – more than 1000 Euros: 3 delegates.

    Exceptions in individual cases may be applied for at the executive
    committee.

  4. Travel expenses of the delegates are being paid for by their proper
    organisation.

    Upon application the executive committee may decide within its
    financial leeway to support an individual member organisation for their
    delegate to participate in a congress.

  5. The statutory appropriation of the financial resources is verified
    annually in particular prior to the congresses, by a financial committee to be
    elected by the congress. Following each verification a report is submitted to
    the executive committee and the congress.

Protest against denials of visas for delegates

20. Oktober 2007

The XIV congress of FIR is shocked by the the denial of entry visas to veterans of the antifascist struggle from Albania and the former Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to participate in the congress.

While politicians proclaim the “Europe without boarders” reality is no match. This is the false political signal.

We are fighting for a united Europe based upon the traditions of the struggles against fascism promoting social rights and liberty for all people living here.

Resolution regarding Cyprus

20. Oktober 2007

The 14th congress of the International Federation of the Resistance Fighters
(FIR) which took place in Athens October 19-20, 2007

  • Reemphasizes that the sole foundation for the preservation of peace and
    security worldwide is compliance with the principles of the United Nations
    Charter, the Declarations of Human Rights and the fundamental rights.
  • Deplores regional conflicts in conjunction with foreign interventions
    experienced by the international community which explicitly violate the
    aforementioned principles and which do not realise the decisions of the
    Security Council of the United Nations.
  • Calls upon the FIR member organisations to urge their respective governments
    to efficiently support efforts to overcome regional conflicts and continuing
    problems – among others problems in Cyprus – by implementation of the decisions
    of the United Nations Security Council for peaceful solutions based upon
    appreciation of international laws and the primacy of human rights and
    fundamental rights.
  • Requests the Secretary of the Executive Committee of FIR to urge the United
    Nations to exercise pressure on the respective opponents to accept United
    Nations decisions to be the only way towards a peaceful solution.
  • Worried by the persistence of the crisis over Cyprus endagering
    international security, and the circumstances that decisions of the United
    Nations regarding Cyprus have not yet been implemented, and by the lack of
    progress in past negotiations, keeping in mind the necessity to solve the
    Cyprus problems peacefully without any further delay, the Congress requests an
    urgent restart of efficient and substantial negotiations under the auspices of
    the United Nations and the European Union in order to achieve a basically
    acceptable agreement as soon as possible based upon the fundamental legal
    rights of all inhabitants.

Statement of FIR for the Members of the European Parliament

20. Oktober 2007

The international federation of the resistance fighters (FIR) – Association of Anti-fascists, the umbrella organisation of federations of former resistance fighters, partisans, members of the anti-Hitler coalition, persecutes of the Nazi-regime and anti-fascists of today’s generations from over twenty European countries and Israel, appeals from their XIV congress held in October 2007 in Athens to all democratic parliamentary parties of the European Parliament to create positive examples for their attitude against neo-fascism, racism, anti-semitism and xenophobia and to support all antifascist initiatives and proposals for action.

Over and above we call upon the European Parliament to create the legal foundation to discontinue to finance groups of the extreme right in the European Parliament with European tax payers money and to immediately suppress activities of these groups.

Political declaration of the congress

20. Oktober 2007

62 years after the military victory over fascism in Germany and in whole Europe we see a political ambivalent development.

There are positive tendencies

  • that political groups get more influence which stand for that conflicts not only inside Europe are increasingly solved by peaceful decisions,
  • that politically diversified peoples movements for democracy and freedom, against racism and neo-fascism are active,
  • that criticism at the antisocial consequences of globalisation is supported by wide groups in the society and found many styles of peaceful protest.

In addition we see on the other hand dangers,

that European governments orients on a “fortress Europe” instead of opening liberty for all citizens and try to strengthen their military position in the world.
We experience the increasing attempts of the US-administration to reach a military and political hegemonial position all over the world.
The problem of the Serbian province Kosovo and Metohia should be settled only by dialogue. A solution of the status must be adopted by the UN Security Council.
Not alone in Europe the regulations for liberalisation of economic relations should be more important than social rights of the people. Humans will be social excluded and thus put the fertile soil of extremely right populism and xenophobia.
Although the neo-liberal European “Constitution” failed because of the resistance of the people, conservative politicians – using totalitarism-doctrines and anti-communism – are trying to open the door on the political right side.
And the commemoration of the antifascist fight of people and armies is blamed in various countries of Europe. A visible indication of that tendency was the destruction of the memorial in the centre of the city Tallinn to commemorate the soviet liberators. In addition in other parts of Europe antifascist memorials are attacked physically or ideologically. Such attacks are reported from Croatia, Greece, Serbia, Ukraine and other countries. Antifascist memorials and places should be placed under protection of international law.
Real problems are Holocaust-denying and falsification of history of antifascist fight. Neo-fascist groups try to rehabilitate SS-murders and rewrite history. Some officials and governments doing also such rewriting because they call the SS “fighters for liberty” and criminalizing antifascist resistance fighters.

Such a Europe, such a world does not correspond to the goals, which we feel obligated in the tradition of anti-fascism.

“Creating a new world of peace and freedom” means for us

building up democratic and social justice conditions, where all people have sufficient supply and a real part of the richness of the society and the security of employability under social conditions and chances of social inclusion for all people living here – independently of nationality, sex and religion.
to commemorate the role of the people for liberation from fascism and give this knowledge to today’s generations. This includes the acceptance of the social rights of victims and fighters against fascism in various structures of the Anti-Hitler-Coalition.
the protection of all humans against racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia. All activities, groups and parties, supporting neo-fascist and racist positions, must be outlawed and banned.

Fundamentally it means also that military options in foreign policy are against the vital interests of all humans. FIR as “peace ambassador of the United Nations” occurs again and again for non-military conflict solutions. Particularly the aggravation of conflicts by the program of the US-administration for an anti-missile-system in Poland and the Czech Republic contradict all beginnings of a peaceful foreign policy in Europe.

In this sense we see – also 62 years after liberation from fascism and war – the necessity to fight for the complete destruction of Nazism at its roots and creation of a new world of peace and liberty.

The requirement of time is disarmament and co-operation – not military armament and aggravation of regional conflicts

28. August 2007

Appeal of FIR as “Peace messenger”:

Today we have the 20th anniversary of the appointment of the International Federation of Resistance fighters (FIR) as “Peace messenger” by the United Nations. The obligations from this appointment remained current until today.

68 years after provoking the World War II with the German aggression against Poland and over 60 years after the end of the world fire we must state also that the peace did not become safer. There are not only the wars in the Iraq and Afghanistan or the military confrontation in the Middle East, also in Europe we see dangerous developments:

On the one hand there is the plan of the US government to establish on the territory of the Czech republic and in Poland a system of missiles to which are to be directed against an alleged threat from Iran, actually increased however the military tensions in Central Europe. The planned radar facilities supplement the espionage mechanisms of the American foreign secret service and from Radio Free Europe and the rockets have a range, with which all goals west the Urals can be achieved. Supplemented by the fact that – according to statement of the investigation report of the European Union – American secret service could operate many years illegal prisons in Central Europe, we see in this facts further examples of an aggressive foreign policy – justifies by alleged fight against terrorism and “rogue states”, like Iran, North Korea and Cuba.

The FIR supports the resistance of the Czech and Polish peace forces against these armament activities, which lead to an aggravation of the tensions in Europe.

Second we see the efforts of the USA and the European Union with large concern to advance the separatism in former Yugoslavia against the interests of large minorities by forcing the separation of Kosovo. One tries to implement a UN resolution against the interests of a sovereign member of the United Nations. The FIR supports the warning of the Serbian partner federation SUBNOR that a separation of Kosovo against the will of the Serbian public authority and under ignoring the minority rights will bear new nationalism and the danger of violent arguments.

The FIR is itself conscious of its responsibility as “Peace messenger” of the United Nations also today. It appeals to all member states of the UN to become active against such threats of a peaceful development. It supports the activities of the international peace movement against armament and regional chauvinism.
Dr. Ulrich Schneider
General Secretary
Michel Vanderborght
President

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