So called dissidents unite

[dangeresque]

Dissident groups unite

By Seamus McKinney

THE IRISH NEWS
29/10/08

The political wings of two of the main dissident republican groups have said they will join forces to explore a united approach in future.In an initiative expected to be formally announced today the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP) and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement have agreed to discuss a way forward with the Republican Network for Unity.The IRSP and 32 County Sovereignty Movement are considered the political wings of the INLA and Real IRA respectively. The project will involve public meetings throughout Ireland and is said to have been sanctioned by the leaderships of all organisations involved. The first debate takes place at the Tower Hotel in Derry on November 6. Further meetings will be held in Belfast, Dublin, Newry and other venues to be arranged. A spokesman for the newly established forum said it had been organised to examine the struggle for national liberation since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and to find an agreed way forward. 'The republican vision, as eloquently articulated in the Proclamation of 1916, appears to be distorted by divisions and lack of agreement around core republican positions,' he said. 'That being the case a number of republicans feel that 10 years on from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement the time is appropriate for republicans to review where the republican struggle stands and how best we can collectively pursue the sentiments expressed in the Proclamation,' he said.IN FACT, THIS IS WHAT THE 32CSM STATEMENT SAIDRepublican Forum For Unity29/10/2008Launch of 'The Republican Forum for Unity'Over the past ten years – since the signing of the Good Friday agreement – Irish Republicans have witnessed a dramatic change in the manner in which the struggle for National Liberation and the establishment of a 32 county Republic has been waged.To say that not all Republicans agree with, nor comprehend how such changes are leading to the establishment of a 32 county democratic socialist Republic, is to point out the obvious and is evidenced by the large number of groups that now exist with the stated aim of establishing such a Republic.There are those for whom the local British assembly represents the best route forward while for others the very existence of a local assembly stands as a bulwark against National Sovereignty and as such hinders not helps the struggle for National Liberation. Still others are so frustrated by the lack of progress or a clear strategic way forward or a unity of purpose that they have given up on the Republican struggle ever arriving at its revolutionary objective.In short, the Republican vision, as eloquently articulated in the Proclamation of 1916, appears to be distorted by divisions and lack of agreement around core Republican positions. That being the case a number of Republicans feel that ten years on from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the time is appropriate for Republicans to review where the Republican struggle stands and how best we can collectively pursue the sentiments expressed in the Proclamation.Such a review needs to address not only were we stand in relation to core Republican beliefs but also how we attempt to be pro-active on those beliefs within the Republican tradition. This is vital to ensure that we move our core aims beyond the aspirational and into the attainable. Towards this end all views should be encouraged and given equal weight using the rule of thumb that at this juncture it is of equal importance to consider where we, individually and collectively, are going to as were we are coming from.Towards this end a grouping of Republicans comprising members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, the Republican Network for Unity and a number of individual Republicans are formally launching 'The Republican Forum for Unity'.Within this Forum all issues of importance to Republicans can be openly discussed with the intention that the ideas generated will be taken back to existing organizations for the purpose of focussing political activity to achieve more definitive results. In this way Republicans can begin to address the areas of division that have been created due to lack of open, frank and democratic discussion and begin the process of establishing an agreed Republican agenda rather than Republicans merely responding to a series of ‘contrived’ crises.'The Republican Forum for Unity' will undertake a series of Public Meetings throughout the country to outline our position and secure as much support for it as possible. It is an open Forum and its future is in the hands of those who freely participate in its workings.The first debate under the title 'The GFA: Ten Years On' will be held in the Tower Hotel, Derry at 8.00pm on November 6th 2008.Dates and Venues for further debates in the months ahead will to set later.AND THE IRSP STATEMENTThe Irish Republican Socialist Party fully endorse and support the IrishRepublican Forum For Unity Project. The IRSP have been involved in ongoingdiscussions on how to best move the republican project forward in thecurrent political climate. As such, with our partners in the RepublicanNetwork for Unity (RNU) and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32CSM), weare happy to participate in the launch of the Irish Republican Forum forUnity Project and see it as an exciting and timely intervention.We would urge all those who are unhappy at the current state of affairsand who want to see republicanism to once again prosper to lend theirsupport to this broad based initiative and to attend the debate nextFriday night in the Tower Hotel.

[Papa C.]

I think it's great to see that Irish Republican Groups can put their differences aside and create a new way forward for Irish Republicanism. There is strength in numbers.

This reminds me of the 'organise' picture which depicts a load of little fishies joining together to eat the big fishie ;D

I'm sure the pigs and the state (the big fishie) will be making an extra effort to try and smash down the republican movement now though and I think activists could do well to take pictures and videos of any harassment that goes on and put it all over the internet to show the public how the state deals with those who struggle for democracy, an Irish Socialist Republic and those who know that the only way to achieve this is to dismantle and destroy Government.

[RedFlag32]

My only problem with this is my personal opinion that Republicanism isnt really relevent to the people of Ireland today. It is only relevent if it is the Republicanism of Tone, Connolly and Costello, which embraced the class struggle.

To unite the various republican strands of today is great for the individual organisations but once they are united the Republicanism they represent is still irrelevent to the majority of the people because it isnt class based. The new slogan "strenght in numbers" doesnt make much sense to me. A million members is no use unless your politics is relevent to the working class, the real majority who has the power to make change.

The plain truth is that the border issue is a non-starter. It always has been. It always took something more than the border issue to get the people behind a Republican objective. The "troubles" was kick started because of the awful and undemcratic way the nationalist community was being treated by a fascist orange "government". As soon as those isues were dealt with the people settled down again, the IRA pushed on and eventually had to settle for a surrender. The IRA didnt take the class struggle further than the "democratic struggle". Once they had settled that demention to the struggle they went for the border issue which would never get the support it needed because it wasnt shown how it was relevent to the people.

Even in 1920 the war for liberation was largely a war against the black and tans ill-treatment of Irish people. As soon as they kicked the black and tans out everybody forgot about a "free Ireland" and left the 6 counties to the Unionists. A large republican movement is useless unless it is a class based one. This country has all the democracy it needs to keep the people quiet so they wont be stirred by that again, and they certainly wont be stirred by the 6 counties issue either.

Its not that i even object to it. I think its a great thing. All revolutionary organisations should align so they can influence each other and work in solidarity. My real problem is more that it seems that some people may believe that republican unity is the missing card in the deck. That once we all unite then there will be nothing to stop us marching forward.

Connolly united with the Nationalists in 1916 but he did so because he felt it was either strike now or never, he honestly felt the time was ripe. It wasnt the uniting of republicans which stirred the people remember, it was the ill-treatment of the prisoners mainly. Today i dont see an absolute urgency to align right and left republicanism. They already work together at demos and are friendly towards each other.

I understand its a forum, a discussion and debating forum. But it does say its a forum for unity. Id be glad if it was just a debating forum, but it seems to want to unite all strands of republicanism. I for one dont think its possible. The RSM should be staying miles away from provoism. In my mind, what they have done in the last 30 odd years is shamefull. Left republicanism needs to build its own base away from traditional republicanism, and a forum that is working towards unity with centre-right republicans is counter productive in my view.

I understand im really sticking my neck out here and i may offend some folk,but im happy that the people here will take my opinion for what its worth.