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.
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 chair Cllr Matthew McDermott has criticised the Prime Minister Gordon Brown for his proposal to sell off the Student Loan Book in the proposed list of assets to be sold off and warned that the review into student fees must not reflect the wishes of Vice Chancellors but rather represent the needs of students, particularly our most vulnerable.
Matthew said, ‘ Gordon Brown has proposed selling off government assets to offset the budget deficit. While this is an approach we would generally welcome to avoid severe cuts, we can’t support the selling off of the student loan book. Selling this off will undoubtedly lead to higher interest rates for students in the future. It is a shortsighted move that is ill thought out and does not represent the wishes of the vast majority of students.
‘ Add this to the fact that University UK (UUK) the body representing UK Vice Chancellors has called for a rise in fees to about £5 000 per year and the CBI has called for ‘restricted’ maintenance grants and this equals a bad deal for students.
‘ The government will be reviewing all this in November and we will be asking our SDLP MP’s to make representations to the government opposing these moves and join the Labour Backbenchers organising against any increase in fees.
Continuing Matthew said, ‘ SDLP Youth will also be stepping up a student awareness campaign across our universities calling on the Student Loan Book to remain in public ownership, no fee hike and no tampering of the maintenance grants.
‘ If the government goes ahead with any of these moves we are heading for a situation whereby University will only be for societies most wealthy and exclude young people from poorer backgrounds. A situation that is unsustainable.
This year again, SDLP Youth had a very successful Freshers Fayre at Queen’s University recruiting new members and promoting the party’s unique brand of social democracy and progressive values.
Commenting after the event SDLP Youth Chair Matthew McDermott said, ‘ SDLP Youth at Queen’s had another very successful year. This year it was clearly evident that there is growing dissatisfaction at the inability of both the DUP and SF to deliver anything tangible for young people while in government.
‘Our message today was simple; “enough is enough”, it’s time to take our future into our own hands. The time for the DUP and SF to stop patting themselves on the back, for literally sitting round a table, is well and truly over. The recession is deepening while the cost of living is soaring. Young people of our generation, more than any other, accept that things have got to change - and the chances of this happening while the DUP and SF are in power, are slipping further and further away.
Universities and Colleges representative Connor Daly said, ‘This was a great opportunity for SDLP to engage with young people and we succeeded in recruiting many young interested new members.
‘ SDLP Youth will be carrying out a progressive program of work this year, tackling issues that are important and relevant.
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.
5
Friday
7.30pm
Conference expresses its concern at the ever-increasing evidence of alcohol and substance misuse and calls on the Northern Ireland Executive to produce a long term strategy addressing the issues of alcohol/drug availability and accessibility.
We urge the Department of Health to investigate the reasons behind the abuse and for the Department to further highlight the long-term health risks of misuse with particular focus on the potential harm to young people.
22
Motion from Assembly Group. Relevant to young people.
23
Friday
7.30pm
Conference supports the introduction of a Sexual Health Strategy which will serve to improve, protect and promote sexual health and well being n the north of Ireland.
However, conference believes that the introduction of effective sexual health awareness education in schools, not limited to sex between heterosexual people, has not been addressed by this strategy. Conference urges the DHSSPS and the DE to implement this as a matter of urgency.
Conference condemns the criminalisation of young people by the Northern Ireland Assembly due to its lack of support for the age of consent to be reduced to 16.
Conference calls for an increase of GUM facilities across Northern Ireland and the introduction of mobile GUM clinics.
24
Friday
7.30pm
Conference condemns the decision by the Government in the Republic of Ireland not to introduce the school based national programme to vaccinate 12-year-old girls against the HPV virus which causes cervical cancer.
25
Friday
7.30pm
Conference expresses its concern for the outcomes for children looked after by the state, which have not improved since the launch of the Care Matters Strategy.
Conference calls for the Care Matters Strategy to be adequately resourced and implemented.
31
Friday
8.30pm
Conference welcomes the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America and urges his administration to pursue a progressive international agenda and uphold and promote international law and diplomacy.
44
Friday
9.45pm
Conference condemns the DUP for it’s blatant homophobic attitude as expressed recently by Iris Robinson MP MLA and Ian Paisley Jnr MLA.
The SDLP makes no apology for being a party that deplores intolerance and promotes equal rights for all citizens.
52
Friday
9.45pm
Conference calls on the government in the south to pass Civil Partnership legislation.
59
Saturday
10am
Conference expresses its concern at the current Minister for the Environments policy to close issues at the border. This conference calls on the Minister for the Environment to embrace the reality that Ireland in environmental terms is a single eco-system, and calls for greater co-operation and joint ministerial responsibility north and south.
64
Saturday
10am
Conference expresses its disappointment at the rejection of an independent Environmental Protection Agency for the north of Ireland by the Department for the Environment. Conference calls for the EPA to be established and for the Assembly group to continue lobbying on this important issue.
75
* Note: Text from this motion has instead been included in a composite motion 3.
Saturday
10.40am
Conference supports Minister for Social Development Margaret Ritchie for her ongoing determination to fight for real change for social and affordable housing for young people in Northern Ireland and congratulates her for her work to date.
Further, conference condemns Sinn Fein and the DUP in their vain attempts to deny Margaret Ritchie the resources to do this work through the weak Budget and Programme for Government.
92
Saturday
11.30am
Conference supports a £6 minimum wage for all workers over 16 years old – including those on apprenticeships and employed through agencies, to rise with the rate of inflation and opposes any attempt to impose a regional variation on the minimum wage.
99
Saturday
11.30am
Conference calls on the Minister for Employment and Learning to tackle the unemployment and underemployment of young people in NI.
116
Saturday
2.40pm
Conference supports and is proud of the fact that SDLP is a social democratic and labour movement, that SDLP has a social democratic and labour ethos at its core and asserts that this can never be compromised or negotiated away.
117
Saturday
2.40pm
Conference calls on the Leadership of the Party to engage with and enthuse the electorate at this time of extreme economic hardship; by communicating our alternative policies we can demonstrate how effective we can be in addressing the interests of the people.
121
Saturday
3.30pm
Conference condemns the actions of the Chief Constable in authorising TASER use by the PSNI.
137
Saturday
4.15pm
Conference calls on the Education Minister to stop playing politics with children’s lives and to resolve the situation surrounding post-primary education. The Minister must bring forward a strong and structured policy, which has been fully costed and which fully rejects the failed policy of academic selection.
144
Saturday
4.15pm
Conference fully supports integrated education as a viable and important aspect of creating a fully integrated society and a truly shared future.
149
Saturday
4.15pm
Conference urges the University of Ulster to abolish the Political Protocol
152
Saturday
4.15pm
Conference believes that all third level education should be completely free of charges.
162
Motion from Bellevue/Whiteh.. Relevant to young people.
193
Saturday
5.40pm
Conference calls upon the Irish government to encourage Irish television and radio stations to broadcast on the digital free-to-view platform in Northern Ireland. The majority of households in Northern Ireland now receive digital free-to-view television and radio, yet none of the southern broadcasters have applied to broadcast on the platform.
Conference calls on the Minister for Communication, Eamon Ryan TD to use his departments influence to encourage companies to join the digital platform. The government has a duty to extend the scope of availability of Irish broadcasting in Northern Ireland.
Composite Motion 11
The part submitted by the youth group:
Conference unambiguously opposes water charges and condemns the Minister for Regional Development Conor Murphy MP MLA for failing to take the decision to scrap them.
Further, this conference calls on Conor Murphy to come clean and publicly state his intentions on the future of Water Taxes
The debate will also be open to members of the Audience, so this will be your chance to put your questions to the leaders of tomorrow about where society should be going for our future!
This may interest SDLP Youth members
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ASSISTANT PRESS OFFICER
The SDLP is seeking to appoint an assistant press officer on a six-month temporary contract. This post should be of interest to anyone considering a career in journalism. It is available immediately.
Key Purpose – To assist in the day-to-day activities of the SDLP Press Office, particularly preparation of press releases and publications and the presentation of the party’s Assembly, Parliamentary and Council Groups through traditional and new electronic media.
Criteria
A thorough knowledge of modern communication techniques throughout all media.
A keen interest in politics and policy processes in Ireland, Britain and Europe.
Strong writing skills and a proven track record in communications and/or media or a related field.
Experience in the use of information technology, PC-based systems, word processing software and the internet.
Experience in web design, page layout and knowledge of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop will be considered an advantage.
Weekend and evening work will be required. The post holder must demonstrate how s/he can fulfil mobility requirements as travel throughout Ireland may be necessary.
To apply
Please send your cv with covering letter to Ruairi O’Kane, SDLP Director of Communications at ruairi.okane@sdlphq.ie by no later than 12 noon Friday 9 January 2009.
