W h o
A r e W e?
The
Left is a network of individual members of the European Left Party resident in
and who complete the application
form and return it with 30 euros (18 euros concession) for a years membership,
to the
individual
members. EL individual members
resident in
member discussion list on
request. Members are also eligible
to participate in any Working Groups of the EL.
The
Left stands for the vision contained in the manifesto of
the European Left and organises in line with the Statute
adopted at the Founding Congress in Rome in 2004.
The
Left stands firmly on the side of democratic social reform and supports the
development of a progressive society organised in line with democratic left
principles and
policies. Such a society will be developed by the
progressive social forces that come from red, green, purple, yellow and other
traditions and will be advanced by
women and men from all social
groups. A democratic left society
will value all citizens and will establish the principle that the commonwealth
of society must be
distributed fairly and
justly.
The
red tradition has a key role to play in the development of such a society. The lessons of our many years of
experience, our successes, our triumphs and our failures
have taught us that we must play a
role that is open and democratic in forging and assisting the movements,
networks and alliances required to transform capitalism.
The
Left rejects any notion of political advancement that seeks to deny the human
rights of citizens for any reason.
The Left supports a regulated social framework in
which individuals can develop and
grow as people within an environmentally sustainable economy and society.
The
Left believes that progressive individuals from all classes, races, and genders
must be represented within the democratic
structures of the
network. Society cannot be transformed if the groups within society are not
transformed. The goal is the
advancement of those
left ideas that will ensure a more egalitarian and supportive society to
develop. To be part of The Left
is to be democratic and
progressive, part of a tradition that in its various forms over the centuries
has endorsed a position
supportive of the
needs and welfare of the dispossessed, the downtrodden and the ordinary
citizens going about their day to day lives.
To
be part of The Left is to seek the change democratically and through direct
action that will transform lives by providing support
and encouragement to develop
ideas and practices that are collective, co-operative, and progressive in
nature.
The
Left supports
supports the
European Left as a democratic left political space for those parties and
individuals representing a democratic red political tradition independent of
social
democracy on the one
hand and Stalinism on the other hand.
The Left supports the development of relationships of red, green,
purple, yellow and other progressive
orientated parties to ensure
firstly a majority for broad progressive ideas and ideally for a majority of
democratic left ideas, but in this process believes in the independence
of the democratic red political
space. The Left supports the
European Left Party sitting as a party in its own right within the Parliaments
building its alliances and coalitions
on issues as required.
The
Left rejects the conservative consensus that is neo-liberalism which is
supported across
goal
of The Left to persuade all political forces to adopt a progressive outlook and
to support policies that advance the interests of the ordinary people rather
than the
interests of
conservative elites. Thus The Left
aims to build a future progressive hegemony to replace the policies of the
conservative corporations and their allies which
hold sway today.
The
Left recognises the many traditions that make up the democratic red political
space. The ideas contained in
democratic left versions of
socialism, euro-communism, feminism, environmentalism, liberalism,
radicalism, and other philosophies have influenced many of the individuals who
will come together in The
Left. The network beyond the
Statute and Manifesto of the European left Party does not specifically
subscribe to any
particular tradition
or philosophy other than those of the broad democratic left. The network is a political home for all
those of a democratic left tradition
or
viewpoint who wish to work together through the European Left Party to ensure
that not only is another Europe possible but that another progressive,
democratic, social
The
Left - London 2007
