Left Archive: Feedback, Workers’ Party Youth, July 1989 October 4, 2021
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This short document was issued by Workers Party Youth for members in 1989. Across two pages it includes pieces on Summer Camps ’89, ANC Solidarity, Low-Pay Campaign, Group Reports, GDR Holiday and ICTU Youth Summer School.
It notes that ‘following on from the success of the ANC Fundraiser in ‘Sides’ we are now looking to have a regular monthly night in ‘Sides’ under the banner of the ‘Left Bank Club’ (on the last Friday of every month). This would be a mixture of disco, live music, comedy acts… negotiations are currently going on with the management of ‘Sides’. We’ll keep you informed.
There is mention of the fact that WPY ‘has been given all of the Basement in 30 Gardiner Place as the WPY office. Work on painting and renovating the basement is now in progress. If you’ve anything that may be use in the office, or have any ideas, then get in touch.’
There is also mention that ‘Socialist Youth’, the youth publication of the WPY is about to be ‘transformed into a new publication’.
A trip organised by the Ireland-GDR Friendship Society for September of 1989 is publicised with flights to Berlin being the only cost at £230 with all ‘internal costs covered by youth organisations in the GDR’.
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
remember the West German CP’s youth org advertising for summer holidays in the GDR, around 70 Deutschmark for three weeks back then
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How do you make god laugh? Tell him your plans.
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Hey, you and I were both young enough, kind of, to be members. I was very amused returning from London after a year and a half there at the fine old age of 26 just before the split and reconnecting with the party to find myself roped into going to meetings of WPY. Did you ever go to any of their events? Do you remember the times they’d bring youngsters down from Belfast to Kilbarrack where WPY seemed a lot better organised?
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Nah. I was too old for WPY. Always a bit late to the party, me. I don’t remember the Belfast Kilbarrack connections either.
Looking back, I don’t think I was as active as I sometimes make out!
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Hah, I have exactly the same feeling, but it’s not our fault that that Russian guy Stakhanov happened to be on exchange from the CPSU to the WP between 1985 and 1989 and was assigned to our branch.
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Most of my Uncles took advantage of the trips to the GDR.
My dad’s review was that Dresden was “boring”!
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That was my first year in the WPY and the Party. Was at the snr camp and the ICTU weekend Summer School mentioned in the document. We were going to change the world 🙄
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Ain’t that the truth!
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They must have been raging when they discovered that their mortal enemies in Ireland were carrying out military operations in South Africa on behalf of the ANC.Tended to put a fundraiser in “Sides” in the hapenny place!
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Eff off Roddy. UTS.
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