Can a relationship that's been broken up survive?

Trust, respect, courtesy and a little bit of love. IMO, the more you have of each the stronger the relationship.

Yes it can. Depending on several factors but it can. You both need to love one another and compromise is important. Some work out and some don’t. I have seen people break up and get back together and get married and stay married. I have also seen them get back together only to break up again. Sometimes i have seen them get back together get married and then shortler after the marriage they get divorced. Really hard to tell unless I actually know both of you. Since I don’t know either of you I can’t come up with a conclusion.

You had reason enough to separate. Often in the void that’s created from a separation, we remember and miss certain things in a relationship. That’s natural and healing, but not to be misconstrued for reasons for getting back together. Until you can discuss with each other the reasons you separated and how that’s affected your feelings and hopes, I wouldn’t give a lasting reconciliation much hope.

“And what do we need to do to make it work?”

Follow your own advice and work on what you already said the problem is.

”...a lot of communication issues at the end among other insecurities on both sides.”

Are the reasons you broke up still valid?

For my own sake I hope (and truly do believe) that yes you can end up back with them. But I imagine it will take some stars aligning, and as others have said at least some of the things that drove you apart will probably have to be mended beforehand.

Just take things as they go, and good luck. And let us know how it goes.

Depends on the people. You have to identify what exactly went wrong and you both have to commit to never making that same mistake again.

My parents (I use their relationship as a model for what true love really is) I feel have been through a lot, but they have never given up on each other and have always been there for one another. Till this day they argue here and there and go through some difficulties but they never seem to lose their sense of love, nor the commitment they’ve made to each other.

Maybe this is pessimistic, but I dont think most people in this day and age are strong enough for that. People seem to have the “fuck you, I dont need you, I’ll do what I want” mentality, where when something goes amiss – they cut and run. Most people are only out for themselves; the taking and not the giving.