(The general motion approved by the Federal Council in Rome from January 2 to January 7, 1990)

(The general motion of the Federal Council which was held in Rome at Hotel Ergife from January 2 to January 7, was approved with 49 votes and 6 abstentions)

The Federal Council of the Radical Party, meeting in Rome at the Hotel Ergife, from January 2 to January 7, 1990, with the participation of democrats from 21 countries in Europe, America and Africa, including amongst others, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, the United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Greece,

OBSERVES that the formation of the first Party, the first organized political entity which is transnational, transparty, federalist, European federalist, environmentalist, liberal-democratic and libertarian, the first party organized democratically by political nonviolence inspired by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, the only imagined and imaginable international association with direct, individual enrolment today in existence, is certainly reaching an advanced and exciting stage in its development;

OBSERVES the possibility, and the consequent civil, moral and political need to gain through this political entity, through this Radical Party, uniqueness, simultaneity, the convergence of its actions and its objectives from the very different and distant national situations, - whether they are those of traditional real democracy, or today undergoing liberation from real socialism, as yesterday from nazi-fascism, or from a single party or the dictatorships of the Third World;

OBSERVES that the events of Central and East Europe have noisily proposed again the evidence of the very close interdependence between the evolution of national situations shifting towards democratic solutions and the civil battles for political and social liberation, the implementation of the right to life and the life of rights, which have been and are taking place internally.

OBSERVES that developments in the Italian situation, especially because of events involving the Italian Communist Party, are more than ever confirming the past and present objectives of the mature Radical struggle in Italy which has been going on for several decades. This is a nonviolent fight for human, civil, and political rights, aiming, through a major reform of full political, federalist and nonviolent democracy, to be rid of that partitocratic regime which today presents features of dramatic, though often unrecognisable violence against justice and the Constitution itself, and at the same time, on the other hand, has seen its own crisis explode.

OBSERVES likewise, that if this party - the PCI (Italian Communist Party) - ought to be able to rely on a broad, tolerant, responsible credit opening, on substantial political aid rather than on money or enrolments (since these are not its main problem) - of all democrats, almost no aware person in Italy seems to be informed of the fact that the Radical Party has already gone as far as it can for years in the same direction, and that today it represents a process and also a precious and delicate mechanism of unity and common, creative action, which is under way in Moscow at the moment as it is in Prague, in Rome as in Ouagadougou, in Croatia as in Portugal. Moreover, this has already, sometimes for years, determined life rather than death, it has brought about liberty and liberation, the consolation of an experienced and ideal solid solidarity operating for whoever is fighting and has fought in solitude, and has incited the major newspapers and western parties to action, and not only in Italy.

OBSERVES that nobody seems to be conscious, at least in Italy, that fifty thousand members throughout the world would be enough, thousands this week, to ensure itself and all of us the life of an extraordinary and anomalous reality, a life which it seems increasingly possible to save, but which needs immediate intervention and assistance. The sickness of the Radical Party is a sickness of democracy and tolerance, a sickness due to the ignorance in which peoples and people are kept. Its effective transnationalization - which has been unveiled to us ourselves at this Federal Council - makes it similar to a sick person who needs to be given blood and oxygen, for the time it takes for the medicine to arrive. Public enrolments themselves constitute a donation of blood and oxygen, of knowledge and of opportunity and civil and political morality, without which the Radical Party, more than any other force, more than the Italian Communist Party, could disappear today. Whoever does not know or understand this, is

blighting his own hopes.

Having observed and stated this, the Federal Council

APPROVES the reports of the First Secretary and the Treasurer, and thanks them because this Federal Council session has shown how successful the Party has been in its progress and in its growth, in spite of the desperate conditions with which it has had to cope in the past few years;

APPROVES the Party's budget, which clearly shows how much its life is conditioned and mortgaged by the absence of democracy and the certainty of justice in Italy;

AFFIRMS the absolute necessity that within the EEC, from the new countries where revolutions for freedom are going on whose force seems to be acquired and to end by again proposing national-democratic models, for the institutional fight for the United States of Europe to becomes a political and social, a democratic and nonviolent battle aimed at:

1) mobilising the European Parliament and wherever possible national governments in order to progress to the programmed and punctual implementation of European Union, on the basis of the project for the new treaty adopted by the European Parliament and known as the Spinelli Project;

2) undertaking immediately every initiative possible for broadcasting information and putting pressure on Governments, parties and public opinion, so that the new democratic Constitutions which are being worked out and adopted, the laws of the new Parliaments or, wherever possible, initiatives for referendums, explicitly forecast and sanction requests to join the European Community, and the promotion of their transformation into a Federation of the United States of Europe;

3) concerning this, to prepare, the first steps of possible transnational nonviolent Gandhian action which could cause the maturing as fast as possible - due, as in India, to the force of initiatives of the people, of democrats, of the oppressed - of the liberation of Europe from the national bureaucracies in power at the moment;

AFFIRMS the importance and urgency that from the "real democracies" of countries ruled or threatened by partitocracies from liberated countries or those undergoing liberation from dictatorships, democratic reforms should be implemented, based on the essential principles of Anglo-Saxon democracy, on uninominal rather than proportional electoral systems, therefore identifying within the Italian front for the fight for an international federalist association, and within the transnational Radical Party, in East and Central Europe, two converging fronts of mobilization to which during the next weeks and months, Radical Party militants throughout the world, should rally; and of those, who, becoming Radical in 1990, will in this way be defending and upholding the democratic values of liberty, justice, tolerance and development;

AFFIRMS that without these reforms and the Radical Party's success in bringing them about, even the absolute priority for the environment which is the essential prerequisite for a policy worthy of our planet and humanity as a whole, the very right to life and the very reason for the life of law and justice would be radically eliminated;

AFFIRMS that in the important antiprohibitionist battle and - today - in particular in the fight against the horror of the drug prohibitionist war, the defeat is at stake of what is increasingly appearing as the third monstrous folly after fascism and real communism, with similar tragic and violent illusions;

COMMITS the First Secretary, the Treasurer, the President and the President of the Radical Party's Federal Council to inform the Federal Council itself and - if possible - the whole party - within the next four weeks, of the evaluations of the concrete proposals which emerged from the work of the Council itself and on the decisions carried out, or, as far as possible in the process of being adopted;

HOPES that the Radical Party will shortly be able to hold a second "Italian" Congress.

To conclude, the Radical Party solemnly urges all Radicals to observe that 1.000 enrolments in two weeks, 5.000 by the end of February, 10.000 by the end of March and 50.000 before the year is over appear to be the absolutely necessary technical conditions indispensable to guarantee our epoch and our society the continuation rather than the disappearance of the Radical Party. Without a collective commitment to assuming responsibility, without the commitment too of celebrities to whom enrolment signifies the force of scandalous truth and good will, in the present situation where awareness, information, democracy, the certainty of justice and the equality of rights are totally lacking, this hope would certainly be suffocated and those themselves who know, would effectively choose to annihilate, to eliminate this Party and this hope.

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Political initiatives for 1990: Recommendations approved by the Federal Council, Rome, January 2 - January 7, 1990

(The recommendation presented by Maurizio Turco and received by the presidency of the Federal Council held in Rome from January 2 to January 7, 1990, asks the Federal organs of the Radical Party to verify the possibility of implementing the proposals which emerged from the debate.

The Radical Party's Federal Council, meeting in Rome from January 2 to January 7, 1990, draws the attention of the federal organs and Radical members to the following proposals which have emerged from the debate:

1 - to examine the possibility of holding a convention on "Nationality, Transnationality, and Federalism" to be held in Lithuania or Yugoslavia;

2 - to examine the possibility of organizing an assembly of the Radical Party on rights and democracy in the East European countries, with particular reference to the electoral system, to be held preferably in Prague;

3 - to examine the possibility of holding a referendum for Hungary's admission to the United States of Europe as a first initiative to affirm the policy of the United States of Europe in East Europe;

4 - to examine the possibility of organizing a "freedom bus" from Paris to Amsterdam, with the aim of drawing attention to the need for a supra-national drug antiprohibitionist policy;

5 - to examine the possibilty of organizing, together with LIA and the Drug Policy Foundation, an antiprohibitionist convention in a Latin American country, in one of the regions most involved in the drug war;

6 - to examine the possibility of holding an anti-nuclear convention in Poland, a country which is planning to build its first nuclear plant;

7 - to examine the possibility of convening a Radical congress on the situation in Italy;

8 - takes note of the initiative which the Radical Gandhian Association "Gruppo Satyagraha" has announced with its seminar on the political instruments of active nonviolence, and the subsequent publication financed by the organization.

9 - examines the possibility of promoting Radical antiprohibitionist associations on a national scale (like CORA in Italy), especially in East European countries.

10 - to examine the possibility of holding an antiprohibitionist assembly in Moscow, during the visit of Arnold Trebach who will be speaking to the USSR Academy of Sciences.

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Federalism: Motion presented at the Federal council of Rome, 2-7 january 1990

(The motion presented by Anna Niedzwiecka, Marek Krokowski, Ferenc Parcz, Feliz Karman, John Bok, Orna Csillag, Valentin Streltsor, Nikolaj Khramov and Daniel Vetrovski to the Federal Council meeting in Rome from January 2 to January 7, 1990, was accepted as a declaration with 53 votes and one abstention)

The future risks challenging democracy. Democracy is not only set in motion by parliamentary institutions, but also by society. Its basic principle is the defence of minorities. Democracy does not exist by itself - it cannot be limited to a single group or country - it is a transnational issue which cannot be halted by any frontier.

Europe needs - transnational - democracy which relies on the principle of the volontary and egalitarian federalism of various groups and societies. Each of them must negotiate separately the conditions of its own participation in the Federation. This does not mean only the Italians, Belgians, Hungarians, Portuguese or Polish, but also the Lithuanians, the Ukrainians, and all the other European peoples. The necessary condition to institute this European Federation is the immediate implementation of full economic, cultural, social and political freedom for each individual.

Federalism should not be understood as a federation of States but rather as a federation of peoples.

This is the only true definition of federalism.

Europe must solve its own problems within the transnational and trans-state dimension, starting with equal rights for everyone. This is the only way we shall be able to solve the current problems of the world in the future.

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Drugs: Special motion presented to the Federal Council, Rome, January 2 - 7, 1990.

(The special motion, presented at the Federal Council in Rome from January 2 - 7, 1990 by Giulio Manfredi, Luis Mendao and Salvatore Samperi, was approved as a recommendation)

The Radical Party's Federal Council, meeting in Rome from January 2 to January 7, 1990

- points out and declares that, while in Central and East Europe numerous States are rediscovering political democracy through convulsive processes which often cause bloodshed though they are are glorious, one of the western democracies, the United States of America, instead of playing the role of a model and a reference point, has violated the rules of international justice, invading the State of Panama thereby causing the death of thousands of harmless citizens and removing the Dictator Antonio Noriega from the country's judicial processes,

- likewise points out and declares that in such an emergency, the Catholic Church has renounced its intransigent defence of the secular right of sanctuary, putting the reasons of Caesar before those of principle which are far more in accordance with its international role and the values it has professed,

- finally points out and declares the danger that the events in Panama indicate the start of an interventionist escalation by the the United States in Central and South America, justified by the "drug war",

The Federal Council

- reaffirms that the only just, nonviolent and legal response able to oppose and to put an end to both the criminal drug trade and those violations of international and internal justice perpetrated in the name of the so-called "drug war" (a war sanctified by the implicit support of the Catholic hierarchies) is the antiprohibitionist policy, to be affirmed by means of the transnational Radical Party,

- addresses an urgent appeal to the men and women of the American continent to enable them, by enrolment in the Radical Party, to make a civil response to the prohibitionist atrocity, just as other men and women in East Europe have been able to fight as Radicals against the Stalinist actrocities and are now making preparations, as Radicals, to create free and democratic institutions.

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Expulsion from Czechoslovakia: Recommendation presented to the Federal Council in Rome, January 2 - January 7, 1990.

(The recommendation presented by Lucio Berté and acclaimed by the Federal Council, requires the Czech authorities to repeal the life expulsion of nineteen militant Radicals who demonstrated in Prague in August 1988)

Joyfully welcoming the new way to freedom and democracy which has been opened up in Czechoslovakia by a great, popular, nonviolent movement, the Federal Council of the Radical Party

invites

Vaclav Havel, President of the Republic

Alexander Dubcek, President of Parliament

Marian Cialfa, President of the Council of Ministers

to do everything in their power for the repeal of the measure requiring the life expulsion from Czechoslovakian territory of militants of the transnational Radical Party who, in August 1988 were involved in a demonstration which lasted several days, for the restoration of freedom, democracy and the civil rights of the Czechoslovakian people, for the release of political prisoners, for the withdrawal of the Soviet troops from Czechoslovakian territory, in memory of Jan Palach. For these nonviolent actions the Radical Party was accused by the Government spokesman of being responsible for organizing the large-scale demonstration in Prague on August 20, 1988.

The following militants were expelled: Antonio Lali, Antonia Brown, Vincenzo Donvito, Paola Caravaggi, Giuseppe Lorenzi, Giovanni Negri, Oliviero Noventa, Massimo Lensi, Andrea Tamburi, Monica Cozzi, Gabriele Pace, Lucio Berté, Begona Rodriguez, Jean-Luc Robert, Maddalena Antona Traversi, Juan Arias, Georges Van Gassen, Massimo Fraticelli, Alas Sirad.

The Federal Council of the transnational Radical Party, asks Havel, Dubcek, and Cialfa for the abrogation of those regulations permitting the measure of expulsion, in order to affirm the principle of the free circulation of individuals and the freedom to demonstrate their thoughts anywhere.

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Referendum on Hungary's entry to the European Common Market. Motion presented at the Federal Council, Rome, January 2 - January 7, 1990.

(The motion presented by Olivier Dupuis, Paolo Ghersina, Lorenzo Strik Lievers and Maurizio Turco, was accepted by the Federal Council as a recommendation).

The Federal Council of the Radical Party, meeting in Rome from January 2 to January 7, 1990,

HAVING POINTED OUT the sheer inadequacy of the political prospects offered by the western European countries in general and by the European Community in particular to the countries of Central and East Europe who are returning to political democracy,

STRESSES likewise the absolute need to proceed to the federalist and democratic reconstruction of the European continent, to both avoid the concrete risks of a new "Balkanization", and to have an adquate answer to the great world challenges of our time,

CONSIDERING the major political significance of the growing consensus to the argument for joining the European Community which is occurring in practically all the East and Central European countries,

CONSIDERS, moreover, the instrument of the European Community to be totally insufficient to respond to such needs and in many ways a threat to the real development of European democracy,

MAINTAINS the necessity, for this reason, not only to support but also to promote all those initiatives from these countries which could lead to the "European Constituent" for the Free United States of Europe;

IDENTIFIES in particular, in a possible initative for a referendum in Hungary on this subject, a first decisive impulse on the way to another European foundation based on federalism and democracy, which would immediately involve Prague as Rome, Belgrade as Paris, Warsaw as Berlin, and which would offer an example and a meeting point for debates on the national issue in the USSR;

ADDRESSES AN URGENT APPEAL for this purpose to all the Hungarian parties, of the opposition as of the Government, to adopt this referendum campaign over the next few hours and days thus giving substance to the great federalist and democratic hopes.

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Conscientious objection in the USSR: special motion approved by the Federal Council in Rome from January 2 to January 7, 1990,

(The special motion presented by Antonio Stango and Nikolaj Khramov and approved by the Federal Council which took place in Rome from January 2 to January 7, 1990, with 53 votes in its favour and one abstention, addresses the Supreme Soviet of the USSR requesting the approval of a law to recognize the right of conscientious objection to military service)

The Federal Council of the transnational Radical Party, meeting in Rome from January 2 to January 7, is addressing an appeal to the Soviet Supreme of the USSR as well as to any other institutionally competent Soviet authority, that a law may be approved without delay recognizing the right of conscientious objection to military service in the Soviet Union and establishing an alternative civilian service. Recognition of such a right and the consequent institution of civilian service as a substitute, for those who are prevented by their own conscience from doing military service, is a real and urgent need, and all the more so considering that in the USSR dozens of people have already been sentenced to prison for refusing conscription. We emphasize likewise, that civilian service must be effectively such and for the public good. It should not come under military control, nor should it be treated as a punishment, with a longer duration than that of military service.

We appeal to the Soviet authorities for the immediate release of those conscientious objectors sentenced to imprisonment for their refusal to serve in the Soviet army, such as our comrade Oleg Gorshenin from Orsk, Sverdlovsck, a member of the Radical Party, without waiting for approval of the law instituting an alternative civilian service. We are also asking that further arrests should not be made, to the detriment of those who have already announced their refusal to serve in the army because of their personal convictions, such as Serghej Polosov, Radical militant from Leningrad.

We are convinced that in the Soviet U nion it will be impossible to organize real democracy without due respect and legal recognition of the freedom of conscience and the right to refuse military service, a right which is sanctioned by Resolution no. L73 of the Commission for the Rights of Man, and by the European Parliament.

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Romania: Special motion presented at the Federal Council of Rome - January 2 to January 7, 1990

(This special motion, presented by Antonio Stango, Nikolaj Khramov and Violet Barascu was approved by the Federal Council Assembly by 53 votes and one abstention)

The Federal Council of the RADICAL PARTY, meeting in Rome from January 2 to January 7, 1990,

CONSIDERING the present situation in Romania, a country which is currently living under military occupation and where the turmoil of political and social transformation is at the moment passing through a phase of great difficulty - and at the same time - of great hope;

CONSIDERING the urgent need in Europe to lay the foundations for a new federalism, through effectively overcoming totalitarianism and the havoc it leaves in its wake;

CONSIDERING the opportunity to contribute to the fight for democracy underway at the moment in the Soviet Union in particular, where hundreds of Radical members and sympathizers are operating in conditions which are still those of a single party regime, with the repression of independant activities and very serious hindrance to the free circulation of individual persons;

INVITES

The First Secretary and the Treasurer, together with the President of the Party and the President of the Federal Council, to work to ensure:

a) The Radical Party's immediate presence in Romania, to nourish the very life of the party of that experience, and to contribute to the debate which has dramatically opened in the country both with the contribution of Radical methodology and through the transnational, federalist and nonviolent proposal;

b) the preparation of a seminar on federalism (also as a response to the crumbling of the Soviet empire), to be held within the next few months, probably in Lithuania;

c) the launching of a transnational campaign for the release of Serghej Kuznetzov (the free-lance journalist sentenced in the USSR in November 1989 to three and a half years in a lager for his criticism of the KGB), and for whose sake Andreij Sacharov made his very last appeal;

d) the preparation of a day of transnational mobilization next spring for the recognition of conscientious objection and civilian service in the Soviet Union.