- Socialist International
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Socialist International
Socialist International logoAbbreviation SI Formation June 3, 1951 Type Federation Purpose/focus World federation of socialist political parties Location London, England, U.K. Region served Worldwide Membership 115 President George Papandreou Main organ Congress of the Socialist International Budget USD $1.7 million (€1 million) (2008) Website http://www.socialistinternational.org The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.
Contents
History
The Second International, the original Socialist International which was formed in 1889 and dissolved during World War I in 1916 and the Labour and Socialist International which dissolved itself in 1940 with the rise of Nazism and the start of World War II, constituted some of the same parties that would later form the modern Socialist International. Among the Second International's most famous actions were its 1889 declaration of 1 May as International Workers Day and its 1910 declaration of 8 March as International Women's Day.
While the Second International was split by the outbreak of World War I, a skeleton form survived through the International Socialist Commission. The International re-formed in 1923 (as the Labour and Socialist International), and was reconstituted again, in its present form, after World War II (during which many social democratic and socialist parties had been suppressed in Nazi-occupied Europe).
During the post-World War II period, the SI aided social democratic parties in re-establishing themselves when dictatorship gave way to democracy in Portugal (1974) and Spain (1975). Until its 1976 Geneva Congress, the Socialist International had few members outside Europe and no formal involvement with Latin America.[1] In the 1980s, most SI parties gave their backing to the Nicaraguan Sandinistas (FSLN), whose left-wing government had incited enmity from the United States.
Since then, the SI has admitted as member-parties not only the FSLN but also the centre-left Puerto Rican Independence Party, as well as the ex-Communist parties such as the Italian Democrats of the Left (Democratici di Sinistra (DS)) and the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO). Following the January 2011 uprising in Tunisia, the Constitutional Democratic Rally was expelled from the SI.[2] Later that month, the Egyptian National Democratic Party was also expelled.[3] As a result of the 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis, the Ivorian Popular Front was expelled in March.[4] However, according to section 5.1.3 of the statutes of the Socialist International, an expulsion requires a decision of Congress by a majority of two-thirds.[5]
The Party of European Socialists, a European political party active in the European Parliament, is an associated organisation of the Socialist International.
The current Secretary General of the Socialist International is Luis Ayala (Chile), who has held the post since 1989.
Presidents
- Morgan Phillips 1951-1957
- Alsing Andersen 1957-1962
- Erich Ollenhauer 1963
- Bruno Pittermann 1964-1976
- Willy Brandt 1976-1992
- Pierre Mauroy 1992-1999
- António Guterres 1999-2005
- George Papandreou 2006–present
Honorary Presidents
- Pierre Mauroy
- Ruben Berrios Martinez
- Philippe Busquin
- Alan García
- Anita Gradin
- Elazar Granot
- Anker Jørgensen
- Neil Kinnock
- Enrique Silva Cimma
- Mário Soares
- Hans-Jochen Vogel
Summits
- Frankfurt 1951
- Milan 1952
- Stockholm 1953
- London 1955
- Vienna 1957
- Hamburg 1959
- Rome 1961
- Amsterdam 1963
- Brussels 1964
- Stockholm 1966
- Eastbourne 1969
- Vienna 1972
- Geneva 1976
- Vancouver 1978
- Madrid 1980
- Albufeira 1983
- Lima 1986
- Stockholm 1989
- Berlin 1992
- New York 1996
- Paris 1999
- São Paulo 2003
- Athens 2008
Member parties
Consultative parties
- Antigua and Barbuda - Antigua Labour Party
- Azerbaijan - Social Democratic Party
- Belarus - Belarusian Social Democratic Party (People's Assembly)
- Northern Cyprus - Republican Turkish Party
- Gabon - Gabonese Progress Party
- Gambia - United Democratic Party (candidate)
- Guinea-Bissau - African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde
- Iran - Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan
- Kazakhstan - Azat (candidate)
- Paraguay - Progressive Democratic Party
- Philippines - Akbayan Citizens' Action Party
- Russia - A Just Russia
- Timor-Leste - Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor
- Togo - Democratic Convention of African Peoples
- Ukraine - Socialist Party of Ukraine
- Ukraine - Social Democratic Party of Ukraine
- Venezuela - For Social Democracy
- Yemen - Yemeni Socialist Party
Observer parties
- Albania - Social Democratic Party of Albania
- Barbados - Barbados Labour Party
- Botswana - Botswana National Front
- Bulgaria - Bulgarian Social Democracy
- Burkina Faso - Party for Democracy and Progress / Socialist Party
- Burundi - Front for Democracy in Burundi
- Central African Republic - Patriotic Front for Progress
- Central African Republic - Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People
- Colombia - Alternative Democratic Pole
- Democratic Republic of the Congo - Union for Democracy and Social Progress
- Dominica - Dominica Labour Party
- Greenland - Forward
- Guinea - Rally of the Guinean People
- Haiti - Struggling People's Organization
- Israel - Israeli Labor Party
- Jamaica - People's National Party
- Kenya - Labour Party of Kenya (candidate)
- Kyrgyzstan - Ata Meken Socialist Party
- Latvia - Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party
- Macedonia - Social Democratic Union of Macedonia
- Malta - Labour Party
- Namibia - Congress of Democrats
- New Zealand - New Zealand Labour Party
- Palestinian territories - Palestinian National Initiative
- Philippines - Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas
- Poland - Labour Union
- Saint Kitts and Nevis - Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party
- Saint Lucia - Saint Lucia Labour Party
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - Unity Labour Party
- Slovenia - Social Democrats
- Tunisia - Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties
- Turkey - Peace and Democracy Party
- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic - Polisario Front
Fraternal organisations
- International Falcon Movement - Socialist Educational International
- International Union of Socialist Youth
- Socialist International Women
Associated organisations
- International Federation of the Socialist and Democratic Press
- International Labour Sports Confederation
- International League of Religious Socialists
- International Social Democratic Union for Education
- International Jewish Labor Bund
- National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (United States of America)
- Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
- Party of European Socialists
- Social Democratic Group of the Latin American Parliament
- World Labour Zionist Movement[8]
See also
- African Socialist International
- PARLATINO
- International Workingmen's Association ("First International")
- International Working Union of Socialist Parties ("Second and a half international"/"Two-and-a-half International")
- Section Française de l'Internationale Ouvrière (SFIO, the French section of the Second International)
- Reformism
- Social democracy
- Third way
- The Internationale
References
- ^ The Dictionary of Contemporary Politics of South America, Routledge, 1989
- ^ "SI decision on Tunisia". Socialist International. doi:17 January 2011. http://www.socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticleID=2085. Retrieved 19 January 2011. "A decision has been taken by the President together with the Secretary General, in accordance with the statutes of the Socialist International, to cease the membership of the Constitutional Democratic Assembly (RCD) of Tunisia. This decision, in extraordinary circumstances, reflects the values and principles which define our movement and the position of the International on developments in that country."
- ^ Ayala, Luis (31 January 2011). "Letter sent to the National Democratic Party of Egypt regarding the situation in that country and their membership in the Socialist International.". Socialist International. http://www.socialistinternational.org/images/dynamicImages/files/Letter%20NDP.pdf. Retrieved 6 February 2011. "...we consider that a party in government that does not listen, that does not move and that does not immediately initiate a process of meaningful change in these circumstances, cannot be a member of the Socialist International. We are, as of today, ceasing the membership of the NDP, however we remain determined to cooperate with all the democrats in Egypt striving to achieve an open, democratic, inclusive and secular state."
- ^ SI Presidium addresses situation in Côte d'Ivoire
- ^ "SI Statutes". Socialist International. doi:5 February 2011. http://www.socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticleID=27. Retrieved 5 February 2011. "Decisions to expel parties and organisations from membership may be taken only by the Congress by a majority of two-thirds of parties voting."
- ^ http://socialistinternational.org/viewArticle.cfm?ArticlePageID=931
- ^ "Vänsterseger i Danmark – med lång startsträcka". Dagens Nyheter. 16 September 2011. http://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/vansterseger-i-danmark-med-lang-startstracka. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ Member Parties of the Socialist International, www.socialistinternational.org. Retrieved on 27 Sep 2011.
External links
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Historical Categories:- Socialist International
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