National Meeting

Kilkenny

4

th July 2010

Agenda

1. Minutes

2. Matters Arising

3. Officer Reports

4. Campaigns

5. Recruitment

6. Election of Policy & Education Officer

7. Social Events

8. Policy Documents a. Because We Deserve Better b. Copyright Law

9. AOB

National Chairperson's Report

Friends I hope you're enjoying the the fine weather we've been having recently and that, by the time the National Meeting has come around, you've had a wonderful time at the Tom Johnson Summer School. It has been some time since the last National Meeting in March and a lot of activity has happened since then. Of course though, given the high number of people taking exams in the month of May, there was a short drop off of activity, this of course is no longer the case and we are already preparing for an enjoyable series of events over the Summer Months. Party Conference: Obviously the biggest news for the organisation was party conference, with almost 80 members of Labour Youth attending, as either observers or delegates, we made up nearly ten percent of those present which was a phenomenal achievement considering last year we were no where near that number. I was most encouraged by the level of participation by LY members many of whom spoke on a variety of motions and were heavily involved in both my own campaign for the Executive Board and Gary Honer's campaign for Party Chairperson. I am delighted to say I was elected and I am very proud and grateful to all in Labour Youth who made that possible. In particular I want to personally thank Cathal McCann, Isobel O'Connor, Karen O'Connell and Brian O'Connor, all of whom I would have been lost without. I would also like to congratulate Gary Honer who, although unsuccessful, still achieved 40% of the vote in his bid to become Party Chair which was a fantastic achievement for a first time candidate. In addition to my campaign for the EB, I had additional responsibilities at Party Conference including organising speakers for the fringe meeting, ensuring delegate registration for LY members went smoothly and making new members feel welcome. All of which went well, I'm glad to say. Feedback form conference is always welcome so please feel free to send me an email (lychair@labour.ie) if you had a good or bad experience. Campaigns: Since the last National Meeting we had two very good campaigns, one Sack the Government event which took place recently, and another event participating in the Regulate Global Finance Day in April, both went well and I did a number of interviews on radio and in print media to promote both events. I also organised a day of support for The Connolly Shoes workers which I'm glad to say was also a huge success. As part of our campaign on Youth Unemployment I recently appeared on The Late Late Show to discuss the high levels of unemployment amongst under 25's. Branch Officer Training: I organised a training day for all branch officers, in May, to help people understand their responsibilities as Branch Officers. I feel the day was a huge success and a number of workshops were run including • Organising and Recruitment, • Media • Design I also feel that this led to good interaction between the NYE and branch officers and I feel that more regular meetings between branch officers and the NYE should occur. New Materials: I am currently organising a complete new set of banners, penguin stands, flags and bottle openers for Labour Youth and I am in negotiations with some printing firms to get the cheapest deal possible. Designs for the above are most welcome and should be outlined in an email to lychair@labour.ie. Policy Document: As part of my commitment to bring a charter to LY for members to campaign for, I have spent the last while researching and writing one. This is now ready to go and I hope to distribute copies at Tom Johnson for people to read and discuss. It is quite comprehensive however, not exclusive and I hope that it will be the first of a series of documents that the organisation will be putting forward over the next few months on creating a fairer society.

Belfast Trip: On April 3rd both Neil Warner and I travelled up to Belfast to meet up with Mathew McDermott from the SDLP to discuss relations between both ourselves and SDLPY. We agreed to meet again soon in Dublin. We will also try to organise a tour of Stormont for members as soon as possible, those interested should make themselves known to me at the National Meeting. Tom Johnson: I have spent a lot of time working on organising the Tom Johnson Summer School, alongside the school's director Isobel O'Connor. I have made numerous phone calls to increase registration levels. I spent some time sourcing the Jim Kemmy award, which this year is going to the Green Isle Workers, who's representative will receive a solid bronze statue of James Connolly. This year, to help increase the political awareness at the Summer School, I have invite a number of friendly organisations to have a stand at the event. These include ICTU Youth, The Irish Labour History Society and TASC. In addition to the above I organised a canvass for Cllr Aodhan O'Riordain our candidate in Dublin North Central back before conference. I have also spent a lot of my time at committee meetings, and meetings of the Executive Board / Central Council. As always, if anyone has any requests or questions please feel free to contact me on lychair@labour.ie Kind Regards Rory

National Campaigns Officer Report

Hi guys, It‟s been awhile since our last National Meeting and I hope this finds you looking forward to Tom Johnson ! Campaigns Since March, I have been busy campaign-wise. I held three Campaigns Working Groups, with the lowest turnout at 10 people. As a result of these working groups, I organised three protests (with the help of the NYE). The „Regulate Global Finance‟ protest with PES, went as well as I could‟ve hoped. Again, attendance hit over the 20 members mark and the media were interested. I organised the „Sack the Government‟ campaign after the Regling & Watson reports most recently, which went well. We got media coverage on RTE Nuacht (link on LY facebook) and attendance was good, considering you are all very busy workwise. The „Connolly Shoes Workers‟ protest, went well and campaigned with Mandate, demonstrating their support effectively. From the working groups, I would like to organise another three protests over the coming months. A „Youth Employment‟ protest when CSO figures come out, a „Free fees/more opportunities for students‟ protest when the Leaving Cert results are out, a „Water is a Right‟ protest & media stunt against water charges and a „Vote at 16‟ protest when school is back in September. I would love the next coming months to be a strong campaigning number of months. I am delighted to represent your creative ideas and political talent. But I need your support and attendance over the coming months for the next protests to make Labour Youth‟s voice heard, so that we hit more media, raise awareness and support for the equal and just rights that we believe in. Multi-party youth debate Unfortunately I have good and bad news here. The bad news is that Fianna Fail and Fine Gael TDs rejected the idea of holding the youth debate in Leinster House. The good news is, is that be-cause of the enthusiasm of Labour Youth (and other youth parties), I am organising a youth debate with a different venue. I am meeting the other youth parties next week to decide a venue and set a date (ideally after recruitment season). After my motion (Education motion #9) passed at Labour Party Conference, I am also working on a policy document on „Educational Disadvantage‟ that I hope for Labour Youth to launch in Septem-ber. I am also organising a talk with a panel on Educational Disadvantage for September. Labour Women I have attended three Labour Women meetings since the last National Meeting. I have also at-tended two Labour Women policy meetings:

1. With Safe Ireland on Women‟s Refuges for a policy document that Labour Women is work-ing on.

2. With „Justice for Magdalene‟ with Kathleen Lynch TD. I am also delighted to congratulate Audrey Walsh (UCC) who was co-opted on to the Labour Women‟s Executive (along with Clair Wallace). Already the women have commented on Audrey‟s „enthusiasm, talent and creative ideas‟ and I‟m delighted we have her on board. Again, as always if you would like to get more involved or want to contribute to any of the above, I would be delighted to hear from you at: lycampaigns@labour.ie Look forward to seeing you all soon, Kirsten (Gordon).

Secretary’s Report

Finances (as known on 9/6/10) Item Date € Young Candidates Fund Balance (separated from everything else) 939.74 Usable balances Balance Account 1 936.63 Balance Account 3 5152.85 Total 6089.48 Amounts receivable Party Grant Jan-Mar 9th June 4750.00 Tom Johnson sales to end May 9th June 1559.30 Party Grant Apr-Jun 5th July 4750.00 Total amounts receivable by start of July 11059.30 Total Current Assets 17148.78 Amounts payable Members‟ expenses 942.69 Left Tribune (cheque to be reissued) 9th June 1554.95 NYCI Membership 2010 9th June 630.00 Amount due for pizza? 9th June 100.00??? Room hire for branch training? 9th June 170.00??? Hotel accommodation for TJ 2nd July 1500.00??? Room hire for TJ 2nd July 800.00 Dinner for TJ (depends on numbers) 5th July 5000.00??? Hostel for TJ (50% payable) 2nd July 765.00 Total Amounts Payable 12505.94 Net Assets 4642.84 Palestine/Israel trip I have been working with Neil Warner and Abby Ryan in preparation for this trip. My main activities so far are fundraising and seeking support from pertinent organisations and individuals. The trip is for two weeks and is planned to take place in September. Activism I have attended several protests and demonstrations since the last national meeting including the Gaza Aid flotilla protests.

International Officer Report, March-June 2010

Regulate Global Finance Now Campaign On April 24th, in collaboration with PES Activists, we organised a protest as part of the regulate global finance day of action. We held a demonstration outside of Anglo-Irish bank in coordination with similar protests across Europe on the same day. The protest was very successful; being well-attended and receiving strong approval from passers-by. I would like to thank everyone whoe turned up on the Saturday afternoon and in particular campaigns officer Kirsten Gordon and the rest of the NYE for their help in making this event a success. Meeting with SDLP Youth Both I and chair Rory Geraghty travelled to Belfast for a meeting with the SDLP Youth on April 3rd. We visited Belfast city hall and helped them out with some canvassing. Unfortunately issues such as the ECOSY voting rights situation were not resolved however communication is ongoing with them on this issue. Palestine Trip Abby Ryan, Brian O‟Connor and myself are currently in the process of organising a trip to Palestine for Labour Youth members, which will likely take place this September for two weeks, and which we are in the process of fundraising for in order to pay for the considerable expenses of the trip. We are asking for the advice and assistance of everyone with respect to this. I would like to take this opportunity to thank MEPs Nessa Childers and Proinsias de Rossa; Deputies Liz McManus, Ruairi Quinn, Sean Sherlock, Emmet Stagg, Joanna Tuffy and Jack Wall; Senators Ivana Bacik, Michael McCarthy and Alex White and Cllr. Stephen Fitzpatrick for donations thus far given or promised. ECOSY Bureau Meeting, Toledo, May 14-16 I attended the biannual bureau meeting of the Young European Socialists (ECOSY) in Toledo, Spain in May as the Labour Youth representative (bureau member). Divisions within ECOSY remain and the organisation‟s effectiveness continues to be severely hampered by both internal division and a fragmented structure. Disagreements on this occasions were less overt than at previous events, however problems still remain. Due to disagreement over the amount due to ECOSY as part of its annual fee, Labour Youth was temporarily removed of voting rights. However this did not materially affect anything in the meeting and is in the process of being resolved. The Bureau Meeting also had useful, though not necessarily productive, meetings on issues relating the Global Progressive Youth Forum, the student movement and the international policy issues. I believe that, in particular, there is a strong possibility for further progress in relation to GPYF cooperation among European sister organisations if it is pursued. Labour Youth proposed two motions to the bureau; one calling on ECOSY to set out a clear set of demands for a future EU treaty and another calling for the recognition of independence of the breakaway Somali region of Somaliland. The EU motion was passed, while the motion of Somaliland was deferred to allow attendees more time to learn about the situation. IUSY World Congress, March 24-26 I attended the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) World Congress in Bommersvik, Sweden in March as the Irish Labour Youth delegate. Viviana Pineira from Uruguay was elected as the new IUSY president, beating two other Latin American candidates, with Johann Hassel from Sweden reelected unopposed as Secretary-General. The allocation of the seven European places on the IUSY presidium was decided upon before the vote was taken, as were those for the other continents.

The congress, which were was both discouraging and very interesting on different levels. On the discouraging side of things, regional alliances determined that some positions went to candidates for a position that was clearly less qualified than their opponent. On the more encouraging end, it was a fascinating experience to meet with people from persecuted organisations in different areas of Asia and Africa, to hear of their struggles, to give encouragement and hear of the value in which our support is held. For that reason an organisation such as IUSY, in a way similar to ECOSY, remains both infuriating and valuable at the same time. London Canvassing trip Islands coordinator Hazel Nolan took a delegation of people to Barking and Dagenham to campaign against the BNP in the area and help out progressive MP Jon Cruddas. This meant that we played a small part in a brilliant success in an otherwise disappointing election, in which all BNP seats on the locmal council were lost. International Working Group The first international working group was held on Saturday 19th June. Though attendance could have been better a number of important issues were discussed and decided upon. It is hoped that, in addition to the upcoming talk on Western Sahara scheduled to take place on October 8th, we will be able to organise other talks this Autumn on the issue of human rights. The possibility of future campaigns on changing the EU was also discussed. We also hope to be able to arrange some form of a trip to Brussels for members, either in collaboration with the European parliament or independently organised. We will also look into the possibility of Labour Youth collaboration with Labour Intercultural. PES Primary Labour Youth supports and hopes to participate in an ongoing campaign for the Party of European Socialists to hold a primary to choose a Europe-wide candidate for the next president of the European Commission. Coordinator positions I am hoping that we will be able to build upon the coordinator system set up this year and hope for two new coordinators to be chosen by the end of this year; possibly in areas relating to Western Sahara and Human Rights and Democracy Abroad, as these are areas which I believe Labour Youth should and can put more focus towards. Let me know if you are interested in either of these positions. However the point of the international coordinator position is very much to allow members to engage in their own particular interests, so let me know if there are any international issues especially important to you which you would like to build upon in that capacity. Events this Summer ECOSY has failed to put a Summer Camp together as planned this year however it is participating in events held by sister organisations across Europe this Summer, which I encourage everyone who can to try to attend, as they are likely to be good fun and very instructive. I will be distributing details of these different events in the near future. ECOSY publications and information During the past few months ECOSY has published a number of newsletters on issues such as financial reform, labour day, LGBT rights and EU enlargement. These can be accessed http://www.ecosy.org/, as can information on ECOSY policies and upcoming ECOSY events. Anything else?

If there are any other international issues that you would like to see ECOSY dealing with, please do not hesitate to contact me. Best wishes, Neil Warner, Oifigeach Idirnáisiúnta, International Officer, Labour Youth

Communications Officer Report

24/06/10 Comrades and Friends, Hope the summer is treating you kindly! With the sun shining so brightly I realize you must have better things to do than read Officer Reports, so without further ado this is what I have been keeping busy with of late on the Labour Youth front! Left Tribune I‟m happy to report that Issue 2 is ready to go, and soon to be available on a computer monitor near you! I‟m stalling the release of the publication briefly, in order to shift the remaining copies of Issue 1 lying around Head Office, but it should be out without much further delay. If you want to send in something but missed the deadline, don‟t worry! As this is an online only addition, I am accepting additions right up to the point of release, as I am not constrained for page space. There are many things that an online edition allows for that would not have been feasible for a print edition, and while I‟m not going to go into the specifics here, I am very excited to see what the reaction will be to some of the changes I‟ve made for this issue. Upon release, I‟ll be immediately calling out for articles for Issue 3, which will be a print edition released in time for the National Recruitment Campaign. This will be a very important issue for obvious reasons, so if you have been saving that killer article for a special occasion, or your ears are burning for you to speak out on an issue – then will be the time to act! I‟d like to take this opportunity to thank those who submitted articles for Issue 2, along with the members of the Editorial Board. Facebook Page The Facebook Page is going extremely well, with 703 fans secured, and the upward trend shows no indications of letting up. This is several multiples of what it was before I took on my role as Communications Officer of Labour Youth, and I‟m delighted with this progress. It has proven an extremely important tool for shedding light on important issues, advertising campaigns, recruiting interested members and organizing events. I‟d like to thank Neil Ward and Rory Geraghty, who have also worked hard on the page and share the Labour Youth avatar with me on the page. AV Subcommittee The AV Subcommittee will be meeting soon to discuss the commencement of work on a series of short satirical videos to be spread via the web as a supplement to the work on the ground during the National Recruitment Campaign. If you want to be involved in the writing, producing or acting of these videos, then please contact me with a view to joining the AV Subcommittee. Branch Officer Training I was glad to take part in the Branch Officer Training held earlier this month. As a former Branch Chair myself, I can say with some certainty that leading or serving on a Branch Executive can seem as daunting as it is exciting, and it is my hope that this went some way to assuaging any fears or uncertainties, and solidify our incoming Officers in the task they have ahead of themselves. It was also a great opportunity for Officers to meet and get to know each other, and the NYE. During the training, I delivered a lecture on good design practice and communications strategy. It should be noted that the NYE is available to help branches and branch officers in any way we possibly can, so if incoming Officers are ever stuck or need assistance, we are only a phone call or email away!

Sinn Fein Conference I addressed a Sinn Fein Conference on Youth Unemployment as the Labour Representative on the invited panel. During this I outlined our strategy and ideas, making reference to the Labour Youth policy document on Youth Unemployment released earlier this year, amongst other documents and plans. The response amongst the audience was good, and an interesting discussion was had. I‟d like to thank Kirsten Gordon for attending and putting up with me inevitably panicking about my speech! As we head into the National Recruitment Campaign, let‟s steel ourselves for the task ahead and prepare to make this the most successful recruitment period Labour Youth has ever seen! Last year we effectively doubled our membership during this period, and with the enthusiasm, skill and organizational ability of the activists and branches behind us, I see no reason why we can‟t do this again! As always, I‟m available to discuss anything outlined here or beyond, 24/7! If you have any questions, queries, or just want to chat about something, don‟t hesitate to contact me on the number below, or just flag me down at Tom Johnson! Yours in Solidarity, -- Conor Ryan National Communications Officer Labour Youth Tel: 0863034715 Email: lycommunications@labour.ie

Equality Officer’s Report

I'm aware that I haven't submitted national reports for the last two meetings, and so shall include reports from the time. In January I attended a conference in Copenhagen on Sexual & Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR). This conference brought socialists, liberals, conservatives and greens together in one room with hope of producing a strong document aimed at demanding stronger action to achieve millennium goal targets and further progress on the issue of Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR). The conference considered an initial draft on what would be called the “Copenhagen Declaration on Sexual & Reproductive Heath & Rights.” Labour Youth received some praise for our courage in not being afraid to speak out on controversial issues! Many progressive amendments where put into the statement on my suggestion or the suggestion of USI representative Linda Kelly, such as statements about Locally affordable healthcare, LGBT reproductive rights and suggestions over the issue of abortion in the developing world. In order to retain the support of the more conservative groups, however, many concessions undid this good work. While many concession were made to conservative groups with the aim of keeping them on board, a few small progressive steps were taken as part of the overall compromise. While the final statement is a progressive one by the standards of the Young European People's Party, I do not see it doing any service to the policy of Labour Youth. With this in mind, I did not sign the document. The Equality Officer of USI felt and did the same. In February LY together with Labour Equality and Labour Women marked the 18th anniversary of the “X” case. 18 years ago a young girl fell pregnant after having been raped. The Supreme Court allowed her to travel for a termination of the pregnancy due to the fact that her life was in danger. This Supreme Court ruling has not been noted in the legislation. To this day those working in the medical profession are unsure as to what the situation exactly is. It is time to legislate what the Supreme Court ruled. Author Anne Rossiter, Senator Ivana Bacik and Sinead Ahern from Labour Equality were the guest speakers. As part of my work with Labour Equality, I have become involved in the coordinating meetings of the new and somewhat nascent “Labour Intercultural” subsection. The subsections business is set to include the naming and shaming of employers who exploit immigrants or those with refugee status, while also serving as a recruiting unit within the party. Thus, it is hoped that LI will be both a service, a recruitment tool and a forum of discussion & representation. I personally feel that LI has the potential, in the future, to greatly assist youth recruitment campaigns on- or off-campus to attract a diverse membership. If anyone would like to assist/dictate Labour Intercultural activities in their area, please tell me, and I'll be dead happy. I was happy to help out with a very successful “Equality Training” day (June 12th) in the Teachers' Club. The day not only saw presentations by Amnesty International and party members on issues such as mental health, transgender rights and workplace discrimination in the recession, it also possibly served to educate a number of equality officers from constituencies around the country, both regarding their own positions and that of Labour Equality. Currently the ERA is looking for recession horror stories about discrimination in the workplace or college (or just about anywhere) that someone may have experienced, on any grounds, that may have been precipitated by worsening economic conditions. While I don't have contact information to give out, if anyone would like to submit something could they please inform me and I'll be able to pass their details on.

Colm lyequality@labour.ie 0851271869 “Everybody believes that all people are equal, but some people believe that some people are more equal than others more than others do.” Work that one out.

Policy & Education Officer

Comrades, As you may be aware this will be my final report as Labour Youth Education & Policy Officer as I have been elected as the new Equality Officer for USI which requires my resignation from the NYE. My report follows, but I wish to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your commitment to everything Labour Youth has done this year. It has thus far been an extremely successful year, but lest we not forget despite numerous declarations, there is still considerable work to be done this year, particularly for recruitment in Autumn so I would encourage you all to commit your time currently to making Labour Youth as strong as possible, and consider leaving the NYE campaigns til a time when this has been secured. Before the body of my final report, a few thank yous are due, firstly to the NYE for being extremely helpful, particularly with mail-outs etc for Tom Johnson as my electoral and academic commitments have left me in need of assistance on numerous occasions. I wish to thank the UCD branch members, past and present, for welcoming me with open arms when I finally joined Labour last year! Finally I wish to pay special thanks to our Labour Youth Chair and Executive Board poll topper Rory Geraghty who has been a constant source of support this year, and has been an extremely successful chair, as demonstrated by our many successes this year. Party Conference My primary responsibility at party conference was to run our fringe meeting titled “Tackling Youth Unemployment”. The session was very successful, interesting and well attended, and I think has certainly given many of us ideas of how to improve what will continue to be a crucial campaign for us in the next year. Tom Johnson Summer School This is probably my biggest responsibility as Education & Policy Officer, and (at time of writing!) looks set to be a very successful event. All details of speakers are on our facebook page, and if somehow you haven‟t registered yet, you can do so online: www.labour.ie/tomjohnson I would like to thank the NYE and Neil Ward for all their help organising this, and I look forward to hopefully seeing all of you there. So this is me signing off as your Education & Policy Officer, best of luck to whoever my successor is! If any of you need to contact me my personal e-mail is isoconnor@gmail.com, and my professional contact details will be on www.usi.ie when I assume office on the first of July. Warm regards, Isobel

Recruitment Officer Report July 2010

I hope everyone is keeping well and that exams and job hunting went well. Due to work constraints and constituency business I have not been able to be as active as I would have wished however I will be planning out the recruitment campaign over the next few weeks and would appreciate your imput. 1. Party Conference - This was a very busy time for the movement and me personally, with many members attending their first conference. It was great to see delegations from DCU, DIT, ITT and NUIM for the first time in many years and so many young members in constituency and branch delegations. Lets work to ensure its even bigger next year. - Congratulations to Rory on topping the poll for EB- this was a phenomenal achievement for both him and Labour youth and thank you to all those members who co-operated with my often frantic requests. As many of you may know I was campaign manager for Gary Honer's bid for Chairperson and this consumed a lot of my time. I hope you all enjoyed Conference. 2. Constituencies - Over last two months members in several constituencies have been organizing youth sections and recruitment. These include Dun Laoghaire, Wexford, Sligo, Louth, Dublin-Central, Dublin South-East, Dublin South-Central, Dublin Mid-West and Co. Cork constituencies. I have been providing support, advice and assistance where required. I aim to get as many Constituencies represented at Youth Conference in November. 3. Recruitment Campaign - I have been compiling a diary and with Rory's assistance getting quotes for materials. At the National Meeting we will have an extended discussion of the upcoming campaign, potential theme and materials. Get your thinking caps on! 4. Training Day. Due to work commitments I was unable to attend though I understand it was very productive. 5. Other: I was part of the Leaders Tour for the recent Mobilise for Momentum weekend and have attended protests (March to Israeli Embassy, Anglo protest) and meetings (eg. Where to now for housing) where possible. See you at TJ! All questions welcome.