|
Below
is an interview I had done with the Irish Socialist
Worker (SW) in relation to the establishment of
the Belfast Anti Racism Network (ARN.) I do not intend
to write a detailed account in relation to the ARN
until some time down the line (as much more went on)
so this interview is but a brief overview. Firstly
though, a few points both at the start and at the
end of the SW article, as I continue to learn more
of life on the left.
From
the very onset of the ARN I have found myself working
with many persons whom I had not met or had not worked
with before. I found and continue to find in them
a commitment and a dedication in their stand, which
was and is both refreshing and inspiring. I had initially
from the very start contacted many organisations including
all the socialist parties in Belfast and many others
who had been active and involved in the Belfast Anti
War Movement (BAWM). Such were contacted as well as
other campaigns and organisations we and others had
worked with over time.
Yet
I had found that despite many showing a willingness
to get involved, that not even one of the socialist
parties in Belfast came forward to work with us on
such an important issue, given the ongoing increase
in brutal racist attacks. Some saying they were to
busy (even to send one person) while others just not
bothering to reply, that is, until five months later
when all the ground work had been done, and but a
few days before the rally. (I point this out because
as yet again I had learnt lessons in relation to such
organisations and the situation I believe of putting
‘the party’ before the issue - ‘from
whatever quarter it comes from’).
It
was these new activists' participation (others new
also, new in the sense as it was the first time we
had worked together) and not the old left’s non
or part participation that was the backbone of getting
the ARN of the ground. It also was not primarily though
the old left we sought involvement of but more importantly
we looked to and together found a new layer of activists
whose interest lay solely in the issue at hand. More
especially I had found particularly those other five
persons who with myself made up the publicity committee,
(which by default became the organising committee)
for the large ARN rally on Jan 27th 2004, to have
in them a sound dedication, commitment and belief
in what we were doing. This both in activity and seeking
the involvement of others, as I continue to find now
in many.
So it was a rally that we had by now moved the trade
union movement to support (Irish Congress of Trade
Unions) and a rally we knew by that stage could be
of thousands. Therefore what was happening was that
a campaign and a developing movement against racism
was beginning and it was a case of many of the ‘old
established left’ looking backwards and inwards
(as I had heard developing in the early stages of
meetings held in Belfast to form a left alliance –
although was not part of the round table discussions).
This while a new layer of activists was seeking to
move forwards and outwards on such an important issue
as anti-racism. This movement forward I believe is
essential, given the international movements and the
continual working together of diverse organisations
on a commonality of purpose as I had witnessed personally
from Genoa to Geneva.
Similarly
on a smaller, but still mass scale from the Belfast
Anti War Movement to the Anti Racism Network where
one, as has others, sought to think, look and participate
globally while attempting to bring such a spirit of
unity of common purpose back to the streets of Belfast.
This was done on both above issues where thousands
and even tens of thousands of Catholics and Protestants
stood together firstly on an issue of international
concern and secondly on an issue of immediate local
concern. Yet both would be part of the international
movements against war and racism where new activists
and ways of organising were coming to the fore.
I
have wrote much to date on the practical issues of
what I have been involved in throughout various campaigns,
giving at times a detailed account of the practical
issues and events. I had found this important so as
others can know and learn of such and to attempt also
to give inspiration to others involved in such large
or small continual struggles and campaigns. Yet for
one self, the practical must go with ideas. It should
not only be one of strategy and tactics in which I
have personally found over time a keen interest in
studying throughout various struggles (large and small),
but should also be one of political ideas if we are
really to effect fundamental change for working class
‘communities’ and people.
I
believe in the concept of both political ideas and
firm activism working together, yet have in the main
recently written and recorded much on the side of
activism. So for the next while after my next article
(on the continued NIPSA strikes and trade unionism)
I shall concentrate my articles on the importance
of political ideas within struggle. I have provided
detailed reports in the recent past on the various
campaigns activities. now I wish to - and it is essential
- understand such activity in respect to ideas.
Therefore
in this case an overall understanding in relation
to race and racism should not be independent to the
issue of class and the present system set- up, as
this understanding is crucial as to how to end such
racism. Similarly Fortress Europe and the ruling classes
neo–liberal project and its effect on the most
socio-economically deprived areas, is part of the
understanding of racism and how it comes from above.
So in understanding that, one can see therefore how
the fight against such racism comes from unity from
below. An understanding against the ‘myths’
on housing, jobs, welfare etc is also essential to
combat the rhetoric from those whose seek to circulate
for their own ends such disinformation.
In
articles in the time ahead (amongst others) I will
deal with the issue of class and race and how, if
indeed, it relates only to the specifics of our localised
politics or is there also in fact a wider understanding
required. I will of course still return to detailed
accounts such as the continuation of the West Belfast
series and other local issues but for the foreseeable
future my concentration shall be on the ‘politics’
within struggle. So on that, my interview, with a
few extra points after it.
Socialist Worker interviews Davy Carlin Chairperson
of the Belfast Anti Racism Network (ARN)
SW
- Davy can you give us a bit of background as to how
the ARN came about.
Back
in Sept 2003 a meeting was called in the Multi Cultural
Resource Centre (MCRC) in Belfast to discuss the increasing
rise in overt racial attacks and racism in general,
and to see what could be done about it. As I was interested
in doing something I went along. At that meeting three
or four organisations were represented and after a
brief discussion of those there it was decided by
some that nothing really could be done. This even
included the holding of something symbolic and visual
at Belfast City Hall, as we ‘would not get the
numbers’. The very best we could do it was suggested
by one organisation would be to attend a race awareness
meeting at City Hall. Two others and I argued against
this and so the spokespersons of two organisations
proposed that if I believed something could be done,
then why don’t I go and organise another meeting
to do something. With that I agreed to the proposal.
And so with two other persons who had argued against
the pessimism we then - the three of us - began to
organise. So with a collective belief and understanding
that not only did something need done but also as
importantly we believed that something could be done
we went forward.
So
by the time therefore that we had called the second
meeting of the now termed ARN we had around a dozen
organisations in attendance, this by actively seeking
organisations participation. Those in attendance at
our earliest meetings were made up of most of the
main minority ethnic organisations, such as the Belfast
Islamic Centre, the Chinese Welfare Association, Multi
Cultural Resource Centre, the Belfast Travellers Support
Group, the Black youth network etc. Also there were
representatives from political parties, human rights
organisations, trades union councils, trade unions,
community organisations and student groups amongst
others. We then agreed that the ARN should be established
and that its primary role should be as an activist
based network that seeks to take a practical, visual
and collective stand against racism from whatever
quarter or area that it came from.
SW-
Davy you say that the primary role of the ARN was
to be an activist based network, what has the network
done then to date?
Our first opportunity for activity actually came at
one of our first meetings. The Ulster Unionist Party
Craigavon councillor Fred Crowe had came out with
deeply racist and provocative remarks. So we decided
to draw up a statement against this calling for him
to be expelled from his party. Within two days we
had ten Minority ethnic organisations, trades union
councils, many leading trade unionists from several
trade unions, leading human rights organisations,
community organisations and hundreds of individuals
signed up to the statement. We then got the statement
printed in the main Northern Irish press and had called
on others to issue similar statements from their organisations.
We also hand delivered the statement directly into
many of the UUP leadership hands such as David Trimble,
Reg Empey, Stephen King, and David Burnside etc at
their conference.
So
with our call for others to speak out many of the
churches, student and community umbrella networks
issued statements against racism, with the Irish Congress
of Trade Unions (ICTU) issuing a statement on the
same day as ourselves against the racist attacks happening
in Craigavon. Such was the representation of our statement
and the response to our call that others should speak
out that Fred Crowe was then censured by the Ulster
Unionist party and the whole issue of racism was then
raised by the secretary of state for Northern Ireland
in the House of Commons
We
had therefore done something practical and had also
been at the same time working on other projects via
sub committees, yet we needed to do something visual
and collective. So we decided to call a visual and
representative vigil on Dec 10th, which was International
Human Rights Day. A lot of people were again pessimistic
including some closest to ourselves, believing that
only a few people and organisations would turn up
but a number of us worked tirelessly to make it happen
knowing success would give the ARN a real boost and
a viable launch pad. With that up to twenty-five organisations
attended including all the main minority ethnic organisations,
trade unionists, community workers, human rights organisations
and many others from across the ‘divide’
making it the largest such event on the day. This
was important as such unity would be needed and very
much tested as systematic and orchestrated racial
attacks were to happen only a few weeks later in South
Belfast.
SW:
Yes Davy we have heard a lot about this in recent
times what did the ARN do to try and bring a halt
to the attacks.
Firstly
it must be said that the attacks were not only systematic
and orchestrated but there was also paramilitary involvement
as even loyalist politicians have acknowledged. Also
there was underlying localised issues that also came
into play. The sheer brutality of the attacks though
on heavily pregnant women along with arson attacks
on homes and seeing persons getting bricks smashed
repeatedly in their faces attracted the international
media to the issue. The world press where now calling
Belfast the ‘race hate capital of Europe’
with the concentration of the media due to that sheer
brutality on the minority ethnic community now focused
on that particular local area. As many of the network
were away over the Xmas period or were not able to
be contacted we did what we could, doing numerous
interviews while at the same time attempting to get
people together for an emergency meeting ASAP. When
the meeting was called we all agreed something needed
to be done and we agreed on various strategies as
to how to attempt to bring a halt to the attacks.
Part of that was a rally to give people a chance to
express their anger at this. Again some were pessimistic
whether we could deliver, yet it was argued hard by
some and was eventually agreed to. It would take place
on Jan 27th, International Holocaust Memorial Day.
By
this stage, although unfunded and voluntary participation
only, the activist based ARN had already become the
leading anti-racism voice in the North. The home and
international media was contacting us from all over
the world with more than fifty interviews and meetings
within a week. From BBC to RTE, from ITV to Channel
4, from the Irish Times to the New York Times, from
CNN in the USA to news stations in the Middle East.
From around Europe to Australia and Canada and elsewhere,
all wanted to know what was happening.
Both
the situation and therefore the ARN were now the focus
for the international press. We needed to show therefore
that the minority would not dictate for the majority
and that our collective voice of opposition to such
attacks would both be heard and in doing so sending
out a clear message.
So
with that we started to work on our various strategies
while at the same time seeking to create a ‘public
momentum’ for the rally. For the ARN our immediate
priority was to attempt to bring a halt to the attacks.
The rally was originally scheduled for 5pm on the
27th, yet for a number of reasons we had to change
it to 1pm, (by 5pm though the heavens had opened and
it literally poured down). As the momentum for the
rally built up we met the Irish Congress of Trade
Unions (ICTU) who offered their full support for the
rally. So we held a joint press conference of ICTU
and the ARN which I chaired, this the day before the
rally. Our final ARN meeting held in the MCRC a few
days before was packed right outside the door seeing
and welcoming many new faces including those we had
contacted on numerous occasions from the very start
to get involved.
On
the day around 2000 people rallied outside Belfast
City Hall on a bitterly cold lunchtime at the end
of Jan 2004 to show their opposition towards the attacks.
Not only was it one of the largest rallies of its
type to make a stand against such racist attacks in
Belfast but its make up made it unprecedented in Northern
Irish political history.
So
with many attending we saw trade union banners from
the FBU, NIPSA, NAFHE and UNISON amongst others. Trades
Union Council banners stood also shoulder-to-shoulder
with minority ethnic support organisations banners.
Human rights banners stood beside homemade banners.
Community representatives and workers from the Shankill
to the Falls Road were in attendance. From the Village
to Twinbrook, from North, South, East, and West Belfast
they came. Republican and Loyalist, Nationalist and
Unionist, Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter all represented.
The ARN now with the support of the trade union movement
and many others had stood shoulder to shoulder, spoke
out, and stood firm.
The
rallies impact has give inspiration and strength to
many others to now speak out. The collective and united
nature and stand by the ARN has now enabled others
to get organised or to find the strength to make a
stand, as they now know that they are not alone. The
ARN and its actions have given a breath of fresh air
to the call and workings of unity for a common cause
as opposed to the sectarian politics of division.
As importantly though to date the overt racist paramilitary
involved localised attacks have all but ceased (but
can start up any time, so we have but a breathing
space to organise and build local branches). With
that we have also seen a significant decrease in racist
incidents reported for the last few weeks around the
North, (Feb - for the time being). We have also seen
since the rally that the British National Party (BNP,
far right organisation) Belfast’s branch having
now been closed down, although they cited their own
reasons for their departure.
SW
– Davy where now for the ARN?
Firstly
this is a long-term campaign and with that the ARN
is now to hold meetings around the North with the
view of setting up local branches. We are also to
host anti-racism gigs again around the North as so
to let music express and put out the anti-racism message
to younger people. We will of course be dealing with
many other issues such as the plight of refugees,
to dealing with the impact of various legislations
on the minority ethnic communities. Our main focus
though and the reason for our establishment was to
take a practical, visible and collective stand against
both racial attacks and racism. So to date we have
held white line pickets and vigils such as the recent
one on the Falls Road where a Chinese man was the
victim of a racist attack. We have held rallies in
South Belfast as well as having done leafleting etc,
with also meetings in North Belfast and East Belfast
and branches also established outside Belfast.
So
to that end we have elected an initial ten-person
steering committee that will work and engage with
the ever-growing network and deal with the practical
proposals that come out of the ARN. To those that
wish to take a stand with us can e-mail the steering
committee at antiracism_ni@hotmail.com.
•
I
had found once again criticism coming ‘from the
outside’ and from the old ‘part participation
left’, (those who take part simply to say that
they are taking part, and who play no active role
in the campaign, but snipe from the sides and behind
the scenes at others putting in the back work). Even
when some eventually became involved a few days before
the rally, calls of ‘it should have been bigger’
to ‘the speakers were not good enough’ were
whispered amongst their clan as similar usually is
from such party mindsets.
So
such now amuses me and have learnt in very recent
times that it is best on many occasions to ignore
it. I have learnt also that there cannot be a strict
activists' handbook of how to deal with all situations.
Some advice we had received as to how to attempt to
deal with this situation would have been completely
counter - productive if followed. This was acknowledged
by every activist based organisation involved in depth
on the ground.
Yet
for oneself and indeed the ARN, the priority was the
immediate end to those particular systematic and escalating
attacks on the minority ethnic community. This to
a large extent (in this localised case and this specific
time) was achieved via various strategies by those
who knew exactly what was going on on the ground.
Of course the attacks could arise just as quickly
again, but nevertheless a significant decrease or
a complete halt would give a breathing space to many.
Therefore
it is my belief that one needs to look in detail at
what is actually going on (the underlying factors
in this case) rather than ‘right let’s get
people from outside the area and go in’ or other
such tactics as some said they did (although if indeed
done it was done well after the intense period). Which
in this case (if done at its height, and in this particular
situation) would have been madness and even more dangerous
to the minority ethnic community within this area.
We
wanted a reaction, yes, but we wanted a positive re
action. Thankfully though all those involved in the
ARN (at the time) in conjunction with an ongoing engagement
with the local community, minority ethnic, trade union
and those with on the ground knowledge of the ‘whole’
situation knew this. Yet I, therefore, was once again
the target for the left for not working the purist
hand book, which ironically (but of no surprise) they
themselves did not work at the height of the situation.
Rather than the purist handbook the ARN instead choose
with all those ‘very local’ minority ethnic,
trade unionist and human rights on the ground activists
and those ‘front line’ community activists
to deal with the ‘practical reality’ of
the situation. It was a situation that had many underlying
localised (historical and present) factors that ‘had
to be’ taken into account, and we, in having
done so, with others, so effected a situation that
provided a breathing space for the minority ethnic
community.
I
personally believe though that if the far right organisations
such as the BNP do eventually attempt to take to the
streets here then we will have to mobilise working
class communities, trade unions etc, to stand firm
against them on the streets.
Yet
again in this situation the ending of those specific
systematic attacks came not from a knee jerk reaction
or a purist handbook of tactics. But our collective
(ARN) on the ground knowledge, working and engaging
with others and the logical conclusions as to how
to attempt to bring an end to the immediate attacks
(in this particular case, and at its height).
I
have also found that many of the organised left (I
believe) tend to put party interest before the issue
at hand on many occasions. This was brought home to
me yet again in strength when for five months and
although constant invites too many such ‘socialist
parties’ not even one would attend a ‘united’
and ‘real’ campaign against racism (especially
given the increasing brutal attacks). Some eventually
only did so (I believe) when they realised that they
could not ‘as a party’ afford to stay away
as momentum grew and we had moved the trade union
movement for involvement. Yet our primary engagement
was with the ‘new’ activists and those inspired
by the growing international movements as it is still.
Yet these activists have seen full well and have told
such persons who ‘still’ attempt to engage
in the mindset of petty party politics where to go.
One
would think such organisations would learn, but all
they seem to do is to continue to dig their own increasingly
isolated graves due to their behaviour. I genuinely
feel sorry for some dedicated and non-sectarian activists
in such organisations and more especially those ‘lead’
by such politics. I hope such (in whatever organisations
one is) can come to the understanding of class and
campaign as the priority.
Saying
that though, persons are aware through my writings
of my ‘problems’ with aspects of democratic
centralism, not because of the ‘almost full disc’
of what such organisations have said or done to oneself
and comrades (collected over the last while from those
sickened by their behaviour). It is more especially
about democratic centralist workings in ‘all’
such organisations. That’s not to say that I
am an anarchist or whatever, but simply it is as I
have always done and will always do, that is, but
to question and to search for my own answers if I
am not satisfied with what I am told.
Yet
for oneself, as stated, I have found many dedicated
activists within the ARN whose priority interest lays
in the fight against racism and who are prepared to
put in the work and the graft on the ground. It is
such activists that I personally have and do find
common bond with on issues of common aims. I can hold
much respect for many activists I know from other
parties, organisations, trade unions, communities
or wherever, whose graft, dedication and belief on
an issue fills me continually with inspiration and
hope.
For
to long, in my earliest of years in activity I had
battled (as others have done) against sectional interests
in a room over the interests of an important but specific
campaign or issue. I find increasingly though as I
slowly remove myself from such gatherings that my
politics are that of pragmatism and not dogmatism
and purism (as I see increasingly in some). I hold
the same political understandings as I had previous
(to effect fundamental revolutionary change) but I
continue to learn practical experiences through engaging
and working with many others, and within various issue
campaigns and movements. Therefore once again I have
learnt much from engaging and working with others,
This time within a far wider activist based network
(based in the main on activity) as opposed to my early
days sitting in a room of differing small groups of
sectional interests (where for some) their version
of activity was based almost solely on sectional historical
polemics and inactivity. So on that point, real activity.
To date we have now established a branch in West Belfast
with a recent meeting seeing a whole host of local
community, campaign, and minority ethnic support groups
in attendance amongst others. Similarly groups have
been established in South Belfast (two branches) with
another being set up in North Belfast and again another
in East Belfast and of course our central Belfast
branch. Others are due to be set up also in local
schools and colleges, with again others outside Belfast.
All this takes work on the ground. Again the media
interest and coverage has been good with all those
local groups set up to date receiving coverage in
the main media outlets and many of the branches are
engaged in ongoing activity.
In
conclusion I have again learnt a lot of valuable lessons
and an important one being, that there are a lot of
committed activists outside of any party structures
whose whole sense and priority of involvement on an
issue, any issue, is the issue itself.
To
finish I must add that one of the turning points for
myself in life on this issue, and there where many,
but one of the main turning points, was as below.
As
a child I had witnessed and borne the brunt of much
racism from the state and had got involved in later
years in politics through witnessing more overt state
brutality on loved ones. Yet it was, as I had reported
on this site and elsewhere, the Gardai, (Southern
Irish police) treatment of oneself on a bus going
from Belfast to Dublin that brought forth a reaction.
It was not in the main because that they had singled
me out due to the colour of my skin or indeed even
the four car Gardai escort cars (surrounding the bus)
I got from the Irish border right into Dublin itself.
It
was when I looked around and seen their first victim,
a young Chinese girl visibly shaking in fear with
her head bowed that made it clear in my head. That
like oneself as a child she to was now bowing her
head as I had did so many years ago also as a child
– nothing had changed. I therefore there and
then knew that although I had bowed my head to the
institutionalised racism and state brutality as a
child, now though as an adult I then decided that
I could bow my head against such no longer.
Index: Current Articles + Latest News and Views + Book Reviews +
Letters + Archives
|
