Galway hosts Revolution Weekend
The fourth annual congress of Ógra Shinn Féin took place in Galway last weekend. Over 150 youth activists from around the country attended. A new national executive was elected to organise young republicans in the coming year.
ÓSF in the last year has involved itself in a wide variety of campaigns and hopes that the effect and range of campaigning will improve as this year develops. ÓSF would like to thank all republicans young and old, especially those in Galway who helped organise the weekend. Watch this space for more in your face campaigning as we try to ruffle the establishment's feathers.
Nations without states
The first event of the Ógra Shinn Féin National Conference was a public meeting entitled "Nations Without States". The majority of the 250 people who attended were members of the public, as most of the Ógra activists were travelling to Galway at that time. The proceedings were opened by Sinn Féin general election candidate for Galway West, Daniel Callinan. He said the rise of Sinn Féin in Galway West was a credit to youth, and that he would continue to campaign on youth issues such as student grants and young drivers' insurance.
A representative of the Kurdish community in Ireland, Kayash Gungor, gave an outline of the history of Kurdistan. He described the shocking oppression the Kurdish people have faced at the hands of Turkey and Iraq. The Turkish government continues to deny their very existence as a people, to torture and kill their leaders, and to suppress their language and culture in a most brutal fashion. Yet Turkey remain among the closest allies of the US in the Middle East, and as Daniel Callinan pointed out and are currently seeking membership of the EU.
Mikel Ansa, a representative of the Basque youth group Segi, gave a harrowing account of the repressive measures being used by the Spanish government against young Basque activists. He outlined how sentences for Public Order offences have increased by up to ten years, and how children as young as 14 can be sentenced to long terms in institutions for trivial offences.
Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Féin councillor for North Belfast, brought this down to a personal level. He told the meeting how a Basque friend of his, not politically involved, was arrested recently and has not been seen since by lawyers or family. He was too unwell to appear in court, and his family have been unable to ascertain the seriousness of his condition.
The last speaker of the evening was the Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland, Ali Halimeh. He spoke passionately about the plight of his people, pointing out that they are the indigenous people of their land, driven into refugee camps by the Israelis. He stressed that they have always tried to reach a compromise with Israel and have used every opportunity to try and find a peaceful solution. They have recognised the legitimacy of the state of Israel, although Israel has never recognised Palestine. The Palestinians, Mr. Halimeh said, have given up 78% of their land and now seek to retain only 22%. They have agreed to abide by UN resolutions for the area, yet the Israeli government refuses. The US continues to support Israel and dismisses the Palestinians as terrorists, even though the majority of victims of the war are Palestinian. The Ambassador was challenged in the questions session, by a very insistent audience member, who accused him of putting land before lives. He responded very well, asking if he should return to Palestine to live in a refugee camp, for the rest of his days. He pointed out that there can be no quality of life without land on which to live.
Traditional culture in a multicultural Ireland
The importance of maintaining traditional Irish culture while welcoming the rich cultural variety offered by the influx of immigrants from many different nations formed the basis of an entertaining seminar at the Ógra conference.
Ciarán Ó Pronntaigh of the Irish language newspaper, Lá, discussed the issue of multiculturalism from an Irish language perspective. He outlined how the Irish language is a minority language in the Six Counties, and how other minority languages are actually given preferential treatment over Irish. The law dictates that a minority language speaker can demand services through that language if s/he is unable to speak English. Irish speakers are almost always able to speak English, so they are not entitled to services through Irish. Ó Pronntaigh also stressed that the Irish language is for all the people of Ireland, regardless of their ethnic background.
Sinn Féin General Secretary and National Director of Elections, Lucilita Breathnach, spoke of her multicultural background - her mother is Spanish and her father Irish. She told the meeting how her parents had travelled extensively in North Africa, and the artistic and cultural influences of this on her family. Breathnach, a Gaelgeoir, she spoke about how the Irish language should flourish in a multicultural Ireland.
Brother Larry Ovie, is a representative of the refugee community in Galway, and is the head of the Church of Faith and Christian Fellowship, a Pentecostal church. He spoke of having to leave his native Nigeria because of war and divisions there. He said that many people he knew had experienced racism in Galway. He asked people to show Christianity in their dealings with refugees. Brother Larry thanked Sinn Féin MP Pat Doherty for visiting Galway's refugees and listening to their concerns.
The final speaker was Sharon Murphy, who is black Irish and works combating racism in the One World Centre. She spoke from the heart about her experiences of racism growing up in Ireland, and the effect that racist insults had on her, especially as a young child. She provided us with a reminder of the hurt that one word can cause, and the audience was moved by her honesty.
Reid picketed
A highly successful protest against John Reid was organised in Galway City on Saturday night. Reid was invited to a banquet hosted by Galway University to speak about so-called unionist alienation in the North. Over 150 republican activists surrounded the hotel and held a dignified silent protest against the refusal of the British government to demilitarise the Six Counties.
It was also a signal to Reid's audience that Sinn Féin will continue to highlight the British government's tactic of resisting pressure for political change by arguing that the Six Counties are now a 'cold house for unionists'.
The largest republican demonstration for many years in the city caused the local gardaí to get a little hot under the collar. Intimidatory tactics included seizing film from the protestors, thus no pictures.
Daithí Mac an Bhaird, chair of the University cumann, said that Sinn Féin members would be strengthened in their endeavours to secure an Ireland of equals in the face of such harassment by the Special Branch. "John Reid may come to Galway to try to convince people that our demands of justice and equality should not be met in case we might destabilise unionism," he said. "The message has gone out loud and clear to him and his securocrats from Galway last weekend, that young republicans and Sinn Féin will accept nothing less than equality and justice. An Ireland in which justice and equality for all is the norm, cannot by definition be a cold house for unionists. John Reid must desist from his attempts to halt the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. He must become a persuader for Irish unity, instead of putting barriers up to its achievement."
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