IEJ TO ATTEND CONFERENCE OF THE LEFT AS OBSERVER

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) issued a statement on May 29, 2026, announcing its decision to attend the Conference of the Left as an observer. While the IEJ recognizes the importance of left-wing collaboration to address pressures on the poor and working class, it declined to formally endorse the event or take a prominent role due to procedural and compositional concerns.

• The Conference of the Left, scheduled for May 29-31, 2026, in Johannesburg, South Africa, is organized by the South African Communist Party (SACP) and a multi-party Steering Committee. Its goals are to strengthen social power and coordinate action to dismantle class, patriarchal, and racial domination, with a specific aim to establish a 'Council of the Left' as a coordination platform.
• The IEJ raised procedural concerns regarding the lack of transparency and coordination prior to the event's public launch. Specifically, the IEJ cited issues with the SACP's leadership role given its alliance with the ANC, the unauthorized use of organizational logos, a lack of prior communication regarding program roles, and insufficient transparency regarding funding sources.
• The IEJ expressed compositional concerns, arguing that individuals or organizations that persistently violate principles of anti-racism, anti-sexism, and anti-corruption should be excluded from the conference and Steering Committee. The IEJ also highlighted the underrepresentation of feminist organizations despite the conference's stated focus on women's rights.
• The IEJ decided to attend the conference as an 'Observer' rather than a full participant or leader. This decision involves accepting the invitation without endorsing the conference's composition or outcomes, declining prominent roles such as facilitating commissions, and conditioning future full participation on the resolution of procedural concerns and the active exclusion of those violating the conference's core principles.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2026). IEJ TO ATTEND CONFERENCE OF THE LEFT AS OBSERVER. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IEJ-statement-on-attendance-at-Conference-of-the-Left.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. IEJ TO ATTEND CONFERENCE OF THE LEFT AS OBSERVER. 2026. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IEJ-statement-on-attendance-at-Conference-of-the-Left.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=IEJ TO ATTEND CONFERENCE OF THE LEFT AS OBSERVER |date=29 May 2026 |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IEJ-statement-on-attendance-at-Conference-of-the-Left.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforeconomicjustice2026iej, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{IEJ TO ATTEND CONFERENCE OF THE LEFT AS OBSERVER}}, publisher = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/IEJ-statement-on-attendance-at-Conference-of-the-Left.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }