THE RADICAL PARTY
Originally, founded in the late 1880s, after some decades of parliamentary activity, the Italian Radical Party (RP) was re-founded in the 1950s by Marco Pannella, its current leader. Mr. Pannella moved the party from an unstable conservative position to what was considered to be the left wing of the Italian Liberal Party. During the 1970s and 1980s, the RP animated the Civil Rights movement in Italy; divorce and abortion were legalized after two referenda - proposed by Radicals - were won with an overwhelming majority in catholic Italy. The party is a Gandhian nonviolent organization that believes, and applies, nonviolent methods. Fasting, civil disobedience, sit-ins, etc. are the tool used by Radicals to change illiberal laws. In the early 1980s the Radical Party's platform included campaigns against starvation and famine as well as international human and civil rights. After many hunger strikes and public demonstrations around Europe, a number of national Parliaments changed their policies towards the so-c
alled 'Third World' and other developing countries. At the end of the 1980s what was becoming an internationally-oriented political party decided to formally focus its attention, efforts and actions on global policies. In its 1988 Congress, the Radical Party decided to withdraw itself from the European electoral scene and became a transnational organization open to anybody who shared the platform and/or supported its campaigns.
In 1995, as a recognition of its global involvement and proposals, TRP was awarded Category 1 (General) Consultative Status by the United Nations. In this capacity TRP has promoted, supported and followed several issues at the UN in NYC, Geneva and Vienna. The respect of human and civil rights, the universal abolition of the death penalty, the establishment of an International Criminal Court, the use of an International Auxiliary Language, and the revision of the International Convention on drugs were and are on TRP UN Agenda.
For further information and updates on the initiative check out our website: www.radicalparty.org
