The Empire of Gender

For most, it’s rare that modern discussions of gender extend beyond screenshotted tumblr posts and miseducated arguments over gender, sex and their differences – but debating human identities is far from anything new. Like all western social norms, ‘gender’ stems from economic relationships with land, wealth and privilege. Your favourite youtuber may have helped remind … Read more

The Problem of Rainbow Capitalism

This article was first published in the latest edition of Forward.   Pink capitalism refers to the marketisation of LGBT+ culture and the exploitation of the LGBT+ demographic by capitalist businesses for the purpose of a profit rather than for the authentic motive of altruistic care for the LGBT+ community. In recent years we have … Read more

The Way Forward for Youth Movements

The establishment, propped up by virtually every political party from the Green Party to the Labour Party, has created an environment that’s impossible for young people to live in. These socio-economic conditions are stifling our generation, suffocating our lives and stealing away our energies. That is why youth activists are duty bound to mobilize a … Read more

Is Ireland a democracy?

To the world, Ireland is portrayed as a free liberal-democratic society. A constitution guarantees rights, establishes democratic mechanisms, and ensures there is fairness, accountability and freedom. One of the cornerstones of a free and democratic society is the separation of institutions and a system of balance and checks. For example, the 1937 Irish Constitution clearly … Read more

Fighting the Right in Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman’

  This review is part of Forward’s ongoing Critical & Cultural Analysis series, which will analyse political themes in popular culture and use them to provoke critical discussion.   BlacKkKlansman, a new movie produced by Spike Lee and released on the 24th of August has amassed over forty-two million dollars in the box office as … Read more

Tone Reloaded: Commemoration of a Revolutionary Legacy

On the 19th of August, the Peadar O’Donnell Socialist Republican Forum will be holding an event to commemorate Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen in Bodenstown, Co. Kildare. This will be the second annual event hosted by the forum with several political parties and organisations, women’s groups, youth organisations, cultural and sporting bodies coming together … Read more

We Need To Talk About Housing | Forward #25

While the carcass of the Celtic Tiger may be long devoured; the rate of homelessness, precarious housing, insane rents, slum landlords and a lack of social housing, or appropriate accommodation for students, are still on the rise. Throughout the island of Ireland, the ownership and misuse of property decides our safety, our employment, our education … Read more

A Conversation with a North Korean Citizen

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a citizen of North Korea living in a city called Wonsan. Located along the Eastern side of the peninsula, it is a port city containing a naval base. The city in which he lives contains numerous major factories for the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and … Read more