Building a Mass Youth Movement

Eoin O'Broin
First National Organiser
Ógra Shinn Féin

Why build a youth movement? Why be a socialist republican? Why become an activist in Ógra Shinn Féin?

These are important questions whose answers will determine what you do, why you do it, and whether or not you are successful.

When a small group of young Sinn Féin activists created Sinn Féin Youth -as we called it then- in 1997, we had very clear answers to all three questions.

We were republican socialists because partition we were opposed to the status quo and wanted change.

In our view partition is undemocratic and negatively affects the lives of people across the island. It has failed and must end.

Capitalism, the economic system which promotes profit before people, produces inequality, discrimination, and environmental damage, forcing millions of people to live in poverty and without basic human rights. This system has failed and must be replaced.

Sexism, the system which divides our world along lines of sex and gender, relegating women to the status of second class citizens, socially, politically, economically and culturally, is unjust and must be overturned.

And the other forms of discrimination, inequality and denials of democracy which exist in Ireland, Europe and the world today, whether racism or homophobia to name but two, are all barriers to the full development of the human race, and to the realisation of the Irish republican aspiration for a nation founded on principles of liberty, equality and solidarity.

If you accept all of this -as we did when founding Sinn Féin Youth- then the next question is how can we change the world? How can we transform a society based on partition, inequality, and discrimination into one based on liberty, equality and solidarity.

The answer is simply, by building a mass movement of political activists who in every sphere of life agitate for change.

On the streets, across our communities, in our schools and colleges, in the workplace, on the media, in every forum of government, and in every conceivable social space in which people gather, we need a body of radical socialist republicans campaigning for and popularising the demands for change.

The answer is simply, by building a mass movement of political activists who in every sphere of life agitate for change.

On the streets, across our communities, in our schools and colleges, in the workplace, on the media, in every forum of government, and in every conceivable social space in which people gather, we need a body of radical socialist republicans campaigning for and popularising the demands for change.

And within this broader movement we need a youth movement. A coming together of like minded young people who want to play their part in this exciting and challenging process of social, economic, political and cultural transformation.

That youth movement is Ógra Shinn Féin. Does Ógra have all the answers? Clearly not. Has Ógra reached its political potential? Definitely not.

But by working, day by day, to build a large radical popular youth movement, and using that strength to further our republican socialist demands Ógra can play a crucial role in achieving James Connolly's vision of an Ireland, free and at peace - an independent democratic socialist republic.

This is the task facing all Irish republicans today. A task for which a strong, vibrant and radical youth movement can play a leading role.

This was the vision which motivated us to create Sinn Féin Youth in 1997. That is your task today.