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/ 
 

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.

SDLP Youth International Secretary Barry Magee has attended a conference in Sweden to discuss conflict resolution with delegates from Iraq and Palestine.

The conference which was hosted by the Swedish Young Social Democrats (SSU) saw Mr Magee hold talks with the Kurdistan Youth Freedom Organisation from Iraq and the Palestinian-based Fatah Youth movement:

The Lecale SDLP Secretary said: “It was a tremendous personal honour to meet with social democratic colleagues from Iraq and Palestine and to have the opportunity to discuss with them areas of mutual learning and cooperation in conflict resolution and peace-building.

“While each of our respective situations may be different there are many similarities that can be drawn from our individual experiences. I firmly believe that other conflict regions can learn from our experiences.

“The peace-process here has had its difficulties but we have learned that the only through partnership and working together can we ever resolve our issues.

“I reiterated to them that peace processes are never perfect- there are many challenging times and “peace” is not a destination that is easily arrived at.

“Achieving peace involves constant hard work and effort not only in terms of developing political relationships but also in building consensus on the ground and in communities.

“Peace does not just happen overnight – it is a perpetual process – and can only be achieved through compromise and adhering to the fundamental principles of dialogue, respect for diversity, commitment to democracy and non-violence.

“The SDLP want to help build a better world- a world that is free from conflict and the root causes of conflict- such as issues of poverty, social exclusion and segregation.”

Barry has discussed in more detail his experiences during the SSU Congress and Swedish politics over on his blog http://talesfromlecale.blogspot.com/

SDLP Youth Campaigns Officer Kyle Boyd has condemned the recent attacks on the Romanian families in South Belfast.

Kyle said: “I live on the street where these attacks have happened. They are disgraceful and a shock to the whole South Belfast area.

“I see these families everyday and they are the friendliest and warmest people you could meet, and to think that they have been attacked due totheir nationality is beyond me.

“This attack has brought the wider community together and shows that no-one in today’s society will let this stand and are fully behind the parents and their young families.

“SDLP Youth were at the anti-racist protest on Monday evening to show our support for the Romanian community. I also want to condemn the youths who threw bottles and hurled abuse during the protest, and I would appeal to anyone who has any information about this to contact the PSNI immediately and bring justice to whoever did this.”

Dolores Kelly will lead her canvassing team back into the Kilwilkie estate in Lurgan at seven PM tonight, accompanied by Alban Maginness and Mark Durkan. On Tuesday night she was confronted by a masked gunman who told her to get out in five minutes or she would be shot.

A separate canvass team was also confronted by people in exceptionally well-sewn balacavas and told Dolores would be shot. Dolores is not taking any of this:

“Let me make this very clear to those people who think they can intimidate me or my party - they will not. This is an affront to democracy. I am proud to be an elected representative for this area and a young thug like that will not deter me from my work.

“This type of person offers nothing to the community. There was a teenage girl with me helping me canvass. This person thinks he’s being a big man by threatening us, but he’s the opposite. A coward is too good a word for him.

“The matter is now with the PSNI and for the safety of those with me I decided to finish canvassing for the evening after the incident. This, however, will not stop me from doing what I was democratically elected to do - to serve the community. I wish it to be known that the SDLP fought for civil rights and we will not let an incident like this keep us from helping the good people of Lurgan.”

It wasn’t the lads in balaclavas who kept us out last night, it was the football.

European Candidate Alban Maginness this morning launched the SDLP’s EU Election Manifesto at the Radisson SAS hotel in the Gasworks, Belfast. It’s online here.

Thanks to @wimps for this.

I’ve been reflecting on the 2005 Westminster election and its similarities for us in this European campaign. There are a number of comparisons we can draw - and from which we can draw inspiration.

Both in Foyle and in South Belfast in 2005, we were being told that the race was too close to call. Some of the Bookies had Mark Durkan and Alasdair McDonnell as favourites to win a seat, others favoured Mitchel McLaughlin and Jimmy Spratt. On the Monday before the election, the Derry News predicted that Mitchel McLaughlin was going to be victorious. Mitchel himself went on national TV and proclaimed that viewers were looking at ‘the next MP for Foyle’. He was right - Mark was standing beside him.

This time out, some commentators are again saying that it’s too close to call. They’re also saying that the SDLP is fighting a very strong campaign and that the split unionist vote gives Alban a great chance - just as it did for Alasdair four years ago.

So what really made the difference for us in 2005? The answer is simple. As a party, we answered Mark’s call from his speech at the SDLP Conference that February: “Get out on every street and on every doorstep and fight like you have never fought before for the SDLP, the values we uphold and the vision we hold out.”

And what happened? We won in Foyle. We won in South Belfast. We won in South Down.

A couple of days ago, I found a story online from the evening of the count in 2005. It makes for very interesting reading four years on. Its headline is “DURKAN TRIUMPHS IN FOYLE CONSTITUENCY.”

We have 10 days to go in this election. If you haven’t already been out on the canvass in your area, for whatever reason, now is the time. The last week and a half will make all the difference. If you want to help, but don’t know how, give me a call on 90247700 and I’ll point you in the right direction. Let’s give the commentators another big, positive story to write about the SDLP. Let’s write a new headline for ourselves: “MAGINNESS TRIUMPHS IN EUROPEAN ELECTION”. We have 10 days. Let’s put our shoulders to the wheel.

Best wishes

Ronan McCay
Director of Organisation & Election Planning

If you’re interested in winning free tickets to either Beyonce in Belfast or to Oxegen 2009 just watch the two minute video and answer the really simple question. Couldn’t be easier. Good luck!

Please email answers to albanforeurope@sdlp.ie and please pass this message on to your friends.

SDLP Youth International Secretary Barry Magee has lent his support to Alban Maginness on behalf of the SDLP Youth group. 

Endorsing Alban Mr Magee said:

“In two weeks time, we go to the polls to vote for Europe. Young people will have two options- vote for change or more of the same.

This election is not just about Brussels- it is about here too. Europe is not over there, it is here also. We are Europe.

Over the past 5 years Northern Ireland has lost out in Europe. Our current MEPs are either eurosceptic or peripheralised in Brussels. They have had made no impact in Brussels and now is the time for change.

At home the DUP/ Sinn Fein-led Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister has failed to capitalise on the opportunities offered to it by Europe and in particular by the European Commission’s Northern Ireland Taskforce Report.

In fact there has been glaring failure to capitalise on the opportunities for greater policy linkages and cooperation with Europe. Better cooperation with Europe is vital as Europe is playing an ever more important role in all our lives.

The economic crisis has highlighted that we need Europe. But we need the right type of Europe. A vote for Alban will be a vote for a Europe that will bring forward proposals to tackle the economic crisis and the hardships faced by many of us in our daily lives.

Alban is committed to creating a Europe that puts people first, a Europe of progress, of equality, of solidarity, of democracy.

A vote for Alban will be a vote for the Europe of sustainable development, of decent work for all, of social security, of high quality education and healthcare. Alban will put forward the Europe of the young, the old, of workers and of women.

Young people need Europe and young people need the SDLP in Europe. As part of our involvement with the European Community of Socialist Youth, SDLP Youth have been working to put young people at the front of the European agenda, both here and in Brussels.

We want to solve this economic crisis where the neoliberals and the neoconservatives have brought us, both here in Northern Ireland and across Europe.

Now is the time of Change. Change for Northern Ireland. Change for Europe. Change for the Europeans! Support Alban Maginness and help create a Europe that puts young people first!”

Help out on the campaign: albanforeurope[at]sdlp.ie.

Find out more about Alban 4 Europe: http://www.albanforeurope.eu/

Join us in our mission: http://www.sdlpyouth.com/join.php