Convention of Left, Derry

national | politics / elections | press release Sunday February 08, 2004 16:41 by Michael - SEA seaderry at hotmail dot com Derry

attracting broad support

A broad range of anti-sectarian radicals are coming to the Convention of the Left in Derry on Valentine's Day.

Anti-sectarian radicals from across Northern Ireland will be gathering in Derry’s Verbal Arts Centre on Saturday 14th February to discuss standing a candidate in June’s European elections. The “Convention of the Left” is being organised by the Socialist Environmental Alliance (SEA), a Derry-based alliance of socialists, environmentalists, trade unionists anti-war and community activists. In its open invitation to the Convention, the SEA says that ‘without a radical anti-sectarian intervention the European election will amount to yet another “dual referendum” to determine who will champion each community vis-à-vis the other. It will take a united broadly based campaign to make such an intervention credible’.

Activists from groups as diverse as the Green Party, Women’s Coalition, SWP and CPI, campaigners against the war, water charges and privatisation will join with those seeking to defend the environment, public services, women’s and gay rights. They say all these issues are affected by the way the European Union is developing and there are particular concerns about the impact of some of the Articles of the proposed European Constitution.

The Convention is being held on the anniversary of last year’s massive anti-war marches which saw two million people on the streets of London and one of the biggest ever marches in Belfast that did not reflect sectarian divisions. Its organisers say they have chosen this anniversary because the alliance they want to emerge from the Convention is ‘in the spirit of February 15th 2003’. “There is an open invitation to all who want to be part of that spirit to come to the Convention”, says spokesperson, Sarah Quilty.

Barbara Muldoon, an activist in Belfast’s Anti Racism Network says the Convention will attract many people like her. “There is a clear realisation that racism in the North of Ireland today is not unique. It flourishes across Europe as governments use language like ‘floods of refugees’ and ‘bogus asylum seekers’. There are two visions of Europe. I want a Social Europe that shows solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers. The governments want ethnic barriers around a ‘Fortress Europe’ run by transnational corporations, with US-style welfare, education, health and care systems.”

Hilary Midgeley, is a “Say No to Lignite” campaigner. She says “the invitation to the Convention was the most refreshing thing to drop through my letter box in a long time. I'd be delighted to come along – it sounds really inspiring. The alliance it aims to build will give greater credence and strength to the concerns of people ‘on the ground’. It presents the opportunity for a united voice to highlight the real-life issues which matter to so many people here, and which constantly get overidden by the blinkered sectarian stance of the provinces' politicians.”

Frances Dowds of Communities Against the Water Tax is planning to go to the Convention because “the pressure for privatisation that is seen at all levels by the EU has a massive impact on the lives of people living in poverty, it drives down wages and introduces charges for services that should be public and free, like water. It is vital that we organise a counterforce to that vision of Europe, that we in Northern Ireland are part of the fight for a Social Europe.”

The Convention starts at 10.30 in the Verbal Arts Centre and organisers say it will finish by 4.30 at the latest to facilitate those romantics who want the evening to celebrate Valentine’s Day! A crèche is provided and all are welcome.