Members Notice

Hi Folks

I hope everyone enjoyed Party Conference. Congrats to all the youth people who got elected to Party Executive.

Meeting Next Week (Tuesday 3rd February 7.30pm) in Belfast
We will discuss up-coming events and choose our campaigns for 2009. Everyone is invited to this meeting. You don’t need to be a party member to get involved. Contact us for more details.

Dublin Trip Reminder (19th/20th February)
The next big event we have is our Dublin Trip on 19th/20th February - if you plan to attend please make sure you book this time off work! We need a final list of everyone going by 3rd February. I’ll send out another email tonight with full details.

This is the appeal from the Disasters Emergency Committee which the BBC and Sky are refusing to broadcast. I’ve watched the appeal and don’t see how the BBC can consider it as political. In fact, I agree with Roy Greenslade’s article in the Guardian when he says:

It is surely the case that public confidence in its (supposed) impartiality is now ruined because it will not broadcast the appeal. The decision cannot do other than suggest that the BBC is bending to Israel’s will.

There has been loads of coverage of SDLP Party Conference 2009.

Mark Durkan’s Speech is covered in the Irish Times and BBC News (video).

In his speech Mark Durkan commended SDLP Youth on our recent cluster-munitions campaign:

We were commended by Amnesty International last spring for seizing the initiative in Westminster on Cluster Munitions. Our motion set out how the British Government was on the wrong side of the negotiations on the draft International Treaty. We called for this to change to achieve an effective ban on these child-killing weapons, whose terrible use negates the ban on landmines. Alongside our Commons initiative, SDLP Youth ran a lively campaign — including a striking YouTube video.

When Gordon Brown did change the British position, the negotiations moved to produce the most significant Disarmament Treaty for a decade. Speaking about this later in the Commons, Gordon Brown commended our campaigning efforts.

Today I want to particularly commend SDLP Youth. While Ogra Shinn Fein glorify atrocities in our country, young SDLP members put their commitment into stopping atrocities in other countries.

The Irish Times also picked up on SDLP Youth motions - the first to abolish the Political Protocol at the University of Ulster - and the second to abolish third-level education fees.

Conference fringe events also get mentions on Slugger O’Toole - including the Miscarriage of Justice fringe event ran by West Belfast SDLP and the SDLP Youth fringe on Obama-style Change in NI, including a video contribution from virtual panelist Mick Fealty (thanks Mick, your contribution was much appreciated).

The Politics Show on Sunday covered Minister Margaret Ritchie’s speech, Alban Maginness’s speech, and they interviewed Mark Durkan. (SDLP conference starts at 32 minutes).

Here is a list of the motions SDLP Youth have submitted to SDLP Party Conference, which is this weekend in the Armagh City Hotel, starting tonight at 7pm.

This is a Party Political Broadcast from the SDLP

Broadcast tonight on UTV (6.25pm) and BBC1 (6.55pm) and 6.24pm here (exclusive!)

SDLP Youth Fringe Event
Saturday 24th January at 5pm
Armagh City Hotel

CHANGE - How to Energise the NI Electorate
How the SDLP can reorganise, rejuvenate and engage with voters, and what lessons we can learn from Barack Obama’s message of Change.

Panelists:
Damien Mulley (Out-Spoken Blogger and Media Trainer)
Conall McDevitt (PR Guru and Blogger)
Mick Fealty (Creator of Slugger O’Toole)
Neil Ward (Irish Labour Party and Blogger)

SDLP Party Conference
Armagh City Hotel
23rd - 25th January 2008

Hi Folks

Only one week to go!

Non Party Members: There are many people on our mailing lists who are not party members. Party Conference is always great craic and a fantastic opportunity to get involved. SDLP Youth has a limited number of free conference passes to give away to guests aged 16-30 coming to conference for the first time - if you’re interested please contact me.

Youth Group: There will be a meeting on Tuesday 20th January 2009 at 6.30pm in Party HQ (121 Ormeau Road) to finalise arrangements for conference - dinner places, accommodation, the fringe event, and speakers for all youth group motions. We also need to discuss a strategy for electing young people to Party Executive (a number of youth people are running) and to discuss a few Ministerial Meetings we are organising in the weeks after conference.

Please try your best to attend this meeting, and see you all at conference!

Haneen Wishah in Coleraine Times

Back in September SDLP Youth encouraged everyone to sign a petition to allow Palestinian student Haneen Wishah to travel from Gaza to Ireland to study at the University of Ulster Coleraine. The petition was successful. In the Coleraine Times this week Haneen urges Israel to stop the war.

“Stop the Israeli aggression on my land and people.
We, as Palestinians are begging to live in peace in a justice world in our homeland Palestine, because it’s our legal right and we won’t give up until we free our land Palestine from the Israeli occupation.”

Belfast Gaza Protest

The protest was hugely successful. Around 2,000 people attended the protest, while thousands more marched and lined the route through the city centre. Similar marches took place in cities and towns throughout Ireland in solidarity with the people in Palestine.

SDLP Youth call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the killing, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and both sides to enter talks to work towards a peaceful solution. Until this happens, the Irish, British and European governments must impose economic sanctions upon Israel.

Pictures of the protest are now online at http://sdlpyouth.com/gallery/v/campaigns/GazaSolidarityProtest/

Mark Durkan Tables Motion at Westminster

SDLP Party Leader, MP for Foyle has tabled an Early Day Motion calling for an end to the death and destruction in Gaza:

SDLP Youth representative and Lecale Branch Secretary Barry Magee attended a recent protest in Belfast against the continued Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The protest on Saturday 10th January was attended by over 2,000 people who gathered outside Belfast City Hall to condemn the recent Israeli military incursions and to express support for the plight of the Palestinian people.

This was a highly successful protest organised by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and attended by people from all sorts of different political, religious and cultural backgrounds. These people descended on Belfast city centre to voice their unified opposition to the current situation in Gaza and express support for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

SDLP Youth wishes to express solidarity with the people in Gaza as it is clear that the situation there is deteriorating and the people of Gaza are facing a humanitarian crisis.

SDLP Youth believe that the Israeli response to the rocket attacks by Palestinian militants is completely disproportionate. The actions of Israel are a form of state terrorism.

SDLP Youth repeats our call for an immediate cessation of violence, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a peaceful resolution.

Whilst the protest was successful I was extremely disappointed to see people burning Israeli flags. This only serves to distract attention from the plight of the Palestinian people.

Flag burning is fundamentally racist. There are many decent people living in Israel who want a peaceful resolution. It is not the country of Israel that the people in Belfast were protesting against- it was the actions of government of Israel.

I welcome the fact that the SDLP Leader and Foyle MP Mark Durkan MLA has written to the Foreign Secretary David Milliband and the Israeli ambassadors in London and Dublin to register our concern at the deteriorating situation in Gaza.  Mr Durkan has also joined more than 100 MPs and Lords signing a statement that demands an end to the slaughter in Gaza.

Through our experiences here in Northern Ireland we all know that violence is not the answer. Violence begets violence and the only people who suffer are ordinary families. A peaceful solution must be sought and a ceasefire needs to be restored.