AF & ASF Statement on the North

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday October 17, 2002 20:46 by Brian - Anarchist Federation contact at afireland dot cjb dot net po box 505 belfast, BT12 6BQ 07951 079719

AF (Anarchist Federation) & ASF (Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation) Statement on the North

Statement on Sectarianism The Anarchist Federation and the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation oppose the communal and sectarian politics of Northern Ireland. The communal politics of the north, which identifies the advance of one community as being at the expense of the other, continues to destroy working class communities.

Statement on Sectarianism

The Anarchist Federation and the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation oppose the communal and sectarian politics of Northern Ireland. The communal politics of the north, which identifies the advance of one community as being at the expense of the other, continues to destroy working class communities.

Belfast Agreement

The agreement was supposed to remove the gun from Northern Irish politics. But has this happened? The murder this year of postal worker, Danny McColgan, and the increasing threat paramilitaries pose to the workforce in the north would seem to suggest otherwise. While the days of the sectarian one party Unionist state may well have ended with the imposition of the equally oppressive period of direct rule, a new form of sectarian 'agreement' has been worked out by our supposed 'representatives' in Stormont. With direct rule now re-established, nothing much will change here. It was always the case that this agreement was about copper fastening sectarianism -it could be about nothing else. Sectarianism, in fact, has not been eroded. It's enjoying a profile now that it hasn't enjoyed since the early 70's, and to which the Holy Cross dispute is only one of the more extreme examples. We are opposed to all forms of sectarianism, institutional and otherwise.

Working class communities

Those which are worst affected by sectarianism have more in common across the sectarian divide than they have division. The politicians and the Catholic and Protestant middle classes may have benefited from some sort of 'peace dividend' but working class communities, particularly those on interfaces, have not. We only need to look at the ongoing violence in North and East Belfast to understand how the working class is as polarised as ever, preyed upon by paramilitary gangsters on both sides.

Nationalism

We need to engage in common struggle based on class interests and solidarity. Nationalism, be it the British nationalism of Loyalism and Unionism, Irish nationalism or the Ulster nationalist current evident within Loyalism, divides workers and is based on the myth that people in an arbitrarily drawn up nation (be it based on an island, region, language, 'culture', or religion, or any combination of these and other elements), have common interests which can be represented by the nation state. Nationalism is a regressive and divisive force which separates humanity on the basis of arbitrary national boundaries. These boundaries are nothing more than the 'barbed wire' which divides us, according to particular loyalties and commitments which obscure the domination of all oppressed classes by the ruling elites. The nation state is in effect the government over the majority -the working class, by the wealthy few. Let us not forget -the working class and those who hold power, the bosses and their lackeys, have no common interests. We are not, however, opposed to genuine cultural expression which when given expression can add to the rich tapestry of life. But we are opposed, to those manifestations of sectarianism which masquerade as culture.

Class

The facts speak for themselves. Government, no matter in whose name, no matter what jurisdiction it acts within, whether United Kingdom, the Irish Republic or Northern Ireland, offers no alternative for our class. Our class exists economically as a class. We have nothing in common with the wealthy and powerful of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom or for that matter the rest of the world. We must organise economically as a class to pursue our interests as only we can. The only unity we aspire towards is class unity in opposition to all bosses and states.

What we say

The Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation and the Anarchist Federation are united in our commitment to the struggle against sectarianism and for a better world. We believe that a united working class can build a world, in opposition to global capitalism, the state and our sectarian politicians, which is based on need not profit, on workers control of their workplaces and communities. A world where we have adequate housing, public transport, health care, public services and food because workers themselves will be responsible for the running of society.

To find out more about our position on the north, contact us at AFI_ASF@yahoocom

From the joint bulletin -'Wildcat', produced by the Anarchist Federation and the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation which will be online at the AF website (address below) tomorrow night.

AF- http://www.afireland.cjb.net

ASF- [email protected]

Po Box 505 Belfast BT12 6BQ