left tribune march 2011

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Shell’s Role in Nigeria:

Blood and Oil

Page 4

The opposition to coalition :

Colm Lawless

4

The Senate :

Abolition or

reform?

Page 10

Volume 6 Issue 1– March 2011

Also: Net Neutrality—What it’s all about Political Reform—The next steps

RRP: €0.00

www.labouryouth.ie

Table of Contents

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4

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16

18

20

22

23

24

Editorials and Message from National Chairperson

Shell’s Role In Nigeria : Blood and Oil

Political Reform : The Next Steps

Irish Neutrality : Time for a Rethink?

Branch Focus : Longford/Westmeath

The Tea and Toast Revolution

Labour Youth’s role in the new administration ; Colm Lawless

The Migration Muddle

The Death Penalty ; On it’s way out or here to stay?

Net Neutrality : The Lowdown

Palestine ; An Activist’s Experience

Labour Youth on the GE Campaign : Your Pictures

Poetry : The Poisoning by Michael D. Higgins

NYE Profiles

Comrades and Friends,

It is my great delight to welcome to you to the first edition of the Left Tribune

for 2011. We have endeavored to ensure that this edition and those to come

later on in the year can measure up with the excellent standard that has been

maintained over many long years by Labour Youth. In publishing this edition I

am indebted to the Editorial Board, the National Youth Executive, and in par-

ticular Deputy Communications Officer Audrey Walsh, without whom this task

would have been infinitely more stressful and less enjoyable.

It is of course a crucial time for the Labour Party. We stand on the

cusp of possibly the most important period of governance in the history of this

country. The ideas outlined in the following pages cover a vast range of topics

but all share one thing in common; a uniqueness of thought and creativity that

displays the value of original ideas in rebuilding a more equitable and fair

society in Ireland and abroad. Anyone privileged enough to hear Michael D

Higgins speak at the Tom Johnson Summer School in July last year will have

heard his message of young people having a tremendous opportunity to use

language, thought, and inspiration to debate in modern society. Let this issue

carry on in that tradition.

Mick Reynolds,

Communications Officer Labour Youth 2010/11

Message FROM THE CHAIR

I am delighted to present an introduction to the first

Left Tribune of 2011. Labour Youth has been incredibly

active over the last number of months with the general

election campaign. I think that we should all be immensely

proud of the result and in particular, proud of the cam-

paigns of Deputies Ciara Conway, Derek Nolan and Cllr Pat-

rick Nulty. I was proud of the response I received from

members to campaign for these fine candidates. On behalf

of Labour Youth, I congratulated these candidates on their

sterling work. Each of them were thrilled with the commit-

ment and dedication of Labour Youth members. In all of my

time in Labour Youth, I can’t remember activism on the

scale we saw during that election.

Now that the result has been determined and the

Labour Party is in government with Fine Gael, it is important

that we maintain our emphasis on campaigning for our be-

liefs. Our ultimate objective has always been and should

continue to be to work to achieve the ideals of democratic

socialism and a fairer society for all. We must make use of

our unique position in these unprecedented times to en-

sure that those who have no voice will be heard at the high-

est seat of government. The work goes on and Labour

Youth will continue to be a radical force in Irish politics. I

hope you enjoy this edition of the Left Tribune!

Colm Lawless,

National Chairperson, Labour Youth

Editor:s: Audrey Walsh & Mick Reynolds

Editorial Board: Conor Ryan, Osal Kelly, Declan

Meenagh, Orla Hubbard, Audrey Walsh

Contributors: Lisa Connell, Luke Dineen, Osal Kelly,

Andrew Halligan, Conor Quirke, David Healion,

Dan O’ Neill, Thomas D’Alton, Orla Hubbard,

Declan Meenagh, Adam Fulham, Colm Lawless

Liam Duffy

Thanks to: Neil Ward

Interested in writing an article?

Email: [email protected]

Comrades,

It has been over two years since I tentatively approached the

Labour stand at UCC Societies Day. In those two years we really

have seen a whirlwind of change take its hold. No longer the

underdogs, we have been taken seriously by both the people

and the media. No longer the outsiders we polled the highest

we ever have and no longer the opposition we now sit braced to

put into action the ideals we have for so long fought. For some

of you, this is a journey that you have shared, even begun long

before me, and for some this issue that you hold in your hands

will be your first insight into Labour Youth, what we believe and

what we strive to achieve.

I would like to thank the progressive voices that have lent their

words to this publication as well as the National Youth Execu-

tive, in particular our Communications Officer Mick Reynolds for

all of the work that he has put into making this issue a reality. I

would like to thank Mick and Conor Ryan particularly for their

constant support and encouragement of me over the course of

this year and look forward to continuing to work with them.

All that’s left to say is enjoy the following pages and if you are

interested in contributing to the Left Tribune please get in con-

tact with us at [email protected]

Yours,

Audrey Walsh,

Deputy Communications Officer/Editor

mailto:[email protected]

www.labouryouth.ie

Shell’s Role in Nigeria :

used the release of the cables

from the online whistleblower

site to demonstrate the grip

that Shell have on the wealth

of the country. Recently their

Executive Director released a

statement highlighting that

„Shell is not only doing busi-

ness in Nigeria, it has become

a pseudo-political organisation

bent on taking political power

and undermining our national

interest, national security and

sovereignty.‟ Furthermore,

Social Action Nigeria, another

campaigning group working

in the region, has claimed that

Shell is „more powerful than

the Nigerian government.‟

The degradation of the

environment by processes of

natural gas flaring and oil

spills is far from the biggest

threat which the people of Ni-

geria face at the expense of

Shell. Nigeria potentially

could become one of the rich-

est countries in the world

ranking as eighth largest

world oil exporters, however

this potential will never be

reached as long as the militant

links associated with the oil

giant remain.

Campaigns seeking the

nationalisation of Nigerian

natural resources were entirely

anything experienced in the

West.

For many, the discus-

sion on Africa produces im-

ages of disease, hunger, mal-

nutrition and social unrest.

These images reflect the dire

reality in many, though not

all, African countries. Un-

doubtedly, Shell has used

these dire ongoing political,

social and economic situations

to establish powerful connec-

tions in various countries in an

attempt to exploit those with

the weakest voice within soci-

ety. A recently released

Wikileaks cable depicts how

the oil tycoon has inserted

staff into key ministries within

the Nigerian government ulti-

mately gaining access to poli-

ticians every move in the oil

rich region of „Niger Delta.‟

The campaign group „Friends

of the Earth Nigeria‟ have

With oil and gas being two of

our most important everyday

commodities, using them for

heat, electricity and transport

necessary thought of the vast

exploitation of these materials

are not usually considered. We

only need to look at Rossport

in Mayo to see how even in

Ireland natural resources have

been bought by large multina-

tionals for a small price at the

expense of the citizens of the

state. However, when it comes

to the multinational oil com-

pany Shell the experience felt

in Ireland is by no means an

isolated occurrence. The at-

tempted obliteration of the

Irish right to Irish natural re-

sources is standard for multina-

tional oil companies such as

Shell. However, as history

shows, it is generally underde-

veloped countries who receive

far more severe treatment than

“Undoubtedly, Shell has used these dire ongoing political, social and eco-

nomic situations to estab-lish powerful connections in various countries in an attempt to exploit those with the weakest voice

within society”.

By Lisa Connell

Blood and Oil

silenced whilst environmental

and political activists who

highlighted and campaigned

against poverty, corrupt gov-

erning, environmental devasta-

tion and human rights abuses

(despite an entirely non-violent

movement) were severely re-

pressed through extreme mili-

tary campaigns resulting in the

deaths of thousands of local

peoples in Niger Delta. The

entanglement of Shell staff in

key ministries within the gov-

ernment means that there are

indisputable links between

Shell and the military dictator-

ship currently in place in the

region. For many Nigerians

this has simply marked the

emergence of a neo-colonial

regime which their government

are actively engaging in in an

attempt to dominate the reve-

nue generated through the rich

oil resources.

Although the military

leadership which once domi-

nated Nigeria has ceased, Shell

still possesses a strong hold

over Nigerian decision making.

They have made one of the

largest foreign direct invest-

ment proposals in Africa with

an eight billion proposal in the

investment of natural gas as

well as the establishment of

various scholarship schemes to

Nigerian students. The consid-

erable changes which Shell

have made aren‟t the means

they use to dominate control

of natural reserves but instead

are becoming far more effi-

cient in concealing their in-

volvement in the volatile state

by directly targeting the edu-

cated youth.

There seems to be an

active discouragement of the

Nigerian government to live

up to its responsibility to pro-

vide many basic rights for the

70 per cent of the Nigerian

people who live below the

poverty line. Simply put,

profit for a select few has been

placed ahead of the peoples'

need. Nigeria is an underde-

veloped, oil rich, country with

corrupt governance, social un-

rest and unstable economic

policies. Yet these factors

usually remain irrelevant to

multinational companies such

as Shell because the grip that

they exercise over public life

allows them to maintain con-

trol over the natural resources

in the region. Sadly, the ex-

ploitation of underdeveloped

countries by western econo-

mies through the means of

multinational oil companies

has become a reoccurring

process which has established

its place within history. As

long as wealthy western

economies have continued

investment interests in oil re-

serves in underdeveloped

countries, this cyclical proc-

ess is destined to continue and

the poor will remain poor so

the rich can stay rich.

“Sadly, the exploitation of underde-

veloped countries by western econo-

mies through the means of multina-

tional oil companies has become a

reoccurring process which has estab-

lished its place within history.”.

www.labouryouth.ie

Political Reform:

Luke Dineen puts forward his

proposals for a reform the Irish

political system.

If the current crisis has re-

vealed anything over the last

two years, it has been the woe-

ful inadequacy of our national

parliament to hold the govern-

ment to account for its horren-

dous mismanagement of our

economy. Our entire political

system is structured to ensure

that the executive of the day

remains unaccountable. Elec-

toral reform will change noth-

ing, nor will gender quotas.

Although I am sympathetic to

both, each are akin to using a

broom to sweep away the

stench of the Augean stables

of Ancient Greek mythology.

Much more fundamental

change is needed. Reforming

the relationship between gov-

ernment and parliament, and

ultimately parliament and the

people will substantially re-

duce the likelihood of us

sleepwalking into another cri-

sis in 10 years time.

The most insidious way in

which the government is able

to ensure its own unaccount-

ability is through the party

whip system. A constitutional

amendment should be incorpo-

rated that prohibits any inter-

ference with the exercise by

deputies of their conscientious,

autonomous decision on any

vote in parliament. This would

destroy the deleterious influ-

ence of party oligarchs and

give ordinary parliamentarians

a real say in political proceed-

ings. Another idea is the intro-

duction of a device known as a

„decisive minority‟. This

would allow a minority in par-

liament (about a third) to insist

on an inquiry and/or a debate

on any matter, without guillo-

tine. To those who claim that

these measures would under-

mine a government‟s ability to

legislate for its own agenda,

my answer is that we live in a

democracy, not an autocracy.

A genuinely reformed Seanad

By Luke Dineen

“Sadly, the exploitation of underde-

veloped countries by western econo-

mies through the means of multina-

tional oil companies has become a

reoccurring process which has estab-

lished its place within history.”.

The Next Steps

can play an integral part of a

functional Oireachtas. But this

can only happen if the upper

house is empowered, and given

an identity distinct from the Dáil,

to provide one of those „checks

and balances‟ so missing from

our current system. A reformed

Seanad must be fully elected

from a list system using the Euro-

pean parliamentary constituen-

cies, and done so separately from

a general election. More cru-

cially, it should be given some

form of veto (without which the

Seanad will forever remain a re-

dundant institution) over govern-

ment legislation.

In no other democracy are the

legislative and executive

branches of government so fused

as they are in Ireland. The notion

that competent government min-

isters can be drawn from such a

tiny pool of politicians is as ab-

surd as it sounds. The Taoiseach

should be able to appoint people

from outside politics with genu-

ine expertise in their field to be-

come cabinet ministers, with the

Dáil being able to accept or reject

the nomination of anyone to min-

isterial office.

A transparent budgetary system

to replace the current archaic

political theatre is now needed

more than ever given the peril-

ous state of the public finances.

Never again should any future

government be allowed to so

criminally mismanage the peo-

ples‟ money the way Fianna

Fáil has done. The Dáil must be

given a meaningful role into the

allocation of the state‟s finances

instead of the mere rubberstamp

it possesses now. Thus quarterly

exchequer reports and a draft

budget in advance of the real

thing should be presented to it

by the government and debated

thoroughly.

But most importantly, if the

people are to have faith in future

Irish political discourse then

they must be consulted on a

regular basis. Direct democracy

is the only way to ensure that

sovereign authority ultimately

rests with the people, not a po-

litical elite. Deputies should be

subject to recall by their con-

stituents for any wrongdoing

and citizens‟ initiatives should

be sacrosanct. With sufficient

signatures, the public could be

able to force a plebiscite on any

issue it demands (constitutional

or otherwise), and its outcome

must be legally binding. For

those of you who con-

sider this to be a proposal

so radical that only in

Switzerland could it

work, the Free State con-

stitution of 1922 con-

tained similar elements

before the right wing

Cumman na nGaedheal

government abolished

them.

If only some of the pro-

posals I have outlined

were implemented it

would be significant, but

if all of them were, then

it would be a democratic

revolution considering

the painfully inert nature

of Irish politics. The gov-

ernment would truly be

accountable to parlia-

ment, and parliament

truly accountable to the

people, whose authority

would be unquestionable.

For the first time since

the foundation of the

state, the Irish people

would have some sense

of ownership over our

destiny. It is time we re-

claim that sense of be-

longing, which was bro-

ken so long ago.

www.labouryouth.ie

Irish Neutrality :

in that it would enhance

our influence in the world.

It is absurd to suggest we

are too small to be influen-

tial: England is barely lar-

ger than Ireland, and they

were the most powerful

country in the world for

much of the 19th century.

To be influential need not

entail getting caught up in

wars; on the contrary, a de-

cision not to go to war

would be influential. Cur-

rently, as a neutral nation,

our non-involvement in

wars is taken for granted

and therefore has no influ-

ence; were we to abandon

our neutrality, people

would take note if we

choose to stay out of a war

- indeed, we would be

more likely to influence

other countries to stay out

as well. As regards past

wars, our participation in

the Second World War

would undoubtedly have

benefited both Ireland‟s

status in the world, and Ire-

land as an island. In 1940,

Britain offered a re-united

Ireland in exchange for

has long been defined by

neutrality. This really has

its genesis in anti-British

sentiment rather than any

high principles, and we

must question whether or

not it still has relevance. If

we define neutrality in

terms of total non-

involvement in interna-

tional affairs, it is hard to

see what the point of being

an independent country

would be, as the ability to

have a foreign policy de-

fines a state as independent

rather than autonomous.

Even a relaxed definition

allowing for a foreign pol-

icy but not war is problem-

atic: we can hardly reject

violence on a basis of prin-

ciple as virtually everyone

agrees that it can be justi-

fied in self-defence; surely

were we ever in a situation

where we had to defend

ourselves, we would hope

that others would help us,

so it follows that we should

be willing to help others de-

fend themselves, too.

An active foreign policy

would be beneficial to us,

Osal Kelly considers the

time has come for a re-

assessment of Ireland‟s neu-

trality.

In Ireland, especially at the

present time, we can have a

tendency to be insular,

thinking about ourselves

first and regarding relations

with the rest of the world as

an afterthought. Whilst this

attitude may have been un-

derstandable in times past,

there can be no place for it

in today‟s interdependent

world, where we cannot go

it alone, and must rely on

others for our survival (as

we‟ve discovered to our

cost). Our foreign policy

By Osal Kelly

By Osal Kelly

Time for a Rethink?

Irish support in the war, and

it is an offer which we

should take very seriously:

much of our scepticism is

owed to the passage of

time, and the fact that we

have grown used to parti-

tion, but the situation was

different back then: parti-

tion was relatively new,

and, therefore, more easily

reversible. Furthermore, the

fact the offer was made at

all was a major departure

for a man like Churchill

who was anything but sym-

pathetic to Irish national-

ism, and so gives us reason

to take it seriously. The real

reason why it was spurned

was not a fear that the Brit-

ish were insincere, as is

shown by the fact that de

Valera, according to the Do-

minions Secretary Malcolm

MacDonald‟s recollection,

refused to guarantee Irish

support even if a United

Ireland was delivered.

Clinging to our neutrality

during the war could well

have cost us our hopes of

Irish unity, leading to a leg-

acy of division, violence

and bloodshed which is still

very much raw.

An active Irish foreign pol-

icy would benefit not just us

but also the world as a

whole. Our neutrality is a

major stumbling-block for

the EU‟s common foreign

and security policy; were

we to set it aside, the EU

might be able to develop a

united security policy, and

act as a counterbalance to

the unhealthy power cur-

rently enjoyed by America.

It would also prevent unilat-

eral military action on the

part of member states, such

as when countries like Brit-

ain and Spain participated in

the illegal invasion of Iraq.

An active foreign policy

would also enable us to par-

ticipate in just, UN-

sponsored interventions.

The appalling genocides in

countries like Rwanda and

Cambodia, which spiralled

out of control as the world

stood by, show what the

devastating cost of inac-

tion can be. However, it is

not just a question of war,

but also of peace: Norway

has played an exemplary

role in mediation and con-

flict resolution in Sri

Lanka and Israel-Palestine,

and it could be argued this

was because of not in spite

of its NATO membership:

as a NATO member it is

listened to and taken more

seriously, and the same

would apply to us were to

embrace an active foreign

policy. The time has come

to reassess our neutrality,

and to consider the ways in

which an active foreign

policy would benefit both

Ireland and the world as a

whole.

“If we define neutrality in terms of total non-involvement in international affairs, it is hard to see what the point of being an independent country would be, as the ability to have a foreign policy defines a state as independent rather than autonomous”.

www.labouryouth.ie

For our first meeting we decided to

make it a big event, so we booked a

room in the Greville Arms Hotel and we

invited the two labour candidates who

were running in the election (Mae Sex-

ton and Willie Penrose), the labour

councillors in our area and the press to

the meeting. The meeting was a huge

success with over 20 young people

there, getting us above 30 members. We

also invited Darren Bates, the national

recruitment officer for labour youth to

attend, who gave a speech at the meet-

ing. He spoke of how great it was to see

such a big youth branch outside of a

university or college. So yeah, I‟d say

the first meeting was a huge success.

What events do you have planned in

the future?

Hopefully we will be able to

get some recruitment drives going in all

of the major towns in the Longford/

Westmeath area. Also we will be doing

something as regards the boycott Israel

campaign, to create awareness in the

constituency of the situation in Pales-

tine. Fund raising will also be on the

agenda for the near future.

What would you say are the main

obstacles in setting up a branch in a

non-college environment and how

would you overcome them?

I would say it‟s getting people

interested and being seen as an organi-

sation. In colleges and universities

there are clubs and society days where

people can join up if they wish, we

don‟t have that avenue open to us. In

my opinion the best way to overcome

this is to make the organisation seen

and heard, that way we would be in

people‟s minds and we could get the

youth in the area involved in the or-

ganisation, and hopefully with future events we will be able to do just that.

What advice would you give to some-

one hoping to set up a Labour Youth

branch in their own local area?

Talk to your local labour TD or coun-

cillor first of all, as they will be able to

get you on the right track. Also if pos-

sible try and get people you know in-

terested and involved. For meetings get

posters up around the place so people

can find out when meetings will be,

and obviously set up a Facebook page.

And on a final note, once the first

meeting is organised, it gets a lot easier

from then on as different responsibili-

ties are delegated.

We speak to David Healion, PRO of

the newly established Longford/

Westmeath branch, on setting up a

Youth branch in his local area.

What steps did you and others go

through to set up the branch in

Longford/Westmeath?

Actually, it was the senior

members of the party in our constitu-

ency that noticed there was a lot of

interest in the labour party among the

youth of the constituency and it was

then that got the first meeting organ-

ised. At the first meeting there was

around 15 young people, from this we

elected an executive, and from then we

were the first Labour Youth branch in

Longford Westmeath.

Did you encounter any problems in

the course of the branch being set

up?

Apart from the dreadful

weather between October and

January which prevented us from meet-

ing up, there were no problems.

How did you go about setting up the

first meeting of the new branch, and

how successful was it?

Branch Focus : Longford/Westmeath

By David Healion

Jason Cullen interviews Dan O’

Neill, Editor and cofounder of the

political website

www.teaandtoast.ie

Teaandtoast.ie was founded to spark

and liven up political debate in Ire-

land. It features articles by people

from all walks of life, all age groups

and political traditions with an em-

phasis on building a fairer, more de-

mocratic and more sustainable coun-

try. The website is not affiliated to

any political party or group and has

no explicit political positions on in-

dividual issues. It encourages debate

to allow people to have their voices

heard and to help them to shape pub-

lic opinion.

Labour Party member Dan O‟ Neill

is one of the cofounders and the edi-

tor of the new website.

Dan explained that the aim of the

site is quite straight forward. He

with politics is in the ballot box.

People are tired of that.‟

The website uses social media to

build up a readership for itself and is

fully integrated with Facebook and

Twitter.

„The beauty of a collaborative web-

site like Tea and Toast is that nowa-

days everybody is on Facebook.‟ „If

someone writes an article, they

might put it up on their Facebook

wall. Then, their friends visit the site

and word spreads.‟

The group want as many people as

possible to contact them with ideas

for contributions. Any subject with a

political slant is likely to be taken

and the site even has plans to publish

a short, humorous play about politics

in the near future.

www.teaandtoast.ie has been online

for the past 6 months and had its of-

ficial launch party in the Corner

Stone pub on the 4th of January.

Anyone who would like to contrib-

ute to the website or find out more

can visit the web address or email

[email protected]

Since this interview was done, Tea

and Toast has been nominated for

an Irish Blog Award. We wish the

best of luck to Dan and all the

team at www.teaandtoast.ie.

claims „that Irish political discussion

is lacking direction and a serious

analysis of how democrats should

work together in creating a good so-

ciety. In opening up debate, the web-

site hopes to influence people to en-

gage with politics and stir things up.‟

„The nature of political publications

has changed.‟ Dan says. „In the past

it took a great deal of organisation

and money to create a well known

magazine or paper. Now all it takes

is a minimal amount of capital, a bit

of imagination and a network of in-

terested people to launch a solid po-

litical project.‟

Commenting on the nature of the

project, Dan exclaims that, „They

say that the beauty in the staple

foods of bread and water is that they

can so easily become tea and toast.

Likewise a simple idea thought up in

a cafe amongst friends can become

an interesting adventure which is

creating space for regular people to

have a voice when it comes to poli-

tics. The beauty of the idea is in its

simplicity and www.teaandtoast.ie is

a simple project involving over 50

regular contributors and receiving

over 3000 unique hits per week.‟

Dan notes that people in general are

becoming disillusioned with being

just spectators when it comes to poli-

tics.

„People are fed up of listening to the

same voices discuss issues in the

same way again and again in the me-

dia. This kind of website creates a

forum so badly needed in Ireland for

political discussion because for too

long we have had a political system

that is closed to many. In most cases,

the only time people engage directly

The Tea and Toast Revolution

“This kind of website creates a

forum so badly needed in Ire-

land for political discussion be-

cause for too long we have

had a political system that is

closed to many”.

http://www.teaandtoast.ie


http://www.teaandtoast.ie

www.labouryouth.ie

Why I opposed the programme for Government

inherent ideological similari-

ties. Given that FG were

just 7 seats short of an over-

all majority, I believed it to

be farcical to prop them up.

Several independents indi-

cated their willingness to

support the new government,

with or without Labour sup-

port – even Fianna Fáil

didn‟t vote against Enda

Kenny‟s nomination for

Taoiseach.

The underlying difficulty

with this new „national‟

government is that the La-

bour Party does not hold the

balance of power and as

such cannot cause the gov-

ernment to fall by her with-

drawal from coalition. The

opposition is now led by a

mishmash of ULA/SF/FF

TDs, the latter of which are

utterly discredited. In short,

the new arrangement places

Fianna Fáil at the helm of

opposition – that was not the

wish of the people. The peo-

ple voted to isolate that party

for the damage and destruc-

tion they inflicted on so

many people.

The recent election was an

historic opportunity to re-

shape Irish politics for the

better – on a left/right basis.

We could finally abandon

tions I took were not, how-

ever, for the sake of opposi-

tion. A Central Council

meeting was called for the

Monday immediately fol-

lowing the election. At this

point, Fine Gael had re-

ceived an overwhelming

mandate to govern – with

some 76 seats. The motion

put forward was to accept

the Party Leader‟s report on

the election and to allow him

to open and conclude nego-

tiations with Fine Gael, on

the prospect of forming a

government. As Labour

Youth‟s representative, I

voted against the motion.

In any country in Western

Europe, the second largest

party always leads an oppo-

sition. Indeed, in the media,

it was seen as preposterous

to suggest that Fianna Fáil

should form a government

with Fine Gael at the last

election despite their

Electing 37 deputies to the

31st Dáil was indeed a tri-

umph for the Labour Party

and the values that we repre-

sent. In my own constituency

of Dublin South-West, we

elected two TDs for the first

time since 1992. Our break-

through in electoral terms

smashed the conservative

consensus that had dominated

our state for some 80 years.

For the first time ever, the

Labour Party became the

second largest party in the

Oireachtas. The media had

spun the idea that Labour was

destined to form a coalition

with Fine Gael and continue

the politics of the past.

I, for one, was not willing to

accept that presumption.

Labour Youth have tradition-

ally opposed coalition ar-

rangements where Labour are

the junior partner. The ac-

“The underlying difficulty with this new „national‟ government is that the Labour Party does not

hold the balance of power and as such cannot cause the govern-ment to fall by her withdrawal

from coalition. The opposition is now led by a mishmash of ULA/

SF/FF TDs, the latter of which are utterly discredited “

By Colm Lawless

Labour Youth’s Role in the New Administration

the conservative nationalist

consensus that has inhibited

our development for too long.

The only way of achieving

this goal was for the Labour

Party to form the opposition.

Indeed many delegates were

apprehensive about the idea,

feeling that it would consti-

tute abandoning the Irish peo-

ple in their hour of need. My

argument centred on the na-

tional interest – the party‟s

electoral performance was a

secondary consideration. I

felt that by propping up a

Fine Gael government, we

were disregarding our duty to

keep that administration in

check.

Not holding the balance of

power in a FG government

results in Fine Gael policies

dominating the agenda – as

evinced in the programme for

government. We campaigned

to the electorate on the idea

of “Gilmore for Taoiseach”

for some nine months prior to

Election Day. The tact sud-

denly changed in the last

week, when we adopted a

„fair and balanced govern-

ment „ line, which is far from

what we achieved in the end.

Despite my disagreement and

the fact that I both spoke and

voted against the programme,

I respect the decision of party

members and will row in be-

hind the mandate that Eamon

Gilmore has received to lead

Labour into government

with Fine Gael.

It has been consistently

asked of me what the role of

Labour Youth is when the

senior party are in govern-

ment. Traditionally the youth

wing was associated with

protest. I am a firm believer

in constructive opposition, as

opposed to opposition for the

sake of opposition. Ireland is

still frankly an unequal

country. We still grapple

with appalling poverty, ex-

cesses of capitalism and the

ongoing international crises

affecting ordinary people.

Labour Youth will act as a

voice for those ignored by

the political establishment.

We will both commend and

criticise the work of the sen-

ior party in government. We

expect that the Labour Party

will leave a lasting impres-

sion on the offices our Min-

isters and Tánaiste hold. It is

an immense challenge, dur-

ing unprecedented times. We

will engage in closer dia-

logue with the party to ar-

ticulate our views and input

on issues affecting young

people and broader civil so-

ciety. Despite opposing the

programme for government,

Labour Youth should aim to

utilise the party‟s place in

government as a platform to

have ideas brought to gov-

ernment level. Our focus

remains as our focus always

was – to promote and cam-

paign for democratic social-

ism in Ireland. Our ethos or

role has not changed in the

slightest.

“The recent election was an

historic opportunity to reshape

Irish politics for the better – on a

left/right basis”

www.labouryouth.ie

The migration muddle

around 170 countries in the world

each with there own unique system,

some albeit only slightly, it is very

easy to fall victim of unforeseen ir-

regularities between countries.

From increased immigration into our

country during the boom years to the

increased emigration of young people

from our shores today, migration of

people and their rights when migrat-

ing is of key importance in the glob-

alisation of societies and economies.

In recent times the Central Statistics

Office (CSO) showed levels for the

year April 2009 to 2010 of emigra-

tion in Ireland show an increase in

Irish nationals emigrating and a de-

crease in non nationals and a net emi-

gration increase from 7800 to 34,500.

One of the resulting factors from an

increase in emigration, especially of

younger people, is the potential lack

of economic capacity for the provi-

sion of the elderly in society which

the CSO gave as exceeding half a

million at the end of April 2010.

Though this may be offset by the

continued population increase that

may be mitigated by the extended life

expectancy with advances in the

medical sciences.

One particular aspect of migration is

the treatment and attitude of nation-

als toward migrants. On the 15th of

March 2010 as part of the European

Network Against Racism (ENAR)

Ireland's week of activities around

the UN day against racism on the 21st

the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland

(MRCI) produced a leaflet on the facts

about migrant workers in Ireland. In the

summary of their leaflet they say that

“in the same way that Irish people have

emigrated, migrant workers from differ-

ent countries have come to Ireland to

live, work and raise their families” and

that “migration will continue to be a

feature of Irish life, now and into the

future.” The need for such a leaflet was

defined in the context that “throughout

history, migration has been accompa-

nied by fears and negative myths and

misinformation about newcomers” and

since “many people do not have access

to clear, accurate information about mi-

grant workers; when left unchallenged,

misinformation leads to prejudice, ra-

cism, discrimination and inequality.”

Needless to say that we in Ireland could

do better to inform ourselves and as we

celebrate our own national saint's day

on the 17th of March I hope we can do

so in the spirit of inclusion as a growing

part of our national identity.

While a nations people's treatment of

migrants can be negative, so too can

their government's attitude through its

laws, procedures and policies. This can

be done on a national and international

basis. To this end the Global Progres-

sive Forum (GPF), in an article on mi-

gration, set out their agenda in order to

ensure a freer movement of people

around the world. They stated that their

“ main challenge is to put people first on

Thomas D‟Alton dissects the

problem of migration in the context of

Ireland‟s current economic woes.

The movement of people has always

proved challenging, but sometimes

necessary due reduced economic op-

portunities, armed conflicts in volatile

regions, and political disputes and

human rights violations in unstable

and changing societies. The first ex-

plorers were free to come and go as

they pleased with the dangers biased

towards the journey itself. In today's

modern age of transport getting to

where you want to go is compara-

tively very easy. With this, however,

has come the restrictions and controls

that each country exercises on people

going to and from there. These may

not seem as dangerous as the perils of

risking your life travelling long ago,

but there are real dangers and risks

present due to a lack of pertinent and

clear information available to people.

When you consider that there are

By Thomas D’Alton

their organisations to increase par-

ticipation in problem solving and to

use “gender analysis as a tool to de-

velop pro-women development ini-

tiatives”. Continuing on from the

global objectives to the national

level the focus remains on female

migrants. The national objectives

involve informing and educating

women intending to migrate as to

their rights in the country they're

going to, to give training to migrant

communities to promote awareness

of issues impacting on the lives of

women in their community in the

new country, and “treating formerly

trafficked women as victims rather

than illegal immigrants in countries

of destination and granting them

rights to asylum and legal protec-

tion.”

In summary, we ought to treat mi-

grant workers as we would like to be

treated if we were the migrant work-

ers. Being aware of our rights in

other countries that we may wish or

need to emigrate to is important and

more so for female migrants. How-

ever equally important is the politi-

cal and social responsibility that ex-

ists for us to ensure that we are

aware of the rights of immigrants

coming to our country, and that we

strive as a nation to afford them a

comprehensive and coherent set of

rights, privileges and justice that

upholds their dignity and assists their

assimilation into society.

the migration agenda, both in the coun-

try of origin and of destination, through

the recognition and strengthening of the

rights of migrants” and in addition to

this to undertake a process of “ integrat-

ing the issue of migration fully into the

global and national development, eco-

nomic, employment, social and security

agendas, as well as ensuring greater

policy coherence between these agendas

and between the stakeholders involved:

governments, the business, international

organisations, trade unions, NGOs, civil

society and the migrants themselves.”

The GPF's has five global objectives.

The first envisages an international pol-

icy to fully coordinate the security and

legal policies of different countries in

order to manage a sustainable flow of

migration that is in the best interests of

the countries themselves. This is ambi-

tious but needed to address the day to

day realities of mass migration to coun-

tries due to globalisation that may not

be necessarily capable of provisioning

for a population increase. The second

objective acknowledges the need for

migration in ageing societies, Japan

being a prime example, and that a full

and active approach is needed to ad-

dress “he root causes of migration

(poverty, conflict, demographic and

economic factors), the connection with

development, rights and employment,

as well as the justice and security di-

mensions.” The third objective is to

specifically deal with the root causes of

migration splitting different factors into

what 'pushes' people from a country and

what 'pulls' people to a country.

Since the GPF puts a particular focus on

women migrants due to them making up

a large percentage of migrants the

fourth and fifth global objectives are

given this focus. The fourth looks to

allocate resources in origin and destina-

tion countries for specific programmes

focused on women. The fifth objective

seeks to work with female migrant and

The migration muddle

www.labouryouth.ie

port within pockets of society to

remain in place as a disputed but

practiced method of criminal

punishment.

Historically, capital pun-

ishment has been practiced in vir-

tually every society. Today, it is

actively practiced by 58 nations,

with 95 countries abolishing it,

and the remainder allowing it

only in exceptional circum-

stances, such as wartime. Only

five developed counties have re-

tained the death penalty, but with

the industrialisation of Asia this

group is set to grow.

Worldwide, the death pen-

alty is far more prevalent than

one may think. In fact, over 60%

of the world's population live in

countries where executions take

place. The four most populous

nations in the world, China, In-

dia, United States and Indonesia,

all apply the death penalty. It is

important to remember that in

many developing countries, par-

ticularly those under authoritarian

regimes, capital punishment is

used as a tool of political oppres-

sion. As long as these govern-

ments condone it, it doesn't need

public support.

Despite the relatively wide-

spread use of the practice, it is

true that during the last 40 years

there has been a trend towards

the abolition of capital punish-

ment around the world. A good

Orla Hubbard takes a look at

the use of capital punishment

worldwide and comments on

the continuing trend of aboli-

tionism versus a persistent core

support.

Capital punishment is a

source of extreme controversy

in today's world. Most liberal

societies see it as being a bar-

baric, and ultimately futile, vio-

lation of human rights. How-

ever its supporters are equally

strong in their conviction that it

provides closure for the families

of victims and is a just punish-

ment for the crime committed.

There has been a worldwide

trend towards its abolition over

several decades, and specula-

tion about when it will be abol-

ished completely. However it is

worth considering whether the

death penalty is indeed on its

way out after a slow downward

spiral, or if it has enough sup-

example of this was seen during

the 1980s, when the democratisa-

tion of Latin America swelled

the ranks of abolitionist coun-

tries.

Continuing the trend of

abolition, The European Union

and Council of Europe have

made the abolition of the death

penalty during times of peace a

requirement for membership.

This encouraged Turkey in May

2004 to amend its constitution in

order to remove capital punish-

ment in all circumstances, so that

it could move towards accession

of the EU. On the whole this

seems like it should leave oppo-

nents of the death penalty trium-

phant, and expectant of universal

abolition which must surely be

well on its way, albeit slowly.

But do these small steps mean

that we can realistically expect

the practice to be discontinued

worldwide?

Abolition is normally

adopted due to political change,

or mass change of public opinion

due to some external factor. Pub-

lic opinion is moulded from both

media coverage and the opinions

voiced by influential figures.

There are four main arguments

which influence public opinion;

The first is that the death

penalty acts as a deterrent to

would-be criminals. Ernest van

den Haag, a Professor of Juris-

The Death Penalty

By Orla Hubbard

to be 'minimal'. According to

Paul Cassell, a Professor of

Law in Utah, "The mistaken

release of guilty murderers

should be of far greater con-

cern than the ... mistaken exe-

cution of an innocent person."

Fourthly and finally, is

the argument forwarded by the

President of PUSH, a coalition

opposing the death penalty,

claiming that it is discrimina-

tory in its application. He says

the lack of objective, measur-

able standards as to when the

death penalty should be sought

or applied, ensures that it will

be discriminatory against cer-

tain groups. On the retention-

alist side is the repetition of

the view that the existence of

some systemic problems is no

reason to abandon the whole

death penalty system. The US

Supreme Court held that sta-

tistical studies on race by

themselves were an insuffi-

cient basis for overturning the

death penalty.

The most striking aspect

of the debate on abolition is

prudence, wrote: “Execution of

those who have committed hei-

nous murders may deter only one

murder per year. If it does, it

seems quite warranted." On the

other side of the argument are the

statistics that most murders are

committed in moments of pas-

sion and anger, or while intoxi-

cated, when the accused is

unlikely to be deterred by ration-

ally exploring the possible conse-

quences of their actions.

The second argument is

that the death penalty acts as the

only fair method of retribution

for the crime. The District Attor-

ney for Oklahoma City believes

that "For justice to prevail, some

killers just need to die." Oppo-

nents of the death penalty

counter this by arguing that it is

impossible to teach that killing is

wrong by killing.

The third argument is that

the death penalty carries the risk

of executing an innocent person.

Since 1973, for every seven peo-

ple executed in America, they

released one person on death row

who never should have been con-

victed. If a car manufacturer op-

erated with similar failure rates,

it would be run out of business.

The counter argument is that the

need for reform is not a reason to

abolish the death penalty. The

Senate found the risk of execut-

ing an innocent person in the US

On its way out, or here to stay?

the strength of the arguments and

counter arguments from each side.

It is clearly so controversial and so

divisive because each side of the

fence are equally strong in their

convictions, and have the support

of influential people and organisa-

tions to sway and hold public opin-

ion. This brings us back to the

question of whether or not capital

punishment can realistically be said

to be on its way out.

It seems to be a practice that

there will always be a degree of

support for, due to human emotions

like grief and vengeance. But it is

up to the leaders in society to pro-

mote a higher level of conscience

and an insurmountable respect for

human life if they hope to achieve

abolition. From the strength and

conviction of the supporters' argu-

ments, it looks likely to be a long

and mucky road ahead for aboli-

tionists.

www.labouryouth.ie

Net Neutrality:

By Declan Meenagh

Net Neutrality and the

Threat to an Open Internet

Conference passed a motion in

support of net neutrality, but

what is it about?

Background:

First of all, let‟s talk about the

internet, this is the simplified

version, there‟s loads of re-

sources about the Internet on

the Internet if you want more

information. Originally, the

Internet was designed as a

computer system which could

withstand nuclear attack. For

this reason the whole thing was

decentralised. Not long after

that, it was realised that this

could be used for academic re-

search, and it was opened first

to all of America, then gradu-

ally to the entire world. A

CERN scientist, Sir Tim Bern-

ers Lee, developed the World

Wide Web, a set of hyperlinked

documents on the internet. The

web is part of the Internet, and

many internets make up the

Internet.

The word internet was short-

ened from internetwork, which

means a network of networks.

The Internet (capital I) is the sys-

tem which you pay to access, it‟s

publicly available and things like

the web and email run on it. Your

Internet Service provider (ISP), like

Eircom or Vodafone, is the smallest

network you connect to. You pay

them to connect to the Internet. In

the same way, companies pay to

upload things on the internet, things

like YouTube, Flickr and Face-

book. In turn, they pay a bigger

ISP to connect all their users to the

Internet. And so we have the Inter-

net, a global network of networks.

The Internet is serious business

The Internet provides access to in-

formation on government, educa-

tion, communication, health, all of

which are basic human rights. The

Irish government needs to improve

broadband infrastructure in the

country.

Labour MEP Alan Kelly said that

like Finland, Ireland should make

access to broadband a universal

right. This makes so much sense.

You can‟t build a knowledge econ-

omy without proper broadband.

Labour has a great tourism policy,

and this relies on broadband. It

suggests tourism smart phone apps,

activity specific portal websites like

surf Ireland and helping hotels and

attractions to go online.

The internet will facilitate job crea-

tion. Behind every website or ser-

vice are highly trained engineers,

sales staff, managers and lots more.

These are all graduates and these

jobs are clearly part of a knowledge

economy.

I think it‟s clear that to build a

knowledge economy we need an

open Internet, one where you can

freely choose which information

source to use, and where you have

the fastest possible connection to the

Internet.

The threat:

Let‟s make a theoretical example.

Imagine if an electronics company

made a deal with your electricity

provider to only let you use electric-

ity on their products. This would be

unfair. What if you had to pay extra

for electricity you could use on what

ever product you want. What if the

product makers had to pay so their

products would run on your electric-

ity? This additional cost would be

passed onto the user.

But in reality, you pay for electricity

by unit, which is the amount of elec-

tricity you use, and you can use it to

power a toaster from company A, a

cooker from company B and a com-

puter from company C. This is how

the internet works at the moment.

You pay for access to the internet

and can use Facebook, Twitter or

even Bebo. You can watch the RTE

player, or YouTube or Vimeo. You

can read the Guardian, the Irish

times, the Daily Mail or the Sun.

This is why a guy in a garage can

start a small company to share vid-

eos, and sell it for 2 Billion dollars,

and give everyone on the internet the

tools to make their own TV station.

This is YouTube.

The internet has endless possibili-

ties. You can find information about

any topic, you can exchange ideas

with people from all over the world,

The Lowdown

and can express yourself in new

ways. You can very easily have an

idea, and put it online, either keeping

it as a hobby, or turning it into a mas-

sive business, either way reaching

millions of users. I don‟t exaggerate

when I say that the Internet is one of

humanities greatest achievements.

ISPs argue that it‟s expensive to

transfer videos from YouTube to

your computer, but this is rubbish,

you paid to access the full Internet,

and YouTube, and all the other pub-

lishers, paid their ISP to serve videos

on the Internet. It‟s just greedy,

money grabbing companies who

don‟t care about their customers and

are double charging.

Since the disastrous sale of eircom in

the 90s, it was asset stripped and left

to rot. This means we can‟t build a

proper broadband network, and we

can‟t force eircom to put users first.

This sale put Irish broadband back 10

years.

Recently, the FCC in America pub-

lished some rules for net neutrality,

but they don‟t go far enough. They

are based on a suggestion which

Google made earlier in the year.

This is an issue on which the EU is

developing policy, and it‟s some-

thing we need to watch carefully.

Some ISPs offer services like video,

music or news. We need to make

sure they don‟t prioritise these ser-

vices and slow down or block com-

peting services.

The biggest issue with the proposed

rules is that they don‟t apply to mo-

bile internet at all. If such rules

were implemented in Ireland then a

lot of rural internet users would be

denied access to a free and open

internet.

Already, mobile companies are

plotting ways to charge customers

extra for accessing services, look up

Wired and the article “Mobile Car-

riers Dream of Charging per Page”.

There‟s a leaked slideshow which

shows a chart where users have to

pay extra to access YouTube,

Skype and Facebook on mobile

internet.

What needs to happen:

The Irish government needs

to make it illegal for an ISP to

accept money to prioritise

web traffic, and we should

work on it at an European

level. Small businesses

shouldn‟t have to pay this un-

just tax to hundreds of ISPs

around the world to serve

content to their users. Our

economic recovery requires a

fast and open Internet, where

companies can serve users all

over the world without hav-

ing to pay tolls.

For more information about

this, see the Lifehacker article

“An Introduction to Net Neu-

trality: What It Is, What It

Means for You, and What

You Can Do About It

[Explainer]”, and if you have

any questions, I‟m on twitter:

@dagda and my email is

[email protected]


www.labouryouth.ie

top site that was within view of

Gaza. We were quickly moved

away from the area by soldiers who

claimed that a military operation

was taking place; 3 civilians in-

cluding a 91 year old man were

killed by an Israeli tank in Gaza

that night.

In Palestine, we spent most of our

nights in the „Hebron Hostel Hotel‟

in East Jerusalem. It was here that

we came across holy landmarks

like the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the

Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I

considered praying for my family

at the Wailing Wall but, as an ag-

nostic, I felt it would be like talking

to a wall.

We encountered the separation wall

and passed a checkpoint crossing

for the first time when we went to

Nablus in the West Bank. On the

same day, we passed another

checkpoint guarded by Israeli sol-

diers who were joking that our

passports would end up being used

in a Dubai assassination.

Well. We think they were joking.

Adam Fullham writes about his

own experience in Israel in Pales-

tine and why he feels interna-

tional boycott is the only solution.

Last September, I was a member

of a political delegation sent by

Labour Youth to Israel and Pales-

tine. The trip, which lasted 2

weeks, took us from the likes of

Sderot in Israel to the Jordan Val-

ley in Palestine. In Israel, we also

visited Tel Aviv, the Negev De-

sert and West Jerusalem. Sderot is

an Israeli city which is less than a

mile from Gaza. It has been the

target of Palestinian Rocket At-

tacks which, between 2001 and

2008, killed 13 and wounded doz-

ens of Israelis. Despite their very

inaccurate aim, the homemade

projectiles have caused millions

of dollars in damage and many

buildings in Sderot are fortified.

Whenever a rocket is seen being

fired from Gaza an air-raid siren

is triggered.

While in Sderot we met with an

Israeli group who led us to a hill-

In Ramallah we met with Fatah.

While there we came across a 12

year old Arab American whose

family had returned to Palestine

from New Orleans after the disas-

ter there in 2005. We also visited

Deisha Refugee Camp in Bethle-

hem and got tear gassed during a

peaceful demonstration in the vil-

lage of Bil'in, where close to 60%

of the land has been annexed by

Israel for settlements and for the

construction of the separation wall.

However, Hebron was the most

shocking experience of the tour.

It's a Palestinian City where Israeli

settlers (500 protected by 2,000

soldiers) walk around with ma-

chine guns.

Shuhada Street, once home to a

thriving marketplace, is the main

road that connects the western part

of Hebron to the eastern part. It is

today a desolate and often empty

settler-only street which is closed

off to Palestinians, even though

Palestinian houses line up along

the street. These houses, which

have had their doors welded shut,

are home to residents who must

Palestine : An activist’s experience

By Adam Fulham

use the rooftops as a means of exiting

and entering their homes. Every one of

the welded doors has been painted over

with the Star of David by fanatic set-

tlers.

There was a lane where settlers had

taken over the second-floor buildings -

nets were put up between the first and

second floors by Palestinians as the set-

tlers kept throwing garbage onto people

outside. While there we were stopped

by Israeli soldiers every minute and

weren't allowed to take any photos.

All this in Hebron. A Palestinian city.

Why boycott is the answer

It was great to see a world so different

to Ireland and to talk with Israeli and

Palestinian people. The cuisine was a

particular delight... I ate hummus every

day - I guess you could call me a hum-

musexual.

But when it comes to politics, the trip

was an eye-opening encounter; this was

rarely a happy experience. My visits to

Bethlehem, Bil'in and, in particular,

Hebron have convinced me that Israel is

most definitely a racist, apartheid state.

Its occupation of Palestine, refusal to

comply with international law and con-

stant backing by the United States

makes clear that boycott is the only an-

swer. International boycotts work, they

were what helped end apartheid in

South Africa.

The trip showed me how little a role

religion plays in this conflict. We met

with Christian and even Atheist Pales-

tinian activists whose religious beliefs

had no effect on their place in society.

Our get-togethers with non-

religious Jews in Israel made clear

that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

is not a 'Jewish-Muslim conflict'. It

is an 'Arab-Israeli conflict‟ - a dis-

pute over land and not religion.

Israel's ridiculous demands of a

future Palestinian state mean peace

will not be coming to the region

any time soon. At the Camp David

Summit in 2000, Israel proposed

dividing Palestinian territory into 4

separate cantons entirely sur-

rounded by, and therefore con-

trolled, by Israel. The Camp David

Proposal also denied Palestinians

control over their own borders, air-

space and water resources while

legitimising and expanding illegal

Israeli settlements (colonies) in

Palestinian territory.

Furthermore, Israel's refusal to

comply with international law and

the failure of last year's peace ne-

gotiations are big reasons why I

think a Third Intifada is inevitable.

Indeed, the talks were always

doomed when Palestine was being

represented by a body that had no

democratic mandate. The construc-

tion of the apartheid wall and

growing size of the settler popula-

tion (500,000 people) makes the

possibility of a viable two-state

solution lessen with every passing

day. Factors like this made me

wonder...

What about a one-state solution?

Palestine : An activist’s experience

www.labouryouth.ie

Labour Youth on the General Election Campaign

Top : Activists accompany party

leader Eamon Gilmore on the

Leader‟s Tour

Left : Campaigning for Ciara Conway

in Waterford. Ciara went on to take a

seat for Labour, the first female to

hold a seat there since 1954.

Bottom Left : Out in force for Derek

Nolan in Galway West. Derek retained

the seat held by Michael D. Higgins

with an impressive share of the vote.

Bottom Right : Enda Kenny chicken-

ing out of a three way leaders de-

bate; LY Activists outside Leinster

House show the Fine Gael leader for

the chicken that he is!

Poetry: The Poisoning by Michael D. Higgins

A scent of stranger or elusive fox

And when time has robbed us

Of our time together I recall

An older story that will not, should not die.

And it is no melancholy now

In memory I impose, my father,

On your response.

I respect your anger

At an act of cruelty

Born out of a neighbour‟s spite,

Know the abuse of such proximity

As authored this act

That left two dogs

Sharers of your intimacy

Writhing in an agony

Before a death

That sparked anew

A great despair

At all that you had lost.

And now for me at a distance

In a strange space

Lectures on community ring hollow

Invocations to cooperation

Make a dead echo

Insufficient for the erasing

From memory

Of this terrible act.

This stuff of rural intimacies

Should never be forgotten.

True grief requires that truth be told

Making way who knows in time

For such an amnesty among neighbours

As would make a truce in space and time

Where proximity offers no choice

Suggests instead a lying amnesia

To hide a neighbourly violence.

For, if the truth be told,

I must recall

That it was in the autumn years of your hope-

less life,

Across the fields you did not own

But yet had made familiar

You walked in silence.

Alone with you

They ran past furze bushes,

That in another time,

You sought to clear

And, in much later years

Past my escape to lecture halls,

I saw you in Clym Yeobright,

Bent to the side of a hill,

Tearing roots to make a clearance,

That would not last.

And for a moment now in memory,

I must become my father,

Recall that on the day he returned

There was no sign of tears,

But anger on his face

His dogs had died.

And why should the writhing and the turning,

The moaning

In a slow death,

From a neighbour‟s poison,

Be hidden?

Such is the stuff of rural intimacies,

Never to be forgotten.

Now sinks the sun in burning red,

And comes the night with shadows dark.

The night is long and I afraid,

Remember,

And put a question now in fear,

Is it the fate of sons

To be their father,

And do old wounds reopen when

Space and time make even

The crippling ends of life

As memory tears the cover

Of those wounds that will not heal.

The inclusion of poetry in the Left-tribune,

seeks to highlight the continuing legacy of

The Left, Politics, Poetry and Ireland.

All contributions are welcome and feedback

appreciated; send to: [email protected]

Michael D Higgins‟ poems have been pub-

lished in several Poetry Journals, including

the New Irish Writing, Céide, Salmon Po-

etry Journal, Poetry Ireland, and Aishling.

He has also published 4 collections; Be-

trayal, The Season of Fire, An Arid Season

and his most recent book is Causes for Con-

cern.

The Poisoning by Michael D. Higgins

Is it the fate of sons

To become their father

And in that fate

Unavoidable

Recover

In moments lit by the senses

A memory

Of grief and loss?

When now I look and gaze

At black and brown and great white chest

At amber dotted eyes and head

Of my great friend

Who placed his total trust

In us who watched

His racing quest to catch

By Liam Duffy

www.labouryouth.ie

Your National Youth Executive

National Chairperson — Colm Lawless

As National Chairperson, Colm is

responsible for the smooth running of

Labour Youth as a whole, along with acting

as the public face of the organization. He is

currently Labour Youth’s representative on

the Central Council of the Labour Party.


Vice Chair/Campaigns— Conor Ryan

As National Vice Chair and Campaigns

Officer, Conor is primarily responsible for

the formation and execution of Labour

Youth National Campaigns. He also acts as

Chair of the organization in Colm’s ab-

sence.


National Secretary — Martin O’ Prey

As National Secretary, Martin is responsible

for taking minutes at all Labour Youth

events, and at NYE meetings. He is also

responsible for correspondence, accounts

and fundraising.


Recruitment Officer — Darren Bates

As National Recruitment Officer, Darren is

responsible for the recruitment and

retention of new members. He is also the

primary coordinator for the National

Recruitment Campaign.


International Officer—Mike Spring

As International Officer, Mike is

responsible for representing the

organization at European level and

beyond.


Communications Officer—

Mick Reynolds

As National Communications Offi-

cer, Mick is the Chief Editor of the

Left Tribune, and Chairperson of

the Left Tribune Editorial Board. He

is also responsible for managing

the overall design strategy, and

online presence of the organiza-

tion.

Ed & Policy — Dean Duke

As Education and Policy Officer,

Dean is responsible for drafting

Labour Youth Policy Documents,

researching prospective Policy

Positions, LY Political Training and

Chairing the Policy Working Group.


Youth & Development—Neil Ward

As Youth & Development Officer,

Neil is the Labour Party Staff

Member responsible for the

administration of Labour Youth. He

is also a non-voting member of the

NYE.


PLEASE RECYCLE OR PASS ON

left tribune march 2011

Documents

behalf of labour youth

labour party

national youth executive

oil page

colm lawless page

higgins nye profiles

oil political reform

ge campaign