International United Front for Opposing Imperialism

International United Front for Opposing Imperialism

Abbreviation	IUFOI
Formation	2001
Type	non-profit NGO
Location	1925 Unchŏn-ro, Sunju
Chairman	Sun Byŏng-ho
Revenue (2017)	₩2.36 billion ($105 million)
Expenses (2017)	₩2.45 billion ($109 million)
Staff	752 (2008)

The International United Front for Opposing Imperialism (Menghean: 국제 반제 통일 전선 / 國際反帝統一戰線, Gukje Banje Tongil Jŏnsŏn), sometimes abbreviated IUFOI in English-language sources, is a non-profit NGO headquartered in Sunju, the largest city in Menghe. Its stated mission is to "coordinate with political parties, activist movements, and other organizations in peripheral countries to oppose and restrain imperialist influences and safeguard the sovereign interests of indigenous populations." Its activities range from conducting think tank studies on inclusive policymaking to actively funding anti-imperialist movements abroad.

Founded in 2001 as an annual conference of anti-imperialist parties and organizations, the IUFOI has grown into a major organization in Septentrion, with a particular focus on Meridia and the southern rim of Hemithea. It publishes a quarterly report on the state of imperialism in selected "at-risk areas" in the developing world, and maintains active ties with a number of opposition parties and activist movements around the region.

Critics of the IUFOI contend that it serves mainly as a vehicle for advancing Menghean soft power in the developing world, casting Menghe as a defender of popular sovereignty and attempting to bring Menghean-friendly governments into office. It has also supplied funds and training to a number of radical organizations in Meridia. The group's quarterly assessments and yearly conferences do not identify Menghean investments, which some critics label neocolonialism, as an imperialist threat, and fully side with state claims that Menghean investment abroad is "motivated by genuine principles of mutual consent and mutual benefit."

Background and history

From the 1960s through the 1980s, the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe maintained active ties with a number of communist and socialist movements around Septentrion through its United Front Office, a branch of the Menghean People's Communist Party. In addition to serving as a liaison office to other Communist parties, such as those in Polvokia and the Federation of Socialist Republics, the UFO also organized arms shipments to radical guerilla movements in Meridia and Dzhungestan, leading the Grand Alliance to label Menghe a state sponsor of terrorism.

After the Decembrist Revolution, the Interim Council for National Restoration disbanded the MPCP, but set up a small Reorganized United Front Office to maintain diplomatic connections with other communist and socialist ruling organizations. This organization suffered particularly heavy attrition during the political purges of the early 1990s, and effectively ceased its regular operation except to send Menghean representatives to certain international conferences.

On April 18th, 2001, a group of Menghean policy elites established a new organization, the International United Front for Opposing Imperialism, to replace the Reorganized United Front, which had been disbanded in 1999. Though not formally subordinate to any Menghean state or party agency, the IUFOI is always headed by a member of the MSP and its activities are closely aligned with Menghean foreign policy interests.

Prior to the Ummayan Civil War, the IUFOI maintained direct connections with the leaders of the Taleyan People's Front, a revolutionary organization which was attempting to overthrow the Tyrannian-backed Muttalib regime. This connection was decisive in bringing Menghean troops into the war after its initial escalation.

In 2007, shortly after Menghe expanded its Partnership for Peace with the Grand Alliance, the IUFOI scaled down the scope of its activities. This included cutting ties with a number of radical groups in Ummayah and Mamluqstan. It also toned down its rhetoric against Columbian and Galenic island possessions, though it still coordinates with indigenous rights organizations there.

A "new wave" of IUFOI activity began in 2014, directly precipitated by Sylva's annexation of Isla Diamante during the Innominadan Crisis. This also coincided with the Menghean government's "Meridian strategy," a conscious effort to build up Menghean influence in Meridia while investing in opposition movements that may eventually replace incumbent regimes. International relation scholars described the IUFOI as one end of a two-pronged approach, the other end being generous investment in infrastructure programs targeted at states that lean away from Casaterran influence. In some cases the two prongs have worked together, with Menghean firms and state agencies making loans and investment projects conditional on policies that give indigenous peoples a stake in the profits.

Mission

In its charter, the International United Front for Opposing Imperialism broadly defines Imperialism as any state of affairs in which

1. A state exercises direct political control over an overseas territory against the will of the local population (Direct Imperialism);
2. An ethnic or cultural group descended from colonists wields exclusive or disproportionate influence in important government posts, and uses this power to impose policies that favor members of that ethnic or cultural group while excluding members of the indigenous ethnic population (Ethnic Imperialism);
3. A nominally sovereign and ethnically self-ruled state falls under the coercive influence of foreign states or multinational corporations, which use their influence to promote policies that favor elites and foreigners while excluding or imposing costs on the great bulk of the indigenous population (Neo-Imperialism).

In its quarterly reports, the IUFOI assesses "at-risk countries" on an individual basis to determine the degree of imperialist influence and whether this situation is worsening or improving. Critics allege that the ad-hoc nature of the classification system, paired with the specific wording of the definitions, is specifically designed to exclude Menghean corporate investment in Meridia and the status of Shahidic minority groups in southwestern Menghe. The IUFOI's official stance is that the fluid nature of imperialism requires case-by-case assessment.

On similar grounds, the IUFOI does not actively propose any one-size-fits-all solution for imperialism, but rather encourages local groups to develop solutions that fit the local cultural and historical context. Generally, the organization's favored solutions include independence for directly-controlled enclaves, but in cases of "ethnic imperialism" or "neo-imperialism" it has advocated for a variety of responses, ranging from regime change to power-sharing arrangements and regulatory policies that protect threatened indigenous groups.

The IUFOI does not express any intention to export the "Menghean model" of authoritarian state corporatism under a single ruling party, which it regards as a unique outgrowth of Menghean culture. In its charter, it endorses "government on democratic principles," and it has actively partnered with pro-democracy groups in some Meridian countries. Critics, however, allege that it does not see democracy as an ends in itself, and that it has supported authoritarian movements and endorsed non-democratic states as role models for policy sovereignty.

Activities

As of 2018, the regular activities of the International United Front for Opposing Imperialism include:

• Holding an annual conference in Sunju, with delegates from anti-imperialist, opposition, and indigenous rights organizations around Septentrion;
• Publishing a quarterly "Threat Report" which assesses recent the extent of imperialist influence in selected countries;
• Posting regular online news reports analyzing recent developments and agitating for change;
• Supporting political campaigns by opposition parties with anti-imperialist aims;
• Funding indigenous rights and regional autonomy NGOs;
• Training and advising activists in effective strategies for bringing about policy change; and
• Conducting policy research on the effectiveness of activist strategies and the possibilities for inclusive development.

See also

• Foreign relations of Menghe
• Center for Governance Research
• Boere en Inboorlinge
• Able Vigil Accords