IT IS such an honour to be elected as the new general secretary of Liberation. I follow in the footsteps of the legendary Maggie Bowden. 

Maggie has long been an inspiration to me in the fight against imperialism and I thank her for all she has done. 

I am delighted that she will be continuing to play a leading role in the organisation as president alongside the equally inspirational former leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn. 

When my election was announced I received many personal messages of congratulations, for which I am deeply grateful. 

Even though I have supported Liberation for many years, there were clearly some who were not as familiar with their work as I was. So this is a good opportunity to help.

Liberation was founded in 1954 as the Movement for Colonial Freedom and is one of the oldest and most respected human rights organisations in Britain. 

For nearly 70 years, having changed its name to Liberation in 1970, the organisation has campaigned against imperialism and racism alongside partners based in Britain and internationally.

The organisation has a proud record of opposing neocolonialism, economic exploitation and the racism that underpins them. 

These have often been hard-hitting encounters which have led to genuine change for people in their lives.

Key to the work of Liberation are its long-established partnerships with anti-colonial forces internationally and, through this work, it is recognised as an official non-governmental body by the United Nations in Geneva. 

Liberation is also highly respected for its work by many other international bodies such as the International Labour Organisation and parliaments across the world, including our own in Britain. 

With past leaders including Fenner Brockway, Tony Benn, Stan Newens and Jeremy Corbyn, Liberation has deep roots within the labour and trade union movement. This link is the bedrock of Liberation.

Liberation has a rich history but it is also its future that excites me.

I am a child of immigrants from Jamaica. My parents both came to Britain in the early 1960s, having lived under colonial rule, only to find signs warning them that no dogs, no blacks and no Irish were welcome in many establishments. 

It would be a serious mistake for anyone to believe that the racism experienced in this country by my parents and many like them was somehow disconnected from the racism endured under colonial rule.

Colonial rulers everywhere routinely use systems of supremacy to uphold their dominance. 

These systems of supremacy are rarely if ever dismantled. Instead new forms of domination are put in place such as through debt or military dependency. 

This is the legacy that millions of people across the globe continue to suffer.

Liberation has always fought against the loss of memory of the history of colonialism but has also worked hard to make sure that everyone understands its continuing legacy and, importantly, how we can organise and campaign against it.

Liberation will not just sit back and take pride in our past works, although we will certainly celebrate all of our many achievements. 

We will make sure that the organisation is fit to effectively face up to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Whether it is backing the struggles for progressive sovereignty in the face of Western imperial interests in the global South, promoting peace and justice in the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America, taking on Big Pharma by campaigning for a Covid-19 people’s vaccine, the impact of the climate emergency and, of course, fighting against racism in Britain, we will build an organisation that is able to make a real difference.

I have always been an organiser. This will be no different in Liberation. I refuse to just talk endlessly about how bad things are without at least developing organising strategies, alongside our comrades on the ground, that can help to bring about real change in this country and across the globe. 

That is the sort of Liberation that you can expect under my leadership.

We will prioritise building our membership and developing our organisation as well as our links with partners in Britain and across the globe. 

We will develop education and activist mobilisation training programmes while, at the same time, using our influence to lobby and change the course being plotted by governments and bodies such as the UN and the ILO.

Importantly, we want to make sure that the anti-imperialism message reaches a new audience eager to participate in the struggle.

If you agree with me that the time for talk is long gone and that we need a vibrant anti-imperialist and anti-racist movement that can help not just to expose the continuing impact of colonialism but that we must organise to do something about it, then come and join us. 

Become a part of building Liberation to face up to the challenges of the future. Join us through our website www.liberationorg.co.uk and help us to take Liberation forward.

Liberation has a proud history. It also has an exciting future. Come and be part of it.

Roger Mckenzie is general secretary of Liberation and a long-time union and anti-racism organiser.