International Conference in Varna Against War
From the 18th to 21st September, Konflikt organized an international conference against militarism and war.
The conference took place at a particularly turbulent time. The wars in Ukraine, Iran, Palestine, and Sudan are affecting people far beyond their borders, while nationalism, militarization, and social tensions are on the rise around the world. The working class is under attack—workers are both direct participants and victims of these wars, as well as the primary target of their economic consequences.
The near future portends further military escalation and intensified economic attacks. However, it may also lead to a strengthening of class resistance against war, economic crises, and the international capitalist system that gives rise to them.
That is why, this September, we brought together internationalists from various organizations in Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, Hungary, Germany, England, Poland, Italy, Croatia, and Ireland to speak openly, exchange experiences, and build stronger ties. Representatives from the International Workers’ Association (IWA) and Internationalist Communist Tendency (ICT) also attended the meeting. In addition to Konflikt, Bulgarian organizations that participated included the Federation of Anarcho-Communists in Bulgaria and LevFem.
One of the main goals of the conference was to strengthen our relationships with groups from neighboring countries, to build new connections where they are still lacking, and to deepen existing ones.
Over the course of three full-day sessions, we discussed various topics, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the war in the Middle East, the connection between national struggles and war, and international coordination against militarism. We heard anti-war positions from comrades on both sides of the ongoing conflicts, with all participating organizations uniting around an international stance rejecting taking sides in imperialist conflicts and supporting solidarity among workers from both sides who have been thrown onto the front lines, support for deserters and all forms of resistance against the war. Some of the comrades from countries with active hostilities were unable to attend for understandable reasons, so their internationalist appeals were read aloud alongside texts sent to us by soldiers who had deserted from the front lines. Special attention was given to the resistance of workers in Mediterranean ports, especially those in Italy, who are blocking arms shipments for military conflicts.
Today, when war is part of daily life for more and more people around the world, it is crucial for workers’ organizations to adopt internationalist positions. We believe that internationalist positions can and must serve to unite left-wing organizations from different ideological traditions and practices. Therefore, both at the conference and beyond, we call on those organizations with whom we stand together against war to reach out to us, to exchange experiences and analysis, and to strengthen the ties between us.
Unfortunately, the international left is divided on this issue, with many workers’ organizations adopting militarist positions in defense of one side or the other in the escalating conflicts. We call on the members of these organizations to engage in an open debate with us. Because the only force that can stop the military madness of the capitalist world is the organized resistance of the united working class.
Your appeal to members of non-Internationalist to engage in open debate is interesting, if only because it was not something discussed during the event.
Although it would be useful if some those pro-statists reassessed and became pro-revolutionaries, it seems to me that there are two immediate challenges.
Firstly, the fact that they have joined a statist, essentially counter-revolutionary, organisation means they have taken a conscious step away from, not towards, the Varna position.
Secondly, if they are in an organisation that exercises any sort of centralist control then the individual can only start an honest discussion with “us” by breaching their organisation’s protocols.
Other comrades are very likely to highlight other problems.
I would suggest that better audiences for “Varnaitsi” are participants in the other Internationalist coordinations, such as Beachcommunists, or simply workers who we encounter in interventions amongst workers in struggle, an arena in which Konflikt display great commitment.
I think we agree on the essential points raised in your comment, Keith.
Like you, we participate in internationalist spaces such as Beach Communism and others.
We are oriented towards workers’ struggles and highlight their international dimension whenever possible, as we have done through our various activities around the nurses’ struggles.
We all have to engage in discussions with others, including those with whom we fundamentally disagree, to broaden our horizons. This is inescapable. The concluding paragraph is simply an appeal to such people to reflect on the world around us and rise to the moment we face.
Well done comrades, sorry we couldn’t make it in body but we were there in spirit. In solidarity Anarcom Network
We will organize the conference again in two years. We hope to see you there , but probably we’ll have a chance to meet even before that
Unfortunately no one from Austria attended. What are the follow ups? Is there a network built up others can join? How can support other people this struggle for peace and against capitalism? War mongers in media and politics are really worse today. We need to built up broader movement.
There are couple of things, please write us to info@kon-flikt.org so we can send you more info
Hi Martin, thanks for your comment. We share your conclusion. We propose meeting again in 2028. Please write to us at Varna.2026@proton.me.
your call to “to unite left-wing organizations” means your undeniable good intents / good will have no future … Left is part of the problem, as is the right. Left means that you think and you act into a parliamentarist / statist representation. (left and right only differ on the way to manage the State …)
Left wing organization must not be united, they must be destroyed, equally as right wing organizations.
What the hell anarcho-syndicalists like IWA were doing in this attempt to built a new leftist international ???
Hi. Anarcho-syndicalists have their own point of view which they can present if invited to do so. You cannot assume that they have any similar aims or strategies as parliamentarist, statist organizations in terms of what we strive for. Some people at the conference seem to believe that several issues of opposition can unite people and that the issue of statism is irrelevant. One the other hand, some anti-statists take up nationalistic or militaristic positions and think that people should be “united” despite that. It seems at most what will actually be achieved is a space for debate and some common points of criticism – just like organizations from different tendencies can find themselves on a joint demonstration protesting against something.