A World of Desert Islands

In Ireland, suicide rates are sadly soaring, especially among young men. I wrote this piece in the space of about an hour one Saturday afternoon as I stared into the embers of glowing fire in my cosy sitting-room. Now to put it into practice...

I’ve never been visited one, but from photographs they look idyllic; no human beings live upon them and many are devoid of even rough fisherman’s huts. Sometimes I simply want one of these beautiful desert islands all for myself - a little patch of palm-treed land in the middle of an azure blue sea, with golden sands and beautiful sunshine all day long. There time stands still; no appointments to keep, no lectures to attend, no questions to answer, no issues to be concerned about, no people to be bothered by...ah yes, on some of these dark, wet February days when I find it hard to believe that spring time really is here, I wish I had the wings of a bird and could fly away to my special place. The place where I choose everything myself and create my ideal world - my very own desert island.

But I know I'd soon tire of it. After about an hour, I would be walking to the edge of the soft, white sand and craning my eyes to see if there was anything interesting on the horizon, any ship I could call out to, any island I could swim to and explore. I would soon be restlessly pacing in the shade under the luscious palm trees, books thrown aside, sick and tired already of my own company. Why? Because no human being is designed to be - as John Donne so wonderfully put it – ‘an island unto himself’. Human beings are social creatures. Human beings are designed to relate to each other, to be interested in each other and to interact with each other in order to reach their potential.

Desert islands. Creating your dream life. Making everything fit perfectly, eliminating any distractions, any imperfections, anything annoying; pretending that the nasty things and the awkward people just don't exist; constantly reassuring yourself that the main thing that matters in this world is your own well-being. Deceive yourself if you want and ask the insolent question 'Am I my brother's keeper, my sister’s keeper? ' The fact is - you are; you have a responsibility for the person next to you – whether it's your brother, your sister, your friend, the girl in the tutorial that no-one wants to sit beside, the sad young man in the train station with his head in his hands, the stressed out mother, the lonely pensioner on the bus who never meets anyone from Monday through to Sunday - all humans, all part of this amazing yet terrible world, all unique individuals. Would you believe it if I said - ‘You have a responsibility for your fellow man'? Because, believe it or not, you do.

All you have to do is say hello, give a quick smile, listen to a rambling story, offer a word of encouragement, be there for a laugh and maybe some tears, send a text, press a 'like' button, retweet a tweet...or maybe you could go a bit further and ask 'How are you?' Don't accept the mere platitudes, the meaningless 'I'm fine', the talk of things like sport or the weather or what happened last night on Coronation Street that evade real, honest communication. In a country where suicide rates are soaring, don't stupidly believe it'll never happen to one of your classmates, one of your friends, one of the group of guys you always hang out with. Ask the question 'How are you?' and wait for the real answer – it will come if you wait long enough.

The desert island is attractive – but just for a little while. Remember it is a desert, and remember that no - one is an island unto him/herself. You are your brother's and your sister’s keeper.

NUI Galway's SU passes No Platform Policy while Survey gives Startling Result

On the 7th November the Student Council was presented with three important motions; a motion to provide a statement of solidarity with Occupy Galway, a motion supporting a No Platform ban by the SU, and a motion regarding how SU officers present at SU council. After discussion, all three motions were passed.

The No Platform motion proposed that the SU will be mandated to automatically oppose any invitation to members of listed organisations to speak at this university. SU officers shall be prohibited from sharing a public platform with members of the listed organisations. Organisations are to be added and removed by ballot at class reps council. The listed organisations included the BNP, The National Front, Combat 18, Column 88, MPAC Ireland and Hizb ut – Tahir. After a short discussion on the motion, it was passed with an overwhelming majority of 55 – 2.

The idea of a No Platform policy originated in the United Kingdom, where it has been adopted into the Constitution of the National Union of Students; it was instituted in the 1990s to prevent members of the BNP to stand for SU elections. Some universities have decided not to endorse this policy, including the University of East Anglia and the University of Bath; the University of Durham disaffiliated from the NUS in 2010 after a cancelled multiculturalism event involving two BNP speakers led to thousands of students joining an internet campaign dubbed 'Durham University Students for Freedom of Speech'.

Essentially the policy proposes to ban members of fascist and/or racist organisations from speaking on the NUIG campus. Will O'Brien, Equality Officer, who proposed the motion, says that such a policy is essential in Ireland because 'we don't have a far-right extremist wing, and we need to do everything we can to maintain this.' He commented, 'Nothing good comes from it, it destroys countries and takes decades to get rid of.'

Dealing with accusation that such a policy violates free speech, Will said that the platform being denied is not a right but a privilege. 'It is not an entitlement for everybody. Fascism and racism are fundamentally opposed to democracy, and simply are incapable of being part of the democratic conversation.' He is adamant that it is of vital importance that such ideas be refused admission to campuses, as they bring nothing but damage and ruin.

At the Class Rep meeting, one student raised questions about how the No Platform policy connected to the idea of tolerance that is purported to be of paramount importance in today's society. She said, 'How far will this idea of banning certain speakers and organisations go? On the university campus of all places, are we not professing to provide a marketplace of ideas, free discourse and discussion? Instead of banning certain groups, we should educate students against them and then encourage them to protest and express their beliefs; instead of forbidding, we should promote the opposite to facism and racism in such a way that students will see absolutely no attraction in such ideologies. In facilitating our version of tolerance we need to be careful we are not becoming intolerant.'

A survey carried out by SIN after the meeting amongst students revealed that out of 154 students, 96% reported that their class reps had not consulted them concerning the motion. 48% said they would have voted against the No Platform proposal, which is sizeable advance on the 3.6 % who voted No at the Council meeting. One class rep reported that he received the motions on the day of the vote and did not have time to consult his class. Other reps did not receive the motions at all and were only introduced to them at the meeting.

These results put a question over the way in which the SU is carrying out its duties respecting class reps and correct student representation. There are clear administration difficulties as well as problems guaging correctly the opinion of the whole student body. The No Platform policy is a very important issue and requires substantial consideration and debate, which it unfortunately has not received in this instance.

The Parable of the Child

A young school teacher had a dream that an angel appeared to him and said, "You will be given a child who will grow up to become a world leader. How will you prepare him so that he will realize his intelligence, grow in confidence, develop both his assertiveness and sensitivity, be open-minded, yet strong in character? In short, what kind of education will you provide that he can become one of the world's truly GREAT leaders?"

The young teacher awoke in a cold sweat. It had never occurred to him before -- any ONE of his present or future students could be the person described in his dream. Was he preparing them to rise to ANY POSITION to which they may aspire? He thought, 'How might my teaching change if I KNEW that one of my students were this person?' He gradually began to formulate a plan in his mind.

This student would need experience as well as instruction. He would need to know how to solve problems of various kinds. He would need to grow in character as well as knowledge. He would need self-assurance as well as the ability to listen well and work with others. He would need to understand and appreciate the past, yet feel optimistic about the future. He would need to know the value of lifelong learning in order to keep a curious and active mind. He would need to grow in understanding of others and become a student of the spirit. He would need to set high standards for Himself and learn self discipline, yet he would also need love and encouragement, that he might be filled with love and goodness.

His teaching changed. Every young person who walked through his classroom became, for him, a future world leader. He saw each one, not as they were, but as they could be. He expected the best from his students, yet tempered it with compassion. He taught each one as if the future of the world depended on his instruction.
After many years, the results of his teaching became obvious. Almost all of his pupils had reached positions of respect and command in the world.

The Moral of the Story
For the Teacher: Treat each child as a potential world leader. Only God knows the future, yet your duty is to train up those you have responsibility for in the best way you can. Teach them respect for authority, love for each other and belief in themselves.

For the Student: Work each day with your aim as ‘World Leader’!Just as huge oak trees grow from tiny acorns, so great responsibility comes from small faithfulnesses. Learn to be self-disciplined now so that you can bring order to forthcoming chaotic situations. Practice loving your classmates today so that you can minister to the hearts of others tomorrow. Know the facts of the past so that you can improve the future.

Remember that today’s world is crying out for wise and ready leaders.

The Story of the Widow's Son

Summer is a good time for caravanning, relaxing and clearing out. Especially when there’s a Cash for Clothes shop in town. On this particular occasion however I was sorting through piles of old books, cataloguing them for a hopeful sale, which might or might not happen…In the process I found a special book which I had studied at the tender age of 15.

Sporting an off-white cover with orange arrows criss-crossing over it, its title ‘Exploring English’ gave no hint of the wonders within. At first glance its interior provoked dismay - dull pages with lines of small black type, regular instances of those dreaded ‘Dig Deeper’ questions and not a picture in sight. ‘Let’s start here!’ said my wonderful teacher and, gathering around the comforting gas heater, we began our journey into the world of Irish short stories which soon proved to be fascinating.

I think it was truly then that words alone came alive for me. I learned how a writer could create a whole world with a few adept phrases, a brief description of a passing expression, some sparse details about a rural landscape, an adjective, a name. I experienced how a half-page of print could transport me into a world completely alien to my own, where the people were so different yet so alike in their fears, loves, thoughts, feelings and actions. I realised that the best stories were the simplest - the annual journey to the beach, the father returning to his childhood home with a nagging wife and bickering children, the decision to abandon a mercenary life so that one could have time to gaze at the stars, the widow whose precious son dies trying to save a chicken…

Yes, the story of the Widow’s Son was my favourite. Despite all the literature I have since read for school exams and at university, the story of Packy has always kept its place in my mind - its endless potential and yet its inevitable ending. The widow’s son is coming home from school on his bike, clutching a newly-won scholarship, down the steep, rough hill that leads to the little cottage. His mother watches him, this son that represents all she lives for, and their main source of income, the hens, cluster around her on the dusty road, pecking and clucking. Suddenly as Packy nears the humble abode a jittery hen zigzags out in front of the speeding bike and the cyclist brakes violently. The dust blows away to reveal an unharmed hen squawking as she waddles back to the others and an inert body lying on the road. The widow runs to her son, desperately wipes the grime from his face and realises the awful truth - the impact of the fall as the boy was thrown over the handlebars killed him. ‘Why did he try to save that useless chicken?’ she wails, as the neighbours gather around.

But there was another ending to the story too. Again Packy is coming home from school, and the widow watches as he zooms down the steep hill. Again the flighty hen crosses the road at the wrong time and again there is a squeal of brakes. When the dust blows away this time, there is a dead chicken on the road and a stunned boy covered with feathers and specks of blood. The widow runs to the hen, sees its lifeless state and turns on Packy. ‘You’ve killed the best egg-layer, you ungrateful wretch! You couldn’t care less, could you? Here am I, slaving away for you to get an education from day to day and you just go and kill my prime hen…! What am I, your servant, is it? Who gets your meals, your books, your clothes, provides a home for you to live in…?’ A crowd of neighbours have gathered to silently watch this dramatic scene. They take in every word, and waves of shame cover Packy. The next morning he has disappeared and a letter eventually arrives, saying he has got a job on a trawler and will send back money every week - ‘to pay for everything you’ve done for me.’

It made me think then, and it still does. Despite different happenings, the poor widow lost her son in both stories. How often we wonder about our lives and ask that ‘What if it was different? question! We dream up alternatives and paint beautiful pictures of perfect lives and happy endings. The only One who knows the real story of our lives from beginning to end is God; there seems to us to be sometimes a way that looks just perfect but ‘the end thereof are the ways of death.’(Prov 16:25) Only ‘His way is perfect.’ (Ps 18:30)

Happenings

Right now, I am preparing for my first teaching interview! I'm slightly nervous, wondering if I will be able to perform well, but at the same time I should think that a girl who has done so many German orals should find an interview in her own language easy enough!

At the same time, I'm considering doing an MA in History with NUI Galway. I have been offered a place by the School of History and, although I was initially firmly against returning to the much-trodden grounds of Áras na Mac Léinn and the Concourse, the idea is slowly growing on me. Any situation really is what you make of it yourself, and I think that if I resolve to act differently myself, set aside silly fears and assumptions and present a friendly, open face to everyone I meet, next year could be the opposite to what last year was. So much goes on inside active, imaginative minds and if I directed some of this 'creative energy' into projects outside of myself, I may find the year more fulfilling. The course itself appeals greatly to me.

Hmm...concerning Norris and Cox, the latest news is good news. Cox did not get the Fine Gael nomination and Norris campaign has suffered a fatal blow with the discovery that he used his position as a Senator to appeal for clemency for his ex-partner who had been charged with child abuse in Israel. The race looks set to lose the Grandpa-figure who is in reality a dangerous individual. These development have been an answer to prayer; it will be exciting to see what God does next.

Next week, I head for Deutschland. Back to Bayern and all it symbolizes. It will be a time of relaxation, thoughtfulness, sight-seeing and visiting. Periods of aloneness will give me time to start thinking about a thesis, which hopefully will have some form of European educational history at its center. It will be without a doubt interesting, and I look greatly forward to it.

Press On-Selah

I have been listening to this song over the last few days and it has been a real blessing to me. It is wonderful to know that behind everything we do there is a reason, behind every choice there is a right decision, and that behind every situation there is an omnipotent God.

Cox and Norris: the Mysteries of Irish Politics

The Irish Presidential election is on its way. It’ll be 3 months of pure hype, jammed radio lines, pointless TV debates where no conclusive result is ever reached and articles in the paper about which candidate has the best dress sense. Already its been crazy and in the midst of all the craziness, there’s unfortunately no rock of sense, no person to whom you can look and say, ‘He or She is the One for the House.’

In Ireland the abnormal can very quickly be seen as normal. A country which is fast developing dangerous Orwellian tendencies can now actually consider a man with pronounced views on incest and child abuse, David Norris, as a valid candidate for the Presidency. This is a country, remember, which has been ripped apart in recent years by discoveries that that hallowed institution, so dear to the hearts of Irish people, was home to the most cruel, sadistic child abusers that Ireland has perhaps ever seen. Lives, homes, communities, and indeed whole societies were wounded, sometimes fatally, by these revelations; yet we blindly embrace and endorse a man to be our President who holds these views. How completely contradictory and stupid can we be? Ireland should be rising from the battle, determined to become an international ambassador for vulnerable children and young people by showing an example in national policy and belief. Instead a man who endorses under-age sexual activity and says a case can be made for incest has the nerve to run for Presidency - indeed can top online polls and be nominated by members of government.

Lets look at another unbelievable situation. Imagine this: a man becomes a member of a party one day, and the next day is nominated by that party as their presidential candidate. Would that happen to me? No way. After years of ground work and building support I might garner enough guts to stand for a Local Council election - and then in all likelihood wouldn’t even get elected, because as we all know its usually second time successful. Then after a few more years I might get a seat in Leinster House; then after a few decades of fighting for the rights of the underprivileged or special needs children or in bridging the gap between warring factions in Limerick (using a new method which would soon prove to be successful with the drug gangs in Mexico City and the minority groups of South-East Ukraine) I might just feel confident enough to think about the Presidency. I would have to talk with other party members and logically assess my situation; standing for Party Nomination would require long speeches and promises and pledges, and then in the end I probably mightn’t even get it because there would be someone with much better qualifications (from Dublin, aristocratic background, key player in resolving Northern problem, Nobel Peace Prize winner etc) who would almost automatically receive it, and I would have to humbly bow out of the race and loyally support the nominee in every way I can.

Not so with Pat Cox. He can do in two days what the rest of us might hope to attain in a lifetime. He’s got a bit of an identity crisis I think, as he used to be an Independent, then he was part of Progressive Democrats and now of course he has taken a bit of a liking to Fine Gael. What Cox has though that makes him special are his friends in Europe, particularly those in the Spinelli group. And Europe have been pulling the strings in the Blueshirt party machine a bit. You see Ireland’s strong nationalistic spirit is hard one to crack and the powers that be are of the opinion that a strong European hand on the Irish helm could put a few things 'right'. But are they going to bludgeon their way through reality and force the impossible to happen? Apparently. They got Lisbon 2 passed, for example. I keep saying to myself, ‘This cannot happen! It’s wrong!’ but the personal opinion of the people and common sense just don’t seem to matter anymore.

So that’s the way it is at the moment. It’s just the beginning now and who knows what will happen during the next couple of months? In Ireland you expect the unexpected. I just hope that we won’t find ourselves descending further into the morass we’re in right now.