Standing Up For Communities!

Barry McColgan
National Organiser
Ógra Shinn Féin

Ógra Shinn Féin’s N.A.R.C (Not Another Ravaged Community) campaign recognises the highly negative effects drug and alcohol abuse is having on communities and young people across Ireland, and is attempting to play a positive role in tackling this problem.


From the outset, N.A.R.C is not a finger wagging exercise; it is not about lecturing young people or communities, but rather starting a process of recognition, awareness and engagement.

Recognising there is a problem, raising awareness on all aspects of drug and alcohol abuse, and engaging with young people. We want to ask young people their opinions, on why there is a culture of drugs and alcohol misuse in modern Ireland.

Through engagement the campaign hopes to identify the underlying problems responsible for high levels of abuse and will attempt to highlight and address these issues.

This campaign is pro-community and pro-youth; it is about challenging the stereotyping and misrepresentation of modern Irish youth as anti –social and disengaged from community life.

In promoting youth, it is important to point out that more young people assist and are involved in volunteer, community, charity and sporting programmes than any other demographic group.

N.A.R.C is a campaign that stands up for communities and encourages young people to take pride in their local area. It urges everyone to collectively work together to ensure proper job opportunities, and fully resourced and funded youth facilities.

In tackling the national epidemic of drug abuse and attempting to empower communities, the campaign will strive to ensure, ‘not another ravaged community!’

The NARC Campaign will work to:

- Promote Drug and Alcohol awareness
- Lower Drug and Alcohol abuse
- Promote young people and community spirit
- Campaign for proper job opportunities and youth facilities
- Engage youth at a community level and spark a proper debate on drug abuse