Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America | |
---|---|
Salt Lake City, Utah | |
Ideology | Communism Marxism–Leninism Left-wing nationalism Irish republicanism Revolutionary socialism |
Political position | Far-left |
International affiliation | IRSM |
The Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America (IRSCNA) was founded at a conference held March 23–25, 1984 in
History
There had been discussion of whether to establish a distinct, partisan support group for the IRSM from at least 1981, as October of that year was the first time someone was allowed to join the Irish Republican Socialist Party while resident in North America, when activists Caitlin Hines and Peter Urban were admitted to the party, but it was agreed that a broad front type of formation best suited the needs of the IRSM at the time. The IRSP's leadership favored pursuit of support through work in broad front organizations. As a result, a network of IRSP supporters and members developed within the H-Block/Armagh Committees of the U.S. and Canada.[3]
With the growing and increasingly overt hostility of the
Formal IRSP sanction and mandate was provided by the Ard Chomhairle of the IRSP in a letter from the IRSP's then
The IRSCNA grew steadily, creating in new chapters in the states of Florida, Arizona, Virginia, Washington, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Ohio, as well as the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario.
The Irish Political Prisoners Children's Fund was founded by members of the IRSCNA and for a number of years IRSCNA members worked within that organization to provide trips to North America for the children of Irish National Liberation Army prisoners of war. One of the most notable of these trips was the stay by the two daughters of slain INLA volunteer Ronnie Bunting to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which served as the basis for the documentary film, We Are a River Flowing.
In 1987 the IRSCNA helped to establish relations with the government of Libya for the IRSM and in 1988 two IRSCNA members traveled to Libya on behalf of the movement. Members of the IRSCNA also represented the IRSP at a political prisoners' conference held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as numerous events within the United States and Canada.
Between 1985 and 1992, the IRSCNA published its own quarterly periodical, Irish Workers' Republic, which provided the IRSM with valuable public exposure, during the difficult years for the movement, following its near destruction by the attacks launched against it by the Irish People's Liberation Organisation.
At the 1998 IRSP
In 2005, the IRSCNA was reorganized under a collective leadership called the Coordinating Committee. Co-founder and then North American Coordinator of the IRSCNA and co-International Secretary of the IRSP Peter Urban and two members published a public resignation letter critical of the IRSP's Ard Comhairle, and the Ard Chomhairle responded by expelling those who signed the letter for attacking the movement.
Since reorganizing, the IRSCNA held an Ard Fheis in Kansas City in 2008[7] and Chicago in 2009.[8]
The organization has
In 2010, it was decided that only members of the Coordinating Committee would also have dual membership in the IRSP. The Coordinating Committee is composed of Tj Ó Conchúir and John Shook.
See also
References
- ^ "IRSP Ard Fheis Resolutions, 5 December 1998". Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ IRSCNA Facebook page
- ^ What Is The Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America? [dead link]
- ^ "Constitution of the Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America". Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ Constitution of the Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
- ^ "IRSP Ard Fheis Resolutions, 5 December 1998". Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ^ IRSCNA: 2008 Ard Fheis Report
- ^ IRSCNA: 2009 Ard Fheis Report [dead link]
- ^ IRSCNA: 2009 Ard Fheis Report [dead link]