Rebuild Mass Campaign

the merits of abroad based cam— paign. The National H-Block/ Armagh campaign mobilised the most massive demonstrations since Bloody Sunday. The campaign has been builtin every county of Ireland, has won sym-— pathy from the majority ofIrish people and mobilised support in areasnot directly involved in the anti-imperialist struggle previously -—tradeunions, the students, youth, women!s move— ments, inside cultural and spor— ting groups. The campaignalso won a high level of international support.

Not only has the campaign been united around the prisoners! demands but also more and more in the method of massaction. It has become evident tomany activists thatno milit: ry solution to the question of political status exists. Military actionsundertaken have not developed the campaign andin some instances actually hindered the building of the movement.

Therecent actionsin Trinity College, although widely condemnedby all involvedin the campaign, point out the dangers of such elitist actions which arenot linkedto the masscampaign. The DunLaoghaire incident opens up the debate around !stunts'and ultra-leftist activities. The proposers of such actions argue that what isneededis publicity andany publicity at that, aslong as the H-Block/Armagh campalgnreceivesattention. Such actionsina period of mass mobilIsationsandmass support should be taken on their merits but we chouldreteact the mistaken belief that any publicity is goodor that such activities can rouse the Irish people into action. These! getrich quick! schemes areno substitute for the hard work around propaganda, buil— ding action groups and mass act— ion. Our starting point should always be what activities will in involve the largest number of people and howcan we bring new layers into the struggle. But ininvolving new layers and forces into the campaign, the question of democracy andrepresentation must be of central importance. Not only because we need co-ordinated activities, but unless groups and individ— uals are seen tohavea sayin such activities then they will be hesitant to become involved. For example, youth and students should not be seen as cannon fodder for the campaign but should be represented throughout all structures of the campaign.

Those who fetishise action _ groupsastheonly structural form ignore thereality that where groups and individuals who are not in action groups for what ever reasons,may wish to support the campaign. We Fs should argue for their repres— entationin the campaign. This means arguing for Trade Coun-— cils, Trade Union branches to send delegates, for workplace delegates, for representation from cultural and sporting organisations, for representatives from political organisationson all bodiesin the campaign.

All political groups who support the prisoners asamatter of democracy shouldhaverepresent-— ation. The simple factisthat parties providenot just individual activists but give over organ— isational resources and argue achieve. and Armagh.

SEAN MARMION debate can take place. Thehis- . tory for the political status struggle has shown that without the active support of the prisoners! organisations andparticularly Sinn Fein there would beno mass > campaign. Afurther point is that one of the weaknesses of } the campaign hasbeen the fail—ureof SinnFein, IRSP to offer astrategy. Any !non-political! approach disguises this fact and _ makes unity more difficult to We must develop organisational structures which allow for maximum participation andrepres-— entation atall levelsin the campaign. Executive committees and working committees can over—= , come the problems of large and seemingly cumbersome meet-— ings. Sucha structure also allows us to engage individual nationalist boureois politicians who support the prisonersin joint political and agreed action. Local councils can send representatives, SDLP, IIP, FiannaFail andLabour Party Cumanns can sendrepresentatives who support the campaign, All that we demand is that they support the prisoners! demands andactively support the campaign.

No one individual or organi sat— ion has a monopoly of ideas and in order for unity in action to take place we must have organi sation= al structures whichallow maximum participation, democratic discussion and decision-making. Sucha structure will bein stark contrast to the undemocratic or— gans of Britain's puppet system in Ireland-— the cause of H-Block

ates supporting the campaign SOCIALIST REPUBLIU PAGE 5

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