The new Irish Republic shall be a republic for the people of Ireland and controlled by the people of Ireland. The Republic shall be blind to the artificial divisions that have kept her from blossoming from colony to nation. This will be a republic that places no heed on divisions fostered, both foreign and domestically, which seek to prevent the republic from achieving her potential. The Irish Republic shall encompass all of its land and its entire people. All the people of Ireland shall bear the name of citizen, and none shall be excluded. The will of its citizens shall be the only power over the republic and it shall recognise no other.
The citizens of the new republic shall be the sole heir of her possessions. All of her wealth and all her means of wealth production shall be subject to the will of her people. The resources of the republic can only be for the benefit of the people. The land will produce food, the wind will produce energy, the sea will produce fish, and minerals will be extracted from the deepest crevices, all for benefit of the republic’s citizens. The new republic will recognise the wealth of natural resources that the nation has to offer and will utilise them to the best of its ability. Control over these natural resources will be reclaimed by the republic for the benefit of the people, not for the wealth of private individuals or multinational corporations. The republic will develop the nations agriculture and understand the importance of creating an environment that is conducive the wellbeing of all its citizens, while producing food that will enjoyed the world over. A new republic will take control of the vasts seas that surround our island and realise the potential that it has to create sustainable communities in areas that have for so long been neglected.
It will be the duty of the republic to provide for all of its citizens as subject to their needs. The new republic must ensure that there no one without home or without comfort. The republic will ensure that all its citizens are adequately cared for. The republic must demand that there will be none so rich that they can buy the life of another, and none so poor that they must offer it up. Each citizen shall inherit the wealth of the nation to ensure that none must toil and sweat to attain a happy existence. No longer will the people of Ireland be slaves to foreign powers or foreign markets, and the people themselves shall shake off the yoke of their oppression.
The new republic will strive to provide for all its citizens. The people of Ireland have the right to work in Ireland and raise their children in the republic. The republic will fight to rid the scourge of emigration from Ireland and finally end the lines of young men and women forced to leave to seek a future abroad.
The republic will ensure that there is a fair system of taxation that is for the benefit of the weakest in society. The wealth of Ireland will be spread so that no citizen is left behind. No one person will be allowed to use the resources of the republic without contributing to the betterment of all the citizens. A third level of tax shall be introduced to ensure that the weakest and those in the middle do not have the carry the burden of financing the state. A new republic will demand that all citizens pay their fair share of taxes, and the republic will not allow the elite to hide from carrying out their responsibilities to the nation by avoiding to pay their fair share.
The republic will ensure the health and wellbeing of all its people shall be maintained and nurtured. Each citizen shall enjoy the right to healthcare without prejudice of class, gender or geography. The republic must strive to create an Ireland where the wellbeing of the people is cared for from the cradle to the grave.
Every citizen shall have access to an education that is befitting of a true republic. The republic will smash the bonds of ignorance that prevent the nation and its people from blossoming. All will have access to education and none will be prevented from achieving their potential.
It will be the duty of the republic to ensure that no child be prisoner of church or state. No longer shall the children of the republic know the inside of the walls of the institutions that have scarred Ireland for so long.
No longer shall the women of Ireland be the victims of the failings of the state or horrors of religious conduct. The republic can only reach its full potential if it ensures that women impact upon its destiny.
The republic will be blind to class, gender, race, sexuality, religion and age. Each citizen shall enjoy the same rights to pursue a happy existence. The republic will not prejudice against any marriage, family or home. All will be equal under the eyes of the republic and all cultures and traditions of the republic and of its citizens will be respected and celebrated. No citizen will fear discrimination or persecution from either state or private body.
Justice shall be a cornerstone of a new republic. All will be equal under the eyes of the law and no longer will money or influence be used to upset the course of justice. The courts of a new republic can only function if they have the confidence of all the citizens and the republic shall ensure that fairness and balance is upheld with the legal system. The Special Criminal Courts will be done away with, as the republic will realise the importance of a jury in the pursuit of justice. There will be no more internment imposed on the citizens of the republic, so long used as a weapon to silence dissenting voices. It will be imperative that the people will have faith in those who enforce the law. It will be the duty of the republic to guarantee that those who wear the uniform of the state do not sully it with cowardice or corruption. Those who enforce the law are themselves not above the law and a republic can only function if there is confidence in this system.
The republic will recognise the importance of community in Ireland. The bonds that will hold the nation together as a community shall be the friendship amongst neighbours and friends. The republic will work to see that Ireland will be a nation of collective action rather than private opportunisms.
The republic will recongnise the importance of empowering local communities to make decisions over their own lives. Strong local government will be a cornerstone in the foundation of a new republic. This activity must begin with the grassroots. The republic will create space for the local communities to act together to make decisions regarding their future. This must start with community councils and local organisations. Building on the strength that already exists in communities across the island of Ireland, the republic will facilitate these communities to practice self governance. County and city councils will also play a vital role in creating a republic of direct democracy. Power will no longer be controlled by a few elites but will come from the bottom up. Every citizen will participate in deciding over the destiny of the republic and this must start with giving power back to the people.
The new republic will recognise the importance of Ireland’s place internationally. With the knowledge of the strife that the people of Ireland have witnessed through its generations, we will strike a pact of solidarity with nations throughout the world. The republic will be the bearers of hope and freedom on the international stage while wilfully respecting the wishes of people of other nations. The Irish republic will voice its opposition to oppression wherever in the world it occurs and whoever the perpetrator. The republic will be a voice of independence for all other nations to see. The republic shall assert its independence in the international bodies where it represents itself. Whether within the United Nations or the European Union, Ireland shall make its decisions based upon the best interests of the citizens, and shall not be bullied or coerced into conditions that neglect the will of the people. Similarly, the republic shall support the cause of freedom and justice without fear or favour.
The republic shall encourage and foster the cultures, languages and arts of it citizens. Recognising the rich heritage of the culture in Ireland, the republic will foster that heritage and give life to new expressions of identity. A new republic will be welcoming to all races from throughout the world. It will recognise the important role that these new cultures have on the future of the republic. The republic will recognise the arts and the importance of its role in the development of the nation. The Irish language will play an important role in developing the republic, not a language of the state, but as a language of the people.
A new republic shall be a true republic of liberty, equality and fraternity, where all citizens will enjoy a free, happy and equal existence.
No comments:
Post a Comment