Building for the Future.

[Lucan Lefty]

After another Ard Fheis and SF getting pretty good press (well good compaired to previous years) now is the time for the Party to build across the land.

The way our economic situation is now i see a massive oppertunity to gain support especially from the U25 year of age section of society. Sinn Fein as a Party must now,

1. Be more visable on the ground.
2. Get on the doors like we did in 2002 - 2004.
3. Leaflet areas untill your legs hurt AND WHEN THEY DO YOU GO OUT AGAIN.
4. Recruit, recruit and then recruit some more.
5. Get our policy documnents done in bulletpoints style leaflets especially on the finance and jobs front now!!! Then do number 3.
6. Interact with Community Groups, Sports Clubs, NGO's and so.....
7. Mass Protest on everything the Government does that is not right in our eyes, bascially everything.
8. Heap pressure on the left (Labour, SWP, SP, PBP.....) to form alliances of the left and do it at every chance we get. Give the public another option for government. Not saying the numbers would add up but force the agenda.

If we do this its a step in the right direction.

[Bus man Bob]

After another Ard Fheis and SF getting pretty good press (well good compaired to previous years) now is the time for the Party to build across the land.

The way our economic situation is now i see a massive oppertunity to gain support especially from the U25 year of age section of society. Sinn Fein as a Party must now,

1. Be more visable on the ground.
2. Get on the doors like we did in 2002 - 2004.
3. Leaflet areas untill your legs hurt AND WHEN THEY DO YOU GO OUT AGAIN.
4. Recruit, recruit and then recruit some more.
5. Get our policy documnents done in bulletpoints style leaflets especially on the finance and jobs front now!!! Then do number 3.
6. Interact with Community Groups, Sports Clubs, NGO's and so.....
7. Mass Protest on everything the Government does that is not right in our eyes, bascially everything.
8. Heap pressure on the left (Labour, SWP, SP, PBP.....) to form alliances of the left and do it at every chance we get. Give the public another option for government. Not saying the numbers would add up but force the agenda.

If we do this its a step in the right direction.

Id say you belive in Santa Claus as well.For what its worth I live in Rialto where SF have an excellent councillor and are very visible on the ground but I know from friends of mine that in other parts of Dublin they rarely hear from SF.Because their membership in Dublin(sorry for only speaking about Dublin) has fallen so much they do not have ability to do 1-8.I believe they should spend more time trying to get ex members to rejoin(except for the ones they were glad to see the back of).There is going to be a big backlash against the establishment at the next GE but I fear that backlash could be in the form of young people just not voting at all and it is the job of SF and parties like them to give these people a voice and a reason to vote.

[beamish2010]

After another Ard Fheis and SF getting pretty good press (well good compaired to previous years) now is the time for the Party to build across the land.

The way our economic situation is now i see a massive oppertunity to gain support especially from the U25 year of age section of society. Sinn Fein as a Party must now,

1. Be more visable on the ground.
2. Get on the doors like we did in 2002 - 2004.
3. Leaflet areas untill your legs hurt AND WHEN THEY DO YOU GO OUT AGAIN.
4. Recruit, recruit and then recruit some more.
5. Get our policy documnents done in bulletpoints style leaflets especially on the finance and jobs front now!!! Then do number 3.
6. Interact with Community Groups, Sports Clubs, NGO's and so.....
7. Mass Protest on everything the Government does that is not right in our eyes, bascially everything.
8. Heap pressure on the left (Labour, SWP, SP, PBP.....) to form alliances of the left and do it at every chance we get. Give the public another option for government. Not saying the numbers would add up but force the agenda.

If we do this its a step in the right direction.

I feel that SF could do well here in the South,but they have to shed their
Northern image and become more of an all Ireland party.They do some good
left leaning polices which are relevant to issues here in the South.

[beamish2010]

I feel that SF could do well here in the South,but they have to shed their
Northern image and become more of an all Ireland party.They do have some good
left leaning polices which are relevant to issues here in the South.

[Lucan Lefty]

Id say you belive in Santa Claus as well.For what its worth I live in Rialto where SF have an excellent councillor and are very visible on the ground but I know from friends of mine that in other parts of Dublin they rarely hear from SF.Because their membership in Dublin(sorry for only speaking about Dublin) has fallen so much they do not have ability to do 1-8.I believe they should spend more time trying to get ex members to rejoin(except for the ones they were glad to see the back of).There is going to be a big backlash against the establishment at the next GE but I fear that backlash could be in the form of young people just not voting at all and it is the job of SF and parties like them to give these people a voice and a reason to vote.

See number 4. I entirely agree on the ex-member point though.

[Pat Mc Larnon]

Id say you belive in Santa Claus as well.For what its worth I live in Rialto where SF have an excellent councillor and are very visible on the ground but I know from friends of mine that in other parts of Dublin they rarely hear from SF.Because their membership in Dublin(sorry for only speaking about Dublin) has fallen so much they do not have ability to do 1-8.I believe they should spend more time trying to get ex members to rejoin(except for the ones they were glad to see the back of).There is going to be a big backlash against the establishment at the next GE but I fear that backlash could be in the form of young people just not voting at all and it is the job of SF and parties like them to give these people a voice and a reason to vote.

Out of the dozen or so Dublin constituencies SF make any kind of impact in only half of these. The resources of Dublin SF should, in the short to medium term, be targetted at these constituencies. All the while of course recruitment should continue to attempt to recruit in weaker areas.

Much has been made of the resignations from SF in Dublin in recent years. People have spoken of an intellectual cadre who peeled off and formed the basis for Eirigi. What impact are these people having? I could be wrong but most of them seem to slipped completely off the radar, though I am open to people proving me wrong.

[Lucan Lefty]

Out of the dozen or so Dublin constituencies SF make any kind of impact in only half of these. The resources of Dublin SF should, in the short to medium term, be targetted at these constituencies. All the while of course recruitment should continue to attempt to recruit in weaker areas.

Much has been made of the resignations from SF in Dublin in recent years. People have spoken of an intellectual cadre who peeled off and formed the basis for Eirigi. What impact are these people having? I could be wrong but most of them seem to slipped completely off the radar, though I am open to people proving me wrong.

True enough at the moment but watch them run in Elections. Anyway not a thread about them but SF and how they can go forward.

[Pat Mc Larnon]

True enough at the moment but watch them run in Elections. Anyway not a thread about them but SF and how they can go forward.

As stated concentrate resources. There is still room for campaigning parties that have their roots and causes in local communities.

[pinemartin]

the main problem is the structure of SF. Any one with any knowledge of the party understood the top down nature of the authority within it. Maybe this worked during an armed struggle but things have changed. The party needs to be more open and more democratic but I believe this will not happen so you are left with a party that people feel cannot change for the good. The last GE was a disaster and they were lucky to not lose more seats. Next time around it could be a slaughter if things don't move. People in SF know the problems but cant do anything about it because the leadership doesn't permit open debate. I have many friends who despite their involvement in SF republican politics over the last decades are now disillusioned and marginalised.This should be a period when parties like SF should be hoovering up votes but they are struggling to stay afloat. SF should take a long look in the mirror because then next years might be barren ones in the south.

[Pat Mc Larnon]

the main problem is the structure of SF. Any one with any knowledge of the party understood the top down nature of the authority within it. Maybe this worked during an armed struggle but things have changed. The party needs to be more open and more democratic but I believe this will not happen so you are left with a party that people feel cannot change for the good. The last GE was a disaster and they were lucky to not lose more seats. Next time around it could be a slaughter if things don't move. People in SF know the problems but cant do anything about it because the leadership doesn't permit open debate. I have many friends who despite their involvement in SF republican politics over the last decades are now disillusioned and marginalised.This should be a period when parties like SF should be hoovering up votes but they are struggling to stay afloat. SF should take a long look in the mirror because then next years might be barren ones in the south.

I am not familiar at all with the description of the party as you paint it. What are your friends disillusioned with? How and who marginalises them? How does this marginalisation manifest itself?
'The leadership doesn't permit open debate' is tired and hackneyed. perhaps you could give an example of this?