About Us
Forward is the magazine of the Connolly Youth Movement, the Communist Youth of Ireland. The magazine covers the issues facing the Irish youth and working class, offering a Marxist-Leninist analysis of current affairs nationally and internationally. Forward is an organ of the Ard Chomhairle of the Connolly Youth Movement, which the Editor is a member of, and articles are generally written by members of the CYM. With the magazine we aim to build up the CYM, by highlighting the struggles of the working class youth, and by demonstrating that the only way out of the current system of exploitation is socialism-communism. Forward is published in print form several times a year, with regular online articles.
History
Forward was first published in 1970, when the Connolly Youth Movement became an all-Ireland organisation after it merged with the Young Communist League of Northern Ireland. It takes its name from a Glasgow-based socialist magazine in the 1910s, where James Connolly wrote many of his seminal articles. After the victory of counter-revolution in the Socialist Bloc in the 90s, as the Communist Movement went into retreat across the world, the CYM entered a difficult period of inactivity and Forward ceased publication. However, with the relaunch of the CYM in 2002, new life was given to Forward and it has been published since.
About the CYM
The Connolly Youth Movement, the communist youth organisation of Ireland, operates across all 32 counties, with branches in major cities throughout the country, from Derry to Cork. We are a revolutionary organisation, committed to the overthrow of capitalism and the radical transformation of society.
Our political activity and strategy are guided by Marxism-Leninism and Socialist-Republicanism. We organise young people wherever they are, whether in workplaces, communities, schools, or universities. As internationalists who recognise that the struggle against imperialism is a global one, we are active members of the World Federation of Democratic Youth founded in 1949 in the wake of the defeat of Fascism, and are participants in the Meeting of European Communist Youth Organisations (MECYO). The CYM extends our solidarity and support to all peoples who are struggling against oppression and exploitation across the world.
The CYM serves as a training ground for the next generation of revolutionaries who will lead the Communist Party as the vanguard of the revolutionary movement of Ireland's working class and youth. We educate our members through political study, practical organising and experience. We expect our membership to engage with the broader class struggle as a vehicle for deepening the roots of the communist struggle and further engaging the working class.
In a world where the contradictions of capitalism and imperialism are becoming more acute, the struggle for a new society of progress, peace and the liberation of the working class and youth is more necessary than ever. The overthrow of capitalism and the construction of socialism is the only path to this new society. If you are a young person committed to class struggle, solidarity and revolutionary action, join us in building the movement capable and willing to win socialism in our lifetime.