The world today faces a profound historical contradiction: humanity has achieved tremendous scientific, technological and productive advances, yet millions of people remain deprived of food, employment, shelter, education and healthcare. On one side, immense wealth accumulates in the hands of a small minority; on the other, broad sections of the population struggle under the burden of poverty, unemployment and economic insecurity.
From the perspective of historical materialism, these crises cannot be understood without examining the relations of production, ownership, the distribution of wealth and class contradictions. Understanding the roots of reality is the first step towards changing it.
Afghanistan: Hunger in a Land of Vast Potential
United Nations reports warn of worsening food insecurity in Afghanistan. Millions of people face difficulties obtaining sufficient food, while poverty, unemployment, rising prices and weak domestic production have pushed many families into severe hardship.
Why does a country with a young workforce, agricultural land and natural resources remain unable to meet the basic needs of a large part of its population?
The answer must also be sought in the weakness of the economic structure, economic dependency, limited employment opportunities and the exclusion of women from economic and social life. Humanitarian assistance is essential to saving lives, but lasting relief from poverty requires job creation, the revival of domestic production and the expansion of public services.
In our view, three priorities must form the core of an economic and social transformation programme: first, defending the equal rights of women and men to education and employment; second, expanding public investment in agriculture, industry and productive infrastructure; and third, supporting the independent organisation of workers and peasants so they can defend their economic and social rights collectively.
The hunger of millions is not merely an individual tragedy; it is a social crisis whose underlying causes must be confronted by the conscious and progressive forces of society.
Workers’ Struggles: Defending Livelihoods, Employment and Human Dignity
In Britain and several European countries, labour disputes and social protests continue over wages, job security, the cost of living and public services. These struggles highlight the importance of collective action in defending the rights of working people.
From a Marxist perspective, labour is one of the fundamental sources of social wealth. Defending fair wages, the right to organise, job security and quality public services is an integral part of the struggle to improve people’s living conditions.
Yet discontent alone cannot bring about lasting change. Scattered demands become an effective social force only when they are united with political awareness, solidarity, organised collective action and a clear programme.
Class Consciousness: From Understanding to Transformation
Marxism-Leninism does not view society as static or unchangeable. It examines society through the relations of production, social contradictions and the struggles between classes.
Class consciousness does not emerge from repeating slogans. It develops through understanding common interests, studying history, analysing people’s material living conditions and participating consciously in collective activity.
Likewise, organisation means more than gathering individuals under a common name. A political organisation can play an effective role only when it remains connected to people’s real needs, presents a concrete programme, accepts responsibility and maintains consistency between words and actions.
Revolutionary enthusiasm without knowledge and organisation dissipates its strength; awareness without action remains incomplete; and an organisation disconnected from the people loses sight of its social purpose.
International Solidarity and the Responsibility of Progressive Forces
Wars, economic crises and inequality affect millions of people across the world, but their consequences are not distributed equally. Class position, access to resources and the availability of public services all influence people’s ability to withstand these crises.
International solidarity among workers, women’s movements and progressive forces becomes meaningful when it is grounded in an understanding of each society’s specific conditions, the exchange of experience and the defence of human and social rights.
For Afghanistan’s progressive forces, the central responsibility is to move beyond slogans towards scientific analysis, organised activity and political accountability. Public trust is not earned simply by claiming to represent the people; it is built through political integrity, openness to constructive criticism, sustained activity and genuine engagement with the lives of working people.
From Understanding Contradictions to Building the Future
Today’s difficult conditions make the scientific understanding of society and conscious collective organisation more necessary than ever. Social transformation does not happen automatically, nor can it be achieved through hopes and slogans alone. It requires knowledge, planning, solidarity and the active participation of the people.
From a Marxist-Leninist perspective, the struggle for social justice must be grounded in an understanding of society’s material relations, an analysis of class contradictions and organised efforts to change unjust conditions.
The task of today’s conscious and progressive forces is to transform understanding into social awareness, awareness into organised collective action, and that organisation into an effective force for transforming the unjust realities of society.