Confident republican youth movement up and running
Young republicans in Belfast and South Armagh have launched a new
youth initiative in an attempt to mobilise young people across
the Six Counties. Calling itself Sinn Féin Youth, and targeting
young people between the ages of 15 and 25, the initiative has
already organised a series of successful protests in Belfast and
Camlough. With an emphasis on militant street protest and
innovative forms of making politics, Sinn Féin Youth is set to
spread across the country.
Speaking to An Phoblacht South Armagh youth activist Deirdre
Feehan called the initiative, ``a much needed shot in the arm'' for
both young nationalists and the republican movement in general.
``Sinn Féin has in recent years failed to capture the minds and
imaginations of our young people and equally, young people have
failed to organise themselves. What we are trying to develop is a
movement of young republicans which not only addresses the needs
and concerns of young people today, but also sets an example for
the broader movement, to bring new ideas, new experiences, a more
up-to-date approach to politics,'' she said.
Identifying their key campaigns as demilitarisation, RUC
disbandment and equality, Feehan went on to say that ``we are not
interested in simply becoming an extension of the already
existing structures in Sinn Féin. We want to campaign around all
those other issues which affect young people as young people.
Issues like education, substance abuse, joyriding, sexuality and
teenage pregnancy, all those things which make up the reality of
young people's lives today''.
Feehan also stressed the need to understand the `politics of free
time'. ``Young people in republican areas, like many other young
people, have a lack of leisure facilities, a lack of social
amenities and this is a serious political issue. Sinn Féin Youth
is committing itself to tackling these problems at their root,
not simply by highlighting what everybody knows - that there's
nothing for young people to do - but by providing real
alternatives. We will be organising raves, mountain marches,
festivals, education, but also undertaking serious campaigning
work on a range of local and national issues''.
Speaking on the importance of the broader political context,
Belfast Sinn Féin Youth activist Eoin O'Broin said, ``it makes no
sense to talk about national self determination without
individual self determination. Young people need that right
recognised if the political project of the republican movement is
to have any meaning for them. This means engaging with the
realities of young people's lives, in a meaningful way. But also,
it means an end to the criminalisation of young people, it means
an end to seeing our youth as a problem. It also means bringing
young people into every aspect of the political process, giving
us ownership at every level. But most importantly it means
allowing young people to create a political space inside the
movement within which they can create their own politics, in
their own way. If this doesn't happen then our initiative will go
the same way as all those which came before''.
O'Broin highlighted that ``although earlier youth initiatives such
as Glór na nOg have failed, we have learned from those mistakes,
and are building that understanding into our new work. Our focus
will be on generating as much street activity as possible,
whether in the form of protests, militant actions, stickers or
posters. Bringing young people onto the street and using politics
to reclaim those streets for ourselves will be our primary aim''.
Speaking to young people across the Six Counties, O'Broin said
``the time when young people had to ask permission from adults to
make politics is over. If we are to have ownership of this
political process we must take it for ourselves. This means
taking initiatives, taking risks but equally taking
responsibility. Don't wait for others to do things for you and
then complain afterwards that nothing happened. Get up, get out
and get active. There is a mountain of work to be done, and every
young person has a role to play. If this initiative fails, we
have only ourselves to blame''.
In the last number of weeks, in addition to organising two
successfull protests, Sinn Féin Youth has produced thousands of
stickers calling for the disbandment of the RUC. T-shirts
commemorating internment and denouncing state violence have also
been produced. Meetings have been held across Belfast and South
Armagh, and interest is developing in Derry and elsewhere in the
Six Counties. Sinn Féin Youth has also been hosting a delegation
of youth activists from the Basque youth independence movement,
Jarrai (a full report will appear in next week's An Phoblacht).
The bottom line is that the opportunity to build a strong and
vibrant youth movement is here, all we need to do is grasp that
opportunity, a move which will benefit both young republicans and
the movement generally. Let's stop talking and just do it!
For more information leave a name and contact number with the
Sinn Féin Six County office, Belfast 439300.
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