From July 31 to August 5, 2022, the Socialist Equality Party (US) held its Seventh National Congress. The Congress took place amidst an escalating US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine, the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, a growing political crisis within the United States, and the eruption working-class struggles internationally.
The Congress began with a tribute to Wije Dias, long-time general secretary of the SEP (Sri Lanka), who passed away on July 27. Reposted below is a statement by the International Committee of the Fourth International published on the eve of the Congress.
The Congress adopted unanimously a series of resolutions, published below, on the most essential political issues confronting the working class. There were detailed reports on each of these resolutions, which we will publish in the coming days. The Congress also received greetings from leading members of the ICFI, which will also be published on this page.
The Congress elected a new National Committee, the leading body of the party. David North was reelected as national chairman. The incoming National Committee reelected Joseph Kishore as national secretary, Lawrence Porter as assistant national secretary, and Barry Grey as World Socialist Web Site national editor.
Comrade Wije Dias is a monumental figure in the fight for Trotskyism in Sri Lanka. His life and legacy now enter into the history of the struggle for socialism. They will serve to inspire, but even more importantly to politically orient workers and young people in what will and must prove to be the decade of world socialist revolution.
The following is the tribute delivered online by David North, chairman of the Socialist Equality Party (US), at the funeral of Sri Lankan SEP chairman Wije Dias held in Colombo on Saturday July 30. Comrade Dias died at home on July 27 of a heart attack just one month short of his 81st birthday.
The two alternatives posed before mankind are either unending mass infection, debilitation and death, or the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism and implementation of a policy of global elimination, to end all human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
The Socialist Equality Party denounces and condemns the imperialist proxy war in Ukraine instigated by the US and its NATO allies. The United States and NATO are not responding to an unprovoked act of Russian aggression. Nor are they defending democracy in Ukraine, whose neo-Nazi-infested regime ranks among the most corrupt in the world.
Donald Trump’s attempted coup of January 6, 2021 was an irreversible turning point in the breakdown of American democracy. The sitting US president led a vast conspiracy involving the leadership of the Republican Party and substantial sections of the military, police and intelligence apparatus to overthrow the 2020 election and keep himself in power as president-dictator.
The Socialist Equality Party resolves to actively and systematically build the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), the democratic organ of international working-class struggle in the 21st century.
This report was given by Evan Blake to the Seventh Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (US) in support of the resolution titled “The COVID-19 pandemic and the fight for socialism.”
This report was given by Eric London to the Seventh Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (US) in support of the resolution titled “Build the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees! For a global counteroffensive of the working class!”
The following is a report given by Andre Damon to the Seventh Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (US) in support of the resolution titled “Mobilize the working class against imperialist war!”
This report was given by Clara Weiss to the Seventh Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (US) in support of the resolution, “Mobilize the working class against imperialist war!”
These remarks were delivered by Christoph Vandreier to the Seventh National Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (US). Vandreier is the chairman of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP), the German section of the International Committee of the Fourth International.
These remarks were delivered by Chris Marsden, the national secretary of the Socialist Equality Party (UK), to the Seventh National Congress of the SEP (US), held from July 31 to August 5, 2022.
These remarks were delivered by Tomas Castanheira, a leading member of the the Socialist Equality Group in Brazil, to the Seventh National Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (US), held from July 31 to August 5, 2022.
These remarks were delivered by Keith Jones, the national secretary of the Socialist Equality Party (Canada), to the Seventh National Congress of the SEP (US), held from July 31 to August 5, 2022.
