Guwahati: In a massive display of international solidarity, over 230 prominent intellectuals, politicians, and activists from 50 countries have issued a unified statement to intensify global resistance against what they describe as a “global surge” of neo-fascist movements and imperialist aggression.
The statement, spearheaded by the Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt (CADTM International), brings together a diverse coalition ranging from Nobel laureates to trade union leaders.
The group warns that the rise of far-right ideologies is inextricably linked to a relentless pursuit of maximum profit that threatens social rights, civil liberties, and the environment across every continent.
A Convergence of Global Icons
The statement is backed by 2022 Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux, feminist theorist Nancy Fraser, economist Michael Hudson, and historian Vijay Prashad. High-profile political figures have also signed on, including former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana (co-founders of the “Peace & Justice Project”), alongside Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France, Yanis Varoufakis of Greece, and Irene Montero of Spain.
Notable human rights figures have also joined, including Ilaria Salis, the Italian anti-fascist activist recently freed from a Hungarian prison, and Domenico Lucano, the former mayor of Riace celebrated for his work with refugees.
From India, the signatories include Sushovan Dhar (activist and member of the International Committee of the World Social Forum and CADTM India), Vijay Prashad (Director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research), and Achin Vanaik (retired professor from the University of Delhi and founding member of the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace).
The Common Threat: Austerity and Aggression
The statement outlines a stark vision of the current political landscape, identifying “readily identifiable” common elements of the far-right threat, regardless of geography. These include an economic assault involving the dismantling of social security, the annihilation of labor rights, and the use of high public debt as a pretext for “ecocidal” austerity.
The signatories specifically condemn imperialist and colonial aggressions aimed at seizing natural resources, pointing to the situation in Palestine as a primary example. Furthermore, they highlight a global crackdown on the right to strike, freedom of expression, and the fundamental rights of migrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and racialized communities.
“The desire to accumulate wealth in the hands of capital and the relentless pursuit of maximum profit that underpins far-right policies are also manifested by the intensification of imperialist aggressions,” the statement read.
Marching Toward Porto Alegre
The statement serves as a bridge to a major upcoming event: the International Anti-Fascist and Anti-Imperialist Conference, scheduled for March 26–29, 2026, in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The choice of location is deeply symbolic; Porto Alegre was the birthplace of the World Social Forum exactly 25 years ago. Organizers state that the diversity of the signatories—which includes members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the Workers’ Party (PT) in Brazil, and various communist and green parties—is not a hindrance but a necessity for establishing a common coordination against increasingly grave threats.
The statement remains open for public signatures as the coalition prepares for the March summit, seeking to turn intellectual dissent into a coordinated, internationalist front.