SDLP Youth have called for the European Union to pressure Israel to end attacks on Gaza.
SDLP Youth Chair Peter Armstrong today said: “The international community must do a lot more to end the Israeli attacks on Gaza. In a single day the Israeli Army killed 270 people in retaliation for 1 Israeli dying in a mortar attack. Killing and injuring thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza is a completely disproportionate response. There must be another way. A peaceful solution must be sought. A ceasefire needs to be restored.
“World leaders need to put pressure on Israel to immediately end the bombardment. A message must go across from the EU that this is not acceptable, a breach of international law and it cannot continue.”
“SDLP Youth are calling on everyone to sign an emergency petition by Avaaz on their website at http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace/ which calls on the European Union to ensure that a ceasefire is restored, to stop the bloodshed and address the humanitarian crisis.”
On November 28-30th SDLP Youth representative and Lecale Branch Secretary Barry Magee was in Madrid, Spain for a European Community Of Socialist Youth (ECOSY) bureau meeting and the Party of European Socialists (PES) Council.
With the European elections in June 2009 the PES Council provided an opportunity for social democrats and socialists from all over Europe to adopt the PES manifesto for the European elections.
The PES manifesto ”People First: A New Direction For Europe” was adopted in Madrid by over 232 delegates from 33 member parties. At the centre of the manifesto is building a new Social Europe- by putting people first.
SDLP Youth believe that this can be done through building a citizens’ Europe by engaging more young people in policy developments and enlarging the scope of youth exchanges.
During the year ECOSY formally adopted 9 Deliverables that would form the basis of the ECOSY input into the PES manifesto.
These deliverables include: 15 million new jobs by 2014 - better working conditions for young people; more social security - better public services; eradicate poverty - national minimum incomes and wages; no unnecessary bureaucracy - building a citizens Europe; better integration - tackling roots cause of migration; equal rights; sustainable lifestyles; no more unilateralism; and decent work for all.
SDLP Youth are very happy with our contribution into the final official ECOSY input into the PES manifesto. SDLP Youth input focused on creating a level playing field for agency workers; reforming the European social model in light of recent EU enlargement; addressing the current global economic malaise; and creating social responses to the globalisation of capital markets.
We want Change For Europe, We want to put People First!
Fantastic news. Historical significance. A victory for Civil Rights. A ‘Cooler’ America.
Many didn’t have faith in America to elect such an outstanding candidate. We all thought they’d pick the idiot. Of course, Americans shouldn’t blame us for thinking this - as they previously elected Bush & Cheney (in 2000 and 2004!).
Certainly, if the world could vote, 87.3% would have voted for Barack Obama - a majority voting for Obama in every country and terrority (except FYR Macedonia & Albania where people voted for McCain - not sure what’s going on there..).
This is how our politicians summed it up:
The decisiveness of his triumph and the hope which it heralds is in contrast to the divisiveness of previous elections. His election is a sign of positive progress, not just in the United States but in terms of international leadership. Mark Durkan MP MLA, SDLP Leader
I congratulate President-elect Barack Obama and Vice-President-elect Joe Biden, not only because they have Irish roots, not only because they are pledged to continue to support our own peace process, but because what they have done is historic by any standard. We have reached a turning point in international affairs and I believe we can all be more optimistic this morning. Dr Alasdair McDonnell MP MLA, SDLP Deputy Leader
Today, I’m sure many Americans wish they had our system, where Obama would win on 4th November and be inaugurated on 5th November. Nevertheless, even if we have to wait until January for Inauguration Day, the next 4 years and hopefully the next 8 years should be a lot brighter than the previous 8 years under Bush. America is in troubled economic times, but it has a lot to look forward to.
President Obama has been left a huge amount of work by his predecessor, but we believe he can make huge changes to the US and the world. He recognises the importance of civil rights in America, he recognises that climate change exists, and he has plans to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Avaaz have set up a “Goodbye Bush, Hello Obama” message board. Well, more a message wall - if you sign up on their website, they will display your message on a giant wall in Washington DC.
Dear President Obama:
As citizens across the world, we congratulate you on your election, and celebrate your campaign commitments to sign a strong new global treaty on climate change, close Guantanamo prison and end torture, withdraw carefully from Iraq, and double aid to fight poverty. No one country or leader can meet the world’s most pressing challenges alone, but working together as one world in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation, yes we can bring real and lasting change.
We also have to recognise the hard work on the Republican side *cough*. They sure kept us entertained.
Via Niall’s blog, two prankster DJ’s from CKY Radio in Montréal phone up Governor Sarah Palin (before the election) who believes that she is talking to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Due to last minute funding, SDLP Youth are able to send one representative to the IUSY - PYO Seminar 2008, which takes place from 30th October to 4th November in Beirut. This is an amazing opportunity but it’s just over a week away, and we must decide who to send by Tuesday (see deadline below).
The event is hosted by Progressive Youth Organisation of Beirut and 25 fellow representatives of IUSY (International Union of Socialist Youth) will attend.
Flight costs will be covered. IUSY/PYO will provide hotel accommodation and daily meals for all participants in Beirut.
Aims of the seminar
• To strengthen and support youth organizations and democratic forces in Lebanon that work towards democracy and openness, against fundamentalism and totalitarianism
• To share experiences in democratic organizing, gender conscious work, etc
• To update IUSY member organization about the political situation in Lebanon, and encourage common activities and projects
• To discuss and share views about the situation in the middle East in general, the current situation in Palestine in particular as well as to raise awareness about the situation of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
Do you want to attend for us? SDLP Youth have one place at the conference and we must decide who to send by Tuesday 21st October @ 12 midday (please note this is a final deadline!). Our representative will be required to represent the SDLP, to make speeches at the seminar, to share views on conflict resolution, and to send us back reports of the trip. This trip is open to all SDLP Youth members BUT previous experience at representing SDLP Youth in Ireland will be necessary before you can represent us internationally.
Palestinian student Haneen Wishah has been granted a visa by the Israeli government, allowing her to travel from Palestine to Egypt, and she is now in Ireland preparing to start her course at the University of Ulster in Coleraine.
SDLP Youth urged everyone to sign a Trócaire petition to the Israeli ambassador earlier this month so we are delighted to hear that Haneen can now begin her Masters in Business Innovation scholarship.
Here’s what Haneen had to say:
Dear friend,
I want to address you like that because to me you are indeed a friend. You are somebody who helped to bring about something that I thought was impossible - as of almost one week ago I am out of Gaza!
I want to express my heartfelt thanks for all the efforts you made on my behalf - emails, phonecalls, faxes, meetings, letters, media interviews; everything that was done contributed to the decision by the Israeli military to let me out of Gaza to pursue my studies in the University of Ulster.
I am so grateful.
My Dad, who works for the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza, has always said to me that we are made stronger because of the support of people all around the world. Now I appreciate how true this really is. You helped me to keep hope even in the darkest of times.
So I am grateful personally. But I am also grateful as a Palestinian. All the actions which you took helped to highlight my plight but also the plight of 1.5 million other Palestinians trapped in Gaza. So, thanks to you, and to Trócaire for arranging this wonderful campaign on my behalf.
Because I am one of the lucky ones. Even though it took over one year and the efforts of countless numbers of people - I got out. There are still hundreds of students stuck in Gaza, unable to fulfill their dreams and their potential. That is not to mention the cancer patients who can’t get access to radiography machines or the farmers who can not export their figs or their strawberries.
Gaza is still under siege. The work to free it, and the people in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, must continue.
Some of you may have heard that Mahmoud Darwish, the Palestinian national poet, died recently. One of my favourite poems of his was called ‘Under Siege’. I always find this verse inspirational:
“Here on the slopes of hills, facing the dusk and the cannon of time
Close to the gardens of broken shadows,
We do what prisoners do,
And what the jobless do:
We cultivate hope.”
This is our job as Palestinians, as people living under 41 years of occupation, 60 years of nakba and refugee status - to ‘cultivate hope’. I want to thank you again for helping us to do this.
Yours sincerely,
Haneen Wishah
PS. And, who knows, perhaps as I start my studies in Coleraine we may bump into each other on the streets there to talk about how to free the other 1.5 million Gazans living under siege.:)
SDLP Youth have today urged people to sign a petition calling on the Israeli government to allow Palestinian student Haneen Wishah to travel to Ireland to begin a Masters in Business Innovation scholarship at the University of Ulster.
Haneen Wishah is a 23-year old student living in the Gaza Strip, but she is trapped there as the Israeli government will not supply a visa to allow her to cross the border into Egypt and on to Ireland.
The petition by Trócaire is sent to the relevant Israeli ambassador in Dublin or London with the following message:
I am writing to you to express my serious concern at the situation of Haneen Wishah, a 23 year old Palestinian student living in the Gaza Strip. Haneen is a bright, talented young woman - people like her are the future of peace in the region. Israel is punishing the entire population of Gaza - including Haneen - for rocket attacks into Israel. This is not only unfair it is illegal, in violation of article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Haneen is innocent and should not be punished for something she is not personally responsible for.
This summer Hanneen was offered a scholarship to study a Masters in Business and Innovation in the University of Ulster.
However, Haneen has been unable to get a visa to leave the Gaza Strip via Israel and is prevented from leaving through the Rafah crossing point to Egypt, over which Israel maintains effective control. Haneen is now seeking permission to travel out of Gaza to study at the University of Ulster this September.
If we want to have a just and lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis then international humanitarian law must be respected and people like Haneen must be encouraged. I appeal to you to immediately issue Haneen with a visa so that she can leave Gaza to pursue her studies.
SDLP Youth have today urged people to sign a petition calling for ex-President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe to resign from his autocratic post.
It is four and a half months since Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC won power, but they have been denied their seats by Robert Mugabe who controls the army.
Most of the country is starving, but the media can’t see the real situation while they are banned. Humanitarian agencies are not allowed to distribute food themselves, and must give it to the government to distribute. Inflation has gone up by 40,000,000% and probably more while you read this.
Zanu PF and its army operate torture camps in former primary schools, and 12 opposition MPs are currently in jail on false charges.
Once Mugabe is removed, the EU, US and UK have pledged $1.9 billion in finance to support Zimbabwe’s economy and feed it’s starving citizens.
This weekend in S Africa, Mugabe meets with 15 other African leaders to discuss the progress of talks with the opposition. A massive group of trade unionists will march through Johannesburg calling for Mugabe to resign, supported by 100,000 people who have signed the Avaaz petition. The trade unionists are also threatening to stop handling any Zimbabwean goods, therefore cutting off trade to the country, if the talks do not have a satisfactory result.
The latest polls from the US continue to suggest a 3-5 point lead for Obama! There are 80 days to election day, and even though Obama is on holiday in Hawaii, the press continue to follow him over McCain. Go Obama!
Via Stony River Farm, the Dover company reports that their Obama Paper Dolls are out-selling the McCain Paper Dolls!
For only $7.99 you can own “beautifully rendered paper dolls featuring Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters. The elegantly designed set includes a complete wardrobe of authentic outfits worn by the couple on the campaign trail.”
SDLP Youth will take part in the upcoming demonstrations to protest at the visit of US President George W. Bush on Monday 16th June.
Announcing the decision to protest, SDLP Youth Campaigns Officer Liam McNulty said:
“As the party of civil rights we will not be welcoming the visit of a man whose contribution to rights and liberties includes the Patriot Act, illegal wiretapping, ‘extraordinary rendition’ of terrorist suspects and Guantanamo Bay.”
“We opposed the war in Iraq and believe that George Bush has unleashed a humanitarian disaster on the people of that country, has radicalised young men across Europe in a way which harms our own national security, has fundamentally damaged stability in the Middle East and has done untold damage to the global economy.”
“SDLP Youth puts great importance on social justice and we are resolutely opposed to Bush’s policies which can be summed up as tax breaks for the rich and tax burdens for the poor. For all their socialist rhetoric we are dismayed at the decision of Sinn Féin’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness to extend an invite to visit the North of Ireland to such a man.”
“We would call on any right-minded person to join us in our protest on Monday to oppose the President’s visit and for politicians to consult their consciences before extending the hand of friendship to a man many consider to be a war criminal.”
Newry SDLP Youth activists were joined by party Vice-Chairman Cllr Colin McGrath on Saturday to distribute leaflets to shoppers in the city alerting them to the fact that the clothes they are buying may have been made using slave labour.
SDLP Youth Chairman Gary McKeown said: “Shoppers in Newry might think they are getting a bargain when they buy something from a high street retailer for a low price, but with these multinationals making massive profits each year, it is the people who manufacture such clothes who often lose out.
“SDLP Youth has uncovered evidence that a number of major clothing retailers are paying people in countries such as Bangladesh next to nothing for making clothing items. Suppliers for some highstreet fashion companies pay workers as little as £1.13 for a nine-hour day. Others pay 5p an hour to employees who have to work for up to 14 hours a day.
“It is easy to turn a blind eye to this because these unfortunate workers live on the other side of the world, but every time we buy an item that has been manufactured in this way, we are stamping our seal of approval on the use of slave labour.
Mr McKeown concluded: “We aren’t calling for a boycott of retailers, but we are asking shoppers to question where their clothing comes from and to pressurise major chains into making sure that their clothes are manufactured ethically. The only way to do this is through buyer-power.”
