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Ninth Congress Chapter IV
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL TRANSFORMATIONS
The course of change, construction and progress which has been led by the Party since July 17-30, 1968 is a comprehensive and inter-linked one covering all aspects of life. In fact, the socialist and nationalist revolution is basically a radical, comprehensive and closely inter-linked process.
This report has tackled the Revolution's achievements in certain basic fields. Here we shall deal with its achievements in the field of social and cultural transformations in the period between the Eighth and Ninth Congresses.
The basic principles which directed these transformations were:
1. To develop Man and society —which is sought by the Revolution according to the Party's principles— is not only a material process. Rather it is a moral and material one.
2. Any failure to strike a balance between the two aspects
of progress, the moral and material, will lead to a serious disorder in the process of development and eventually to a crisis.
The revolutionary course which takes the moral aspect of progress for a long period ignoring its other necessary and legitimate aspects will eventually become something Utopian conflicting with the reality, isolating itself from the vast majority of the people and ending with utter failure.
Similarly, the revolutionary process which shows interest in material aspects only ignoring the moral one will become a superficial process lacking in spirit and detached from the people. It will therefore diminish, face crises and end with utter failure.
Man is the most profound target for the Party and its Revolution. Therefore, our struggle and work should be oriented towards developing the moral and material aspects of the life of the individual and society. Besides seeking material development of the life of Man and society, the Revolution has to \n\\\y, up a new man with perfect aspects: physically and mentally healthy. free, happy, profoundly committed to the interests and basic causes of the nation, culturally and socially developed, active, productive, creative, capable of shouldering difficult and delicate tasks and confronting dangers besetting the society and nation and admiring life while at the same time being fully prepared to sacrifice himself for the homeland and the interests of the society.
The Political Report of the Eighth Regional Congress referred in the second part "The Tasks of the Next Phase" to the social and cultural transformations in the following words:
«In the past phase, social and cultural transformations were not effected as rapidly or radically as the Party had hoped. It corresponded neither to the demands made by our national (Arab) and socialist obligations and objectives, nor to the role which the revolutionary experiment in Iraq has to take in the movement of Arab revolution. Intensive efforts, inspired by revolutionary zeal and determined by scientific method, are indispensable if we are to bring social and cultural transformations into line with changes in other domains, ensuring that all proceed together to national (Arab), socialist and democratic objectives.*
The attention paid to this objective since the Eighth Regional Congress is compatible with what the Congress has stressed and what the Party believes.
If there had been some failure in effecting such cultural and social transformations before the Eighth Regional Congress, the following period saw a flourishing activity in this respect where great achievements had been made. We should proudly refer to their positive consequences on the process of bringing up new man and building up a new society and social relations. Progress has been made in the intellectual, educational and human aspects of individual's life. His genuine national and revolutionary values and traditions were further consolidated. Advancing were also the structural institutions on which the social build-up is based such as those of education, culture, information, health, youth and women. To a certain extent, the country has got rid of the conditions and aspects of disorder in the country's social composition such as exploitation, social disparities, backwardness and illiteracy.
Great social forces were released so as to contribute to the course of construction and progress. Generally, we can say that what has been achieved in this field throughout the past eight years is compatible with what the Eighth Regional Congress has demanded.
This progress has been made despite the difficulties and obstacles facing the course of change in such a complex and intermingled field as the social and cultural one. This field is not something material whose old part can be replaced by a new one as is the case with certain other sectors. Rather it is linked to the people's minds and legacy of customs and traditions, and to the influence of hostile forces. Qualitative change here demands high efficiency and great perseverance.
What were the social and cultural transformations effected in the country during the period following the Eighth Regional Congress? And what are their indications and significance?
Information and Culture
The leadership of the Party and Revolution has paid great attention to the Information and Culture sector. It has shown continuing interest in its evolution and the improvement of its performance. In fact, it has enjoyed Comrade Saddam Hussein's care.
This sector is of great importance to the Revolution and Society, because of its direct effect on the thinking and orientation of the public. Of social sectors, it has the closest relation to the people's lives and to the Party and Revolution's programs and policies on various levels. Indeed, it has been a basic field of daily confrontation with hostile cultures and ideologies which are alien to the Party and Revolution's ideology and the Arab nation's heritage.
It has been also an important means of rallying the people-round the Party and Revolution, spreading culture among the people and deepening their political awareness and devotion to the national objectives on both local and Arab levels.
Facing the Party in this field is a vigorous activity by imperialist, Zionist and other hostile forces which use big institutions and employ great resources and advanced methods to influence psychologically and culturally both Iraqis and Arabs.
These forces aim at promoting defeatism, discrediting national commitment and revolution's values, spreading Shu'ubite (divisive anti-Arab) trends and alien values, promoting local (anti-Arab unity) tendencies and all other objectives which lead to weakening Arab society morally and materially, fragmenting it and subjecting it to foreign influence. Hence, it was incumbent upon the Revolution's information media to shoulder their responsibility and prepare themselves in a vigorous and integrated manner so as to meet these serious challenges and lead their own way. Only through such an effort does it become possible to confront the effect of counter-propaganda and foreign cultural invasion, fortify the individual against all attempts aimed at undermining his personal firmness and his commitment to his homeland and nation.
Throughout recent years, considerable progress has been made in the media of information and culture. This progress has covered their activities as well as their employees. Indeed, it was possible to assert the Party and Revolution's full leadership of these media and their basic orientations not only in administration —which was achieved in the past stage— but also in direction, creativity and innovation. We can say today that the Party and Revolution have now their own body of information and culture which is sincerely and strongly committed to their policy and aims.
The Information and Culture sector covers now a large area of specializations. It includes broadcasting, television, theatre, press, external information, book publishing, translation, antiquities, music, arts, children's culture, folklore costumes, folklore, Kurdish culture, documentation and others.
On the creative side, considerable progress has been made in many cultural and information activities, especially music, arts exhibitions and poetry recitals. The press, radio and television and publishing had a clear role in mobilizing the people during the battle against the aggression launched by Khomeini's regime, in enhancing morale, in maintaining the spirit of victory and in winning support for the people's just cause.
In the period 1974-1981, broadcasting stations were established in Baghdad and Nineveh. Al-Hurriyah and FM stations as well as new studios and transmitters were built. Radio transmission on medium wave was increased from 1950 Kw in 1974 with a rate of 4.5 Watt per square kilometer in Iraq to 7050 Kw in 1981 with a rate of 16.4 Watt per square kilometer.
Thus, all parts of the country were covered with broadcasting transmission with two programs simultaneously while in 1974, transmission did not cover all areas, especially border ones.
Under construction are several transmission and broadcasting stations. The total power of broadcasting transmission to Arab countries and certain other areas has risen from 1300 Kw in 1974 to 3200 Kw in 1981. With the completion of certain projects for expanding transmission to Arab countries and the world at large, the total transmission power will be 12300 Kw.
The number of television transmission stations rose from 4 (Baghdad, Nineveh, Basra and Ta'mim) to 14 in 1981. The total television transmission power grew from 80 Kw for the total area of the country in 1981 to a level covering the whole country and certain areas in neighboring countries.
Considerable progress has been made in publications distribution. The total number of publications distributed rose from 25 million in 1974 to 240 million in 1981.
Between 1974 and 1981, the Ministry of Information and Culture had published 1083 books. Children’s culture has also flourished. After 1974 two series of children's books, Children's Library and Our Library, were launched and favorably received by children.
For the first time under the Revolution, archaeology has attracted great attention. The department concerned has started big archaeological projects to salvage and unearth the country's heritage of civilization. Prominent among such projects are the projects to salvage the antiquities in the areas of the dams built in Hamrin and Haditha, and the projects to restore the towns of Babylon, Ashur and Samarra. Works of excavation, exploration and maintenance are underway in 17 other archaeological towns. Many maintenance and archaeological survey projects were completed. Under construction are 12 specialized archaeological museums.
The number of press offices established between 1974 and 1981 in Iraqi embassies abroad increased from 7 to 21. The number of cultural centers abroad increased from one in 1974 to ten in 1981.
Cinema, theatre and folklore dancing have considerably advanced. In the period 1974-1981, 18 feature films, 247 documentaries, 133 issues of cinema newsreel, 54 films documenting military operations and 6 military films were produced.
The number of theatrical troupes increased to 7 producing 69 plays. The National Troupe for Folklore Arts (Dancing) presented new shows inside the country and abroad.
The Eighth Regional Congress has called for rallying the vast majority of artists, intelligentsia, writers and journalists round the Revolution and involving them in the revolutionary change led by the Party in this domain." Attracting experienced Arab cadres was also stressed.
The Information and Culture sector has managed to come closer to the position of revolutionary information with good cadres and developed equipment. In fact, it has managed to get rid of a great deal of negative aspects, especially bureaucracy and lack of revolutionary initiative and zeal. This sector has developed a new positive atmosphere and embraced new revolutionary cadres with experience that can develop with time to meet the needs of the Party and Revolution in this vital domain.
However, despite the great progress made in the Information and Culture sector, it is still in need of great efforts to raise the level of its performance. This sector has to make use of new scientific developments related to its work in devising its plans, directing its media and efficiently using new information technology which has become a characteristic of world information today.
Education
For the Party, the educational sector is of vital importance. It requires serious attention so as to reshape it along national and socialist lines and develop it thoroughly with a view to achieving comprehensive progress in trite society and meeting the needs of development plans.
This body is the most effective means of preparing children and youth in a national, socialist and scientific manner. It is this body which provides human resources needed in the process of development and modernization of society. It contributes to striking a balance among various sectors of society and to fortifying a large section of the population against foreign cultural invasion as well as backward ideas and anti-national and anti-socialist trends.
Testifying to the Party's great interest in this sector was the effort made by the Eighth Regional Congress to define the ailments which this sector had suffered in the aftermath of the Revolution stressing the need to liquidate reactionary and bourgeois trends in all its areas: from kindergartens to the highest level of university education. It has also called for preparing new curricula and textbooks inspired by the national and socialist principles of the Party and Revolution. Programs corresponding to the development plan and the country's present and future needs were also stressed.
The Party and Revolution's leadership has paid exceptional attention to this sector putting at its disposal relatively great material and human resources. It was provided with legislative bases which facilitated its reconstruction and movement and helped it move forward along democratic and social lines. This was done through making education obligatory and free and through expanding educational bodies so as to receive all citizens on a basis of equality.
Considerable progress has been made in recent years in cons¬tructing buildings and boarding houses for students, providing textbooks and schooling requirements for various stages, expanding universities and higher institutes, preparing new curricula in the light of the Party and Revolution's central lines and the requirements of the Revolution's new society. These curricula were cleared of many backward bourgeoisie and rightist ideas inherited from the post-revolutionary period. Thus curricula have become more expressive of the Party and Revolution's national and socialist principles.
Large numbers of staff for various schooling stages were prepared. The new staffs are more committed to the Party, Revolution, homeland and nation.
The kindergartens have seen considerable progress both in their number and in the preparation of their staff. In 1981, their number was 387 with 76500 children. Iraq is about to reach relevant levels in advanced countries.
The number of students was 2.6 million at the primary stage, 1.01 million at the secondary stage and 112400 at the university stage.
The Eighth Regional Congress has stated that the Revolution (in 1974) had not built up its own educational body. However, it is now possible to say that the Revolution has made considerable steps forward along the road of building up such a body which is based on its national and socialist principles and closely linked to the process of development and the needs of society.
Nevertheless, the Revolution is still faced with this task especially on the university level where we have not got enough professors committed to the Party's ideology and the Revolution's line. Also it has to develop staff, especially in technical fields, and to bring curricula closer to the Revolution's lines and aims and to the new society's need for change.
The Leadership has taken an important step along the road of developing the educational sector in all its stages both qualitatively and quantitatively. It has conducted a large-scale discussion of a working paper on how to develop this sector. Comrade Saddam Hussein, members of the Leadership, Ministers concerned and specialists took part in the discussion which was released to the public, taking on a popular dimension.
Comrade Hussein called on participants to consider this paper extensively. After it was approved, the paper has become a good programme for organs concerned to apply actively and creatively in the next phase so as to make this sector fulfill the Party and Revolution's aspirations in bringing up a new man and advanced society.
Legislation
After the Eighth Regional Congress, the legislative course has seen a drastic change in both legal and judicial aspects compatible with the Party and Revolution's principles and the Eighth Regional Congress Political Report.
After the Party had performed the task of assuming power through armed revolution, legal and judicial modification is required in the process of building up a new society.
In all political systems, Law is a legal expression of the system's ideology, principles and aims. The more expressive of such ideology the law is, the more harmonious the relation between society's actual movement and its legislations would be. Thus emergency legislative formulas would be avoided.
As Ba’ath is the Party of all the people's national forces, the laws governing its society should express the interests of the vast majority of the people. The Eighth Regional Congress Political Report has paid close attention to this point, stressing that the qualitative progress made by the Revolution in all fields demanded a drastic reform of Iraqi laws to make them compatible with its present and future requirements as well as with the decisions and legislations issued by the Revolution Command Council in all economic, administrative, political and social fields.
A good deal of change was affected in the basic components of the legislative structure. The Legal System Reform Act No. 35 — 1977 was a prominent achievement signaling a legislative revolution to enact laws in the new society. This Act sought to reform all valid regulations and legislations which were no longer in keeping with the Ba’ath-led revolutionary change in all fields. This change requires legal formulas and rules which are compatible with the level of actual development achieved in all economic, democratic and social fields as well as ensuring a consensus of legislation and accuracy and precision of execution and follow-up.
This Act has laid down the groundwork for modification and replacement of present Legislations or enacting new ones. As a corollary of this legislative revolution, many new laws were enacted, and many others are now being prepared. Two kinds of legislations were enacted in this period. The first are those already listed in the plan to reform the legal system which included many economic, social, cultural, political, administrative and judicial legislations.
Other legislations were not included in the plan, but have contributed to establishing a new legal system. Not only legislation has developed, but also the Ministry of Justice which is responsible for implementing laws and achieving justice compatibly with the new changes. In accordance with the Ministry of Justice Act No. 101 — 1977, the Ministry was scientifically reorganized and a number of specialized bodies were founded so as to carry out its legal and judicial tasks.
Woman
Woman's full emancipation from all inherited shackles is one basic aim sought by the Revolution. It is a natural human right as well as a requisite condition for making economic and social development and bold steps along the road to civilization. A society, half of whose members are backward, unemployed and humiliated must be a backward one.
Woman's emancipation is a basic condition for building up a socialist and democratic Arab society. It releases the energies of half the population, thus involving them in the process of democracy, development and national (Arab) struggle and preparing them for playing their role in bringing up the new generation.
Like her sisters in other Arab countries, Iraqi woman has long suffered from the shackles of backwardness, humiliation and lack of contribution to the society's life.
Leading the State and building up a revolutionary society and a liberated base in the Arab Homeland, the Ba’ath Party has to pay great attention to this point. Indeed, it has to emancipate Iraqi woman thoroughly so as to achieve equality with man in terms of human values, to reach a social balance with him in tasks of social rights and to play her positive role in the process of construction, democracy and revolutionary struggle.
Here the Party was faced with a complicated reality and certain conservative social conditions. It had to weigh any opportunity for woman's emancipation against the degree of maturity achieved by society. In so doing, the Party was not prompted by a sense of apprehension and conservatism. Rather, it was eager to lead society in a revolutionary, national and balanced manner as is the case with other fields. A rash attitude in such a sensitive issue as woman's emancipation and ignoring the reality of certain obstacles would certainly yield bad and adverse results.
The Eighth Congress has warned against taking rash measures in the respect because they would give pretexts to local and Arab forces of reaction for moving against the Revolution. At the same time, it has warned against making the hostile reactionary mentality a pretext for failing to follow a phased plan embodying woman's emancipation.
According to the Party, woman's emancipation can not be achieved by issuing legislation or establishing a feminine organization. Rather, it is a process basically linked to the structure of the political system, its social philosophy and its degree of progress along the road of civilization. The objective possibilities for woman's emancipation depend on the degree of general freedom and progress achieved in society. Therefore, woman's emancipation and equality with man in terms of human rights run parallel to the real steps made by society along the road of replacing exploiting and backward relations with socialist and developed relations.
In the light of this vision, woman has been given equal opportunities in employment, education, legislation, political and union activities. Indeed, she has entered factories, occupied various posts, joined military and security institutions and effectively taken part in political struggle and elections. In education, the rate of women grew rapidly to 46 per cent at primary stage and 37.2 per cent at university stage in 1980-1981. The women's share in the power force grew to a rate of 18 per cent —which is a high rate in a developing country.
The General Federation of Iraqi Women has played a great part in developing this movement in Iraq and enabling woman to take part actively in the society's life and activities. It is no longer a specialized feminine organization, but rather a key national one. Through direct support from the Leadership and Comrade Saddam Hussein in the forefront, this union has spread its activity in recent years to every part of the country, thus creatively contributing to all national activities and to the process of social evolution and new construction as a whole. Through her union, Iraqi woman has taken a good role in Arab and international conferences. Moreover, Iraqi woman has taken an active part in the national battle against Khomeini's aggression against Iraq through visits to fighters on the frontlines by the Federation's members which helped enhance fighters' morale. The Federation has also worked on promoting woman's awareness. It encouraged its members to visit the families of martyrs and fighters and attend to their needs. Under the Party's leadership of society, women's emancipation has made satisfactory steps forward in line with the Eighth Regional Congress recommendations. We have to pursue and develop the same line. All problems facing this course should be solved in an objective manner and a revolutionary and courageous spirit. In so doing, we shall ensure further steps along the road of utmost use of Iraqi woman's potentiality in the process of national construction. We shall also pave the way for greater free and creative participation by Iraqi woman in the country's new life.
Anti-Illiteracy
The spread of illiteracy in developing countries is one of the most serious social obstacles to development and progress. Illiteracy has a bad effect on the society's activity. It denies Man his humanity, paralyses his ability checks his creativity and strips him of any positive role in his everyday life, thus depriving society of the possibility of making use of his ability and potential.
In our country, eradicating illiteracy is an important national task closely linked to the Party-led process of construction and freedom. It is even one of its essential pillars.
The Eighth Regional Congress has drawn attention to this problem and to its negative impacts on political and economic freedom stressing the need to solve it through a comprehensive national campaign led by the Party with the participation of big unions and State's organs concerned to uproot illiteracy in accordance with a plan and within a definite period.
The Eighth Regional Congress has studied the results of efforts made by the Party, State and unions to combat illiteracy in preceding years. It found that however important these efforts might be, they could not offer a drastic cure for the problem. In fact, such efforts could only limit the size of the problem and its spread. Hence, the Congress decided that a comprehensive national campaign should be launched to uproot illiteracy.
The vital importance of this step stems from the Party's con¬cern that the people should take part in the process of building up a new society, in preserving the Revolution's achievements and in defending the homeland.
The state of a considerable proportion of the population being victim to ignorance and ensuing problems such as illness, poverty and unemployment contravenes this objective. Democratic building of our society requires ridding the people of illiteracy and ignorance so as to help them express their aims and aspirations and take part in the course of revolutionary transformations. An illiterate person's productivity is obviously far less than that of a literate one —which reflects badly on the rates of economic and social growth and progress.
In accordance with the Eighth Regional Congress's resolu¬tion, the Comprehensive National Campaign for Obligatory Eradication of Illiteracy started on December 1, 1978 setting a target of teaching 2.3 million illiterate persons (according to 1977 census). The Party's Regional Secretary assumed leadership of the Campaign, which is an indication of its great importance and helps to provide all that it needs in terms of material and human resources.
Throughout the period between the end of 1978 and October 1981, thousands of literacy centers were opened receiving most illiterate persons. At present, there are only 1024 centers to teach the remainder of illiterate persons. Popular schools were introduced to provide schooling for graduates of those centers equal to primary stage. There are now 23655 such schools besides those of the Armed Forces.
As a result of such efforts 1,588,997 illiterate persons were given tuition in these centers (1,117,493 females and 413,504 males) —which makes 76.4 per cent of the total number of illiterate persons in the country. Only 402,315 illiterate persons are still going to these centers.
The Comprehensive National Campaign for Obligatory Eradication of Illiteracy, which was launched simultaneously with obligatory education (at primary level) in 1978-1979, has had a great success. Despite the fact that the war imposed by Khomeini's regime against Iraq has drawn many lecturers, teachers and learners to the frontlines, the Campaign went on albeit with less vigor.
It is of particular importance here to stress the need to maintain the Campaign with a greater zeal so as to perform its basic aims. However, this campaign will uproot the greater part of illiteracy or break its backbone, but it cannot totally uproot it. In such an extensive campaign, one should expect that some will drop out, some had not joined literacy centers and some had not attained to the minimum level required.
Therefore, after performing the basic tasks of the Campaign, we have to keep an eye on the problem of illiteracy or semi-illiteracy through maintaining and developing adult education so as to attain greater success in this field. Continuing this campaign is therefore very important in the context of the new society's construction.
Youth
Since it’s founding, our Party paid close attention to winning youth and to helping them shoulder their responsibilities toward revolutionary struggle. At one time, the Party's organization relied basically on youth, deriving from their activity and zeal a great contribution. Under the Party's leadership of the revolutionary government, bringing up youth and preparing them along national and socialist lines has assumed particular importance.
As Comrade Saddam Hussein said, "To win youth is to ensure the future." In a national, revolutionary and socialist society, a child or youth can grow up into an adult fully committed in national, revolutionary and socialist terms.
It was therefore necessary to provide the best care and education for the young generation ranging from children to grownup youth. Their age group is the most sensitive one. It is highly responsive to the formulas, methods and philosophies of education, guidance and training. Without particular programs with extensive prospects, it would be difficult to genuinely deal with the youth sector.
The numerical proportion of youth to the whole size of the society and their qualities of liveliness, enthusiasm and skill demand a clear priority over other sectors. From the youth, the society derives its future leaders, productive potential, combat capabilities, scientific ability and vigor. Indeed, greater tasks of national struggle on both local and Arab levels as well as of confronting all challenges and dangers besetting the homeland should be shouldered by the youth.
Hence, the youth sector has been given great attention and care by the Leadership of the Party and Revolution which has often directly attended to its education and preparation. The Leadership has offered this sector the maximum possible national and technical requirements and the required staff with a view to bringing it up along national, socialist and scientific lines. The Political Report of the Eighth Regional Congress has referred (o the negligence that the youth sector had suffered in the Revolution's early years. Then attention was focused on limited sports activities. The Congress stressed that in the following stage, I lie Party itself should lead a large-scale effort to make the Youth organization, the General Federation of Iraqi Youth (GFIY), an extensive, popular and active organization in Iraq.
This body should embrace most of youth, both males and females and actively contribute to promoting national and socialist principles among them, to orienting youth to revolutionary spirit and practices. Indeed, such an organization should effectively involve the youth in the process of revolutionary construction, defending the homeland and discharging national (Arab) tasks.
In the following years, considerable progress has been achieved in the youth conditions. The General Federation of Iraqi Youth (GFIY) and the Ministry of Youth have coordinated their efforts in an integrated manner. The Ministry provides basic cadres, installations and resources needed to carry out youth educational and mobilization activities of which the GFIY takes advantage.
The Ministry also supervises sports institutes such as the Olympic Committee and clubs and teams.
The GFIY provides to its members many cultural, scientific, artistic, sports and military activities through annual centralized programs implemented by local branches through its three organizations: the Vanguards which was founded in 1974, Futuwa (youth) in 1978 and Youth in 1980.
The Party's leadership has offered continuing support to the GFIY. The Government's allocations to it had risen from 255000 Iraqi Dinars in 1974 to 30 million Iraqi Dinars in 1980. As a result of such support the GFIY is now embracing the vast majority of Iraqi youth. The number of the members of the Vanguards' Organization rose to 1.1 million, the Futuwa Organization 127300 and the Youth 61800.
The Ministry of Youth comprises several bodies undertaking the tasks of training, sports, arts and scientific and cultural care. Its allocations had risen from 4.4 million Iraqi Dinars in 1974 to 47.6 million Iraqi Dinars in 1980. In its plan to provide the requirements of training youth, the Ministry established scores of youth centers and houses, sports closed halls, scientific clubs and centers, and the National Institute of Cadre Training. It has also conducted many activities.
President Saddam Hussein's theme: To win youth is to win the future, must be a great incentive to the Party Youth organs to make bold steps forward in this field. We have a great deal to do. Despite achievements made, there is still a considerable number of youth who are not subject to the regular and direct influence of the Party, its ideology, practices and values.
Youth activities have to be increased and developed. New fields should be introduced and higher levels of creativity should be reached.
The Revolution is now 14 years old. Therefore the majority of Iraqi Youth were born or brought up in its era. This very fact should be reflected in all aspects of the society's life. The sector responsible for youth bears a great responsibility in this respect.
New Values and Practices in the Revolutionary Society
In a new society, new values and practices expressive of its nature and corresponding to its political, social and moral aims are formed. The Revolution, led by Arab Ba’ath Socialist Party in Iraq, is not a superficial political and economic change. Rather it has been and will remain a drastic and all-round process of change and development aimed at creating a new man and society closely related to their old glorious heritage and creatively contributing to making a brighter present and future for Iraq and the Arab nation.
The degree of success in effecting new values and practices in the best yardstick to measure the degree of success achieved by any revolution, if a revolution does not succeed in this field; its political and economic achievements remain vulnerable.
The best achievement, with higher contribution and stronger guarantee than all others lies in the new man and new society brought up by the Revolution.
How much has the Revolution succeeded in establishing its new values and practices? The Eighth Regional Congress Political Report has devoted particular attention to this point to which great importance is attached by the Party and Revolution's Leadership and by Comrade Saddam Hussein who showed such interest in both thought and practice. However, the success achieved in this field is still subject to the whole conditions of the Party and Revolution's course, especially in its internal side whether publicized or not.
The July 17-30, 1968 has obviously initiated a new age for Iraqis. But, throughout the past course, this new age has not been a clear-cut one, nor has it a single track. This has left its effect on the question of new values and practices.
However, when the Revolution's course achieved full clarity with Comrade Saddam Hussein's assumption of his responsibilities in July 1979, this has reflected favorably on all aspects of this course including the field of new values and practices. Clarity and stability was finally achieved.
It is of particular importance to stress here that such values and practices cannot be achieved through cultural and educational theories and efforts only. Nor can they be achieved through slogans repeated through information media, meetings and rallies.
They are closely linked to the national symbol and with the general practice of the leading body in the new society. Heroism, for instance, cannot be strongly established as an admirable and prevailing value if the national symbol and the leading body cannot prominently demonstrate it in the new so¬ciety. The same is true with straightforwardness, fairness, truth, creativity and other values which the Revolution seeks to establish and spread. Any conflict between values and the concrete reality which is known to the people will create a state of deep doubt which eventually lead to a sharp decline of morale and undermine the faith of the people in the worth of such values.
In the forefront of values stressed by the Party and Revolution is patriotism and profound and absolute commitment to the people and homeland. This talk may seem ordinary since this value is asserted by all governments and educational programs. However, in Iraq it occupies a particular place and has certain significance.
For centuries, Iraq has been subject to foreign invasion, occupation and domination. It had been the victim of various foreign political, cultural and psychological influences. Although Iraqi’s patriotism had been always resisting invaders and seeking independence, it has not taken its full range before July 17-30, 1968 Revolution and Saddam Hussein's leadership. This is a great unforgettable fact.
Patriotism is not only that simple general feeling of love and longing for the homeland. Rather it is that profound, strong and permanent feeling of love for the homeland, commitment and devotion to it, working for its well-being, and self-sacrifice when it is beset with danger. It is that sense of persistence in such a position, when doubts prevail, conspiracies increase and hostile trends escalate. It is to give actual predominance to the national bond and commitment under any circumstances, even when this conflicts with the religious, sectarian and tribal bonds and commitments or with any other characteristics and selfish individual interests.
This is what has been actually achieved in Iraq, and remarkably underlined by our battle against the aggression of Khomeini's regime. Patriotism has acquired particular value and significance in the lives of all Iraqis. It has been firmly established as a strong fact.
This has not been confined to defending the homeland and showing concern for its well-being. It is now expressed in admiring the homeland, taking pride in its past, present and future and exploring all its beauties and creative aspects. The Iraqi achievement in literature, arts, war, industry, agriculture, construction, tourism and all other fields has become the subject of Iraqis' pride, admiration and concern.
Another basic value stressed by the Party, Revolution and the leader Saddam Hussein is courage. The Iraqi individual has never lacked courage in individual terms. This has been always one of the essential virtues of Iraqi society. But the historic achievement made under the Revolution and Saddam Hussein's leadership lies in stressing this value in the context of national action and in serving and defending the homeland, instead of being an individual virtue demonstrated in individual and tribal conflicts which are detrimental to the society.
This virtue has been further proved with its high constructive aspect in the battle against Iranian aggression. Thousands of Iraqis who are today proudly wearing the Order of Bravery conferred on them by President Saddam Hussein are the model today in the Iraqi society. They occupy a high position, being the model sought by the youth.
With the consolidation of these two values, another important one, the admiration for military life has been promoted. The uniform has become the subject of pride and pleasure for the youth. Military games and dolls have become the ones most admired by Iraqi children. Military vocabulary is now used on a large scale. This admiration for military life does not express an aggressive trend in the Iraqi society. On the contrary, it is a vigorous and bright expression of the Iraqis' genuine and legitimate concern for the homeland and the people's achievements, and of their efforts which are proudly made along this road, despite the difficulties and sacrifices involved.
One important aspect of the new society is the growing rate of volunteering for the Amy and joining military institutes, under the Revolution as a whole, and the conditions of battle against Iranian aggression in particular. Under the Revolution, the collective work, which has a very important value for the Iraqi and Arab societies, was cemented.
Collective work is a normal thing in advanced societies which have succeeded in reconciling individual potential for work and creativity to that of the community. But for those societies which had lived under foreign domination and suffered sectarian, tribal and family fragmentation and conflict, collective work is of particular importance because of its direct and strong effect on the unity and coherence of society and its pursuit of progress.
The highest example of collective work is the Ba’ath Party, the leader of the Revolution and its vanguard. The Party is the first and the most active of the bodies of collective work in the new Iraqi society.
Of great social importance is the affiliation to this revolutionary and collective body by scores of thousands of men and women from all walks of life and from all age groups. In the Party's framework, all minor commitments and individual selfish trends are melted down; and the common social work is asserted in the interest of the homeland, with the aim of making further achievements and struggle for great causes.
Besides the Party, the unions and other activities have been effectively shaping individual and social behavior. In Iraqi society are also certain public activities which by their nature, demand collective effort.
We have to confirm this type of work in the fields defined by the Revolution's programme. We have to make it a creative and useful effort without restricting the particularities of individual work and action in all fields.
Straightforwardness is another value which the Revolution has cemented and refined. The Iraqi individual is known for his honesty and fairness. But the long centuries of foreign domination, oppression and infiltration implanted certain drawbacks such as corruption, lack of patriotism and other negative aspects which had characterized the behavior of the rulers and ruling forces in the past. Such aspects had reflected badly on the society and on individual behavior to a considerable though not a large extent.
The Revolution has held up the sword of justice, making bribery and dishonesty serious social crimes demanding severe punishment. Maintaining justice and straightforwardness was stressed in both theory and practice.
The leading model in the society plays a basic role in asserting this value. It is inconceivable that a straightforward and fair governmental body should exist under a government which is neither of these two things. Yet the opposite is quite possible for a certain period, as was the case with what the Revolution has faced and relentlessly and faithfully sought to change.
Iraq can boast of the fact that the level of straightforwardness and honesty in its governmental bodies is among the highest, not only on the level of a region riddled with corruption but also on an international level.
An essential role in asserting this aspect is played by the Party and its members through their presence everywhere in the society. This is done only by combating all counter-trends but also by abiding strictly by honest and straightforward attitudes in terms of behavior and principles.
Under the Revolution, justice and equality among citizens have been steadily enhanced. They cannot be realized in the society by merely embodying them in general or even in detailed terms in our laws.
We have to link active work-part of which may be ostentatious to a real desire for work, so as to bring about concrete results in all fields. It is not enough to be active, but one has to be so closely tied to his work that one devotes his life to it and gets the best out of it.
Iraqi individual productivity has increased, though not to the desired level. More productive efforts are still needed in the working hours in various fields. There is still time wasted and low levels of production.
Important values which the Revolution takes pride in having established in Iraqi society are perseverance and planning. Iraqi society and the individual were known, before the Revolution, for their lack of patience, rash and emotional acts which are prompted offhandedly by immediate response and by lack of experience and lack of interest in long-range planning.
Through its consistent, meticulous and strategic policy in all fields, the Revolution has managed to diminish these aspects which are negative in their final outcome though they originated in sincerity, spontaneity and generosity. Under the Revolution, the Iraqi character has gained more maturity and ability to deal with circumstances. The conditions of the war launched by Khomeini's regime against Iraq have underlined these aspects. Despite the lengthy course which the war has taken, and the great sacrifices and grave dangers it has involved, the Iraqis dealt with it patiently, consistently and industriously with a view to holding fast and achieving victory.
Another important aspect established by the Revolution is the sense of optimism, happiness and confidence in the future.
Iraqi society was once characterized by a sense of sadness and pessimism, and a lack of confidence in the future. This left its impact on the Iraqis' lives, literature, arts and the way they dealt with affairs of life, especially political affairs.
Under the Revolution, a new Iraqi society and individual have been brought up. Both are today optimistic and confident about the future. They started to deal with life affairs with confidence and joy. The new positive aspects started to dominate the Iraqis' life, literature and arts in the same manner that the negative ones did in the old days.
The new society established by the Revolution has developed a new tradition: to weigh rights against duties. Such a tradition is very important for such societies as the Iraqi one. Under foreign domination and despotic governments which deny the people their rights, it had not been possible to strike a balance between rights and duties.
The society and individual looked with hatred, doubt and fear to the then government and to all duties it imposed on them. In fact, neither of them could know their own rights precisely. Such a balancing process can be realized only under national and fair governments which are closely committed to the interests of the vast majority of the people. However, this process takes a long time and strenuous efforts in education and concrete practice.
The Party, the society's vanguard, plays a prominent role in shaping and cementing this delicate process and making it a permanent reality in the society.
Resisting any unwillingness -to shoulder duties and combat favoritism —which gives its advocates illegitimate privileges at the expense of the rights of other citizens— will enhance this process as a normal one as far as the society and the citizen are concerned.
A basic role in cementing this new aspect is played by President Saddam Hussein's direct dealings and constant meetings with the people with the aim of becoming acquainted with their problems and solving them. Many of those problems are related to this process. Every Ba’athist, wherever he works, has to continue this role played by the President.
The Revolution can be proud that, within 14 years, it has taken important steps along the path of establishing a new society and man of Iraq.
This task, for which the Party and the Leader Saddam Hussein have shown great concern, remains a basic one. We have to stress and deepen the success achieved so as to keep this process as a constant and creative one. We have also to combat the remains of negative phenomena and stress new values and practices in the new society established by the Revolution in accordance with the aspirations of the Party, the Revolution, the Leader and millions of Iraqis and Arabs who look to Iraq's experience with appreciation, admiration and hope of liberation and progress.
