The seminar was opened by Harchand Singh, general secretary of WFDY, who pointed to the hypocrisy of the U.S. government, "which has aided the Contras (in their war against the Nicaraguan revolution in the 1980s) and anti-Cuban terrorist organizations, and which uses economic sanctions and blockades." Other speakers included representatives of the World Peace Council and the Movement for Peoples' Liberties and Solidarity, both based in Greece, and representatives from the five regions that make up WFDY.

Paulus Ilonga Kapia, secretary general of the SWAPO Youth League in Namibia, pointed to the role of the imperialist powers of the United States, Britain, France, Belgium, and Portugal in siphoning tremendous wealth from the natural resources of Africa. "There are many social evils bred by imperialism, which continues to exploit the natural resources of Africa," he said. "Africa remains rich, but with poor people."

Kapia condemned Washington's threats of war against Somalia and called on the meeting to "condemn the actions by the United States against Afghanistan, Palestine, Somalia, and others to come." This is part of the imperialists' long-term plan to recolonize the world, he said.

"After African countries won our independence--most of us through national liberation movements--the imperialists came back, using the IMF [International Monetary Fund] and World Bank, putting our countries in great debt," Kapia told the meeting. "The more we borrow the more we have to pay back. We've become debt slaves."

Julio Martínez, second secretary of the Union of Young Communists of Cuba (UJC), reviewed the 40-year history of U.S. aggression against the Cuban Revolution and support for counterrevolutionary groups operating from U.S. soil. "This has included bombs in hotels, over 600 orchestrated assassination attempts on Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, and a trade and financial blockade for four decades," he said. Martínez explained that the UJC opposed the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and opposes Washington's war in Afghanistan and predatory moves against other countries.

Several speakers at the symposium pointed to the attacks on democratic rights in the United States, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, and other countries that have been carried out by their respective governments under the pretext of fighting terrorism.

A statement addressing the most recent U.S.-backed Israeli attacks against the Palestinian people, adopted by the WFDY General Council, was read at the meeting. The statement called for support for "the just struggle of the Palestinian people until the final victory."  
 
 
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