Online event: The Counter-Summit for Democracy

Our next online event takes place on Sunday 2 April 2023, 11am (US Eastern) / 8am (US Pacific) / 4pm (Britain) / 11pm (China).

Biden‘s attempts to consolidate a ‘democratic’ alliance are part of the escalating US-led New Cold War. Labelling socialist and anti-imperialist states as ‘authoritarian’, the US ruling elite seeks to consolidate a military, economic and political bloc on the basis of its own narrow interests, and to build popular support for its rising hostility towards China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, the DPRK, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Syria, Eritrea, Zimbabwe and other countries in the crosshairs of imperialism.

The US and its allies are seeking to universalize the Western model of so-called liberal democracy. This narrative provides valuable cover for the fundamentally plutocratic nature of neoliberal capitalism, whilst simultaneously asserting that all other models of democracy – such as China‘s whole-process people’s democracy – lack legitimacy.

Held to coincide with Biden‘s Summit for Democracy 2023, this counter-summit will: expose the hegemonic reality behind the US’s talk of a ‘rules-based world order’; explore alternative models of democracy; denounce US-led attempts at ‘decoupling’ and incitement of division; promote an emerging multipolar, multilateral model of international relations; and call for global cooperation to solve the vast problems collectively faced by humanity.

Confirmed speakers

• Vijay Prashad (Executive Director, Tricontinental Institute)
• Seyed Mohammad Marandi (Professor, University of Tehran)
• Luna Oi (Vietnamese blogger and broadcaster)
• Victor Gao (Chair Professor, Soochow University)
• Margaret Kimberley (Executive Editor, Black Agenda Report)
• Lowkey (Musician and activist / Journalist with MintPress News)
• Carlos Ron (Venezuelan vice-minister / President of the Instituto Simón Bolívar)
• Ben Norton (Editor, Geopolitical Economy Report)
• Pawel Wargan (Coordinator of the International Secretariat, Progressive International)
• Ju-Hyun Park (Organizer and writer with the Nodutdol collective)
• Calla Walsh (Co-Chair of the National Network on Cuba)

Organizers

This webinar is jointly organised by Friends of Socialist China and the International Manifesto Group, and is co-sponsored by the following groups:

• Geopolitical Economy Report
• Geopolitical Economy Research Group
• Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War
• Hampton Institute
• Instituto Simón Bolívar
• International Action Center
• La Città Futura
• Nodutdol
• Pivot to Peace
• Peace, Land, and Bread
• Popular Resistance
• Qiao Collective
• Veterans For Peace – China Working Group

Please register and spread the word!