Councillor Mealla Bratton has expressed her concern about the rising waiting lists for the diagnosis of children with Aspergers and Autism.

Councillor Bratton stated “Current legislation labels Aspergers and Autism as special needs when, in fact, they are development disorders. This has caused a range of problems for parents and carers as they fight to get access to adequate services and support.

“The current average waiting time for diagnosis is 3 years this is simply not acceptable. I have been looking into one case where a child of almost 3 has been referred to get a diagnosis. His doctor believes him to be autistic but only the diagnosis of a specialist will suffice. This will take 3 years by which time the child will be 6 years old. It will take another year to apply for and receive a classroom assistant for this child. It is a shame and disgrace that this child will be 7 years old before his parents can access support services.

“Parents and carers I have spoken to are frustrated and angry that their needs are being brushed aside time and time again. The simple fact is that these children are being denied access to some of the most fundamental human rights such as education and health services. We need more than meaningless quotes from the government we need immediate action.”

Councillor Bratton concluded “I applaud the work of PAPA (Autism NI) in trying to have specific legislation introduced to address this issue. They have lobbied long and hard for change and their work needs to be recognised. They have organised a number of rallies at Stormont and Westminster to highlight their cause.
“To support PAPA and raise awareness of the campaign I have organised a special public event on 08 June @ 7pm in the Armagh City Hotel. The event will be addressed by members of PAPA, (Arlene Cassidy and Fiona McCafferty), Dominic Bradly MLA (SDLP Education Spokesperson) and Carmel Hanna MLA (SDLP Health Spokesperson). Members from local PAPA groups will also be in attendance. I would urge members of the public to attend this event and show their support for the campaign. I have already received an email from Prionsias DeRossa MEP highlighting the work done at European level by him and a message of support for the campaign.”

Young European Socialists
Brussels,10th May 2006

To: ECOSY Member Organizations
Subject: Invitation to ECOSY Queer Network Seminar

“Combating Homophobia in Europe”

Dear Comrades,

With this letter we would like to officialize our sincere invitation to ECOSY Queer Network Seminar that thanks to hospitality of FMS is going to be held in Warsaw, Poland from 22nd till 25th June 2006.

The meeting that this kind invitation concerns is an extremely important one. In times, when we eagerly debate future of Europ eand the questions of dialogue and democracy, we realize that most unfortunately equality, freedoms and respect for each and everyone is not the every day lifecase. One of the severe examples that the pledges and law does not reflect thereality is the situation of LGBT people across Europe,which is far from the vision of building together an inclusive and active European society.
This is why, as ECOSY, having an ambition and mission to build a Social Europe for everyone, we organize the ECOSY Queer Network Seminar “Combating Homophobia in Europe”. We do believe it is a
challenge for all of us.

The Queer Network Seminar of ECOSY will be held in Warsaw in a difficult moment � again this year in Krakow the Tolerance March was met by violent attack from the side of right wing extremists and brutally
pacified by the police, what ECOSY together with IGLYO and IFM-SEI condemned in the urgent declaration same day. 2006 is the third year in the row that the Gay Pride is forbidden by Warsaw City Hall and a year in which Prime Minister officially stated that being homosexual is abnormal. This is why
being in Warsaw,to show strongly that ECOSY stands against homophobia and to join in solidarity with people there is so relevant.

The seminar is open to everyone and we are looking forward to welcoming you in Warsaw!

With socialist regards,
Giacomo Filibeck
Hannah Blythyn
Conny Paatzsch
Ania Skrzypek

ECOSY President
ECOSY Vice President
ECOSY Queer Network Coordinator
ECOSY Secretary General
–
Schwaegrichenstr. 6/ 304
04107 Leipzig
Germany

SDLP Youth today urged young people across Ireland to support an Amnesty International campaign to show that online or offline the human voice and human rights are impossible to repress.

SDLP Youth Belfast Member Peter Armstrong said, “The Internet is providing people across the world with a medium to express their peaceful beliefs and voice human wrongs taking place in their countries. It is important that we oppose governments who try to control and censor websites that they are politically opposed to.

“Governments such as China have punished citizens for free expression, they have imprisoned journalists for criticising the government. China censors the publics’ access to Internet search engines such as Google and international TV channels such BBC News and CNN.

“Amnesty International has launched a new websites called Irrepressible.info. It aims to defeat unwarranted censorship both online and offline.

“The campaign highlights thousands of websites that governments have blocked, blogs that they have deleted, and search engines that governments place restrictions on.

“Amnesty’s website contains a pledge which we are asking people to sign to show their support for free expression without fear or interference.”

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Campaign information at Irrepressible.info

SDLP Youth today urged young people across the north of Ireland to avoid the ‘blues’ drug which has left six people hospitalised.

SDLP Youth Belfast Member Peter Armstrong said, “It is extremely troubling that these ‘blues’ drugs were found lying in a street in West Belfast. Local community projects are particularly worried for young people who might experiment with them. They are reportedly being sold for as little as 50p and they have already hospitalised six people.

“Hospitals aren’t familiar with these drugs which makes them even more deadly. Batches that have been tested contain dangerously high levels of tranquilizers making these blue drugs potentially lethal.

“The tablets affect different people in different ways, leaving them unconscious and causing serious damage. Young people should protect themselves and their mates as the side effects could be extreme. It isn’t worth risking your life.”

For anyone who has ever been a student, has had a close relative at university or worked closely with students, you will be very aware of the stress and strain that students are under during this time of year as exams get underway. Further distress to students is now being caused by the pay dispute between the universities vice chancellors and lecturers.

The reality is that this dispute has led to a decision by Queen’s University to cancel 6% of this summer’s examinations. This results in about 1,700 students having exams cancelled and thousands more having to sit out-of-date exam papers that are at times not even relevant to their syllabus. Once students sit their exams, there is no guarantee that the university will even have the staff to mark the students’ papers.

The students are being let down. The strike is putting first- and second-year students at a disadvantage in their studies. It is leaving the future uncertain for many of our final-year students, with the impact of the current strike potentially lasting well beyond the end of the dispute.

SDLP Youth support the lecturers in their campaign to get fair pay but it is simply unfair to use students as pawns in a tactical game. It has reached the point where the lecturers striking, and the universities’ inability to negotiate any compromise, are hurting students directly and giving students as bad a deal as the lecturers themselves have incurred.

Students have no part in this dispute and do not deserve to be put under this level of distress. It is because of this SDLP Youth now call on universities and lecturers to sit down together and come to a solution which is acceptable to all sides. This must be done immediately, to minimize the disruption of the education of our students.

Yours In Solidarity
John O’Doherty
SDLP Youth Chairman

Matthew McDermott
SDLP Youth Campaigns Officer

Gavin Boyd
SDLP Youth Campaigns Officer

Patrick Mc Guigan
SDLP @ Queens Chair

Peter Armstrong - SDLP Youth University and Colleges Officer
SDLP @ Jordanstown Chairman

Claire Campbell
SDLP@ Magee Chairwoman

SDLP youth have today (Wednesday 17th May) been distributing posters and flyers throughout Belfast and wider Northern Ireland urging people to support the international day of action against Homophobia (IDAHO).

Chairman John O’Doherty said, “This campaign has been very well received by people today. The majority of people throughout the north believe what we believe that LGBT rights are Human rights and this should be at the top of the agenda for all political parties.

“The campaign starts today but this should not be the end. We all have a duty to send a clear message to all members of our community that homophobia, racism, sectarianism and all other forms of discrimination will not be tolerated within our society.”

—-
Radio interview : BBC Radio Ulster - John O’Doherty

Picture: SDLP Youth members with PACE solidarity flag outside Party HQ

SDLP youth are active members of the IUSY Queer network. They recently contributed an article to the IUSY Newssheet and have attended conferences on gay rights.

International Day Against Homophobia is on 17th May

SDLP HQ is 121 Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 1SH

SDLP Youth have called on every citizen to support the International Day against Homophobia (IDAHO) taking place tomorrow, Wednesday 17th May.

Chairman John O’Doherty said “This day gives us a unique opportunity to send a clear message to those factions of our community that we will not accept any form of hatred in our communities whether it is racism, sectarianism or homophobia.

“We are very lucky to have civil partnerships legalised in the north of Ireland. It mirrors a changing and more accepting community. In modern day society the rights of the gay community are more prominent than ever. We must work together to show the world that narrow-minded individuals are a minority and they do not reflect the opinions of our entire community.

“SDLP Youth will be supporting not only this day of action but every opportunity to tackle homophobia and homophobic attacks in our communities. To mark this day of action and show international solidarity against homophobia, SDLP Youth will be flying a PACE (peace) flag from Party HQ. We will also be distributing information leaflets and posters urging people for support.”

——————————
SDLP youth are active members of the IUSY Queer network. They recently contributed an article to the IUSY Newssheet and have attended conferences on gay rights.

International Day Against Homophobia is on 17th May

SDLP HQ is 121 Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 1SH

SDLP Youth have today criticised the decision by Queen’s University to cancel 6% of this summer’s examinations.

SDLP Youth University & Colleges Officer Peter Armstrong said “It is a dreadful situation that students face. About 1,700 students will have exams cancelled and thousands more will have to sit exam papers that are years old and not relevant to their syllabus.

“Once students sit their exams, there is no guarantee that the university will have staff to mark the students’ papers. The students are being let down. It is putting first and second year students at a disadvantage, and it is extremely unfair on final year graduates.

“We support the lecturers in their campaign to get fair pay. Queen’s have also decided to deduct pay from those in the AUT and NATFHE teachers’ unions. This is adding fuel to the disagreement and leaving less chance of it being resolved. Both universities and the unions should be negotiating now before this UK-wide issue gets further out of control.”

SDLP Youth Chairman John O’Doherty (From Maghera Co.Derry) has called on the people to unite against PPS14. Speaking from the Balmoral Show Mr O’Doherty stated:

“We are already feeling the punch from the drain of young people from our countryside. These proposals will only increase on this.

“The SDLP like most people do not want to see our countryside end up like a monopoly board, with houses popping up all over the place, however we also do not support a blanket ban. The SDLP want to see a sustainable rural development strategy put in place to help sustain our countryside and to help provide the necessary housing for young rural people and their families.”

SDLP Youth have today called for young people to make sectarianism a thing of the past. SDLP Youth Chairman John O’Doherty who is also a member of Magherafelt DPP stated:

“Young people in the north of Ireland have a unique opportunity to make sectarianism a thing of past. Its time that we move forward from our tribal politics and learn to understand and appreciate the differences in our cultures and learn to live together.

“With the recent spate of attacks including the troubles on Glenshane road Maghera and the heartbreaking murder of the 15 year old Ballymena teenager, it’s time that all sectors of our community began to take this issue seriously. Political leaders, community leaders and other peers of our society must work together to come up with a strategy to help curb this problem before another life is lost.

“I intend to bring up this issue with the local District commander during the next DPP meeting in order to clarify what exactly is being done to counter this problem and to raise discussion of possible ways forward.”