Brussels, 5 November 1995

Dear friend,

as we write,

mayors around Europe are beginning to give their support to our "Freedom for Tibet" appeal. Rome, Sarajevo, Krakov, Poznan, Turin, Foggia, Varese, Carpentras, Evry... And we are working as hard as we can to ensure that as many cities as possible fly the Tibetan flag from their town halls on 10 March 1996, so that it will be seen all over the world as a day of concrete solidarity with the Tibetan people and their cause.

Meanwhile, together with our Tibetan friends, the pro-Tibet Committees, and the Tibet intergroup in the European Parliament, we are finalizing the details of the great European event planned to take place on 10 March 1996 in Brussels: a march from the European Parliament to the Chinese Embassy in the European Union.

As we write,

deputies in the Russian and Italian parliaments have presented a motion condemning the invasion and occupation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China. A few days ago a similar motion was approved in Luxembourg, while another motion on the same subject is under preparation in France. The model for these motions was drawn up by the Radical Party and sent to over 25 parliaments. "On the same day, at the same time, in many parliaments around the world" is not just a slogan, but a form of action that we have used repeatedly since we set out, eight years ago, on the path to the construction of the first direct-membership, transnational and transdivisional party.

As we write,

a Radical Party delegation has just returned from a trip to Cuba, where it was able to meet the wife of Francisco Chiavano and dozens of dissidents. So far, fourteen of them have joined the party for 1996. Together with Radical members in Cuba and groups of Cuban exiles in Miami, we are fighting for the release of Francisco Chaviano, who was sentenced to fifteen years in prison by a Cuban military tribunal, and has been held in the Punta del Este prison near Havana for the last year. At the same time, by fighting for the release of Francisco Chaviano, we are also fighting for the release of all political prisoners in Cuba, and for democracy in Cuba.

As we write,

in New York (where, as you know, we can take action within the United Nations thanks to the 1st Category NGO status we received a few months ago) and in our other offices, we are working to ensure that the Foreign Ministries of many countries press the United Nations to establish the Permanent International Criminal Court, the first permanent instrument of international justice, and also a concrete deterrent against conflicts.

As we write,

together with our friends in the Radical Esperanto Association, we are gathering the support of members of the European Parliament in favour of an appeal for linguistic democracy and for the commencement of a study on the establishment of a European federal language. An issue - linguistic democracy and communication - which no-one addresses, which no-one speaks about.

As we write,

a conference on the question of the death penalty in Moslem and Arab culture has just ended in Tunisi. In the Ukraine, on the initiative of the new Minister of Justice Sergei Golovatyi, a member of the Radical Party, a moratorium on capital executions has been introduced. With our friends from "Hands Off Cain", we are working around the world to ensure that at least ten countries present a resolution for the institution of a universal moratorium on the death penalty for discussion in the next session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (1996).

As we write,

the French and English editions of the economy paperback "Stop Prohibitionism" are about to be published - essential material for the relaunch in national parliaments of our campaign for the denouncement of the international conventions on drugs.

As we write,

we are working every day, as you can see, in Brussels, Rome, New York, Moscow, Budapest and in our other offices, to give concrete life to the ideas that inspired us (and you) seven, ten or fifteen years ago, when we commenced our first great transnational battles, against famine in the world, against nuclear energy (even those countries that have closed nuclear power stations continue to receive supplies from countries that still produce nuclear energy), in favour of European federalism (there is still no European foreign policy, no European security policy, no real governing body for the European economy, for the environment, for the life of European citizens...).

As we write,

we are still having to struggle against our debts which, although the situation has improved since the last Congress, still amount to about $1,500,000. We are still having to struggle every day with our lack of funds, which forces us to postpone other essential initiatives, such as the distribution to a large number of European mayors of the request to take part in the "A Flag for Tibet" campaign, or the promotion of our campaign for the establishment of the Permanent International Criminal Court in the "International Herald Tribune".

As we write,

the first enrolments for 1996 are beginning to arrive. Already over 200 from Italy. But also from our Tibetan friends. From Cuban dissidents, in prison or on temporary release. From people all over the world who are fighting for their freedom (and therefore for our freedom).

As we write,

we invite you to go to see your mayor, to urge him or her to join the "Freedom for Tibet" campaign and make a contribution to this campaign;

we invite you to send the attached postcard to Fidel Castro, asking for the release of Francisco Chaviano and other political prisoners in Cuba;

we invite you to join the 1996 Radical Party and become, once again, a fundamental part of the party.

Danilo QUINTO Olivier DUPUIS

(Treasurer) (Secretary)

P.S.1. methods of enrolment

P.S.2. translation of the postcard to Fidel Castro:

Dear President,

the fall of the Iron Curtain has allowed your country, too, to develop a new relationship with the whole world. However, for reasons which are not the issue of this letter, your country has still not managed to overcome the profound crisis that makes dialogue difficult. A crisis, above all, of liberty and democracy.

Thousands of political prisoners continue to rot in Cuban prisons, and social, civil, political and economic life is stifled. The international conventions that Cuba has signed, and Cuba's laws and Constitution, are not applied.

Before it is too late, before history sees the failure of the liberation of Cuba, there is a need for courageous decisions, for the implementation of indispensable reforms. It is necessary, dear President, for you to give the world the signal it is waiting for.

Yours faithfully,

(Signature)

Name(s) ..........

Surname ..........

Address ..........