Anti-Imperialist Camp
Encyclopedia
The Anti-imperialist Camp is an international organisation which brings together several different movements
dedicated to opposing imperialism
.
and cultural-political meeting organised within the framework of the Revolutionary Communist League (RCL), an originally Trotskyist movement, based in Austria
, in partnership with an Italian
organisation.
In the mid-90's, the RCL gradually detached itself from more dogma
tic forms of Marxist thinking
, and began to concentrate on the issue of anti-imperialism
.
Around 1996, the Camp took on an autonomous existence of its own, becoming an international point of reference for movements coming from very different backgrounds and countries
, and became especially involved in the Balkan conflict
, where it was one of very few movements on the Left to defend Yugoslavia
.
The Camp is both a coordination of movements, active all year around, and a public event, held in various places. For several years, the Camp was held in Assisi
, Italy, because of its symbolic value as the town of peace
.
After September 11, 2001, the Camp declared that "those who sow storms, reap whirlwinds", and strongly opposed the wars on Afghanistan
and then on Iraq
.
Though part of the anti-globalisation movement, the Camp has never joined the Social Forum
, because of the Forum's refusal to take the side of various popular resistance movements in the world: especially, the Camp has expressed support for resistance movements in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq.
As a consequence, the Camp has often been accused in the media of "supporting terrorism
". However, the Camp explicitly states that it does not support violence
in countries where the law
guarantees human rights
, and its activities are always public.
Especially controversial has been the Camp's position "in favour of the Iraqi resistance", covering both secular and religious movements opposed to the US presence in Iraq
, ranging from the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance to the movement of Moqtada al-Sadr. All these movements, and the Camp, strongly oppose partition of Iraq and sectarian strife, and are therefore hostile to the movement of Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi.
Support for the Iraqi resistance has led to threats of legal action against the Camp, both in Italy and the U.S.
, and to an appeal by 44 members of the US congress to ban a conference on Iraq scheduled for October 1–2, 2005, in Italy, which has the Camp among its sponsors. This conference would have brought together all the main forces of the Iraqi resistance on a common platform, in order to present a peace project to the Italian government.
After the Italian government refused visas to the Iraqi delegates supposed to attend the conference, the conference has been postponed, but is scheduled again for March 24-25, 2007, in Chianciano, Tuscany. It will be under the title, "With the Resistance, for a Just Peace in the Middle East" and will include intellectuals associated with the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements.
Social movement
Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change....
dedicated to opposing imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
.
History
The first activities began in 1990 as a summer campSummer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
and cultural-political meeting organised within the framework of the Revolutionary Communist League (RCL), an originally Trotskyist movement, based in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, in partnership with an Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
organisation.
In the mid-90's, the RCL gradually detached itself from more dogma
Dogma
Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...
tic forms of Marxist thinking
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
, and began to concentrate on the issue of anti-imperialism
Anti-imperialism
Anti-imperialism, strictly speaking, is a term that may be applied to a movement opposed to any form of colonialism or imperialism. Anti-imperialism includes opposition to wars of conquest, particularly of non-contiguous territory or people with a different language or culture; it also includes...
.
Around 1996, the Camp took on an autonomous existence of its own, becoming an international point of reference for movements coming from very different backgrounds and countries
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
, and became especially involved in the Balkan conflict
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
, where it was one of very few movements on the Left to defend Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
The Camp is both a coordination of movements, active all year around, and a public event, held in various places. For several years, the Camp was held in Assisi
Assisi
- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253...
, Italy, because of its symbolic value as the town of peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
.
After September 11, 2001, the Camp declared that "those who sow storms, reap whirlwinds", and strongly opposed the wars on Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and then on Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Though part of the anti-globalisation movement, the Camp has never joined the Social Forum
World Social Forum
The World Social Forum is an annual meeting of civil society organizations, first held in Brazil, which offers a self-conscious effort to develop an alternative future through the championing of counter-hegemonic globalization...
, because of the Forum's refusal to take the side of various popular resistance movements in the world: especially, the Camp has expressed support for resistance movements in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq.
As a consequence, the Camp has often been accused in the media of "supporting terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
". However, the Camp explicitly states that it does not support violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
in countries where the law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
guarantees human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, and its activities are always public.
Especially controversial has been the Camp's position "in favour of the Iraqi resistance", covering both secular and religious movements opposed to the US presence in Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, ranging from the Iraqi Patriotic Alliance to the movement of Moqtada al-Sadr. All these movements, and the Camp, strongly oppose partition of Iraq and sectarian strife, and are therefore hostile to the movement of Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi.
Support for the Iraqi resistance has led to threats of legal action against the Camp, both in Italy and the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and to an appeal by 44 members of the US congress to ban a conference on Iraq scheduled for October 1–2, 2005, in Italy, which has the Camp among its sponsors. This conference would have brought together all the main forces of the Iraqi resistance on a common platform, in order to present a peace project to the Italian government.
After the Italian government refused visas to the Iraqi delegates supposed to attend the conference, the conference has been postponed, but is scheduled again for March 24-25, 2007, in Chianciano, Tuscany. It will be under the title, "With the Resistance, for a Just Peace in the Middle East" and will include intellectuals associated with the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements.