Most of the nearly five hundred delegates and guests who attended the 28th National Convention of the Communist Party, USA in Chicago July1-3 said it was a huge success. The three-day event was upbeat, militant and unified.

Musicians and poets performed, and everyone sang along to classic movement songs. More than seventy members of the attended and brought excitement and energy. Twenty international guests attended the Convention representing 15 countries from around the world. Many special guests from community, labor and national organizations attended as well. One of the greatest highlights of the Convention was the participation of three hundred Convention participants in the picket line to support striking workers at the nearby Congress Hotel.

Most importantly, the Convention showed that the Communist Party, USA (CPUSA) is united in the fight to defeat the Bush Agenda and the curb the power of the ultra-right political forces that are in dominance in Washington and around the country. All in all, the Convention was memorable and will put the entire CPUSA on the right footing for the struggles ahead.

The Party Program

The centerpiece of the Convention was the discussion of the Draft Party Program, titled Road to Socialism, USA: Unity for Peace, Democracy, Jobs & Equality. The Program of the Communist Party gives strategic guidance to all of our work. It helps us understand the world we live in and helps us make political priorities in the fight for socialism.

The last convention of the CPUSA in 2001 mandated a committee to draft a new Party Program to address the new political moment, the present world balance of forces, the collapse of the socialist countries of Eastern Europe and demographic and political shifts at home.

Delegates had thorough debate of the Draft Party Program for months leading up to the Convention and throughout the plenary discussions in Chicago. Differences of opinion were expressed in a friendly way. Dozens of suggested changes were accepted into the draft document both in the Pre-Convention period and from the floor.

After all the discussion the Road to Socialism, USA was overwhelmingly adopted as the Partys Program as amended and will be finalized by the drafting committee in time for the Fall Meeting of the National Committee. The Convention also adopted a Main Political Resolution. The final edits will be posted when available.

Election of Party Leadership

The Convention also elected a new National Committee, the highest body of the party in-between National Conventions. The new National Committee has 81 members from around the country and represents a broad range of Party mass leaders, club leaders, trade unionists, men and women, youth and seniors, gay and straight, of broad racial and national backgrounds. The new National Committee is somewhat smaller than previously in order to improve the functioning of the body and as part of the expansion of other leadership bodies nationally and locally that will follow the Convention.

The first act of the new National Committee was to re-elect Sam Webb as the National Chair of the Party. Sam Webbs keynote speech to the Convention was widely praised by delegates and guests alike.

Resolutions & Motions

Many resolutions and motions were adopted by the Convention. Some others were referred to the incoming National Committee to discuss, revise and adopt. Adopted resolutions included resolutions to free political prisoner Leonard Peltier, to demand the immediate end of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, for the right of Puerto Rico to self-determination, and to establish and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Commission.

The delegates adopted two special resolutions unanimously. The first resolution is in solidarity with the Iraqi Communist Party in recognition of their heroic history of struggle against imperialism and brutal dictatorship.

The second is a resolution calling for the Bush Administration to extradite Luis Posada Carriles, one of the hemispheres most notorious terrorists to Venezuela to stand trial for the bombing of a civilian airliner.

International Solidarity

The Communist Party, USAs strong tradition of international solidarity and ties was reflected in the excellent international delegation that attended the Convention. Representatives of the Communist Party of Brazil, the Communist Party of Britain, the Communist Party of Canada, the Communist Party of Chile, the Communist Party of Colombia, the Communist Party of Greece, the Communist Party of India, the Tudeh Party of Iran, the Iraqi Communist Party, the Japanese Communist Party, the Party of Communists of Mexico, the Popular Socialist Party of Mexico, the Portuguese Communist Party, the South African Communist Party, the Sudanese Communist Party, and the Communist Party of Vietnam addressed the Convention.

Greetings from other communist parties that could not attend, including the Communist Party of China and the Communist Party of Cuba were read at the Convention.

Workshops

The Convention featured over thirty issue workshops during the weekend. Workshops varied from the struggle for a sustainable environment to womens equality, from labor/youth solidarity to building the peace movement, from the fight for racial equality to class struggle trade unionism. There were political issue discussions as well as workshops that focused on building the Communist Party and the communist press. Many workshops drafted resolutions for submission to the plenary for adoption.

Workshops provided for wide discussion and participation among delegates and guests. Workshops reflected the rich experience of Party members in local clubs, mass organizations and in the workplace and community. A workshop conducted in Spanish had nearly thirty participants. A workshop on organizing in faith-based communities was held by the religious working-group of the CPUSA.

Besides serious discussion, here was also an evening Coffeehouse that featured poetry reading, live music, and performance.

Building the Party and the Press

Build the CPUSA! was one of its major themes and slogans of the Convention. A special panel on building the Communist Party was held during the plenary discussion, and building the Party and its press was made part of every political and ideological discussion. Recruiting members, membership consolidation, growing clubs, strengthening districts, increasing Peoples Weekly World and Political Affairs subscriptions, expanding the Partys web presence, improving educational work, and increasing the visibility of the Party were identified as key components of building the CPUSA. Everyone at the Convention agreed that the in order to play its unique and leading role the Communist Party must grow.

Whats Next?

Most participants would agree that the Convention marks a key turning point for the Communist Party. It reflected ideological freshness, political maturity and unity based in struggle. We are excited to share the results of the Convention with you.

We welcome our friends and allies to read the documents available at our web page, as well as listen to the audio recordings of key speeches, and check out the photo gallery. Visit the web page regularly to see updates and new features.

We also want to hear your comments and questions. Dont hesitate to contact us at cpusa@cpusa.org. We are committed to building the broadest alliance of forces to defeat the ultra-right. We hope you will join us in this effort.

In struggle,

Organizing Department

*************************************** Below are more links to some of the highlights of the Convention on the Communist Partys web page. More will be available in the weeks to come, so continue to visit www.cpusa.org every week!

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