SDLP Youth would like to offer a huge congratulations to Minister Margaret Ritchie on her successful election as SDLP Leader. On February 7th 2010 it was announced that Margaret Ritchie would be the new SDLP Leader.

SDLP Youth endorsed Margaret at a Youth Group meeting very early in her campaign.

SDLP Youth would like to wish Margaret our very best in her leadership and we thoroughly look forward to working with her and Deputy Leader Patsy McGlone.

SDLP Youth will be running a fringe event on the Saturday of the SDLP Annual Conference (Saturday 6^th February) focussing on changing identities in a New Ireland. The Panel consists of Professor Brian Walker QUB, John McCallister MLA UUP and Conall McDevitt MLA SDLP.

Commenting on the event and the future programme of events on this issue that SDLPY will be exploring, SDLPY Chairperson Cllr Matthew McDermott said, ‘It remains the case that politics in the north is changing. People now are living more of a shared future than any time in the past forty years. Young people are now born and growing up without the violence seen in the past.

‘We are working together, living together more, being educated together more, socialising together, sharing and forging friendships together.

‘There is a real sense among our generation that we are further forward than our current politicians, particularly in our ruling parties, the DUP and SF. We are better equipped to deliver a progressive future. Their priorities are not our priorities, as is evident over this past two weeks. They have got their priorities wrong. Ireland is changing, North and South.

SDLP Youth is rolling out a programme of engagement with our young people, and all those who wish to contribute, to identify and understand our priorities in a new Ireland, North and South. We would encourage everyone to join us in defining our new priorities and what politics should mean to us in the future’.

END

Notes:

1)      The first event will be on Saturday 6^th February 2010 in Newcastle, with a panel discussion involving the SDLP and UUP to be followed by a wider Panel Discussion in March, with senior party representatives North and South. This will be followed with an all-party youth forum on the issue of ‘changing priorities’ later in the year.

2)      The purpose of this programme is for young people to identify and define, in different policy areas, their priorities and aims and attempt to set and define the political agenda for the next 30 years in Ireland.

This week SDLP Youth (SDLPY) facilitated a visit to Northern Ireland for Ruban Wagman, a youth officer for the young Swedish Social Democrats. During a week long programme of meetings and events Ruban visited Belfast City Hall, Parliament Buildings at Stormont and visited Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie.

Commenting SDLPY Chair Matthew McDermott said, ‘ SDLPY is proudly internationalist in outlook and we regularly link up with our sister parties across Europe and wider. We used the opportunity of Ruban’s visit to discuss opportunities to deepen cooperation and forge closer links with the young Swedish Social Democrats and plan wider European initiatives that will have a relevance here at home and in Sweden.

Ruban said, ‘ SDLPY is a very active and vibrant organisation and I got the opportunity to meet many members of the group, as well as members and representatives of SDLP, including Minister Ritchie. She outlined the work she is doing around housing and foster better relations here in Northern Ireland.

‘ We are always seeking to build better relations with our sister parties across Europe and our relationship with SDLPY, which is beneficial to both organisations, will continue to grow.

SDLP Youth invited Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie to Queen’s University on Monday 30 November 2009 to speak to students about the work her department is doing in delivering a shared future.

There was a healthy mix of students and young people at the event and the Minister outlined her work to date and her hopes for the future.

Katherine McCloskley, Chair of the Queens SDLP and Vice Chair of SDLPY, said, ‘ It was heartening that the Minister took time to come and talk to us about her vision for a Shared Future. The Minister caught the mood of the room when she said that the public are leaps ahead of the politicians on the need for a shared future. She is right, the public are ahead of our politicians on this, and if the DUP and SF fail to realise that there is a feeling among the public for a shared future, almost organic and innate in nature, then they will suffer the consequences of consistently putting their own party political desires ahead of everything else.

My generation are living a shared future more than any generation in the previous 40 to 50 years; we work, socialise and in many cases study together. So while it is important that government delivers from top down, in terms of shared spaces, legal protections and the like, the people will be building from bottom up on this issue - and our politicians will need to catch up even more.

The Minister outlined a lot of detailed work her department is taking in this area but she got it right when she said it’s such a shame that the two dominant parties can’t look past their own selfish interests and put the needs of the people first, particularly on this fundamentally important issue.

SDLP Youth Campaign officer Eamon McAuley - from Culmore in Derry - has said he was greatly ‘inspired’ by SDLP leader Mark Durkan’s speech last night
after the Foyle MP was selected to contest the 2010 Westminster election.

Commenting on the convention in the Verbal Arts Centre, Mr McAuley said:

“It was a privilege to be gathered in the company of John Hume, Mark Durkan and so many inspiring role models from the party. Mark is a true champion of the city. Over the last 4 years as MP Mark has achieved great things not
only for the Foyle constituency and the North but he has also been
instrumental in international affairs.”

Reflecting on the challenges facing the constituency, Mr. McAuley continued:

“As a young person I am aware of difficult times that lie ahead and the
challenges the city faces. It is important to have inspiring role models to
look to in these times.  I have no doubt that the precedent set by John Hume and Mark Durkan will serve to inspire young people to step up to the
challenges facing our communities and build a legacy of our own.”

SDLP Lisburn Councillor and Chair of SDLP Youth (SDLPY) Matthew McDermott and SDLP Belfast Councillor Niall Kelly visited Tiblisi, Georgia, to deliver campaign training to the Young Georgian Socialists (YGS), a youth movement in Georgia of over 4000 people.

 The young SDLP Councillors spent two days in Tiblisi helping the Georgian movement develop democratic practices and teaching them effective campaigning methods.

 Commenting Cllr McDermott said, ‘ SDLPY has developed good links with the YGS over the past year and we hope to establish a permanent program in the country to continue with the work we are doing. SDLP and SDLPY is a proudly pro European and internationalist organisation, recognising the need for greater international cooperation with other social democrats across an increasingly globalised and multi cultured world.

 ‘ We delivered a comprehensive campaigning workshop and discussed our own experiences here in Northern Ireland.’

 Cllr Kelly continued, ‘ Georgia is a country which has been in a state of transformation since the Rose Revolution in 2003. The past six years has seen massive change in the Country and for the first time in many years the voices of young people are beginning to be heard.

“We in the SDLP are proud to do what we can to help our friends in the YGS develop their organization and to articulate their views to the wider Georgian public.

END

http://www.flickr.com/photos/niallkellysdlp/4075721706/ 
 

At a meeting of SDLP Youth (SDLPY) on Wednesday 28^th October, SDLPY endorsed Margaret Ritchie as the next leader of SDLP. After much discussion about the candidates and the leadership contest in general, there was an overwhelming endorsement that Margaret Ritchie was the best person to take the party forward.

Commenting after the meeting SDLPY chairperson Cllr Matthew McDermott said, ‘ The youth group appreciate that all young people are vital to politics and the future direction of politics. There is a recognition that young will play a key role in this process and the decision was taken that the group needed to get involved in this process early on and contribute positively to what should be a very good contest.

‘ We have two candidates; our fantastic Minister for Social Development and our deputy leader and a great constituency MP for South Belfast. The merits of both candidates were discussed and their impeccable records over the last thirty years for the party and as representatives was outlined at the meeting.

‘ Margaret Ritchie was deemed to be the best person for the job due to her courage as a Minister standing up to the DUP, SF and the UDA, her dedication and commitment to a shared future and her work to bring the voices of young people to the centre of policy debates where they belong.

END

SDLPY Chair Cllr Matthew McDermott was part of an SDLP delegation that met with Irish Environment Minister, John Gormley TD to discuss North South arrangements, Climate Change and the SDLPY campaign “The Countdown is on” regarding international climate talks in Copenhagen.

The delegation included Chair of Assembly Environment Committee Dolores Kelly MLA, Chair of the Assembly Enterprise Trade and Investment Committee Alban Maguinness MLA and Chair of SDLPY Cllr Matthew McDermott.  

After the meeting Cllr McDermott said, ‘ The SDLP pushed the Minister to press the DUP and SF to have Climate Change included on the agenda of North South meetings. As it is not on the agenda it can’t be discussed at these meetings, which is an absurd situation.

‘ The go slow approach of the two ruling parties is unacceptable; if we don’t act on climate change now, future generations face disaster in so many ways.

Regarding the SDLPY campaign Cllr McDermott said, ‘ Climate Change is the most important issue facing my generation and the agreement being sought in Copenhagen in December is crucial. I outlined to the Minister that SDLPY will be rolling out a campaign throughout November, visiting our schools and seeking signatures to an online petition from our students, of all ages.

‘ These are the people that generally don’t have a vote but want a voice. The petition will be calling for a 40% cut in emissions by 2025 and an assistance fund for developing countries to adopt. It will be delivered to the Irish and British governments before they embark for Copenhagen.

Dear Members,

As you may already be aware, there has been a last minute change of date for our
meeting due to factors beyond our control.

The general meeting of SDLP Youth will now be held on Wednesday 28 October
at 530pm in SDLP HQ (Ormeau Road).

This is an important meeting for the youth group. As you know, Mark Durkan
is to step down as Party Leader at Conference in February 2010.
Nominations for the post of Party Leader have to be lodged with HQ by 14
November 2009. This meeting shall discuss the view of the youth group on
leadership issues.

Please make every effort to attend.

RSVP to info@sdlpyouth.com
***CONFIRMATION OF YOUR ATTENDANCE IS ESSENTIAL***

Many Thanks,
SDLP YOUTH TEAM

Dear Members,

As you may already be aware, there has been a last minute change of date for our
meeting due to factors beyond our control.

The general meeting of SDLP Youth will now be held on Wednesday 28 October
at 530pm in SDLP HQ (Ormeau Road).

This is an important meeting for the youth group. As you know, Mark Durkan
is to step down as Party Leader at Conference in February 2010.
Nominations for the post of Party Leader have to be lodged with HQ by 14
November 2009. This meeting shall discuss the view of the youth group on
leadership issues.

Please make every effort to attend.

RSVP to info@sdlpyouth.com
***CONFIRMATION OF YOUR ATTENDANCE IS ESSENTIAL***

Many Thanks,
SDLP YOUTH TEAM