Friday 26 September 2003

The Plough Vol 01 No 07

The Plough
-E-mail newsletter of the Irish Republican Socialist Party
Number- 7 Date 26th September 2003
1. IRSP Mourn The Death of Edward Said
2. Loyalist watch
3. Sunday World
4. Aids Information
5. The Sovereignty of Cuba
6. The Ireland-Information Group in Sweden.
7. IRSP Belfast Meeting
8. Anti War News
9. Jailing of Bin Tax campaigners
10. More trouble for Fianna Fail.
11. What’s On
________________________________________________________________________
IRSP Mourn the Death of Edward Said
It was with great sadness that the Irish Republican Socialist Party heard of the death of
Edward Said, professor, author, and tireless champion of the Palestinian Intifada.
Edward Said made significant contributions to a number of fields of intellectual inquiry,
but reached beyond the world of academia in a manner, which few accomplish. Edward
Said helped transform the social sciences, especially those focused on the Arab world, but
he was also an activist who ceaselessly championed the cause of justice and tirelessly
sought to bring clarity and truth regarding the struggle of the Palestinian people and the
Arab nation to the world.
Edward Said was among the most effective voices for bringing to light the reality of the
Palestinian cause in the West through his newspaper columns, scholarly essays, books,
and interviews. Said made errors in his time, as all men do, but his works were important
for helping to humanise the reality of the Palestinian struggle and for adding the
credibility that is bestowed by the work of a genuine scholars. His voice and intellect will
be missed.
Peter Urban
Irish Republican Socialist Party
International Department Co-Secretary
Loyalist Watch. Sectarian Watch
Saturday 20th. Kieran Conlon while leaving Ballyskeagh greyhound track was
viciously assaulted by a loyalist gang from the nearby Seymour Hill estate. An iron
bar was used in the attack and when Kieran was on the ground a bottle was
smashed on him. The owner of the track said he had no plans to increase security at
the track and denied there was sectarian motive.
Four Catholic families were petrol bombed in Newtownabbey. One family who had
a 10-day-old baby were unaware their front door was on fire until a local girl
warned the family. The attacks are linked to the attacks on nearby Carnmoney
cemetery.
Sunday 21st An 18 year old Catholic was beaten in a sectarian attack as he walked
along the Albertbridge Road in East Belfast. Five men were involved in the attack.
The young man was hospitalised.
A suspected pipe bomb was left in the Mc Clure street area of the lower Ormeau
Road, a predominantly nationalist and catholic area. The hoax bomb was left by
loyalists from the Donegall Pass area. Clashes had occurred previously between
youths from both areas as golf balls ball bearings and paint had been thrown.
Tuesday23rd. A hoax bomb warning from the Catholic Reaction Force disrupted
two state schools in Larne. State schools in the North are predominantly protestant
and the hoax was believed to be in retaliation for a similar hoax on Catholic schools
in Larne five days before.
Wednesday 24th. It emerged that the Red Hand Commandos had played a leading
role in the protests and riots against the Catholic prayer service in Carnmoney
Cemetery. The RHC is a loyalist terror organisation under the direct control of the
UVF and closely linked to the Progressive Unionist Party’ leadership of Billy
Hutchinson and David Ervine. Hutchinson had to go to the RHC and let them know
in no uncertain terms that their activities were embarrassing the loyalist
organisations. In an effort to minimise the damage he spun the story that the
actions did not have ‘official sanctions’
Thursday 25th Rival groups of youths clashed in sectarian trouble in the Donegall
Pass /McClure street. This is generally known as ‘recreational rioting” that has the
potential to escalate into serious sectarianism. On the ground local republicans have
been trying to defuse the situation.
A pipe bomb device was left at the gates of The Dominican College, a Catholic
grammar school in North Belfast. This was the second such incident within a week.
Friday 26th.
2 school buses carrying pupils from the Girls Model school , a state school wwere
stoned and a number of girls taken to hospital with head wounds and shock.
Sectarian clashes then took place on the Crumlin road
Sunday World
On Sunday 21st of September the Northern Edition of the SW carried a ghoulish
front page picture of the body of Billy Wright, loyalist murderer after he was killed
by the INLA. Inside there followed nine more pages all about the killing of Wright.
The story was presented as a world exclusive. However nothing that was in the
paper was new. The whole story was a rehash of everything that has been written
before including the fact that Wright had traces of cannabis in his bloodstream.
This fact was released by the IRSP a good few years ago. The tabloid journalists in
the SW must have nothing better to do than to run through the back copies of their
paper and rehash old stories If they were serious investigative journalists they
would be uncovering the corrupt practices associated with planning applications,
landlords and building companies. But maybe that’s not sexy enough for the SW.
The ‘journalists’ involved in the SW articles on the Wright killing were Richard
Sullivan, Steven Moore and editor of the SW Jim McDowell. Relatives of Billy
Wright protested to the Sunday World about the publication of the picture of the
dead body.
________________________________________________________________________
AIDS INFORMATION
A major international conference on AIDS opened in Nairobi, Kenya. There are
currently 42 million HIV positive people worldwide. More than three quarter of
them (29.4 million) is in Africa. In Africa, AIDS infects one adult out of eleven, and
15 million have already died. Fourteen million children have lost one of their
parents because of the disease, and this will grow to 25 million by 2010. The scandal
is that only one percent of HIV positive people in Africa have access to some form of
health care! In Asia, the situation is not better, only five percent have access to
treatment. Stephen Lewis, the special envoy of the Secretary General of the UN has
pointed that while it has not been a problem for the US government to find the
necessary 40 billion dollars to fight their so-called “war on terror” in Iraq, Western
governments are reluctant to invest the 10.5 billion dollars necessary for proper
preventive health care and medical treatment. (Le Monde, 22 September 2003)
Things are made even more difficult for African governments as the International
Monetary Fund and the World Bank are pressurising them to introduce further
“structural reforms” to repay their debts, resulting in massive cuts in desperately
needed health care. It is time that we once again pressurise our governments to
cancel the debts of those poor countries and invest in human development rather
than imperial wars.
Liam O Ruairc
________________________________________________________________________
The Sovereignty of Cuba
The stance by Vaclav Havel, Arpad Goncz and Lech Walesa (18/09/03) on Cuba and the
recent sentencing of 75 mercenaries is astonishing in its ignorance and arrogance. Are we
really to believe that if when they were presidents in their respective countries of the
Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, and the most senior diplomat of a major foreign
nation had openly organised and funded groups of citizens to overthrow their
governments, that they would have stood back and done nothing. Those they refer to as
"dissidents" were proven to be working to destabilise and overthrow the Cuban
government by illegal means. The trials had absolutely nothing to do with human rights
but everything to do with the protection of Cuba's national sovereignty against external
interference. These mercenaries were not imprisoned on the basis of "mock trials", but as
a result of clear evidence being produced through internationally accepted legal channels.
This evidence proved that they were working with the chief US diplomat in Cuba, James
Cason, with the clear aim of destroying the Cuban Revolution.
The crime these mercenaries committed was not to criticise a so-called dictatorial regime,
but to conspire with a foreign government to overthrow a democratically elected and
populist state. To suggest otherwise is an utter distortion of fact and a perversion of the
term human rights. Such is 'democracy' in the eyes of Havel, Goncz and Walesa.
Cuba has suffered intensely at the hands of the US for over 40 years. As a small country,
which has managed against all the odds to pursue an alternative socialist path of
development, Cuba should be fully supported by all those who oppose the increasing and
aggressive US imperialist domination of the world.
(The author is the Belfast Co-ordinator of Cuba Support Group – Ireland and this article
was taken from ‘The Blanket” an excellent on line magazine which can be viewed at
http://lark.phoblact.net)
___________________________________________________
The Ireland-Information Group in Sweden.
Comrades,
Our group will hold its first National Conference this autumn, on the 8/11 and it would be
very appreciated if you would send us a message of solidarity and comradeship to this
conference.
Our group has developed from the remains of the Ireland Solidarity Group, which was
dissolved after the truce and the negotiations leading up to the GFA, that group had some
roots from an even earlier North of Ireland Group formed in the late sixties.
We remain in support of the continuing struggle for Irish Freedom and the Republic of
Tone, Pearse and Connolly. We are not at present confining our support to any special
group or organization in Ireland, more to the freedom struggle against the British
occupation.
We have members and supporters in our main four cities and are steadily if not fast,
expanding. The leading comrades have been active in Irish Solidarity for many years. Our
conference is for creating a more regular activity and a base for our work.
Our national conference will be held on Saturday the 8/11- 03 in Stockholm.
Messages of support are welcome
Our address is:
Ireland Information group
Box 201 31
S- 104 60 Stockholm
Sweden
IRSP Belfast Meeting
A very successful meeting of IRSP activists was held in the City on Tuesday Night.
Forty comrades gathered to hear Ard Comhairle member Pol Little speak on the
current political situation, the failures of the Good Friday Agreement the coming
elections and the current problems relating to community policing, restorative
justice and young people. Gerry Ruddy gave a quick review of the roots of
Republican Socialism and the relevance of it to the issues facing working class
people. A lively discussion followed with comrades making constructive suggestions
on Party work and on the necessity to broaden the base of the Party. A follow up
meeting is being arranged for October. If you wish to attend please contact
johnmartinps@eircom.net
______________________________________________________________________
International Day of Action Dublin/Belfast Saturday
27TH September march against the War
Press Release for Rally and March International Day of Action against the
occupation of Iraq. Saturday 27th September 2pm Art College
The Belfast Anti-War Movement is holding a Rally and March against the occupation of
Iraq by US and UK forces. Ann Fitzpatrick one of the organizers of the rally said,
It is clear from the information being presented at the Hutton Inquiry that the
government lied to the people about the need to go to war. There were no weapons of
mass destruction, they knew that, but they went to war anyway.
„When two million people marched in London and thousands marched in Belfast we
knew that the government had no case for war she continued. „The situation a few
months on looks very bleak indeed. The troops should be withdrawn, and the Iraqi
people should be given control over their own country. The Belfast Anti-War
Movement would also back up the major trade union figures that have called for Tony
Blair‚s resignation.
Ann went on to say “the occupation, far from bringing peace and stability, has turned into
a nightmare for ordinary Iraqi's. Every day between 15 and 25 Iraqi civilians are killed.
Some journalists are suggesting that as many as one thousand Iraqi‚s die every weak. No
one is safe. A TV cameraman was shot because US troops were unable to distinguish
between a camera and a rocket launcher from 50 metres away. A family was gunned
down because they misunderstood a command at a checkpoint,” she continued. She said,
“Demonstrations occur daily because the infrastructure has not been rebuilt and
hundreds of thousands of children are without water or electricity.”
She suggested, “The effect of the occupation can be felt at home. Blair‚s lies to take us to
war have meant that we are now in the situation of having an occupation to maintain.
This is costing billions of pounds, while services and jobs are being cut and water
charges are being introduced. The millions around the world who marched against the
war on February fifteenth have been proven right that the war was unjust, unjustified and
illegal. . We are organizing a rally and march along with other anti-war movements
around the world. We were involved in a struggle to stop the war, now we are involved in
a struggle to end an occupation”
Please contact Anne Fitzpatrick for more information - 0774 0683767
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sep 27 national demonstrations in Dublin and Belfast
Sep 28 AGM -- conference begins at 11am in the Teachers' Club. Pre-conference report
below.
Pre-conference Report from the Irish Anti-War Movement Steering Committee
The Irish Anti-War Movement came into existence soon after the launch of George
Bush’s war on terror‚ when about 400-500 meeting attended a meeting in Wynn‚s Hotel,
Dublin to hear Denis Halliday, former UN co-ordinator in Iraq, condemn the new drive
to war. The campaign was formalised when nearly 80 activists came together the
following week to elect a Steering Committee and decide on the overall platform of the
campaign.
We brought together activists from around the country and from many different
organisations to campaign against the war on Afghanistan and the use of Irish facilities
in that war.
Many members of the IAWM went to the European Social Forum in Florence last year to
link up with others across Europe who opposed the new colonialism. It would be difficult
to underestimate the significance of that event for it was there that the call for the
international mobilisation against war on February 15th took place. Supporters of the
IAWM returned home with a mission to organise 10,000 on the streets for that day.
Before then, we had conducted a number of protests at Shannon Airport and in Dublin
city centre to highlight the use of the airport by the US war machine.
Our protest, plus significantly the actions of Mary Kelly and the Catholic Worker
Movement, and the observations by Tim Hourigan and others at Shannon, tore apart the
government‚s strategy of keeping the use of Shannon a secret. They had managed to run
this covert operation in the last Gulf war but were not successful this time, because of
both the bravery of individuals and the growing anti-war movement.
February 15th surpassed all expectations with over 150,000 marching in Dublin and
20,000 marching in Belfast. They key to the success was the development of a successful
united front. The Steering Committee made a conscious effort to involve broad forces
such as the Labour Party, SIPTU and representatives of religious organisations.
Our strategy was to use this broad mobilisation to promote a policy of mass civil
disobedience. This was carried on a number of occasions with pickets and sit-downs
outside the clinics of TDs. The most significant action was a thousand strong blockade of
TDs' in Dail Eireann for two hours.
However the scale of the civil disobedience was not sufficiently strong to break the will of
this government to support the US and Britain. The campaigns nominated Day X as the
key date for mass civil disobedience starting with a 10-minute stoppage and where
possible street blockades.
We estimate that approximately 20,000 people took part in actions on that day. However,
the social composition revealed a key weakness. The biggest groups of supporters came
from school students, many of whom faced disciplinary action from their school
authorities for their protest. Manual workers who might have brought the country to a
stop were significantly absent.
None of this, however, should feed into any cynicism about the prospects and possibilities
for people power‚. The anti-war movement may not have stopped this dreadful war, and
we have not yet forced a radical overhaul of the government‚s foreign policy ˆ but we
have won the hearts of thousands to an anti-war position. We have galvanised and
politicised people in a way that few social movements have done. This is a considerable
base from which to build for the tasks ahead.
The government is currently considering sending Irish troops to bolster the US
occupation if that occupation is given UN cover. It has refused to condemn an illegal war
and a colonial occupation, ignoring a wide array of international law. It continues to
permit the passage of weapons of mass destruction (such as Mark 77 firebombs,
equivalent to napalm) through our airports and over our airspace. And it continues to
persecute peace activists through the courts over their civil disobedience at Shannon.
The current Steering Committee has identified four key tasks that we need to address for
the future
1. Joining the global anti-war movement in resisting the occupation. This report is
written before September 27th ˆ but we believe that sufficient groundwork has been done
to make it a success. The IAWM must continue its enthusiastic participation in the global
movement. Internationalism has been the key to our success - and we need to keep that
up.
For this reason, we should make a major effort to get as many supporters as possible
over to the European Social Forum and to follow up its decisions for action.
2. We need to highlight the issue of Shannon. The strategy of this government is to keep
quite and give full backing to the US. They blackmail the Irish people with fears of losing
US investment - knowing full well there was no huge of flight of US companies from
countries like France.
To highlight the cover up and lies of this government we need: a) to organise a return
March on Shannon in October
b) To distribute the movement’s pamphlet written by Colin Coulter and Kieran Allen
c) To produce more information posters and literature on the subject.
3. We need to mount an active defence of those who took direct action against the war
machine. We recognise that the defendants will conduct their own case and campaign as
they see fit. However, we should seek to generate the maximum of solidarity, by
fundraising, distributing literature and highlighting their cases in the media.
4. We need to mount a major information campaign to highlight the possibility that Irish
troops may be sent to Iraq. We believe that the government is contemplating this course
of action - but is hesitant because of the extent of public opposition. We need to stiffen up
that opposition and to somehow reach out to Irish soldiers to explain what they could be
facing if the government gets its way.
5. To do all this, we need to consolidate the Irish Anti-War Movement as a serious
organisation with a national identity and a growing paid-up membership. All too often
over the past year, our activities have been limited by lack of funds and lack of
organisation. Over the next few months, we must become a more professional
organisation which has the resources needed to mount a concerted campaign aimed at
ending the government‚s support for war and the US military occupation of Shannon.
Aoife Ní Fhearghail
Secretary Irish Anti-War Movement 087 7955013
______________________________________________________
Jailing of Bin Tax campaigners
The jailing of Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins and Cllr Clare Daly for one month for their
refusal to cease campaigning against the bin tax in Dublin is an attack on working class
peoples’ rights to protest against injustice.
Both Joe and Clare were elected to the Dail and Fingal County Council respectively with
a mandate to oppose the introduction of bin charges and to represent the thousands of
families who are opposed to bin charges. Bin Charges are a form of double taxation.
Service charges were introduced first in 1983 by Alan Dukes and Dick Spring and were
and are opposed by PAYE workers. More than 80% of all income tax is collected from
the working class under the PAYE system. At the same time Dukes then Minister of
Finance introduced legislation to jail tax evaders. Unfortunately no tax evaders have been
jailed. Instead since 1983 there were 3 separate amnesties offered and availed of.
Services charges whether for bins water or whatever, are really a way of preparing the
way for the privatising of council services to provide profit for the private sector.
The Government and the Councils try to portray the tax as an environmentally friendly
measure based on the principle that "the polluter pays". However, the point is that the
polluter manifestly does not pay in the southern State. A couple of years ago total
national waste came to 80 million tonnes. Of this, a mere 1.2 million tonnes was
accounted for by household waste. Most of the rest was accounted for by big business
and agriculture. Yet ordinary householders were hit with service charges and big business
was rewarded with the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe. Also no owner or operator
of an illegal dump has been arrested and jailed. All around Ireland illegal dumping has
taken place and members of the Gardai have been implicated in the practice of illegal
dumping. You can be sure none of the dumpers nor the owners of the land who allowed
the dumping will go to jail.
A proper waste management policy has to be implemented that will include the collection
of all bins adequate recycling facilities nation wide taxes on producers to reduce wasteful
packaging. We believe that like education and health care the collection of everybody’s
waste is necessary for the health not only of the individual but for the greater good.
Accordingly a progressive tax should be levied so that those who earn more pay more
The jailing of Joe Higgins and Clare Daly for fighting for the rights of the working class
is at the same time that millionaire tax dodgers have been found to have cheated the
taxman of a small fortune by hiding money in offshore Ansbacher bank accounts. Not a
single Ansbacher Man has seen the inside of a prison cell. That’s Ireland today
More trouble for Fianna Fail.
On a day when opinion polls showed a fall in support for Fianna Fail and a drop in the
popularity of Bertie Ahearn, two Fianna Fail Td’s were in trouble, one for drunken
driving and another for tax avoidance. The arrogance of those in power who think they
can flaunt the law while genuine defenders of the interests of the working class like Joe
Higgins and Clare Daly languish in jail. Meanwhile the lickspittle leader of the Labour
Party, former Workers Party member, Pat Rabbitte tried to carpet Labour TD Tommy
Broughan who has admitted he does not pay his bin tax. Remember Rabbitte was a
member of the Workers Party when its military wing was carrying out robberies and
operating control of a large number of building sites. There was silence then at illegal
activities but now Rabbitte reminds Broughan that Labour “did not advocate now or in
the past the non payment of legitimately imposed state charges.”
The IRSP salutes Tony Gregory, Finian McGrath, Sean Crowe and John Gormley for
expressing solidarity with the jailed protesters by visiting them.
The Annual Seamus Costello Anniversary Commemoration will take place on
Sunday 5th of October, Assembly Point Old Town Hall Little Bray. March and
Rally with Band and Colour Party. Main Speaker will be Ex Political Prisoner and
Blanket man, IRSP Ard Comhairle Member, Paul Little.
Seamus Costello Remembered
26th Anniversary Commemoration
Organized By the IRSP Commemoration Committee. Contact and Transport
Details, Contact Daithi on 0877570109 or Dublinirsp@hotmail.com. All Welcome.
"I Owe My allegiance to the Working Class" Seamus Costello
Subject: Talk on Guyana
GUYANA: COMMENTS ON A DIVIDED SOCIETY
Speaker: Michael Mahadeo
Venue: One World Centre (4 Lower Crescent, Belfast - off Botanic Avenue)
Date: Wednesday, 8 October 2003
Time: 7.30pm
Everyone Welcome....................................Stephen McCloskey-Co-ordinator-One World
Centre for Northern Ireland-4 Lower Crescents-Belfast-BT7 1NR 028 9024 1879
www.owcni.org.uk
__________________________________________________
GEORGE MONBIOT
George Monbiot, a regular feature writer in The Guardian, is the author of Captive State
and The Age of Consent. The One World Centre, The New Ireland Group and The de
Borda Institute have organised the following events:
1 GEORGE MONBIOT The 2nd One World Centre annual lecture, 12 noon to 2 p.m.,
Thursday 9th October, Room G07, Peter Frogatt Building, Queen’s University. Everyone
welcome.
Further information available from The One World Centre, 4 Lower Crescent, Belfast
BT7 1NR, Tel 90241879, e-mail stephen@owcni.org.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 GEORGE MONBIOT “Unionism, Nationalism or Globalisation?” 7.30 for 7.45
p.m. on Thursday 9th October, in The Elmwood Hall, Belfast Tickets £5 (concessions
£2.50), includes a free glass of organic wine from the Belfast Food Co-op.
Tickets and further information available from either The New Ireland Group, 7
Slievedarragh Park, Belfast BT14 8J sec.newirelandgroup@ntlworld.com or The de
Borda Institute, 36 Ballysillan Road, Belfast BT14 7QQ pemerson@deborda.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amnesty International Annual Lecture 2003
Xanana Gusmão,
President of East Timor
Peace, justice and reconciliation
Queen's University Belfast, G06 -Thursday 16th October, 7pm
-All welcome -Admission free but by ticket only
Supported by QUB Human Rights Centre
To book tickets, tel 028 9064 3000 / email: nireland@amnesty.org.uk
________________________________________________________________________
Bobby Sands memorial lecture, Teachers Club, Dublin.
October 21st 8pm.
Speaker: Seán Ó Brádaigh. Lecture is about the lives of Robert
Emmet and Thomas Russell.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday 26th October 2pm
A talk on Robert Emmett by Ruan O'Donnell.
Ruan is the author of a new biography on Robert Emmett, to be published this
autumn. This event will take place in the Library Annexe and is free.
Working Class Movement Library, 51 The Crescent, Salford, U.K. M5 4WX
0161 736 3601
www.wcml.org.uk
_______________________________________________________
James Byrne Commemoration Committee >
1st November 2003-09-11 Monument Unveiling & 90th Anniversary
Commemoration
Assemble 2pm Main Entrance Deansgrange Cemetery, Deansgrange, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
The newly-commissioned monument over the grave of Trade Union Martyr, James
Byrne, District Organiser, ITG&WU, who died on 1st November 1913 following a
hunger & thirst strike during the Great Lock-Out 1913 will be unveiled by Des Geraghty,
President, SIPTU. All trade unionists, political activists and members of the Public
welcome!
[No Party Political Banners, please!]
The James Byrne Commemoration Committee has organised the erection of a fitting
memorial over the grave in Deansgrange Cemetery [Co. Dublin, Ireland] of James
Byrne, a trade union martyr who died on 1st November 1913 as a result of the effects of a
hunger and thirst strike during imprisonment for his role in the Great Lock-Out of that
year. James was District Organiser of the Irish Transport & General Workers Union and
held leadership roles in both Bray and Kingstown [Dún Laoghaire] Trades Councils.
In the course of James Byrne’s funeral oration James Connolly said:
”James Byrne truly died a martyr as any man who ever died for Ireland”
The Committee believes that the monument is a fitting tribute to James Byrne and hopes
that his grave may become a place of pilgrimage and source of inspiration for trade
unionists and socialists in the future. We are particularly pleased that the descendants of
James Byrne are fully supportive of the work of the >Committee.
Jason Mc Lean. PRO- James Byrne Commemoration Committee.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
European Social Forum Paris, St Denis 12-15 November
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__________________________________________
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Friday 19 September 2003

The Plough Vol 01 No 06

The Plough
-E-mail newsletter of the Irish Republican Socialist Party
Number- 6 Date 19th September 2003
1. Loyalist watch
2. Job Losses
3. Price-Waterhouse Coopers Report
4. Dún Laoghaire’s 1913 Lockout Martyr
5. Once more on the Sunday World
6. The War Industry in Northern Ireland
7. On Education In The Republic of Ireland
8. The 1803 rebellion - Republican workers executed in 1803
9. The Speech from the Dock - Robert Emmett.
10. What’s On
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loyalist Watch.
Sunday14th September. A 200 strong mob of loyalist protesters jeered whistles
threw objects and spat at Catholics attending a blessing of the Graves in
Carnmoney cemetery. This mob of low lifers came from the Rathcoole estate and
later two cars were burned out as the mob rioted. The local parish priest Father
Dan Whyte was informed by the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland)/RUC
that his life was under threat from the Loyalist Action Force. This followed the
daubing of paint on the local Catholic Church and the smashing of Catholic graves
by the loyalists.
On Sunday evening two catholic families were attacked in the Deerpark Road in
North Belfast. A lump of tarmac was thrown through the living room window of one
house and through he bedroom window of another house. In previous weeks the
local UDA had orchestrated attacks on other catholic families in this mixed area.
Monday 15th September
A local Ulster Unionist Party Councillor, Ivan Hunter said of Father Whyte, he
“ has an agenda that we don’t seem to be getting to the bottom of.” –the catholic
church in Carnmoney “made a determined effort to segregate and sectarianise
Carnmoney. –The very fact that he didn’t remove the graffiti on church doors shows he
has an agenda.” Hunter is a member of David Trimble’s Party, which signed up to
the Good Friday Agreement. So much for parity of esteem. David Trimble has
subsequently defended the comments of Hunter
Pipe bombs were found at two catholic schools in Dungiven and Limavady forcing
both schools to be evacuated. Explosives were in both pipe bombs.
Wednesday 17th The Boys Model School received a bomb scare forcing the school to
be evacuated. The Bomb scare was allegedly from the CIRA.
Thursday 18th Loyalists extended their campaign against Catholic schools and six
had bomb scares to contend with. One of those was outside Belfast in Larne where
there has been a sustained campaign by loyalists to drive out Catholics from the
whole town.
Job Losses in Ireland.
640 job losses announced by the US company 3com in Blanchardstown (ROI)
315 job losses by Sneider in Celbridge. (ROI)
30 jobs lost at CCC Technology, in the Spring Bank industrial estate in Poleglass, (NI) as
the parent company in the USA filed for bankruptcy. When it was opened in 1996 it
received approximately £ 1.6 million in state aid. Another company called Europa Tools
based across from CCC Technology closed last year although it had received £3.2
million.
European Committee for the Prevention of Torture
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture have expressed grave concerns
about the ill treatment of people in Garda custody. Allegations included blows with
batons, kicksand punches to various parts of the body. The allegations had “credibility”
and were backed up by medical evidence although complaints were ignored by judges
When brought to their attention. Most of the recommendations made by the Committee
were also made in 1995 and 1998 but were then ignored. It is likely this also will be
ignored. While a lot of attention has been rightly focussed on the PSNI/RUC it should
never be forgotten just how vicious and corrupt the Garda are. We have only to mention
the ‘Heavy gang’ of the seventies, the goings on in Donegal in the nineties and the petty
harassment of small businesses in Dublin who don’t see the benefit of ‘kitting’ out the
local Gardai.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Price-Waterhouse Coopers Report
A recent report issues by PwC spells out the reality facing the Northern Ireland economy.
Although the economy is relatively prosperous much of that has been because of massive
increases in Government spending in health, education transport and administration.
Indeed about 60% of the Gross Domestic Product is accounted for by public sector
expenditure. The Northern Ireland economy is more dependent than any other region on
public spending and thus will be very vulnerable to cuts in public spending which are
forecast for after the next election. While shops and warehouses are opening up factories
are closing. There are now less than 100,000 people working in manufacturing which is
the lowest figure ever recorded. Manufacturing now accounts for only 17% of economic
activity in the North. Graduates are now working in jobs that require no degrees and the
growth in call centres parallels a growth in sweatshop conditions.
_____________________________________________________________________
Dún Laoghaire’s 1913 Lockout Martyr.
Near the Republican plot in Deansgrange cemetery lie the remains of one of Dún
Laoghaire’s forgotten sons. James Byrne was born and reared at 5 Clarence Street,
Kingstown {Dún Laoghaire} and inspired by the leadership of James Connolly & Jim
Larkin he became an active trade unionist in the ITGWU. By the time of the Great Lock
Out of 1913, Byrne was a thirty eight year old married father of six was Secretary of Bray
& Kingstown {Dún Laoghaire} Trades Council and also the Kingstown {Dún
Laoghaire} ITGWU Branch Secretary. The 1913 Lock Out was the most significant and
tragic era of trade union history ever witnessed in Ireland. The mood and tragedy of that
time is captured brilliantly in James Plunkett’s serial drama Strumpet City currently
showing on Sunday evenings on RTE. Trade Unionists from up to 45 different unions
combined against the might of Dublin Employers, led by William Martin Murphy, owner
of the Irish Independent and director of the United Tramways Company, the principal
source of public transport in the capital at the time. The reason for this confrontation was
simple; the refusal of Murphy and other’s to employ trade union members. James Byrne
was arrested and falsely charged with “intimidation” of a tram-worker on October 20th
1913 by the Dublin Metropolitan Police, and remanded to Mountjoy prison. While there
he embarked on a hunger and thirst strike in protest at the refusal of bail. After a number
of days the British government gave in and Byrne was released on bail awaiting trial.
However due to the conditions prevailing in the jail at the time and helped in no way by
his hunger and thirst strike he caught pneumonia from which he died in Monkstown
Hospital a mere two weeks since first arrested. On the 3rd November 1913 James Byrne
was laid to rest. Up to 3,000 people along with 25 mourning coaches and cabs
accompanied by two trade union bands left Byrnes home at 1pm for the funeral walk. The
procession took two hours to reach Deansgrange due to its size. Many of those attending
had travelled on special trains from Dublin City Centre. It was reported in newspapers at
the time that many houses had their blinds drawn and many shops closed in respect to
Byrne. It was also reported that due to size of the procession the tram service was held up
for nearly an hour, a tragic irony considering why Byrne had been imprisoned. Again,
due to the size of the cortege the funeral oration by James Connolly was delivered from
the roof of a cab. He is quoted as saying
“That their comrade had been murdered as surely as any of the martyrs in the long line
list of those who had suffered for the sacred cause of liberty. The police vultures and
master vultures were not content until they had got Byrne into prison. He had been
thrown into a cold, damp, mouldy cell, but while in prison, so contemptuous had he
been of those who put him there that he had refused food and drink. If their murdered
comrade could send them a message it would be to go on with the fight for the sacred
cause of liberty, even if it brought them hunger, misery, eviction and even death itself,
as it had done Byrne.”
Fast-forward to 1996 and research carried out by Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown Heritage
Society came across the details and burial place of James Byrne, which was believed to
be unmarked. Indeed PádraigYeates the former Irish Times Industrial Correspondent
wrote as much in his excellent analysis of the times in his book Lock-Out Dublin 1913.
On 3rd November that year trade union activists employed in the Dún Laoghaire area laid
a wreath at the spot were James Byrne was buried. In 2002 a joint SIPTU/IMPACT
committee was established with the purpose of erecting a fitting memorial to James
Byrne. The purpose of the formation of the committee was for the erection of a fitting
memorial at the last resting place of James Byrne. It was decide to place a small hand
painted wooden cross at the site while organising for the erection of a more permanent
Headstone. During the course of clearing area of Byrne’s grave, the original headstone
was found nearby under some bramble bushes and although cracked and in bad repair it
belied the believe held by all concerned that Byrne had lain in an unmarked grave.
Accordingly this original headstone was sent off to the Monumental Sculptors for
cleaning and repair and will be incorporated into the new memorial. Interestingly this
original headstone only mentions James Byrne but research has proven that a number of
relatives also lie in this plot. Their details too will be included on the new memorial. The
new memorial will be unveiled by Des Geraghty, President of SIPTU on Saturday 1st
November 2003, the 90th Anniversary of James Byrnes > death. We will assemble at the
gates of Deansgrange cemetery at 2pm and walk the short distance to the burial spot of
one of Dún Laoghaire’s most prominent, but least known sons. Everyone is welcome and
all trade union activists are especially encouraged to attend. (By Jason Mc Lean.)
Once more on the Sunday World
A couple of weeks ago the Sunday World, Northern edition carried a story by Paula
Mackin on the running down and killing of a protestant man in North Queen Street
in North Belfast. The killing was carried out by nationalist hoods.. In the course of
her article Mackin alleged that one of the hoods was a well- known republican with
connections to the INLA. In the immediate aftermath of the killing misinformation
was also deliberately circulated by another republican group that the driver of the
car was an INLA member. The reality is different. Another republican group had
claimed one of the three hoods involved as a member in the past and the INLA in
North Belfast had issued three thousand leaflets in Ardoyne, the Bone, the Oldpark
and Ligoneil areas of North Belfast putting the record straight on the alleged INLA
membership of the hood. No member of the INLA was involved in the running down
of the man.
The War Industry in Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Aerospace Consortium (NIAC) consists of Bombardier
Aerospace, Creative Composites, Denroy Plastics Ltd, John Huddleston
Engineering, Langford Lodge Engineering Co.MC Gill Corporation Europe,
Maydown Precision Engineering, Moyola Precision Engineering, N.I. Technology
Centre, Project Design Engineers, Raytheon Systems, Spirent Systems, Springco NI,
Survivtec, Thales Air Defence and TRW Aeronautical Systems.
Raytheon Systems produce some of the software used in Tomahawk missiles which
were fired in Iraq and was welcomed to Derry by Nobel peace prize winners, John
Hume and David Trimble who both signed up to the Good Friday Agreement and
agreed
“Total and absolute commitment to exclusively democratic and peaceful means of
resolving differences on political issues and our opposition to any use or threat of force
by others for any political purpose whether in regard to this agreement or otherwise.”
NIAC has been supported by the N.I Executive when it was operating. Invest NI
which is answerable to the Trade and Enterprise Minister (when the NI. Assembly is
working) actively sponsored NIAC’s participation in the Paris and Farnborough Air
Shows. Encouraging the development of the war industry is not total and absolute
commitment to peaceful means of resolving differences. So the next time we hear
Trimble or Reg Empy talk about breaches of ceasefires etc remember their support
for the war industries.
(Information from “Northern Ireland and the International Arms Trade” by John Barry in “The
New Irelander Autumn 2003 Number 17)
ON EDUCATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
17th September 2003
There is a scandalous shortage of trained teachers in Primary education in the Republic of
Ireland. For too long the Irish people have endured a situation whereby anyone could
stand in front of a primary classroom.
The Primary Teachers union in the South the INT0 will refuse to work alongside
unqualified personnel in schools beyond September 2005. In an effort to be constructive
in dealing with the teacher shortage the INT0 demanded “greater flexibility in the
delivery of graduate courses including the provision of modular courses through distance
and e learning.” The INTO requested on several occasions in the past two years that the
Department of Education and Science would enter into discussions with the colleges with
a view to establishing post graduate modular courses on teacher education.
No discussions have not taken place in spite of repeated requests for such a meeting by
the colleges of education. The shortage of trained teachers only highlights the
tremendous work undertaken by the existing teaching profession. Irish schools and
teachers are delivering top quality education in spite of inadequate funding, large class
sizes not enough support for the disadvantage, the shortage of trained personnel, and the
poor quality of school buildings
The recent OECD Report which compares education in 45 countries (30 OECD countries
and 15 non-OECD countries) shows that the richer we have become in Ireland the less
proportionally we spend on education. The gap between primary school funding and third
level spending is clear. Ireland spends the same as other countries at third level yet at
primary level it spends half of what Austria Denmark and Sweden spend. Ireland spends
about 11,000 euro per year on each third level student and only 3,000 on each primary
child. Historic under investment in primary schools, a fact acknowledged by the
Department of Education and Science, is one reason why Irish children are being taught
in dilapidated schools. These buildings are clear examples of where the Irish government
falls down in its support for education. But lower expenditure does not mean below
average quality in schools. Ireland along with Australia, Finland, Korea and the United
Kingdom have low or moderate expenditure on education per student at primary level and
yet are among the OECD countries with the highest levels of performance by pupils in
key subject areas. Parents and teachers who fundraise to make up the shortfall are bailing
out the government.
Average class size in Ireland is 24.5. This figure hides the range of class sizes that can be
found in Irish primary schools, which can still contain 30 or more pupils. The average
class size in Ireland is higher than the average across OECD countries where the
comparable figure is 22.0. Lowest average class sizes are found in Luxembourg
(15.5), Iceland (17.3), Italy (18.2) and Norway 19.3.
In addition Ireland is one of the few countries where class size decreases as children
move from primary to second level. In most countries the number of pupils per class
tends to increase as children move from primary to 2nd level in some states by as many
as four students. Only in Ireland, UK, Denmark, Switzerland and Australia do the class
sizes drop.
When all non-class teaching staff is included (administrative principals, learning support
etc.) Irish staffing levels at primary are still well below OECD standards. In Ireland
there are 20 pupils to every teacher while the OECD average is 17. At second level
there are 15 pupils to every teacher compared to an OECD average of 14.5.
At primary level in Ireland pupils receive 915 hours of teaching time per year. This
compares with an OECD average of 747 for 7 - 8 year olds and 813 for 9 - 11 year olds.
The length of the Irish primary school year is one of the longest in the OECD exceeded
only by Australia, Italy and Scotland.
Irish children score well in literacy tests being out scored only by Finnish pupils. They do
less well in Mathematics, coming 15th out of 27 countries. One reason for these scores is
that in primary schools there is learning support for pupils with reading difficulties but
none for children with mathematics difficulties. This needs to be addressed as a matter of
urgency. There are children in university today who have benefited from learning support
in the area of literacy. The same service needs to be available to children with
mathematics difficulties.
(Source INTO)
REPUBLICAN WORKERS EXECUTED IN 1803
Patriot Trade Disposition
Edward Kearney Carpenter Hanged, Thomas St.
Owen Kirwin Tailor Hanged, Thomas St., Sept. 1st 1803
Maxwell Roche Slator Hanged, Thomas St., Sept. 2nd 1803
Denis Lambert Redmond Coal Facer Hanged, Coalquay, Woodquay
John Killeen Carpenter Hanged, Thomas St., Sept. 10th1803
John McCann Shoemaker Hanged at his own doorstep, Thomas
St., Sept. 10th 1803
Felix Rourke Farm Labourer Hanged, Rathcoole, Sept. 10th 1803
Thomas Keenan Carpenter Hanged, Thomas St., Sept. 11th 1803
John Hayes Carpenter Hanged, Thomas St., Sept. 17th 1803
Michael Kelly Carpenter Hanged, Thomas St., Sept. 17th 1803
James Byrne Baker Hanged, Townsend St., Sept. 17th
1803
John Begg Tailor Hanged, Palmerstown, Sept. 17th
1803
Nicholas Tyrrell Factory Worker Hanged, Palmerstown, Sept. 17th
1803
Henry Howley Carpenter Hanged, Kilmainham Jail, Sept. 20th
1803
John McIntoch Carpenter Hanged, Patrick St., Oct. 3rd 1803
These names were taken from a plague located at St. Catherine's Church at the lane off
Thomas Street. The plaque was unveiled by Michael Mullen, General Secretary of the
Irish Transport and General Workers Union on behalf of the Dublin History
Workshop, September 1980.
Our thanks to Jack Hyland, trade union activist, retired shop steward in Dominic Dolan's
in Dublin and member of the Dublin No. 12 Branch of the Irish Transport & General
Workers Union and to Barbara Kelly of the Services, Industrial, Professional and
Technical Union for providing this information.
Robert Emmet, September 29, 1803
[From the Speech on the the eve of his execution
The Speech from the Dock
Extracts from hRobert Emmet's speech on the eve of his execution.
I appeal to the immaculate God--I swear by the throne of heaven, before which I
must shortly appear--by the blood of the murdered patriots who have gone before
me that my conduct has been through all this peril and all my purposes governed
only by the convictions which I have uttered, and by no other view than that of their
cure, and the emancipation of my country from the super inhuman oppression
under which she has so long and too patiently travailed; and that I confidently and
assuredly hope that, wild and chimerical as it may appear, there is still union and
strength in Ireland to accomplish this noble enterprise.-
I am charged with being an emissary of France An emissary of France? And for
what end? It is alleged that I wished to sell the independence of my country? And
for what end? Was this the object of my ambition? And is this the mode by which a
tribunal of justice reconciles contradictions? No, I am no emissary; and my
ambition was to hold a place among the deliverers of my country--not in power, nor
in profit, but in the glory of the achievement!...
Connection with France was indeed intended, but only as far as mutual interest
would sanction or require. Were they to assume any authority inconsistent with the
purest independence. it would be the signal for their destruction: we sought aid, and
we sought it, as we had assurances we should obtain it--as auxiliaries in war and
allies in peace...
I wished to procure for my country the guarantee which Washington procured for
America. To procure an aid, which, by its example, would be as important as its
valor, disciplined. gallant, pregnant with science and experience; which would
perceive the good and polish the rough points of our character. They would come to
us as strangers and leave us as friends, after sharing in our perils and elevating our
destiny. These were my objects--not to receive new taskmasters hilt to expel old
tyrants: these were my views. and these only became Irishmen. It was for these ends
I sought aid from France; because France, even as an enemy could not be more
implacable than the enemy already in the bosom of my country
There are men engaged in this conspiracy, who are not only superior to me but even
to your own conceptions of yourself, my lord; men, before the splendor of whose
genius and virtues, I should bow with respectful deference, and who would think
themselves dishonored to be called your friend--who would not disgrace themselves
by shaking your bloodstained hand--
I do not fear to approach the omnipotent Judge, to answer for the conduct of my
whole life; and am I to be appalled and falsified by a mere remnant of mortality
here? By you. too. who, if it were possible to collect all the innocent blood that you
have shed in your unhallowed ministry, in one great reservoir Your Lordship might
swim in it.-
Let no man dare, when I am dead. to charge me with dishonor; let no man attaint
my memory by believing that I could have engaged in any cause but that of my
country's liberty and independence, or that I could have become the pliant minion
of power in the oppression or the miseries of my countrymen. The proclamation of
the provisional government speaks for our views; no inference can he tortured from
it to countenance barbarity or debasement at home, or subjection. humiliation. or
treachery from abroad; I would not have submitted to a foreign oppressor for the
same reason that I would resist the foreign and domestic oppressor: in the dignity of
freedom I would have fought upon the threshold of my country, and its enemy
should enter only by passing over my lifeless corpse. Am I, who lived but for my
country, and who have subjected myself to the dangers of the jealous and watchful
oppressor, and the bondage of the grave, only to give my countrymen their rights,
and my country her independence, and am I to be loaded with calumny and not
suffered to resent or repel it--no, God forbid!-
I have but a few words more to say. I am going to my cold and silent grave: my lamp
of life is nearly extinguished: my race is run: the grave opens to receive me, and I
sink into its bosom! I have but one request to ask at my departure from this world--
it is the charity of its silence! Let no man write my epitaph: for as no man who
knows my motives dare now vindicate them. Let not prejudice or ignorance asperse
them. Let them and me repose in obscurity and peace, and my tomb remain
uninscribed, until other times, and other men, can do justice to my character; when
my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then,
let my epitaph be written. I have done.
----------------------------------------------------
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Robert Emmet
A commemoration to mark the 200th Anniversary of the execution of Robert Emmet will
be held in Dublin on Saturday, September 20th next; the procession will assemble at
the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square at 1.30 pm and march to St Catherine's
Church in Thomas Street, where those present will be addressed by author Seán Ó
Brádaigh.
(From R.S.F.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 3rd All Ireland Social Forum Gathering
Cooperation not Competition
Human Rights Not Privatisation
Sunday, September 21st
10:30-5:30, followed by evening social events
Crescent Arts Centre, 2-4 University Rd.
Belfast
The NEISF is organising a one-day event under the title 'Cooperation not Competition,
Human Rights not Privatisation'. The event will examine issues of privatisation, neoliberalism,
human rights, peace and democracy. The gathering will also discuss the future
development of the Irish Social Forum and its European and World counterparts. This
event is open to all those involved in the evolving Irish Social Forum networks, all those
who are opposed to neo liberalism, privatisation and global capitalism and all those who
believe that 'another world is possible.'
Agenda
Morning Plenary Discussion: 10.30 - 12.00
Neo-Liberalism - From the local to the global
Communities Against Water Tax (Manus Maguire), Fire brigades Union (Jim Barbour),
ICTU (Alisa Keane), Refugee Rights (Refugee Action Group). Chair (Emily Kawano)
Morning Workshops: 12.15 - 1.45
Workshops on
- Trade justice
- Anti war
- Another world is possible
- Poverty
- Ireland in the global economy
- Consensus facilitation skills
- Ghandi’s
- Open
- Open
- Open
Lunch: 1.45 - 2.45
Food Not Bombs
Lunch will take the form of a public food Not Bombs event at the Venue.
Afternoon Discussion: 3.00 - 5.30
The Future of the ISF
The agenda of this session will not be set until one week before the event. Participants
should feel free to e-mail their suggestions or issues they would like to discuss by
September 15th. Possible elements to the session could be:
- Reports from regional social forums
- Workshops on specific themes such as ISF national structure, priorities etc.
- Open plenary to discuss workshop report backs and decision making on way forward
Social Event: 7.00
Theatre followed by,
World Music Disco, with resident DJ Steve Mc in Crescent Arts Centre
Additional Details
For more information or to suggest topics for workshops or the afternoon ISF
Session contact:
Eoin O'Broin at eoinobroin@hotmail.com
John Barry at j.barry@qub.ac.uk
Emily Kawano at neisf@ntlworld.com
Childcare
If you would like to register for childcare provided on-site, please rsvp to Emily Kawano,
neisf@ntlworld.com or phone 9060 5091. Please provide name and age of each child,
special needs and your contact details. There may be a small fee charged per child
(approx. £3-£5). Spaces are limited, so please reply ASAP.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BREAKING THE SILENCE: TRUTH AND LIES IN THE WAR ON TERROR
A film by JOHN PILGER
Monday, 22 September on ITV at 10.45pm-John Pilger's latest documentary for Carlton
Television, "Breaking the Silence: Truth and lies in the war on terror". Pilger and his
team filmed in Afghanistan and the United States and acquired previously unseen
material from Iraq. The film investigates George W Bush's "war on terror". In "liberated"
Afghanistan, America has its military base and pipeline access, while the people have the
warlords who are, says one women, "in many ways worse than the Taliban".
In Washington, a series of remarkable interviews includes senior Bush officials and
former intelligence officers. In the week that the Hutton inquiry into the death of the
British scientist Dr David Kelly releases its report, a former senior CIA official tells
Pilger that the whole issue of weapons of mass destruction was "95 per cent charade".
.....................................
from Stephen McCloskey-Co-ordinator-One World Centre for Northern Ireland-4 Lower
Crescent-Belfast
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IRSP General Belfast meeting Tuesday September 23rd September 2003-
09-11
Open to all Party members sympathisers and friends.
Agenda.
The Current Political Situation-the impact of the GFA-Assembly elections -policing
What is Republican Socialism?- our roots-where we are today-where do we want to go?
For more details contact
johnmartinps@eircom.net or ring 028-9032-1024
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Day of Action Dublin/Belfast Saturday
27TH September march against the War
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Annual Seamus Costello Anniversary Commemoration will take place on
Sunday 5th of October, Assembly Point Old Town Hall Little Bray. March and
Rally with Band and Colour Party. Main Speaker will be Ex Political Prisoner and
Blanket man, IRSP Ard Comhairle Member, Paul Little.
Seamus Costello Remembered
26th Anniversary Commemoration
Organized By the IRSP Commemoration Committee. Contact and Transport
Details, Contact Daithi on 0877570109 or Dublinirsp@hotmail.com. All Welcome.
"I Owe My allegiance to the Working Class" Seamus Costello
GEORGE MONBIOT
George Monbiot, a regular feature writer in The Guardian, is the author of Captive State
and The Age of Consent. The One World Centre, The New Ireland Group and The de
Borda Institute have organised the following events:
1 GEORGE MONBIOT The 2nd One World Centre annual lecture, 12 noon to 2 p.m.,
Thursday 9th October, Room G07, Peter Frogatt Building, Queen’s University. Everyone
welcome.
Further information available from The One World Centre, 4 Lower Crescent, Belfast
BT7 1NR, Tel 90241879, e-mail stephen@owcni.org.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 GEORGE MONBIOT “Unionism, Nationalism or Globalisation?” 7.30 for 7.45
p.m. on Thursday 9th October, in The Elmwood Hall, Belfast Tickets £5 (concessions
£2.50), includes a free glass of organic wine from the Belfast Food Co-op.
Tickets and further information available from either The New Ireland Group, 7
Slievedarragh Park, Belfast BT14 8J sec.newirelandgroup@ntlworld.com or The de
Borda Institute, 36 Ballysillan Road, Belfast BT14 7QQ pemerson@deborda.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Talk on Guyana
GUYANA: COMMENTS ON A DIVIDED SOCIETY
Speaker: Michael Mahadeo
Venue: One World Centre (4 Lower Crescent, Belfast - off Botanic Avenue)
Date: Wednesday, 8 October 2003
Time: 7.30pm
Everyone Welcome
.....................................Stephen McCloskey
Co-ordinator
One World Centre for Northern Ireland
4 Lower Crescent
Belfast
BT7 1NR 028 9024 1879
www.owcni.org.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amnesty International Annual Lecture 2003
Xanana Gusmão,
President of East Timor
Peace, justice and reconciliation
Queen's University Belfast, G06
Thursday 16th October, 7pm
All welcome
Admission free but by ticket only
Supported by QUB Human Rights Centre
To book tickets, tel 028 9064 3000 / email: nireland@amnesty.org.uk
________________________________________________________________________
James Byrne Commemoration Committee >
1st November 2003-09-11 Monument Unveiling & 90th Anniversary
Commemoration
Assemble 2pm Main Entrance Deansgrange Cemetery, Deansgrange, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
The newly-commissioned monument over the grave of Trade Union >Martyr, James
Byrne, District Organiser, ITG&WU, who died on 1st November 1913 following a
hunger & thirst strike during the Great >Lock-Out 1913 will be unveiled by Des
Geraghty, President, SIPTU. All trade unionists, political activists and members of the
Public >welcome!
[No Party Political Banners, please!]
The James Byrne Commemoration Committee has organised the erection of a fitting
memorial over the grave in Deansgrange Cemetery [Co. >Dublin, Ireland] of James
Byrne, a trade union martyr who died on >1st November 1913 as a result of the effects of
a hunger and thirst >strike during imprisonment for his role in the Great Lock-Out of that
year. James was District Organiser of the Irish Transport & >General Workers Union and
held leadership roles in both Bray and >Kingstown [Dún Laoghaire] Trades Councils.
In the course of James Byrne’s funeral oration James Connolly said:
”James Byrne truly died a martyr as any man who ever died for Ireland”
The Committee believes that the monument is a fitting tribute to >James Byrne and hopes
that his grave may become a place of >pilgrimage and source of inspiration for trade
unionists and >socialists in the future. We are particularly pleased that the descendents of
James Byrne are fully supportive of the work of the >Committee.
Jason Mc Lean. PRO- James Byrne Commemoration Committee.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
European Social Forum Paris, St Denis 12-15 November
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
__________________________________________
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Friday 12 September 2003

The Plough Vol 01 No 05

The Plough
-E-mail newsletter of the Irish Republican Socialist Party
Number- 5 Date 12th September 2003
1. Grave Attacks in Glengormley.
2. UN Report on Human Development
3. Anti War Meeting In Belfast
4. Socialist Workers Party
5. The World Trade Organisation
6. Welcoming a Terrorist
7. What’s On
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DAILY LIFE IN GLENGORMLY
Glengormly is a town on the outskirts of Belfast where there is a growing catholic
population. Every year the local Catholic Church holds what is called Cemetery
Sunday when the local Priest blesses local catholic graves. Over the past number of
year’s local loyalist protests, bomb scares and attacks both on catholic graves and
the local church have disrupted this ceremony. This year is no different. A number
of Celtic crosses over catholic graves were smashed earlier in the week. On
Wednesday night slogans were painted on the local church door. The slogans were
KAT which means KILL ALL TAIGS. Taig is a term of abuse used against
Catholics. This time the local priest has taken a courageous stand and decided not to
rub out the slogans. He is leaving them on the church doors as a reminder of the
deep anti-catholic hatred in the Northern State. On a main thorough fare in Sandy
Row in Belfast City Centre, a major crossroads is bedecked with loyalist flags and
the slogan KAT was daubed all over a local block of private residential flats. So far
no action by the authorities even though the flags and slogans are within 200yards of
the local police station. Another success for the Good Friday Agreement.!!!
UN Report on Human Development
This year’s UN Report on Human Development once again reminded us of global
injustice. The ten percent richest people on earth earn 124 times more than the poorest ten
percent. The 1% richest earn more than 57% of world population combined. In 2001, the
world’s GDP was 45 000 billion dollars. If this wealth was divided equally, a family with
three children, be they living in Africa, Asia or in the USA would have a monthly income
of 2260 Euros ˆ enough to have a comfortable life. Every human being on earth would
have 14 dollars per day, but 2.8 billion are currently living on two dollars or less, and 1.1
billion on one dollar or less. One person out of three has no electricity, and one out of
five no drinking water. Every day, 30 000 children die of hunger and preventable
diseases. More children died of diarrhoea during the 1990s than the total number of
people who died in armed conflicts since the end of the Second World War.
Every year, 10 million human beings die of hunger. Yet, there is an annual surplus of
food for at least 600 million people. But 800 million people suffer from hunger: one
person out of three in sub-Sahara Africa, and one out of four in South East Asia. In India
alone, 200 million suffer from hunger. However, the solution is fairly easy. Saving them
would only cost 5.2 billion dollars, the equivalent of one month of US occupation of Iraq.
The report also notes that only 35 billion dollars would suffice to prevent the annual
death of 8 million people from preventable diseases like tuberculosis, malaria and
diarrhoea. That is less than the 40 billion dollars spent by the US for their war in Iraq
between March and April this year.
What is scandalous about those figures is that all this misery is preventable. Compare on
the basis of this UN report socialist China and capitalist India for example. In India, more
than 200 million people suffer from hunger and more than 400 million have to live on
less than one dollar a day. If India provided the same health care as China, every year 1.5
million children could be saved. Proportional to population, China spends three times as
much as India on health care. India has an illiteracy rate of 35 per cent compared to
China’s rate of 16 percent. The average Chinese can expect to live until 71, the average
Indian 64. India’s infant mortality rate is twice that of China. In Cuba, there is one
medical doctor for 170 people. In the rest of Latin America, the proportion is of one
doctor for 613 people. Cuba spends per inhabitant twice as much on health care and
education than the rest of Latin America. In those countries, the ten percent richest people
earn 46 times what the poorest ten percent earn. In Cuba, the proportion is five times. A
quarter of Latin Americans have to survive on 2 dollars a day or less. In Cuba, less than
two percent do. This is a reminder that a more equitable organisation of society is
possible.
LiamORuaric
_________________________________________________________________
ANTI WAR MEETING
An anti war meeting was held at Queen’s in the Peter Frogatt Centre QUB Belfast, on
Tuesday Night featuring John Rees from the Stop the War Coalition in London and
organiser of the 2 million strong march on February 15th, Jamal Iweida from the Belfast
Islamic Centre, Monica Mc Williams from the women’s’ coalition and Carmel Gates
from the trade union movement. The meeting was well attended and the speeches clear,
articulate and to the point. However in the pursuit of building an alliance those elements
involved in the anti-war coalition sometimes tend to hide or conceal their politics or else
trim their political beliefs to the prevailing wind. One of the demands of the coalition is
for the withdrawal of the occupation troops from Iraq. It sounds a sensible and reasonable
demand that many should support. However I believe that not the withdrawal but the
defeat of the occupation forces is what is needed. Obviously the defeat of in particular
British and USA Imperialism would be a major blow to international capitalism.
At the moment there is armed resistance to the invaders in Iraq. It is as yet unclear as to
what groups make up the resistance. Some may well be the remnants of the old regime;
some may be Al Qaeda group. We have no truck for the politics of either group.
But there is a growing mass resistance campaign in Iraq that combines many shades of
political views. I believe that resistance whether armed or mass should be supported.
One of the sadder aspects of the meeting was the rivalry between the SWP (NI)and the
Socialist Party(NI)When a member of one spoke inevitably a member of the other party
felt the need to get up and put their Party line. Even sadder was the almost cult like
repetition of a party line that calls on the working people of Iraq (or Palestine and Israel)
to build a socialist Government. Much of the sloganising does not take into account the
actual existing realities of life in Iraq or Palestine ignores questions of nationality and self
determination and transfers abstract concepts from a British perspective onto almost
every other country in the world. Such an attitude demeans socialism and alienate
potential supporters
John Martin
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Socialist Workers Party
In Plough-3 we dealt with an article that Eamon McCann had written in the Belfast
Telegraph in which he had a sideswipe against the IRSP. We now see that the paper of
the SWP carries the same article. Does this mean that the politics of the Belfast Telegraph
and the SWP are the same? We don’t think so but surely this should cause some
questioning in the ranks of the SWP over the use of their pages to deliver snide
sideswipes at other socialists without any clear analysis.
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-THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION
-1. The WTO Is Fundamentally Undemocratic
The policies of the WTO impact all aspects of society and the planet, but it is not a
democratic, transparent institution. The WTO rules are written by and for corporations
with inside access to the negotiations. For example, the US Trade Representative gets
heavy input for negotiations from 17 "Industry Sector Advisory Committees." Citizen
input by consumer, environmental, human rights and labour organizations is consistently
ignored. Even simple requests for information are denied, and the proceedings are held in
secret. Who elected this secret global government?
2. The WTO Will Not Make Us Safer
The WTO would like you to believe that creating a world of "free trade" will promote
global understanding and peace. On the contrary, the domination of international trade by
rich countries for the benefit of their individual interests fuels anger and resentment that
make us less safe.
3. The WTO Tramples Labour and Human Rights
WTO rules put the "rights" of corporations to profit over human and labour rights. The
WTO encourages a 'race to the bottom' in wages by pitting workers against each other
rather than promoting internationally recognized labour standards. The WTO has ruled
that it is illegal for a government to ban a product based on the way it is produced, such
as with child labour. It has also ruled that governments cannot take into account "non
commercial values" such as human rights, or the behaviour of companies that do business
with vicious dictatorships such as Burma when making purchasing decisions.
4. The WTO Would Privatise Essential Services The WTO is seeking to privatise
essential public services such as education, health care, energy and water. Privatisation
means the selling off of public assets - such as radio airwaves or schools - to private
(usually foreign) corporations, to run for profit rather than the public good. The WTO's
General Agreement on Trade in Services, or GATS, includes a list of about 160
threatened services including elder and child care, sewage, garbage, park maintenance,
telecommunications, construction, banking, insurance, transportation, shipping, postal
services, and tourism. In some countries, privatisation is already occurring. Those least
able to pay for vital services - working class communities and communities of colour -
are the ones who suffer the most.
5. The WTO Is Destroying the Environment
The WTO is being used by corporations to dismantle hard-won local and national
environmental protections, which are attacked as "barriers to trade." The very first WTO
panel ruled that a provision of the US Clean Air Act, requiring both domestic and foreign
producers alike to produce cleaner gasoline, was illegal. The WTO declared illegal a
provision of the Endangered Species Act that requires shrimp sold in the US to be caught
with an inexpensive device allowing endangered sea turtles to escape. The WTO is
attempting to deregulate industries including logging, fishing, water utilities, and energy
distribution, which will lead to further exploitation of these natural resources.
6. The WTO is Killing People
The WTO's fierce defence of 'Trade Related Intellectual Property' rights (TRIPs)-patents
copyrights and trademarks-comes at the expense of health and human lives. The
organization's support for pharmaceutical companies against governments seeking to
protect their people's health has had serious implications for places like sub-Saharan
Africa, where 80 percent of the world's new AIDS cases are found. Developing countries
won an important victory in 2001 in Doha, Qatar, when the important life-saving
mechanisms of parallel importing and compulsory licensing were agreed to, so that
countries could provide essential life-saving medicines to their populations less
expensively..
7. The WTO is Increasing Inequality
Free trade is not working for the majority of the world. During the most recent period of
rapid growth in global trade and investment (1960 to 1998) inequality worsened both
internationally and within countries. The UN Development Program reports that the
richest 20 percent of the world's population consume 86 percent of the world's resources
while the poorest 80 percent consume just 14 percent. WTO rules have hastened these
trends by opening up countries to foreign investment and thereby making it easier for
production to go where the labour is cheapest and most easily exploited and
environmental costs are low.
8. The WTO is Increasing Hunger
Farmers produce enough food in the world to feed everyone -- yet because of corporate
control of food distribution, as many as 800 million people worldwide suffer from
chronic malnutrition. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, food is a
human right. In developing countries, as many as four out of every five people make their
living from the land. But the leading principle in the WTO's Agreement on Agriculture is
that market forces should control agricultural policies-rather than a national commitment
to guarantee food security and maintain decent family farmer incomes. WTO policies
have allowed dumping of heavily subsidized industrially produced food into poor
countries, undermining local production and increasing hunger.
9. The WTO Hurts Poor, Small Countries in Favour of Rich Powerful Nations
The WTO supposedly operates on a consensus basis, with equal decision-making power
for all. In reality, many important decisions get made in a process whereby poor
countries' negotiators are not even invited to closed door meetings -- and then
'agreements' are announced that poor countries didn't even know were being discussed.
Many countries do not even have enough trade personnel to participate in all the
negotiations or to even have a permanent representative at the WTO. This severely
disadvantages poor countries from representing their interests. Likewise, many countries
are too poor to defend themselves from WTO challenges from the rich countries, and
change their laws rather than pay for their own defence.
10. The WTO Undermines Local Level Decision-Making and National Sovereignty
The WTO's "most favoured nation" provision requires all WTO member countries to treat
each other equally and to treat all corporations from these countries equally regardless of
their track record. Local policies aimed at rewarding companies who hire local residents,
use domestic materials, or adopt environmentally sound practices are essentially illegal
under the WTO. Developing countries are prohibited from creating local laws that
developed countries once pursued, such as protecting new, domestic industries until they
can be internationally competitive..
11. There are Alternatives to the WTO
Citizen organizations have developed alternatives to the corporate-dominated system of
international economic governance. Together we can build the political space that
nurtures a democratic global economy that promotes jobs, ensures that every person is
guaranteed their human rights to food, water, education, and health care, promotes
freedom and security, and preserves our shared environment for future generations.
12. The Tide is Turning Against Free Trade and the WTO!
There is a growing international backlash against the WTO. The massive protests in
Seattle of 1999 brought over 50,000 people together to oppose the WTO - and succeeded
in shutting the meeting down. When the WTO met in 2001 Qatar, the Trade negotiators
were unable meet their goals of dramatically expanding the WTO's reach. The WTO
plans to meet in Cancún, Mexico this September 10-14, so now's the time to mobilize to
express our opposition.
Source: http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/wto/OpposeWTO.html
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WELCOMING A TERRORIST - Ariel Sharon
On Monday, despite protests from many quarters, India rolled out for its Israeli guest the
proverbial red carpet, literally red with blood. Today, he stands out as the most successful
symbol of terrorism at its ruthless and remorseless worst. He is not only the prime
minister of a state (of Israel) created and sustained by terrorism, but was himself an active
terrorist in his younger days. It is no exaggeration to claim that three Jewish terrorist
gangs, namely the Hagannah, the Irqun and the Stern Gang, created the state of Israel.
Between the end of the war in Europe, in May 1945 and the creation of Israel, in May
1948, they brought from Europe around 45,000-armed Jewish refugees—in the most
spectacular act of ‘cross-border’ terrorism—to exhaust the patience of the British
colonialists and to drive out or to coerce into submission the local Arab population. They
were remarkably successful in creating a Jewish state comprising around 78% of
Palestine, where till the outbreak of the Second World War the Jews numbered less than a
lakh out of a total population of about 5 million—the rest being Arab Muslims. They
succeeded mainly because they could effectively tap the near-universal sympathy they
received as victims of the Nazi holocaust, in which between 5 to 6 million European Jews
were believed to have been killed in cold blood. Emotionally the world approved of the
idea of a Jewish homeland, without a rational examination of its inevitable consequences.
The victors were anti-Arab in their inclinations, because the pro-German activities of
men, like Rashid Ali Geelani in Iraq and of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. Besides, the
Western powers, especially the US, wanted to have in the new state of Israel an outpost
of their influence in the heart of the Muslim Middle-East. The Soviet Union too, for once,
agreed with them, because it would enable them get rid of their troublesome Jewish
population, peacefully. So, the state of Israel was created in what was till then Palestine,
on 16 May 1948. But, the price that the world paid in human terms for the creation of
Israel was high indeed. Between the murder of the British minister, Lord Moyne, in 1944
and that of the UN representative, Ralph Bunche in 1948 Palestine, known as the Holy
Land, was the scene of some of the cruellest acts of terrorism the world has seen, so far.
On 22 July 1946 the Irgun blew up the King David Hotel at Jerusalem and killed 91
people and in March 1947, 14 were killed when the British Officers Club there was
targeted. In between, the worst massacre was carried out when 245 Arabs were killed at
Deir Yasin. Even many Israelis were shocked by this wanton cruelty. But, the perpetrator
of this massacre, Menachim Begin, who later became Israel’s prime minister, justified his
action by saying; “There would have been no state of Israel without the victory at
Deir Yasin”.
Later, our honoured guest, Ariel Sharon himself carried out a commando attack on the
Arab village of Qibliya killing 69 of its inhabitants. The terror tactics that he later used to
stun, expel or to eliminate Arabs in Gaza in 1971 and in their refugee camps at Sabra and
Chatilla in Lebanon, in September 1982, now forms a part of history. As six young Israeli
officers told the press in May 1982 about their experience in the West Bank, “the daily
reality in the territories is one of violence and brutality”. The indiscriminate and
unrestrained use of tanks, mortars and missiles that he as the prime minister has
unleashed on the Arabs of the West Bank and Gaza as well as on their refugee camps in
neighbouring Lebanon are the daily stuff of the world media. He has also passed a rabidly
racist law prohibiting Israeli Arabs from bringing in their Palestinian spouses. Now, he is
engaged in building an 8 metre high and 650 KM long wall to keep the West Bank
separate from Israel. And, remember, Israel so far is the only state that has for 36 years
defied the UN resolution asking it to vacate the Golan Heights occupied unlawfully since
1967.
Still, India is now seeking the warm embrace of a terrorist state for our so-called fight
against global terrorism. The powers that he have suddenly forgotten India’s glorious past
of anti-colonialism and fight for justice for the under-dog and are trying to cosy up to
those and their minions who are ever on the alert to seek out any potential challenge or
opposition and to snuff it out with massive application of modern fire-power. Now New
Delhi is openly speaking of an Indo-Israeli-US triangle to fight terrorism. India is busy
buying hi-tech weapons and other gadgets from them and is virtually justifying the
ruthless measures they are taking, in pure self-interest, in Afghanistan, Iraq and in
Palestine. Indian rulers have, obviously, found some thing encouraging in the visibly anti-
Muslim triangle of alliance with Israel and the US. They do not mind the hurt they inflict
on our 150 million Muslims, or the suspicion we thus arouse across the entire arch of
Islam from Indonesia to Morocco through our well-advertised change of side. Perhaps
they welcome a consolidation of their anti-Muslim vote bank. In any case, they have
converted the one-time champion of anti-colonialism into a seeker of crumbs beside the
neo-colonialists’ table. What a fall?
Kashmir Times is published in the Hindu heartland of Kashmir, in the city of Jammu in Indian-occupied
Kashmir. Its publishers/editors are Kashmiri Hindus. It is a progressive paper and editorially fully supports
the majority (Muslim) Kashmiri resistance to Indian occupation and for Kashmiri self-determination. Its
editor, Ved Bhasin is highly respected by the Kashmiri people for his outspoken support for Kashmiri
independence.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Lee Kyung-hae, a South Korean farmer and activist, has killed himself at the fences in Cancun
behind which the WTO are meeting. His suicide was designed to highlight the plight that farmers
across the world are facing thanks to the policies of the WTO and against their illegitimate
meeting in Cancun.
Already tens of thousands of other farmers, workers, students and peasants have been converging
on the city to oppose the policies of the WTO. Globalise Resistance have called a demonstration
outside City Hall in solidarity with those demonstrating and we are encouraging as many people
as possible to join us against the organisation which puts profit before the needs of people across
the world. People should bring down placards, pots and pans, flags, banner… basically anything
to make a lively demo.
These people aren’t only demonstrating for their own livelihoods, they are also demonstrating
against the water charges we face here at home, the bin charges down south and against the sell
off of our schools and hospitals.
SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE WTO
SOLIDARITY WITH DEMONSTRATIONS IN CANCUN
SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER
3.30PM, OUTSIDE CITY HALL, BELFAST
FROM Dan Buckley- grbelfast@yahoo.co.uk -07762363147
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Belfast Anti Racist Meeting
For circulation
Dear Brothers and Sisters
Over the past while we have seen the rise of racist incidents and attacks on ethnic
minorities around Northern Ireland. We have also seen the overt rise of racist material,
graffiti and groups springing up in various areas. This would be of concern to all those
progressive forces that looking to seek a socially just and inclusive society. Following a
recent meeting held in the Multi Cultural Resource Centre in Belfast attended by human
rights organisations, ethnic minority support groups, Asylum seeker lawyers,
practitioners, development organisations, and other interested parties, it was decided a
second meting should be held. This meeting is to discuss any practical and visible
strategies that can be developed to raise awareness and to tackle this increasing problem.
Various groups and organisations are and have been actively trying to tackle this problem
but it was suggested a broader meeting to discuss all the various strategies and maybe
finding some practical activity together, could be yet another way of helping to bring this
issue to the fore.
The meeting is to be held in the Multi Cultural Resource centre, Sept
17th at 7pm. Address 9 Lower Crescent Bt7. {The street across
from the Empire, and is beside the One World Centre in S/Belfast}.
Those groups, organisations and individuals who would be interested in
attending the meeting are welcome. It will be informal and open to all
to have an input. For further information contact Nathalie at the Multi
Cultural Resource Centre at Nathalie@mcrc-ni.org or alternatively you
can contact myself at carlindavid@hotmail.com, PH 07974632485.
Davy Carlin
Agreed Convener
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NO HUMANIS ILLEGAL
Public meeting-Liberty Hall, Dublin-7.30pm WEDS SEPT 17th
Speakers:
Elizabeth Adeyinka Salako (Mother of Irish children- facing deportation) Dr Ronit
Lentin (Ethnic and Racial Studies, Trinity College)
Joe Carolan (Globalise Resistance Rosanna Flynn (Residents Against Racism)
and speaker from SIPTU
Eleven thousand asylum seekers face immediate deportation under new laws announced
by Minister of Injustice Michael Mc Dowell. On 17 July Mc Dowell announced that
parents of Irish children were also to be deported- his officials immediately issued the
first 400 notices of deportation. They were told that they only had 15 days to appeal- but
without legal aid for a process that could cost between 2-4,000 euro.
This follows a disgraceful Supreme Court decision in February removing the right of
parents to remain with Irish born children. While these Irish children cannot be legally
deported, they will be forced to leave the country with their families. In effect, this marks
the beginning of a new definition of what it means to be Irish- it will now be officially
racialised.
FF/PDs scapegoat immigrants for their own mistakes
Ireland is now the most globalised economy in the world. Giant multinationals are free to
open (and all too often, close) their factories here, with huge tax breaks and subsidies.
They expatriate billions of euros profit from Ireland everyday- in reality; they are the real
parasites. Their friends in Fianna Fail and the PDs always boast how this corporate
globalisation is good for Ireland, yet they are now attacking the human face of
globalisation: a multicultural Ireland, whose children have parents from elsewhere.
Fianna Fail and the PDs are deeply unpopular- they won the last election by pretending
that the Celtic Tiger boom would continue. The economy is going into recession, and
they have made a mess of our hospitals, public transport and services. Now, rather than
have us turn our anger on them and their rich friends who ripped this country off during
the boom, they want us to scapegoat immigrants to take attention off themselves. Human
Globalisation versus Corporate Globalisation
Globalise Resistance believes that everybody has the right to live and work in this new
global economy. If capital and corporations are free to move around the world, then so
too should people. We oppose all forms of racism, whether on the streets or from official
channels. We think ordinary people have more in common with each other than with the
governments or corporations, and that we should unite for a multicultural world free from
racism, hunger and war. We agree with the revolutionary James Connolly, who in the
1916 proclamation declared that all the children of the nation should be cherished
equally. That means not ripping their families apart.
Globalise Resistance needs volunteers to help with the resistance to McDowell's
deportations. If you can help in any way, please text us at 087
9032281 or email us at nohumanisillegal@yahoo.com
NO BORDERS, NO FRONTIERSIMMIGRANTS
ARE WELCOME HERE!
www.freewebs.com/globalise
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Emmet
With plans by RTÉ to screen a 'Mint Production' documentary on
Robert Emmet on the anniversary of his execution (i.e. September
20th) people may be interested to know that a commemoration to
mark the 200th Anniversary of the execution of Robert Emmet will be
held in Dublin on Saturday, September 20th next; the procession
will assemble at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square at 1.30
pm and march to St Catherine's Church in Thomas Street, where those
present will be addressed by author Seán Ó Brádaigh.
(From R.S.F.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 3rd All Ireland Social Forum Gathering
Cooperation not Competition
Human Rights Not Privatisation
Sunday, September 21st
10:30-5:30, followed by evening social events
Crescent Arts Centre, 2-4 University Rd.
Belfast
The NEISF is organising a one-day event under the title 'Cooperation not Competition,
Human Rights not Privatisation'. The event will examine issues of privatisation, neoliberalism,
human rights, peace and democracy. The gathering will also discuss the future
development of the Irish Social Forum and its European and World counterparts. This
event is open to all those involved in the evolving Irish Social Forum networks, all those
who are opposed to neo liberalism, privatisation and global capitalism and all those who
believe that 'another world is possible.'
Agenda
Morning Plenary Discussion: 10.30 - 12.00
Neo-Liberalism - From the local to the global
Communities Against Water Tax (Manus Maguire), Fire brigades Union (Jim Barbour),
ICTU (Alisa Keane), Refugee Rights (Refugee Action Group). Chair (Emily Kawano)
Morning Workshops: 12.15 - 1.45
Workshops on
- Trade justice
- Anti war
- Another world is possible
- Poverty
- Ireland in the global economy
- Consensus facilitation skills
- Ghandi’s
- Open
- Open
- Open
Lunch: 1.45 - 2.45
Food Not Bombs
Lunch will take the form of a public food Not Bombs event at the Venue.
Afternoon Discussion: 3.00 - 5.30
The Future of the ISF
The agenda of this session will not be set until one week before the event. Participants
should feel free to e-mail their suggestions or issues they would like to discuss by
September 15th. Possible elements to the session could be:
- Reports from regional social forums
- Workshops on specific themes such as ISF national structure, priorities etc.
- Open plenary to discuss workshop report backs and decision making on way forward
Social Event: 7.00
Theatre followed by,
World Music Disco, with resident DJ Steve Mc in Crescent Arts Centre
Additional Details
For more information or to suggest topics for workshops or the afternoon ISF
Session contact:
Eoin O'Broin at eoinobroin@hotmail.com
John Barry at j.barry@qub.ac.uk
Emily Kawano at neisf@ntlworld.com
Childcare
If you would like to register for childcare provided on-site, please rsvp to Emily Kawano,
neisf@ntlworld.com or phone 9060 5091. Please provide name and age of each child,
special needs and your contact details. There may be a small fee charged per child
(approx. £3-£5). Spaces are limited, so please reply ASAP.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IRSP General Belfast meeting Tuesday September 23rd September 2003-09-11
Open to all Party members sympathisers and friends.
For more details contact
johnmartinps@eircom.net
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Day of Action Dublin/Belfast Saturday
27TH September march against the War
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Annual Seamus Costello Anniversary Commemoration will take place on
Sunday 5th of October, Assembly Point Old Town Hall Little Bray. March and
Rally with Band and Colour Party. Main Speaker will be Ex Political Prisoner and
Blanket man, IRSP Ard Comhairle Member, Paul Little.
Seamus Costello Remembered
26th Anniversary Commemoration
Organized By the IRSP Commemoration Committee. Contact and Transport
Details, Contact Daithi on 0877570109 or Dublinirsp@hotmail.com. All Welcome.
"I Owe My allegiance to the Working Class" Seamus Costello
GEORGE MONBIOT
George Monbiot, a regular feature writer in The Guardian, is the author
of Captive State and The Age of Consent. The One World Centre, The
New Ireland Group and The de Borda Institute have organised the
following events:
1 GEORGE MONBIOT The 2nd One World Centre annual lecture,
12 noon to 2 p.m., Thursday 9th October, Room G07, Peter
Frogatt Building, Queen’s University. Everyone welcome.
Further information available from The One World Centre, 4
Lower Crescent, Belfast BT7 1NR, Tel 90241879, e-mail
stephen@owcni.org.uk
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 GEORGE MONBIOT “Unionism, Nationalism or
Globalisation?” 7.30 for 7.45 p.m. on Thursday 9th October, in
The Elmwood Hall, Belfast Tickets £5 (concessions £2.50),
includes a free glass of organic wine from the Belfast Food Coop.
Tickets and further information available from either The New Ireland
Group, 7 Slievedarragh Park, Belfast BT14 8J
sec.newirelandgroup@ntlworld.com or The de Borda Institute, 36
Ballysillan Road, Belfast BT14 7QQ pemerson@deborda.org
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James Byrne Commemoration Committee >
1st November 2003-09-11 Monument Unveiling & 90th Anniversary
Commemoration
Assemble 2pm Main Entrance Deansgrange Cemetery, Deansgrange, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
The newly-commissioned monument over the grave of Trade Union >Martyr, James
Byrne, District Organiser, ITG&WU, who died on 1st November 1913 following a
hunger & thirst strike during the Great >Lock-Out 1913 will be unveiled by Des
Geraghty, President, SIPTU. All trade unionists, political activists and members of the
Public >welcome!
[No Party Political Banners, please!]
The James Byrne Commemoration Committee has organised the erection of a fitting
memorial over the grave in Deansgrange Cemetery [Co. >Dublin, Ireland] of James
Byrne, a trade union martyr who died on >1st November 1913 as a result of the effects of
a hunger and thirst >strike during imprisonment for his role in the Great Lock-Out of that
year. James was District Organiser of the Irish Transport & >General Workers Union and
held leadership roles in both Bray and >Kingstown [Dún Laoghaire] Trades Councils.
In the course of James Byrne’s funeral oration James Connolly said:
”James Byrne truly died a martyr as any man who ever died for Ireland”
The Committee believes that the monument is a fitting tribute to >James Byrne and hopes
that his grave may become a place of >pilgrimage and source of inspiration for trade
unionists and >socialists in the future. We are particularly pleased that the descendents of
James Byrne are fully supportive of the work of the >Committee.
Jason Mc Lean. PRO- James Byrne Commemoration Committee.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
European Social Forum Paris, St Denis 12-15 November
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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First Trust Bank, Derry, BT48 6BU
Account No. 14986015 Sort Code No. 93-86-10
http://irsm.org/ (Pairtí Poblachtach Sóisialach na h-Éireann)
http://www.wageslave.org/jcs/ (James Connolly Society)
http://www.marxists.org/archive/connolly/ (James Connolly Archive)