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Revolutionary Communist International

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The Revolutionary Communist International (RCI) is a Trotskyist political international. It was founded as the Committee for a Marxist International by British-based South African political theorist Ted Grant and his supporters after they broke with the Committee for a Workers' International in 1992, and was subsequently renamed the International Marxist Tendency (IMT) in 2004 before adopting its current name in June 2024. The organization's website, Marxist.com or In Defence of Marxism, is edited by Alan Woods. The site is multilingual, and publishes international current affairs articles written from a Marxist perspective, as well as many historical and theoretical articles.

Revolutionary Communist International
AbbreviationRCI
LeaderAlan Woods
FounderTed Grant (of CMI/IMT)
Founded1992 (as Committee for a Marxist International)
Split fromCommittee for a Workers' International
Ideology
Political positionFar-left
Colors  Red
Website
www.marxist.com

The international maintains a list of claimed national sections on its website.

History

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See also: Militant tendency

Militant (also known as the Militant tendency) was an entryist group within the British Labour Party based around the Militant newspaper that was founded in 1964. In 1974, Militant and its allies in Sweden, Ireland, and other countries formed the Committee for a Workers' International. The organisation gained more members during the 1970s and early 1980s and dominated the Labour Party in Liverpool. It became the largest Trotskyist group in Europe. In 1983, the five members of the Militant newspaper's editorial board were expelled for contravening the Labour Party constitution and expulsions of Militant members continued throughout the rest of the decade.[1][2][3] Ted Grant was a longtime leader of Militant until it split in early 1992 over a number of issues and he was expelled. But he and his supporters were expelled from the tendency and formed Socialist Appeal in Britain.[4]

 
Flag of the International Marxist Tendency

At its World Congress in 2004, the organisation was renamed the International Marxist Tendency (IMT).[5]

 
Logo of the International Marxist Tendency

In late 2009 a dispute developed between the IMT leadership and the leaderships of its sections in Spain (El Militante), Venezuela (Corriente Marxista Revolucionaria) and Mexico. In January 2010, these organisations, together with the group in Colombia and part of the section in Mexico, broke with the IMT and established a new international body, the Izquierda Revolucionaria (Revolutionary Left).[6][7] Minorities in Venezuela and Spain chose to remain with the IMT and set up new sections.[8] The new IMT Venezuelan section launched their newspaper, Lucha de Clases, in April 2010.[9] In the same year, another smaller split occurred. The majority of the Swedish section, factions in Poland and Britain and individuals from several other sections left the IMT to form a new group called Towards a New International Tendency.[10] The Iranian section of the IMT also split away over the international's position on Venezuela's friendly relations with the Iranian government and in 2011 launched Marxist Revival.[11]

As part of a wider reorganisation of its sections, the International Marxist Tendency renamed itself the Revolutionary Communist International in June 2024. The British, Swiss, Canadian, Swedish and U.S. Sections of the international all relaunched themselves as the revolutionary communist parties of their respective countries with multiple other sections planning to do the same. The launching of these parties coincidences with many organizational and strategical changes, notably including a break with entryism on their part.[12][13][14]

In 2024, two former members of the Swedish section of the international, Revolutionära kommunistiska partiet (RKP), made various allegations in the newspaper ETC, including that they had been sexually abused by a member of the party's executive committee. The former members also accused the party of encouraging them to "give away their savings, distance themselves from their families, drop out of education and engage in sexual relationships with older party comrades."[15] A Malmö-based publication, Magasinet Konkret, while critical of the RKP, noted that the alleged abuser was asked to resign, while the party denied the other claims. Magasinet Konkret also disagreed with some of the characterisations made in the ETC report, such as the RKP having internal disciplinary processes being unusual for a political organisation, as well as noting the lack of substantiation of some of the more serious allegations.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Who, What, Why: What was Militant?". BBC News. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  2. ^ Wintour, Patrick (16 July 2014). "Labour Picks Fight With Militant Tendency". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Kinnock Moves Against Militant". BBC News. 27 November 1985. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  4. ^ Wade, Bob (27 July 2006). "Obituary: Ted Grant". The Guardian.
  5. ^ "Conference of the international Marxist tendency: An historic meeting". In Defence of Marxism. 10 September 2004. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Oil-slick divisions". Weekly Worker. No. 804. CPGB PCC. 11 February 2010. Archived from the original on 12 June 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
  7. ^ "Revolutionary Marxist Current". Archived from the original on 10 February 2010. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  8. ^ "Corriente Marxista Internacional – Venezuela". Lucha de Clases. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  9. ^ "New Venezuelan IMT website and paper launched". In Defence of Marxism. 12 April 2010.
  10. ^ "Towards A New International Tendency". Tanit.co. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  11. ^ "Committee for Marxist Revival". Marxist Revival. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  12. ^ Switzerland, RKP/PCR-IMT in (29 May 2024). "Switzerland: founding congress of the Revolutionary Communist Party – communism is back!". In Defence of Marxism. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  13. ^ board, The Communist editorial (15 May 2024). "Britain: the launch of the Revolutionary Communist Party – a historic step". In Defence of Marxism. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  14. ^ Party (Sweden), Revolutionary Communist (1 May 2024). "Sweden: the Revolutionary Communist Party has arrived!". In Defence of Marxism. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Kommunistparti med egen domstol mörkar sexuella övergrepp: "Genuint farlig grupp"". Dagens ETC (in Swedish). 26 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  16. ^ Bergmark, Stefan (11 August 2024). "Vänstercirkusen: Låt högern behålla sin kommunistskräck". Magasinet Konkret. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
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