Connolly Youth Movement
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| Connolly Youth Movement | |
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| Chairperson | Kerry Fleck |
| Chairman | Kerry Fleck |
| Secretary General | Gareth Murphy |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Headquarters | Connolly House |
| Mother party | Communist Party of Ireland |
| International affiliation | World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) |
| Website | [http://www.cym.ie |
Contents |
[edit] History And Current Status
The Connolly Youth Movement (CYM) is an all-Ireland youth organisation affiliated to the Communist Party of Ireland but which is also strongly independent and organises separately from the CPI. Internationally the Connolly Youth Movement is affiliated to the World Federation of Democratic Youth. The CYM includes young activists from many different political backgrounds who are united in their opposition to imperialism and to the inequalities that the capitalist system creates in Ireland and throughout the world. The CYM takes its name from the revolutionary socialist James Connolly and continues his traditions of militant working-class opposition to the injustices of the world.
The CYM was founded in 1963 by young republicans who were influenced by the Communist Party during the Dublin Housing Action struggle. Unlike many of the radical youth organisations which emerged in the 1960's, the CYM recruited mainly Working Class youth. The CYM later amalgamated with the Northern Ireland Young Communist League to become an all-Ireland group. Its membership came from both Catholic and Protestant backgrounds in Northern Ireland.
However, the CYM disbanded in 1991 because of a reduction in membership following the liquidation of the USSR and eastern and central European bloc and the resulting political crisis in the world communist movement.
However, following the resurgence of the left and anti-capitalist movement in Ireland, the CYM re-formed in 2002, grouped mainly around young members of the Dublin Branch of the CPI and student activists in NUI (National University of Ireland), Galway. After refoundation the CYM revived its affiliation to the WFDY and began republishing the group’s magazine, Forward. During the summer of 2007 the CYM experienced a period of growth and activity with an influx of new members, who injected the movement with new energy. Today CYM publicity can be seen around the city centres of Dublin and Belfast, Forward is distributed throughout the inner-city communities, and the CYM takes an active role in many important struggles facing Ireland.
The CYM is a non-sectarian group that works with other political forces in times of struggle and supports unity within the left. It is heavily involved in the Shell to Sea campaign, Anti EU Campaigns, the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and the anti-war movement in general. As well as supporting these campaigns the CYM holds its own “Working-Class School of Politics” classes in Connolly House on a range of topics, varying from environmentalism to the nature of class struggle and ideology.
The general secretary of the CYM is Gareth Murphy (Dublin), and the national chairperson is Kerry Fleck (Belfast).
The Connolly Youth Movement has good relations with a number of young communist organisations around the world, especially the Young Communist League of Britain, Canada, the USA as well as the Communist Youth Of Greece.
[edit] Campaigns
Current Campaigns include:
- Shell To Sea
- US Military Out of Shannon
- Pro-Choice
- Know Your Rights
- Defend The KSM (Komunistický Svaz Mládeže)
- Free Mumia Abu-Jamal
- Free Palestine
- Vote No To The Lisbon Treaty
- Free The Cuban Five
[edit] Publications
CYM publishes Forward quarterly.
[edit] Affiliations
[edit] World Federation of Democratic Youth
The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) is a left-wing anti imperialist youth organization.
