The government has inflicted growing hardship upon workers and communities across the country, spreading the ethos that we should all commit to sharing the pain. This has been perpetuated by mainstream media, as “sharing the pain” has been portrayed, as the only way out of this crisis.The Social Solidarity Network (SSN), however, believes otherwise, and wishes to provide people and communities with an open forum that can serve to resist these attacks and to share and spread information among individuals and groups affected. The SSN aims to make links between different struggles (from workplace and community organising to resistance to educational cutbacks and unemployment) so that a network of resistance can successfully be built.
We had our first meeting on the 3rd of October in the Seomra Spraoi social centre. It was a positive day that saw around 40 people coming together. It involved the sharing of experiences, much discussion about the crisis and potential ways of resisting its effects, film screenings, dinner and an evening social event.
This was followed by a second meeting on the 19th of October, which focussed on continuing previous discussion and furthering the growth and potential of the network. Much attention was given to building for the ICTU national demonstration on November 6th, as it was seen as an important way to show the government that Irish people won’t just lie down and accept cuts to vital social services and as an indication of the mood for a fight back.
With this in mind, the SSN leafleted the march in Dublin and held another meeting in its aftermath to plan future actions. This network is still in its early stages and its success will depend on getting large numbers of people involved. If you are interested in knowing more about the SSN and/or getting involved, please contact socialsolidaritynetwork@gmail.com
