323 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
323 lines
10 KiB
Plaintext
This is the 1993/94 charter of the Nigerian
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Awareness League. The League has over 1000
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members in Nigeria and has suffered harsh
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state repression including the jailing of
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activists.
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CHARTER OF THE AWARENESS LEAGUE
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1. INTRODUCTION:
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The AWARENESS LEAGUE, NIGERIA, was founded
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as a social libertarian organisation
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inspired by and committed to the ideals,
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principles, objectives, goals, ends and
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purposes of revolutionary socialism and
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anarcho-syndicalism, characterised as the
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anti-theses of statism as well as their
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manifestations and institutions thereof.
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With capitalism enmeshed in interminable
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crisis and its institutions - social,
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economic, political and cultural -
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increasingly succumbing to fatigue across
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the globe, the imperative for sustained
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struggle against the forces of capitalism
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has never been greater. It is instructive
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to note that the crisis of capitalism has
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been most intensive and pronounced in the
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underdeveloped third world countries.
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This is not surprising, to say the least:
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capitalism's chain was bound to break at its
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weakest links. Essentially, however, the
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crisis of capitalism as well as its
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contradictions retain a global character
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expressed everywhere in burgeoning deficits
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and external debts, trade wars, rising cost
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of living and declining standard of living
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worldwide, industrial stagnation and
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institutional decay.
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Inherent in capitalism's crisis is the ever-
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present contradiction between labour and
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capital. The process of this development
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takes the form of class conflicts. At every
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point in time, the dominant class in society
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seeks to exploit its access to the means of
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production to appropriate a disproportionate
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value of social production to the benefit of
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its membership whose prerogative it is also,
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to decide what is to be produced, how and
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when. Since they do not have any interest
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in preserving the prevailing order the
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disadvantaged (class (es)), on the other
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hand, persist in fighting for the overthrow
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of the system and the enthroning of a
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people-based order.
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AWARENESS LEAGUE believes that an
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understanding of the structure, values,
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reflexes and tendencies of the capitalist
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mode of production in all its ramifications
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is crucial to understanding the origins and
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direction of the present crisis - including
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the class relations of production. Indeed
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the cross current of economic ruptures such
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as inflation, unemployment and mass poverty
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set in motion by this development are
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necessary outcomes of the unequal and
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exploitative character of the global
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capitalist intercourse expressed in the
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third world's peripheral participation in
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it.
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Attempts so far to comprehend the crisis of
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capitalism have tended to exhibit an
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obsession with equilibrium in a world
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economy that has demonstrated an incredible
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capacity for change. The approach fails to
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recognise the fundamental conflicts in
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production; the struggle for the control of
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surplus by the various arms and agencies of
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capital as well as the state which is
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central to capitalist production and crisis.
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This is where revolutionary syndicalism
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comes in. In contradistinction to the evils
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and failings of capital, AWARENESS LEAGUE
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posits syndicalism as a qualitatively
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superior alternative with capacity for a
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revolutionary transformation of society.
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Revolutionary syndicalism emphasises the
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overriding place of class unity, class
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cohesion and class consciousness among all
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workers, the peasantry and all other
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exploited social groups. The primacy of
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sustained class struggle as an instrument of
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liberation from the yoke of capital is
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underlined by the fact that capitalism and
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capitalists will not give up without some
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fight.
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2. PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES:
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The ends of class struggle as AWARENESS
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LEAGUE perceives it, constitute in the
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abolition of the state system, its
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structures, institutions, values, privileges
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and manifestations such as elections and
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political systems and legislative and
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judicial processes; their replacement with
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self-managing, self-governing and self-
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accounting units organised along the lines
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of libertarian communism, while
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participation in them shall be on the basis
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of equality and the voluntary expression of
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the peoples' free will. These ends do not
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however include the capture and or exercise
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of state (political) power either directly
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or indirectly or through the imposition of a
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dictatorship of the proletariat.
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AWARENESS LEAGUE insists that a radical
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transformation of the existing land tenure
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and land ownership systems as well as of
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property relations is central to the
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achievement of the objective of the
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socialisation of the means of production.
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Revolutionary syndicalism proceeds from the
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education of the masses and all working
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peoples, enhancement of their consciousness
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and their mobilisation towards the goal of
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socialisation of means of production using
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as instruments in this regard strikes,
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boycotts, sit-ins as well as other forms of
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mass action identified and sanctioned by
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members. Besides, AWARENESS LEAGUE may
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forge alliances, seek collaboration and
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working agreements with other leftists and
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leftist organisations, anti- war movement as
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well as human rights activists, groups and
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mass organisations.
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The AWARENESS LEAGUE upholds the principles
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and dictates of internationalism convinced
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that national boundaries and territoriality
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are but artificial creations. The LEAGUE
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stands for and is committed to PEACE and
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rejects WAR, militarism, fascism and racism
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as well as the acquisition and development
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of technologies that promote war, militarism
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and, in turn, undermine peace and peaceful
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co-existence among nations. The LEAGUE
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advocates violence only as a form of
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resistance to the violence and violent
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methods and tactics of the ruling class its
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agencies and collaborators or as a form of
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liberation struggle. To this end, AWARENESS
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LEAGUE, as an anarcho-syndicalist and
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revolutionary socialist front proclaims all
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over the world and insists that no form of
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collaboration can exist between the ruling
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classes - the exploiter and their victims,
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the masses.
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3. MEMBERSHIP
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Membership and participation in the
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activities of the AWARENESS LEAGUE are open
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to all Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike,
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irrespective of age, gender, creed or clan.
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Provided that all such or prospective
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members are committed and subscribe to the
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ends, objectives and purposes of
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revolutionary syndicalism and pay the
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appropriate dues as may be prescribed from
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time to time.
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There shall, however, be three categories of
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membership:
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(i) STUDENT MEMBERSHIP:- This form of
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membership is open to students of high
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schools and secondary schools as well
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universities and polytechnics. Student
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members are precluded film paying dues
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(ii) ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP:- This form of
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membership is open to all categories of
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leftists who share in the goals and
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aspirations of revolutionary socialism and
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or persons who, as a result of the nature of
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their work or their places of residence are
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unable to participate in the day - to - day
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activities of the LEAGUE but who
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nevertheless share in the goals,
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aspirations, fears, ends and purposes of
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revolutionary socialism and anarcho -
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syndicalism.
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(iii) FULL MEMBERSHIP: - This form of
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membership is open to all activists of
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revolutionary socialism and anarcho-
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syndicalism. Full membership confers on
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activists full rights and privileges of the
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AWARENESS LEAGUE.
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4. ORGANS:
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(i) ANNUAL CONFERENCE: There shall be held
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once in a year an annual conference to
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appraise and review the activities of the
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League, pronounce on policy and elect
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principal officers. The annual conference
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shall be the supreme policy - making organ
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of the LEAGUE. All fee paying members of the
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league are entitled to attend and vote at
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the annual conference. Proxy representation
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is not allowed. All decisions shall be by
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simple majority vote.
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(ii) CENTRAL WORKING COMMITTEE:
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There shall be a central working committee
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made up of all principal officers of the
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LEAGUE and five ex-officio members elected
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by the ANNUAL CONFERENCE.
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The committee which shall meet at least four
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times a year will be responsible for
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political and ideological education,
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organisation of workshops, publications and
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bulletins.
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(iii) BRANCHES:
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Branches of the AWARENESS LEAGUE may be
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established in villages, towns, cities,
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local councils and states where there are at
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least 20 full or associate members.
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Branches are required to subscribe to the
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goals and objectives of revolutionary
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socialism as well as to the authority of the
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Annual Conference; Central working
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committee; and principal officers. Branches
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shall be headed by organising secretaries.
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5. PRINCIPAL OFFICERS:
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The principal officers of the LEAGUE are:
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National co-ordinator, Secretary - General,
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financial secretary and Assistant Secretary.
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The duties and responsibilities of the
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principal officers include:
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(i) National Co-ordinator:
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(a) The National Co-ordinator is the Chief
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spokesperson for the LEAGUE and is
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responsible for fashioning and designing
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policy papers for consideration by the
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annual conference.
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(b) The National Co-ordinator shall, liaise
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develop and maintain links with all similar
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organisations abroad on the LEAGUE'S behalf.
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(ii) Secretary General
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(a) To handle the LEAGUE'S correspondences
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(b) To supervise the day- to - day running
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of the secretariat.
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(c) To produce the LEAGUE'S bulletins and
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publications
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(d) To engage in research and writing of
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articles.
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(iii) Financial secretary
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(a) To keep record of all financial
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transactions by the LEAGUE
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(iv) Assistant Secretary
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(a) To assist the secretary-General
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especially in the production of bulletins,
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publications, research and writing of
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articles.
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6. FUND:
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Every full member as well as associate
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member is required to pay a fixed annual due
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which may be prescribed from time to time by
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the ANNUAL CONFERENCE for the activities of
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the LEAGUE.
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This may be supplemented by donations from
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members and individuals as well as similar
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organisations world wide.
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7. PUBLICATIONS:
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(i) The in - house organ of the AWARENESS
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LEAGUE shall be known as THE REVOLUTIONARY
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and shall be published on the minimum once a
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year.
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(ii) The league shall, from time to time,
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publish other regular enlightenment and
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political education materials and' articles
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for members and the general public.
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(iii) members may contribute articles and
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materials to any other leftist or human
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rights journals and periodicals as well as
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newspapers.
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