Barry McColgan delivers National Organiser Report.
A Chairde,
I would like to thank everyone for travelling here today, especially to our comrades in the SLP Youth who travelled from Britain and our comrades from the Rossport Solidarity Camp. I’d also like to commend the activists for the very mature and informed debate that took place, to the management of Liberty Hall for the privilege of using this fine historical building, and finally to Dublin Ógra for facilitating us this weekend.
From the Congress in February, great work and change has taken place within Ógra Shinn Féin.
Mickey Bravender finished his role as National Organiser shortly following last year’s Congress and we pay massive gratitude to his huge contribution in the rebuilding of Ógra.
When Mickey entered the position of National Organiser in January 2004, there was no National Executive, no Cuige structure, few local cumann, little activity, less profile, and minimal communication and cohesion between the small numbers of groups that existed.
By January 2004, Ógra had not had a National Congress from 2002, had few Ógra weekends, no National Campaigns and where truly in the political wilderness.
An immediate change and burst of energy happened with the appointment of Mickey, within 1 month a National Congress was organised in the Teachers Club, and a National Campaign ‘A President For All’ was rolled out.
A National Executive was established, as where Cuige, and the growth in Cumann and activist base has continued along the way.
That was maintained throughout Mickey’s tenure, leading to the structured, cohesive and growing Ógra of today, and compared to almost 3 years ago Ógra has now firmly placed itself onto the Irish political landscape.
The year started of with a major campaign highlighting suicide prevention and calling for a holistic All Ireland approach in dealing with this massively important issue.
Throughout the course of the campaign, 20,000 leaflets where distributed, a National day of action was held, protests and vigils happened throughout the country, letters bombarded local and national press, Ógra where part of a delegation in meeting with the British Government on the issue of mental health, over 2000 names where added to a petition supporting our demands and just last week, we highlighted the issue at the National Health Rally in Dublin.
We have made a small contribution in highlighting this serious issue which is the biggest killer of Irish youth, and while it is no longer our national campaign, it must continue to be highlighted and campaigned on, until and after our demands are met.
This year also marks the 90 anniversary of the Easter Rising, and I think it is appropriate that we are holding our Congress in Liberty Hall, a place associated with James Connolly and the famous picture of The Irish Citizen Army in bold defiance stating ‘We serve neither King, nor Kaiser.’
Ógra mobilised across Ireland at local graveside commemorations on Easter week, making statements, marching in bands and colour parties, carrying banners and flags, and laying wreaths.
All acts of remembrance for our fallen comrades, to those heroes of 1916 and all acts in pledging ourselves to fulfilling the words of the Proclamation.
This year also witnessed the 25th Anniversary of the Hungerstrike, another groundbreaking moment in Irish History, a catalyst in the Republican Struggle, and a year that created 10 icons of struggle that have and will continue to inspire freedom around the world long after Maggie Thatcher is dead and forgotten.
We humbly organised National days of remembrance on each of our heroes anniversary, we facilitated the Hungerstrike exhibition into a number of Universities and towns, we held public talks and debates, produced the excellent ‘Awaiting The Lark’ book and Ógra t shirt, organised a number of massively successful ‘Rock Against the Blocks’, and we had a very vibrant input into the National Hungerstrike Rally.
All acts to remember the men, to celebrate their lives but also to re-tell their story of inspirational struggle to a new generation.
The Cuige reports have covered many other actions which have happened throughout the year, and its clear to me that Ógra is an organisation constantly on the rise, constantly debating and constantly active.
We don’t just talk about our politics, we practice our politics in the working class, oppressed communities where we live, and it is this grafting and grassroots approach that ensures new recruits.
I am very confident of Ógra’s future.
In July of this year a number of Ógra activists developed a 5 year plan for Ógra, a strategy which clearly outlines where we are at now, where we want to be in 5 years time and how we will get there.
At present Ógra has approx 300 activists, in 5 years we want 3000 activists, and we can achieve that.
Massive growth happened over the past 3 years and that growth will continue. It will continue because we have an informed activist base that is rooted in the communities, it will happen because we will not just live of the back of our fallen comrades, simply coasting along, just doing enough, we must and we will give as much and more as the previous generation, continue to put a challenge to the Leadership, signalling that there is a generation here with itchy feet.
We must realise that it is always the youth that have led the struggle, both physically in carrying out the fighting and grafting, but also mentally, by continually supplying new ideas, new strategy, a new cutting edge approach.
Just look at the Hungerstrikers, all young men from 23-30, some people in this room today are older than some of the Hungerstrikers. Did the Hungerstrikers wait around for guidance and direction, of course not they relied on their own strength, had the confidence to take the lead, using their youthful vigour to tragically force this struggle forward.
We must have the confidence today to realise that the weight of this struggle is on our shoulders, where we have problems with organisation or strategy; we like young activists of yesterday must have the confidence to challenge. It must be up to us to be active, to recruit and to develop strategies
This is how we must deal with the current St Andrews proposals, we must have the confidence to realise that our contributions can make the difference on whether this document is accepted or not.
The power is in your hands!
Onwards to the Socialist Republic!
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