Ladies and Gentlemen:
At the outset, I would like to express my deep appreciation to All India Peace and Solidarity Organization (AIPSO) for hosting our Eighth Congress. In fact, this Conference is being convened amidst regional and international circumstances that requires consolidating the efforts of all solidarity organizations and committees in Asia and Africa to face the international changes imposed on the world upon the collapse of the USSR and the endeavour of the US administration under the leadership of President Bush to marginalize the role of the UN and to dominate the world and control the fate of the peoples.
This is in addition to its military invasion of Afghanistan followed by its attack on Iraq where the US occupation is still continuing. However, there is a glimmer of hope that the new administration headed by Barack Obama may be different from the one to which we are going to say farewell in a few days with the worst memories.
The Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organization (AAPSO) feels deeply sad and sorrowful for the victims of Mumbai events which occurred last November revealing that the terrorism and extremism still have a hand in politics. AAPSO believes that we, peoples, NGOs and solidarity committees, should all stand united in the face of those criminals who violate security and peace, murder innocents and destroy the spirit of brotherhood which we seek to establish among the peoples. We extend our sincere condolences to the great Indian people and call for backing them up against those who planned and committed that heinous crime that targeted the security and stability in a country which we all are proud of the democracy it enjoys. It is indeed an example and model to the countries of the south.
We, during these circumstances, recall the memories of our leaders Jawaharlal Nehru, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Sukarno, Kwame Nkrumah and others from the African and Asian leaders who announced their solidarity in Bandung against the occupation and colonization and founded the Non-Aligned Movement. We also assure that AAPSO highly appreciates the role of India and its immortal leader Jawaharlal Nehru in backing the solidarity movement between the peoples of the south in cooperation with the leader Gamal Abdel Nasser who called for organizing the first conference for the peoples’ solidarity in Cairo in December 1957. The outcome of this conference was the establishment of the Afro-Asian Peoples’ Solidarity Organization (AAPSO) which is still being embraced by the Egyptian people in Cairo. As you know, We celebrated its 50th anniversary last year.
The fundamentals set by those leaders along with other leaders from Asia and Africa are still being fit for building the future under these circumstances which witnessed the emergence of new phenomena such as the globalization, the communications revolution, the global dominance of capital and the hegemony of the G8. The human and strategic principles propagated by those leaders in the past are still a beacon of light for the future. The clearest evidence is the global financial crisis which has shaken the concepts introduced by the new liberalism regarding the role of the multinational corporations and the great countries’ monopoly of the economies of the world. The indications of this economic crisis proved to the current capitalism that the economic integration between the haves and have-nots countries could create a state of balance in the elements of production.
I invite my colleagues, the participants in the Conference, to take part in the global symposium which the Permanent Secretariat of AAPSO is arranging for investigating the stimuli and manifestations of the global financial crisis and how to overcome it. It is also intended to discuss how important the real democracy is for stabilizing the good governance which rejects the dictatorship and corruption and emphasizes the human rights which we celebrated the 60th anniversary of its Universal Declaration a few days ago.
I hope that AAPSO will have a significant role in weaving the peoples’ ideas in one mosaic that is capable of achieving social justice, democracy and human rights.
In this regard, I would like to mention the fact that this role can not be performed unless there are effective solidarity committees in all countries of the south. Such committees are required to supply the Permanent Secretariat of AAPSO with permanent delegates, enhance the ties of communication among the committees and convene periodical conferences of AAPSO, a thing which admittedly shrank except through the last two decades.
In this respect, I have to extend my thanks to All India Peace and Solidarity Organization (AIPSO) which has constantly sought to endorse the idea and objectives of solidarity through the Conference it called for organizing in 1988, and through this Conference. We hope that this Conference will be a starting point for AAPSO, especially that there have emerged in Latin America many states that resist the US domination, apply democracy and seek solidarity with the peoples of Asia and Africa.
I should also mention in this context the tragedy of the Palestinian people who is still suffering under the Israeli occupation and the rejection of the various Israeli governments to all the peaceful settlement projects until it became the only people in the world who does not enjoy an independent state. Therefore, I appeal to you to make this issue the focus of the attention of your honourable Congress and of all the solidarity committees allover the world.
In conclusion, I thank you all for your attendance and participation in this Congress and invite you to agree upon the date and venue of the next Congress which I hope it will be in four years from now.
I again extend my thanks to All India Peace and Solidarity Organization (AIPSO) for the kind reception and hospitality.