Party-Building 1970-2026

A feature of the kind of party that the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) has created is that while it fully participates in the movements of the people for peace, justice, democratic renewal and the dignity of labour and of all the peoples who make up this vast land, it does so by always pursuing the central task of strengthening the Party's leadership on the basis of its method of maximum ideological and political mobilization, both inside the Party and in its work amongst the working class and people.

Mass democracy is the key to our successes in all the work the Party carries out – from the consolidation of the mass Party and mass non-Party press to our interventions in the mass movements of the working class and people on all crucial matters. In the recent period, upholding the unity of purpose of the support for the Palestinian Resistance has been a major part of this work.

In 2026, CPC(M-L) will continue to pay first-rate attention to Party-building, ensuring that the quality of the Party is further strengthened.

Whether to favour quality or quantity is an age-old human dilemma. An increase in quantity can give rise to a qualitative change and quality, in the objective sense, can be transformed into quantity. Which one to favour and at what time is an ongoing concern of the people, as is how one identifies the quality one seeks to bring into being.

Neither quality nor quantity remain the same. Time affects both. In other words, a quality which exists under certain circumstances may not remain under other circumstances. Quantity may decrease or increase, depending on circumstances as well. For CPC(M-L), the concern on matters related to quality is deep and ongoing. As the vanguard of the working class, CPC(M-L) has to fight for quality which it does by taking the measures required to create a modern democratic personality by activating the human factor/social consciousness and giving rise to modern definitions as required by this historical turning point. Only if a quality exists can it be transformed into quantity.

In this regard, CPC(M-L) is engaged in bringing a Mass Communist Party into being based on implementing the method of mass ideological and political mobilization. The Party engages Party members and the working people in taking the decisions which affect their lives and it is this engagement which gives rise to the modern democratic personality of both the Party and its members.

CPC(M-L) can grow, become stronger and increase in numbers as a political party only if its communist quality is defended. The Party flourishes when its organizations carry out their functions by implementing the method of mass ideological and political mobilization. Basic organizations, as one of the forms of Party organization established wherever there is work of the Party, are the organs of class struggle at that level. People join the work of CPC(M-L) through the basic organizations, which are also responsible for the training of new members. If a basic organization does not function by implementing the method of mass ideological and political mobilization, then both the quality and the quantity of the membership suffer.

On September 1, 1985 when the Party announced the measures being taken to create the mass party and mass non-party press and it determined that no force could continue to act in the old way, the Central Committee of the Party called on all Party organizations to not permit the lowering of the level of discussion within the polity. Besides raising the level of the Party's ideological and political work, this included giving a new kick start to the constant work of the basic organizations taking concrete measures to refresh their links with members, sympathizers and all those interested in lending a hand to the work of political renewal.

This is a matter of fighting for the rights of all by opposing the neo-liberal anti-social restructuring of the state which, besides other things, is destroying the social fabric of society and endangering the natural environment. Specific attention must be paid to making sure the ruling elite are not able to occupy the political vacuum by imposing more police powers. The rulers themselves create this vacuum as a result of their own internecine warfare and inability to provide solutions to any problems the society faces. The Party must make sure the working people and youth are involved further to make way for renewal and to make Canada a Zone for Peace. Crucial to success is the work to collectively set the task in each area and oversee its implementation. It requires paying attention to forms of organization which activate the human factor/social consciousness.

In the trial of strength with the bourgeoisie over the question of its very existence, CPC(M-L) pays first-rate attention to its mass quality. For CPC(M-L) mass is not "more." It is not a quantity but a quality, the mass democratic quality of participating in arriving at collective decisions and implementing them, reviewing the results and drawing warranted conclusions in the form of guides to action.

There is always pressure to increase the numbers of Party members at the cost of quality. Many people come and go but the mass character of CPC(M-L), its modern democratic personality, cannot be guaranteed if the quality of collective work and taking up individual responsibility for it by setting its agenda and overseeing implementation is given up.

The question of the Party's quality is directly linked with the question of its class composition. It is often said that the modern proletariat is the most thoroughgoing revolutionary class. Why has the modern proletariat always been described in this way? Because objectively, the modern proletariat cannot emancipate itself without overthrowing all forms of exploitation. Other sections of society, such as the petty bourgeoisie and the middle strata, are revolutionary only to a certain extent. They fight the capitalist system primarily to improve their lot within it. They threaten to overthrow it only when they fail to get what they want within the system. In the final analysis, the working class can only emancipate itself by replacing the capitalist system with a system which puts human beings at the centre of its concerns, and this is why it is the most thoroughgoing revolutionary class.

The most important criterion to determine the quality of a communist is whether the person wages class struggle or not. This depends on his or her class background and on whether the person is enlightened and broad-minded, modest and ready to practice criticism and self-criticism. Criticism and self-criticism refers to evaluating the work carried out and establishing the ways to improve it, correct mistakes and move forward. It is not a matter of self-flagellation or personalizing behaviour as the anti-communist stereotype would have people believe.

The creation of a modern democratic personality is the most important task of this period and this requires that the Party pay attention to the creation of its communist personality and the communist quality of its members.

How can a communist be created? A person can be educated about communism with formal education, but this does not make a communist. The greatest education comes from waging class struggle and implementing the plan set by CPC(M-L). It is a matter of deeds, not words. Practical ideas do not come out of ideas and books, but from participating in changing the conditions on the basis of a plan set collectively. Finding out what is going on and how to do things is a matter of participating in acts of finding out, not empty chatter.

CPC(M-L) adheres to the principle Better Fewer, But Better which, in essence, means choosing people who implement and assist in implementing a plan. On this basis, CPC(M-L) creates professional communists, local communists, communists engaged in the party apparatuses and those involved in assisting the communist work in various ways. There is really no room in CPC(M-L) for the sort of communist who merely agrees with decisions proposed by others and does not fight for their implementation.

When CPC(M-L) prepared to launch its Historic Initiative thirty years ago, all basic organizations had to organize their ranks for the implementation of the Five-Year Plan of Action it gave rise to at that time and the subsequent Plans of Action it adopts year after year. Regional committees were given the task of ensuring that this work was carried out, and that they reported to the CC about it in a timely fashion. With thirty years of experience implementing its Historic Initiative, this method of work has been extended by making sure programs are put in place which enable working people and youth to empower themselves by participating in the democratic renewal of the political process.

In this period of the retreat of revolution, there are many pressures to dislodge the work of the Party, especially on the decisive question of Better Fewer, But Better. The answer to these pressures is provided by implementing the Party's Historic Initiative.

Difficulties can be overcome if the path set by the Historic Initiative is taken. Conciliation with liberal hypocrisy is unacceptable, as is falling prey to anarchism and extremism. Under all conditions and circumstances, a flexible approach is taken tactically – an approach which unites people in action to realize a plan. The key thing is to fill the space where change takes place by activating the human factor/social consciousness. Everyone acting in their own name is fundamental to the mass democracy CPC(M-L) espouses.

CPC(M-L) has established its basic work in the midst of consolidating it on a planned basis. This work serves as the organizing and guiding force for all the work carried out by all organizations of the Party. As the Party celebrates the 56th anniversary of its founding, more and more people are seeking a way forward and turning to the communist party because it is the most organized force capable of providing the kind of leadership the working class and people require to achieve success under the dangerous conditions which exist at this time.

At a time the ruling class is pushing degeneration and retrogression in a flagrant way, the quality of a communist is decisive, and this quality cannot be enhanced without waging class struggle. The same applies to the quality of the work of all branches and other organizations of the Party.When attention is paid to quality and carrying out Highest Quality Work, On Time the entire CPC(M-L) and its work are energized. The Party becomes visibly stronger, as do the activists who carry it out.

What is required at this time in terms of party-building is to pay utmost attention to quality, to nurturing the modern democratic personality by activating the human factor/social consciousness and rejecting all reticence to taking the stands history is calling on all to take. All schools of opportunism put the issue of quality in second and third place. They work on the basis of the lowest common denominator under the hoax of appealing to what they call "the average person" by which they mean that only by appealing to the most backward can they get support for their cause.

CPC(M-L) appeals to the most advanced forces in the society – those who show what they stand for by making the claims on society which belong to them by right. These forces demand the highest quality society is able to provide, not the lowest. This period of counter-revolution calls on the Party and the class to nurture a mass democratic personality by elaborating modern definitions of democracy, sovereignty and relations between peoples internationally beyond the reordering of big powers and subordinate powers according to a conception of order based on suppressing the struggles of the peoples for their rights, rights which belong to them as peoples and by virtue of being human.

As CPC(M-L) celebrates its 56th anniversary, with pride it can say There IS Such a Party! On this basis, this Party moves on with confidence and purpose because its deeds are its word!