A Tale of Two Neighbours

I parked outside their home only a few weeks ago. As I idly waited for my passenger, I looked at the low-roofed building wedged in between the bigger business premised round about. Lace drapes hung in the little windows and in one, I could see a glass vase holding some pretty flowers. ‘That’s a home,’ I remember thinking, ‘Someone who lives here cares enough to make the place look special’. Then the door slowly opened and a small man stepped out, dressed simply in a navy jumper and dark trousers. A hunchback with a gentle face. He stood on the pavement and silently surveyed the street, up and down, and then he simply soaked in the sunshine of the beautiful summers day. Here was Tom Blaine, king of his quiet sphere.

Just a few yards around the corner from this peaceful humble place is the office of Enda Kenny. It too is small and unpretentious, but the whole town, indeed the whole country, know who Mr. Kenny is. Castlebar is very much the Taosieach’s town and many here are proud of the ‘power’ the Mayo man, ‘one of ourselves,’ has attained.  He is rarely there, as the pressing responsibility of ruling the country and developing the nation as a successful, ‘safe’ place in which to live, demands much of his attention.

But so much has changed since that quiet afternoon on New Antrim Street. Never again will Tom walk through that little door and gaze peacefully around at his world. Never again will the traffic kindly come to a halt and let him make his crossing as he takes a stroll around the town. For Tom and his brother Jack were cruelly murdered in their home on Tuesday night.

They were needy.  They were harmless, vulnerable, human. Their deaths have reverberated around the community bringing a devastating sense of loss; they have also forced us to take a cold hard look at the state of our society. They should not have died. Their deaths have no reason.

But it cannot be simply coincidence that as they were battered to death in a town which ought to have insured that nothing like that would ever happen, their neighbour was making a new law that in his country, vulnerable, helpless human beings could be killed – in certain cases. Mr. Kenny was resolutely facilitating the passing of a Bill by his government that would legalize abortion in Ireland – a bill destined to tragically end the lives of precious, vulnerable and helpless unborn children. The Bill this week has passed through the Dail ad looks set to become part of Irish law.

Forgive me, but I cannot help seeing seeing in one event the reflection of another.  What sort of a society have we that can produce young men like Alan Cawley? No, we cannot foist the guilt onto a minority group, or say that an Irish person would never do such a thing. One of our own is responsible for the deaths of two quiet men who could not protect themselves. And yet, what sort of a leader have we that can push through a piece of deathly legislation, against the wishes of thousands of citizens, and make Ireland an even more dangerous place for the vulnerable, the helpless, the most precious of our society?

Two neighbours; Tom Blaine, and his brother, needy and vulnerable, brutally murdered – Enda Kenny, powerful and ‘self-sufficient’, responsible now for innocent blood. Terrible things have happened in Castlebar this week. We will miss Tom and Jack Blaine...and how many more?

The Class Rep Fiasco: Is there a Solution?

published as an opinion piece in the latest edition of NUIG's student paper

At the last Student Council, held on the 28th of February, no decisions could be made because the meeting did not reach quorum: the SU has 320 class reps on its records for this academic year, yet not even 16% could make it that evening. We waited patiently in the shadowy expanse of the Cairnes Theatre and slowly a few faithfuls straggled in through the creaking doors. But it wasn’t enough.
It wasn’t that we didn’t have anything to discuss. There were the troublesome ‘non-NUIG related Rag Week’ events to be considered and there were important motions relating to the Irish economic crisis and a Code of conduct for Exec members to be voted upon. However we ended up having simply an informal discussion which was interesting, but absolutely useless as nothing concrete was achieved, and everything was postponed.

It looks like Class Reps just aren’t interested in the Students Union anymore. The question is, were they ever interested? The Students Union represents the students at university level, and the work of class representatives – the real workers at grassroots level - is essential to an effective democratic process. Only the conscientious, dedicated engagement of class reps with their Students Union will achieve any sort of positive change in the quality of life we experience on the campus of NUIG. The Students Union are our voice at the board meetings, at the academic councils, at Udaras na hOllscoil. Without us, the 320 Class Reps, the Students Union is not a representative Union, but rather a group of individuals who will make decisions based on what they assume we want – or in some cases unfortunately on what they want.

Recently NUIG’s Education Officer Conor Healy, aware of the alarming disinterest of class reps in engaging with their union, carried out a survey in an attempt to identify the root of this problem. He discovered that most classes were quite happy with their class reps; ‘they organised class parties, they worked with lecturers when problems arose and performed their day-to-day tasks well’. However a lack of information about and awareness of the SU was highlighted; reps felt that they weren’t integrated into the Union and that attending SU Council was not relevant to them. The Council was also deemed as being ‘not fun’; meetings were described as ‘fragmented’ and reps said they wouldn’t go back because they were afraid of all the arguing that went on.

So the system needs to be changed; Healy mentioned that the idea of having two reps per class – academic and social – might be an option. He also stated that the role needs to be ‘glamourised’. ‘In NUIG a show of hands elects the class rep and the main attraction of the job is the hoody. In UCD by contrast elections are a big deal, with flyering, manifestos – real campaigning goes on and a proper election is held. Reps get discounted tickets to SU events but the attraction really is in the prestige.’
But will mere glamorisation and more engagement from the SU change our failed system? Reps that are ‘afraid’ of some animated discussion may need more than a ticket to the SU Session to entice them into the dangerous war arena that is the SU Council. Some universities in England offer financial incentives for attending meetings; others offer free print credit, ECTS credits, and the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand even offers scholarships to those who have done exceptional work. But even if such progressive steps were taken, would the situation here improve?
If a vigorous discussion frightens a student representative and a rousing argument prevents you from attending Student Council ever again, the problem is not that the job isn’t glamorous enough. The problem is that the majority of our class representatives just don’t care, disrespect democracy and despise debate (except if it’s about the abolishment of Rag Week, of course). Strong words I know, but unfortunately true. Apathy reigns supreme in our university culture at the moment and empty SU councils simply prove this point; the challenge now lies with the SU to address this problem, make itself more relevant to the student population and teach us all by its own actions how important active, conscientious participation in student democracy is.

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.

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.

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.

Election 2011

Election fever has hit the country. Lampposts and gateways are decorated with huge posters and placards and various smiling faces look down at you all the time. Truth, honesty and integrity are recurring themes; some individuals promise so many good qualities one wonders whether they are human at all...that no-one is perfect is a common-accepted fact, yet some would-be politicians profess perfect characters and furthermore deny their actions of past months and years.

It has been said that this is the 3rd major crisis of the Irish state: the first was when Ireland was fighting for its independence from Britain, the second was the time of the Emergency and World War 2 and the third is now. Many possibilities loom before us - with principled leaders we could fight our way through the mire of depression to rise at some stage in my lifetime into a time of prosperity once again, without principled leaders we face the terrible prospect of becoming a slave country, a colonized province once again, the chattel of Europe. Irish people have a legacy of oppression, and yet a legacy of victory. The greedy arms of the Roman Empire never reached this little island that lay on the outskirts of Europe, and when that Empire fell, as it had to, Ireland preserved the tenets of civilization, lived up to its name of 'the Land of Saints and Scholars' and slowly helped a crippled Europe out of the despair of the Dark Ages. Today we remain that troublesome island - yet now it is for the shoddiness of our elected representatives that the world has an interest in us. These men who saw the quickest way of filling their own pockets as being the most important goal of their time in office have brought the country to its knees.

So what can be done? I for one am filled with a sense of disillusionment as I survey the current political prospects. My support is going to Martin Daly, an Independent Candidate who is running for election because he cares about the future of Ireland. But what can one man do? European power is not something to be treated lightly and the EU has a particular interest in the country of Ireland.

God moves in mysterious ways and He delights to use the small things of the world to confound the mighty. His ways are not our ways, and as we move to fulfill His commands and do the sometimes strange things He requires of us, there is hope in this one thing - He is in control and above all. God too is interested in Ireland, and beyond the speculations and plans of political parties, His purposes are being, and will be, worked out.

The only light in the window for those who love Ireland comes from an unshakable faith in God.

December Blues

Its that time of the year again. Unfortunately it seems to mirror itself in me...my stupid feelings. Maybe Accai berries might help:)

First the country was ripped apart by the news that we had to be bailed out. Okay we knew we were in trouble...this recession was lasting way too long. But did Cowen and Co., the democratic leaders of a supposedly democratic country, share with their long-suffering people the real nature of the problem? Oh no. Instead they denied that a bailout was even going to happen; a couple of days later when the news exploded on TV screens and Twitter, one got the feeling that Irish people were supposed to believe that Bailout Package was a bit like a Christmas present - received with excitement, carefully unwrapped, a wonderfully successful surprise.

Ireland is the laughing-stock of the....world, right now. But do you know what? THEY don't seem to realise. How alarming. They smile and simper and beam and shake hands and are grateful for any word (positive or negative) from her Holiness Merkel. And at the same time, German domination slowly seeps into Irish society, manifesting itself in curious ways like wooden huts in Eyre Square where big-bellied country men dressed inappropriately in Lederhosen and Trachtl brave the icy Atlantic cold to sit on benches outside Galway's version of OKtoberfest - except here there's only one tent and its not in October but December.

There are also the mysterious notices stuck to Pennys windows, notifying the general public of job opportunities in Primark stores in Frankfurt. Sure its only a 6 euro Ryanair flight away...Who wants to be in Ireland anyway?

But anyway, now there's the BIg Freeze. So much fun. So convenient. Only thing is, the country's losing money by the million euro. For some reason I've got the 1918 Lockout in my head and the dramatic and patriotic actions of that wonderful character Jim Larkin.

I wonder who the Jim Larkin of 2010 is going to be?