Céilí, Camaraderie, and Cadre: RISE’s Ecosocialist Summer Camp 2026
By Jake Anderson
Earlier this month, more than 100 socialists, activists, and people new to the left gathered in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow for RISE’s 5th annual Ecosocialist Summer Camp. Set against a backdrop of deepening global instability, the rapid rise of the far right, and accelerating climate collapse, this camp provided a critical and timely space for lively discussion, debate, and collaboration as we struggle against capitalism in crisis.
This camp continued the trend of RISE’s deliberate attempts to curate a broad and genuinely non-sectarian platform for the wider left to debate the strategic questions of our time. This year’s exceptional turnout reflected that commitment, with it bringing together members of RISE, People Before Profit, rs21 and Anti*Capitalist Resistance from Britain, Anticapitalistas from the Spanish State, Marx21 from Germany, the Fourth International, unaligned community activists, as well as a wide range of other seasoned and brand new socialists.
A major milestone of the weekend was the launch of RISE’s inaugural book, RISE Guide to Revolution. This collection of articles on revolutionary strategy, tactics and programme provides an overview of RISE’s politics and organisational aims. Paul Murphy’s opening essay, ‘Tying a New Knot’, lays down a framework for how Marxists in the 21st century must organise creatively and openly within broad-left formations, and how, as revolutionaries, we must reorganise on the basis of the central strategic and programmatic questions of today. The political urgency of the book’s themes was underscored throughout the weekend by the wildfires raging in the Wicklow and Dublin mountains.
The camp opened on the Friday evening with a rally, In our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians, where Bana Abu Zuluf and Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin spoke about the unprecedented political awakening and radicalisation of millions of people, not yet powerful and organised enough to stop the genocide. Saturday evening’s plenary featured a friendly debate on China Today - Capitalist or Socialist? with Helena Sheehan, Simon Hannah and Michael Coleman. There were also 13 commissions ranging from discussions on existing campaigns and struggles like DIY or Die: Trans Healthcare & the Fight for Dual Power and Save Lough Neagh & the Case for Ecosocialist Degrowth, to historical and theoretical topics such as How Women Workers Made the Russian Revolution and Beyond Capital: An Introduction to István Mészáros. The camp also featured a series of workshops on Organising 101 to train activists in mapping, listening, and organising in the workplace.
As Ireland is now home to over 100 data centres, consuming 23% of our electricity, the final plenary on Sunday focused on Resisting Big Tech & AI. Rosi Leonard spoke about the development of big tech in Ireland, and the impact on household energy bills and our climate targets. Jennie Stephens spoke about how big tech is trying to capture educational institutions and public research funding to push AI and pro-AI narratives, and how workers and students can and should resist this. Paul Murphy contextualised the fight against big tech and AI within the long history of workers battling against the imposition of technology in their workplaces. (A full schedule of the camp can be found here.)
Yet, the political potential of a summer camp is not confined to the talks. An equally important part is the invaluable time in between the talks. Whether meeting people from around the world, talking whilst cooking together or over shared meals, cleaning, minding the children, late-night conversations in the hostel common rooms, dancing together in a céilí, singing together during karaoke, swimming together in the nearby lake, or quiet walks through the valley, the politics of the weekend is translated into living human connections. These unstructured hours allow us to decompress, but also to informally share experiences from our individual campaigning efforts and realise that we are not alone, but part of a cohesive and collective movement.
Get involved today
Economic instability has become a permanent feature of capitalism. Inter-imperialist rivalry is intensifying. The far right is advancing internationally. Liberal democratic institutions are in crisis. And, for the first time in human history, ecological breakdown is no longer simply a warning about the future. It is the terrain upon which every other political struggle is fought.
The ecological crisis is not just another issue to be added to a socialist programme: it is the central contradiction of capitalism itself. An economic system built upon endless accumulation cannot coexist indefinitely with a finite planet. This is why ecosocialism is not an optional add-on to Marxism. It is what Marxism looks like when it confronts the realities of the 21st century.
If you believe that capitalism is incompatible with a just and sustainable future; if you believe that ecosocialism is not only desirable, but necessary; if you believe that revolutionary politics still have a decisive role to play: then join People Before Profit. Join RISE.
Help build the broad socialist movement our class needs. Help build the revolutionary Marxist organisation that this moment demands.