Funding for the Community Workers Co-Operative (CWC) has been withdrawn. In a brazen and cynical move by Ministers Eamonmn O Cuiv and Noel Ahern, the coalition government have moved into an even more extreme right wing position by silencing this alternative voice which has distinguished itself with its honest and direct analysis of Irish social and economic issues, from a community development perspective.

The Community Workers Co-Operative was founded in the early 1980s by a group of community activists supported by academics who were committed to social change, and who saw little evidence of government commitment to tackle poverty and inequality. This writer joined the organisation at a time when Ireland's action against poverty and inequality had been marked by the first Combat Poverty Programme. Older readers will remember how these projects were dotted around Ireland, and how they challenged local and national structures and practices which perpetuated powerlessness.

The Law Society of Northern Ireland are in the process of closing down the law practice of Pádraigín Drinan. She can no longer represent her clients and they are asking the High Court in Belfast to freeze her assets immediately.

The reasons given by Ms Bryson of the Law Society of Northern Ireland for these actions depends on who is asking. She has told Pádraigín that it is because she failed to respond to letters from the society (Pádraigín maintains that she answered the questions fully in other correspondence). She has told others it is because Pádraigín had not amalgamated her practice with that of another solicitor. One person even got a call today saying, 'Watch what you're getting into, this is about financial irregularities". This is nonsense, as you need to be making money to be irregular with it, and a huge portion of Pádraigín's work is done 'pro bono' (for free).

Spearheading the appeal to defend Ms Drinan, one friend and colleague told this Indymedia reporter "Pádraigín has a long history of defending the dispossessed. She's a champion of the poor. She fights for those in society who have no voice. Immigrants, the residents groups, Dominic McGlinchey (raising his sons after their father's death), and above all she does what's right and speaks out against injustice no matter who is perpetrating that injustice".

She went on "What is needed at this moment is to get the word out to as many people as possible, unions, politicians and activist groups, and to ask them to contact Ms. Bryson of the Law Society of Northern Ireland and ask her why Pádraigín is being persecuted. To ask her which of the three reasons given is the real reason Pádraigín's ability to practice has been taken away. Indeed what people should be asking is "is this not in fact punishment for the political orientation of her clientele? Is it not about the fact that she is trying to keep loyalists from again invading nationalist communities in the coming marching season?"

It would be fair to say that left libertarian politics has experienced something of a renaissance in Ireland in recent years. However there are many arenas of struggle where its theory and practise is relatively undeveloped. This conference focuses on two such areas: the environment and women.

Ideas for Change is being organised by the NUI Galway Ecology Society. Taking place on Saturday January 29th it will feature discussions, both practical and theoretical, on the environment and popular ecological struggles, and on feminism and the struggle for reproductive rights.

The Sixth Grassroots Gathering was an earlier and more ambitious conference which the Ecology Society was involved in organising. This is our 'end of year report' for 2002/2003.

A recording of the 2005 Amnesty Lecture at Trinity College Dublin which took place on Thursday January 13th, is now available for download. The lecture was entitled "American Exceptionalism & Human Rights" and was given by Professor Michael Ignatieff. Lecture MP3 Here. Q&A MP3 Here

A comprehensive biography of Michael Ignatieff is available here.

In this lecture in the Edmund Burke Theatre in Trinity College Dublin, Ignatieff deals with what he terms "American Exceptionalism" and Human Rights in todays world. He talks about the many contradictions that the current US administration operates under. Controversially, he describes the US as both a leader and an outlier of human rights, and talks about this in relation to the US "project" of democracy in the Middle East. He also brings into question the concept of our own neutrality, among many other topics and values that the liberal communties and human rights advocates tried to achieve in the run up to the war in Iraq.

"I am not a Nazi. I am not even pro-German. I am an Irishman fighting for the independence of Ireland" - Sean Russell whose memorial statue in Fairview Park was recently beheaded by an unknown and previously unheard of group of 'anti-fascists'.

Earlier this month a group of (supposed - Ed) anti-fascists beheaded a statue of the republican leader Sean Russell because of his connections with Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Russell's request for German aid to help the I.R.A has long been controversial but the historical facts, and the extent of Russell's alleged collaboration with the Nazis often escapes the sternest critics of wartime republicans. This article hopes to examine the extent of Sean Russell and Frank Ryan's involvement with Nazi Germany and asks "Was the destruction of the statue justified?" (The Original Indymedia article on this subject is here)

The idea that "my enemy's enemy is my friend" is as old as war itself. The United Irishmen and later the Fenians held that "England's difficulty was Ireland's opportunity" as the British military became increasingly involved in colonial wars and disputes. In the First World War Irish republicans sought German military aid. The small amount of aid rendered does not mean that the I.R.B. supported German imperialism or a German monarchy. Pearse stated at his courtsmartial "Germany is no more to me than England is. I asked and accepted German aid in the shape of arms and an expeditionary force, we neither asked for nor accepted German gold, nor had any traffic with Germany except what I state: My aim was to win Irish Freedom." It was in this tradition that republicans saw themselves acting, when they sought foreign military aid in later years.