The Belfast branch of the Revolutionary Communists of Ireland hosted a day school of revolutionary ideas this past weekend, to huge success!
The event ran from 11am until 6pm, with political discussions on key topics such as world events, James Connolly and the fight for Irish Freedom, and on how to fight for world revolution. The in depth and high level discussions we had during the event helped to raise the political level of everyone attending and refined the sharpest weapon we have in our revolutionary arsenal: Marxist theory.
With a total attendance of 27 people throughout the day, and comrades travelling from Derry, Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Galway, this was by far the most successful event the Belfast RCI has organised to date! Most significantly, 2 new comrades decided to join the Belfast branch in the fight for revolution as a result of the event! This has paved the way for a second Belfast branch in the near future.
The enthusiasm of everyone attending could be seen also by the great financial collection we accomplished on the day. Following a rousing financial appeal to the room, we opened the floor to donations from the other branches: the Dublin City Centre branch pledged a fantastic €90; this was matched by the South Dublin branch, who added another £10. In total, the event raised over £550 (€670)!
Comrades demonstrated their commitment to the cause through their financial sacrifices, for which we are incredibly grateful. We sold a great deal of revolutionary literature as well, showing the thirst for revolutionary ideas among those attending.
Revolutionary Theory and Perspectives
The day of discussions opened with a leadoff on the perspectives for world revolution, addressing the tectonic shifts in politics we are witnessing globally. Trump is putting an end to the liberal world order that has dominated capitalism for the past 80 years, as event after event is shaking the consciousness of millions of workers and young people all around the world and pushing many towards revolutionary conclusions.
The first discussion was then followed by a leadoff on the life and ideas of James Connolly, specifically focusing on the distortion of his image for cynical political gain. Instead, his role as a dedicated, lifelong, revolutionary Marxist was elaborated on.
Finally we had a talk discussing how we can practically achieve world revolution, and the role of our organisation. We must be guided by the lessons of history and learn from them. The failure of past revolutions has been the cause of the subjective factor – a genuine Bolshevik organisation built well in advance of revolutionary events – not being in place. This is the role we need to play today, i.e. to build that revolutionary organisation!
Many took notes from the three discussions and dozens of contributions added clarity to the ideas throughout the day. A number of questions were raised by comrades, especially focusing on the recent turmoil caused by Trump’s presidency and the knock-on effect this is having in Ukraine and Gaza.
To top the day off, we had a social event at a nearby pub where comrades enjoyed further informal political discussions over a few pints to celebrate the fantastic success of the school. The two new recruits and a number of people interested in joining our forces also attended this social, where they got to ask questions about revolutionary communism, the RCI and how we operate, in a more informal setting.
This was the Belfast Communists’ first ever time hosting an event of this scale, and is arguably the most high level, day school ran thus far across the whole island – a testament to the great development of the RCI over the last few years.
Overall, the School of Revolution was an overwhelming success. The political level of every comrade was raised and our goal for the future was made very clear: we must build our strength and prepare for the coming period with a Bolshevik party armed with theoretical understanding and a clear way forward.
