Racism and hate speech is dangerous and legitimises and provokes hate crime. Programmes such as Living With Lucy are designed not to critique or analyse the views of guests but to increase their popularity and familiarity with the general public.

Preservation of our beautiful native tongue which has been denied and destroyed for centuries needs to be prioritised by supporting native Irish speakers to live in West Kerry.

No human being deserves to beaten, killed or starved to death because of their ethnic and religious identity -- please stand up for the dignity and humanity of the Rohingya people. Despite the government of Myanmar's denial of state complicity, there is overwhelming evidence of state sanctioned violence and instances in which the military refuse to intervene and have even taken part in organised and premeditated attacks targeting Rohingyas. The Government of Myanmar must be held accountable for its complicity in the persecution of a vulnerable minority group. People all over the world including Ireland, respected and admired Aung San Suu Kyi. She was known as a figure of patience and peace, who eventually took back the power in her country peacefully from the military dictatorship in Myanmar. Her actions or lack thereof since, have made many people disappointed and angry. There has been no official position from Aung San Suu Kyi with regards to the human right violations that have been rampant as experienced by the Rohingya minority. The Rohingya in the Northern Rakhine State are being subjected to gang-rapes, executions, torture, mass arrests and the burning down of villages by the Burmese Army and security forces. A UN Human Rights report in February described what was happening in Rakhine State as likely to amount to crimes against humanity. An interim report in January by a commission set up by the Myanmar President claimed that there was no evidence that any human rights violations had been taking place in Northern Rakhine State since the army crackdown began in October. The UK Government has referred to this report as not credible.

After the attacks in America by racists wielding the confederate flag, it's important that Irish sports fans don't seem to be endorsing the racism long associated with the confederate flag. But, Cork's history as the rebel county should be celebrated, and this is a great opportunity to do it!

Because sometimes taking a stand is more important than gaining a short-term benefit.

Although many Au Pairs have been questioned, have had their mobiles confiscated, and some of them have been deported over the years, Paloma's case was particularly appalling. She was coming to Ireland as a tourist. Ireland has become a multicultural society which must be prepared to treat people fairly. It's important to review immigration practices in order to ensure reasonable use of legal powers over those arriving in Ireland, especially those from marginalised groups. An apology from the Minister of Justice will not change what Paloma has been through but it would demonstrate an attempt to recognise unfair practices and the commitment to tackle the issue.

The issue of racism in sports is a serious one, it particularly targets sportsmen of black ethnicity. Conor McGregor has repeatedly used racist language, jokes and allusions; and it is time that we tell him that Irish people don't find this acceptable nor a good example for our young people. Conor McGregor is one of Ireland's most renowned sportsman and a huge inspiration for many among Ireland's youth. He has in the past described Latino fighters as "cholos", "cockroaches" or threatened "to turn their favelas into sweatshops". Most recently he addressed a fellow African American sportsman telling him "dance for me boy" and talking about "dancing monkeys", racially charged sentences evoking the slavery past. It is important to tell Conor McGregor that racism is not a joke, it is not banter and that Ireland as a nation does not tolerate racism, in sports or elsewhere. More information below: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/king-conor-mcgregor-bigot-free-pass-article-1.3260252 http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/conor-mcgregor-floyd-mayweather-turn-trash-talking-notch-article-1.3321981

FG's Mayoral Candidate, Cllr. Stephen Keary, says "non-nationals" and "Eastern European benefit tourists" have caused the crises in hospitals and in social housing, citing no evidence whatsoever. He obviously hasn't met the huge numbers of Limerick people, many born elsewhere, keeping our over-crowded Hospital A&E Unit running night and day. After defending his uninformed remarks he's now manufactured an apology on the eve of his coronation as Mayor. Too little too late, we say. Time to step off the stage Cllr. Keary.

Galway City Council is planning to evict 10 families from Cúl Trá halting site in Lower Salthill, Galway leaving them homeless and with no alternative culturally appropriate accommodation.[1] This eviction would make over 42 people homeless including 22 children aged between 4 months and 10 years, some with medical conditions such as cystic fibrosis. The families were issued a notice to vacate by June 5th and Galway City Council has said it will consider court action if the ten families do not leave the site. Galway City Council has been well aware of overcrowding on Cúl Trá site for over a decade and yet no alternative halting site accommodation has been developed.[2] The Cúl Trá site was built 21 years ago to accommodate 6 families. No new halting site has been built in the city since. The 10 families that were served notices to vacate are the children of the 6 original families and have spent their whole lives living on the site. The families are part of the Salthill community with children attending local schools. One resident said that the children are the “heart and soul” of the community. If families are evicted they will be forced to leave their community and live on the side of the road without basic amenities. Kathleen Ward, one of the residents said; “The site is a fire and safety issue but isn’t it a fire and safety issue to put us out on the side of the road? We have nowhere to go”.[3] Galway City Council has proposed 3 pieces of land for temporary halting sites to address the Traveller accommodation crisis. Areas identified for the proposed sites are Ballymoneen Road, Headford Road and Westside. However, at a public council meeting, some local councillors have objected to these proposed halting sites. We are calling on Brendan McGrath to stop the Cúl Trá evictions and to use his executive powers to develop the proposed halting sites in Galway city. Notes 1. Galway City Council has a legal obligation to provide culturally appropriate accommodation under the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998. 2. The need for additional halting sites to provide accommodation for the families at risk of eviction has been included in successive Traveller Accommodation Programmes however no new halting site has been built. 3. In 2016, in the wake of the Carrickmines tragedy, a fire safety audit of Traveller specific accommodation was conducted by The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management and a report was compiled with recommendations to address fire safety issues. This report recommended that measures to address fire safety should not be used to address overcrowding or other broader site management issues.

It prohibits the “publishing or uttering [of] matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion”. Fundamentalist organisations have cited Ireland’s law as best practice and has even proposed the adoption of its precise wording to limit human rights on freedom of conscience. Now Stephen Fry is being investigated under this terrible law. Now its time to scrap it. http://www.thejournal.ie/stephen-fry-complaint-of-blasphemy-3376318-May2017/?utm_source=facebook_short

Bernie is giving a speech on June 4th which sold out after 1 minute. There are thousands of people who are willing to pay to hear him speak, to hear a voice for the people. Someone who stands up for the environment, all people and the planet as a whole. My hope is that hearing Bernie speak could spark the revolution that is needed in Ireland so we can transform our country and go back to the values it was founded on.

People are losing contact with people leading to poorer mental health. Libraries are ideal places to have a chat with someone. Also working there is a lovely satisfying job.

Please share this. (Letter from John Adams to all Cork City Councillors) To all the Councillors of Cork City, the important decision makers. Please Please Save the Port Of Cork Buildings I am writing to say it is so very very important that Cork City Council buys the Port Of Cork Buildings and they stay in public ownership. These amazing historical buildings have been put on the market recently. They are the most historical, prominent, visually beautiful buildings in Cork City. They are the first buildings we see when we arrive in Cork. They have the possibility to make this city very special. I have had a campaign to get these amazing buildings turned into a Port Of Cork Maritime Museum. These buildings were built during the Napoleonic Wars by the prisoners of Spike Island 200 years ago. They are in such an important piece of strategic land in the center of the city and on the historic waterfront. The idea of the Maritime Museum in this location would connect the City to The Harbour and would provide a perfect opportunity for ferry's to bring the people of Cork and tourists up and down the river Lee from Cork to the amazing Harbour and Spike Island. If a Maritime Museum is not the chosen usage of these buildings it is still vital that they stay in Public ownership and are open to the people of the city. Imagine what amazing public civic occasions on this magical important strategic site would be like, just wonderful. The Port Of Cork Company are so closely associated with and work with the County and City Council that it is possible some deal can be done without money being paid, I am convinced of this as an example of this kind of deal is the Dublin Port Company where they donated large areas of land to Dublin City Council. It will be a disgrace and show the lack of interest in our heritage of our politicians if these amazing buildings are allowed to go into private ownership. I am inviting people who are interested in these buildings to contact me and campaign to keep them in public ownership and make them into an important civic amenity. Regards, John Adams 4 Rahilly Street Cobh johnadamsartist@gmail.com

URGENT: A family are to be evicted from their home on Ferrycarrig halting site tomorrow Monday the 20th of March if we don't convince Wexford County Council to withdraw their complaint from An Gardaí. The family have small children and the council have failed to provide suitable alternative accommodation. But, if enough of us sign the petition and send it to Wexford County Council before tomorrow - we could make them change their mind and withdraw their complaint.

Ireland, unlike most other EU countries, has no hate crime legislation. The YES Equality campaign was an amazing show of public support for equality in Ireland. We want our government to take the next step, and protect those among us who are perceived to be different because of our skin colour, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical, intellectual, mental abilities and so on. We need to send a clear message that racism and hate have no place in our communities and that our society should be inclusive of all. The proposed Criminal Law (Hate Crime) Bill was drafted in 2015 and provides for sentencing to be increased and for crimes to be treated as more serious if prejudice or hate can be shown to be a motive. However, now that the Bill has been drafted, the Government has yet to take action to review and introduce it, leaving minorities in Ireland without protection. We have the draft legislation, so let’s put it into action! Please sign this petition to the Minister for Justice, who has power to enact this legislation. Let’s make sure she feels the strong pressure from thousands of us to protect our families, friends, neighbours and colleagues. Help us send out a strong message that we want to live in a truly inclusive Republic which values all of our minorities and the integrity of our communities. Let's make sure there is no space for hate in our country.

The lives of the asylum seekers depend on this 60 page form being filled in correctly. It will determine whether or not they will allowed to stay in the state. The 20 days deadline is causing fear and despair on asylum seekers. Most of them cannot get appointments from their solicitors for help. There has been no information sessions organised in most of the centres to inform asylum seekers. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/questionnaires-cause-distress-for-people-in-direct-provision-1.2982616

For equal treatment of people who are part of Irish society and who have contributed to building up our society even during the conflict, but who, because of partition and an oversight in the Good Friday Agreement may not get the same rights as they would, had they been living in the Republic. Brexit and Irish Citizenship Rights Campaign The aim: To secure an Irish citizenship right for non-Irish/non-British people with permanent right to reside and Indefinite Leave to Remain in NI for the free movement within EU Background Prior to the Belfast Agreement (the Agreement), the six counties in the North are part of the Ireland under Article 2 and 3 of 1937 Constitution. This means that ethnic minorities who were legally living and working in the North should has the same equal rights as an Irish citizen. Unfortunately, the Agreement has not reflected their Irish citizenship rights, as they contributed to the Northern Irish society during the conflicts, which is discriminatory under 1937 Constitution, the Belfast Agreement and applicable international human rights law. Moreover, the Agreement stated that any Irish or British born national has a right to dual nationality, and as per Annex 2, all persons born in NI to a parent who is otherwise entitled to reside in NI without any restriction. The right of adult i.e. parents or siblings of an Irish born child to Irish citizenship has not been covered by the Agreement which is also discriminatory. According to the Irish Citizenship and Nationality Act 2004 which implements the Agreement, any new born of ethnic minorities background before 1 January 2005 will automatically get the Irish citizenship. For those born after 1 January 2005 if either parent fulfils the criteria under 2004 Act, the new born will be an Irish. But ethnic minorities prior to the Agreement; and parents or siblings of Irish born children after the Agreement can only, on very special circumstances, apply for Irish citizenship, but this is at the discretion of the Minister for Justice and Equality. We firmly believe the principle of equality before the Law and non-discrimination under the 1937 Constitution, the Agreement and applicable international human rights law; and accordingly demand that ethnic minorities prior to the Agreement should automatically granted the Irish citizenship. Moreover, anyone who acquired the permanent residency and Indefinite Leave to Remain status under the UK immigration law in NI after the Agreement, has the same equal right to Irish citizenship in exercising Article 1 self-determination rights of the Agreement, as an Irish, British or both. The recent Supreme Court decision in United Kingdom on Brexit undermines the Agreement in which all the rights enshrined will be disappeared when Article 50 kicks in. Therefore, we need to protect the integrity of the Agreement. Our recommendations to the Irish government are as follows: • Protect the rights and the integrity of the Belfast Agreement; • To retain and to protect the Common Travel Area, under which people, animals and goods are freely to move; • To support a special status that based on the Agreement between Northern Ireland and EU which would ensure freed movement rights between Northern Ireland and EU member states; • To amend the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2004 “anyone who acquired the permanent residency/Indefinite Leave to Remain/naturalised as British in NI has an equal right to the Irish citizenship”. Brexit and Irish Citizenship Rights Campaign Petition Letter: We, as the people of Ireland, demand that the Irish government: • Protect the rights and the integrity of the Belfast Agreement; • To retain and to protect the Common Travel Area, under which people, animals and goods are freely to move; • To support a special status that based on the Agreement between Northern Ireland and EU which would ensure freed movement rights between Northern Ireland and EU member states; • To amend the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2004 “anyone who acquired the permanent residency/Indefinite Leave to Remain/naturalised as British in NI has an equal right to the Irish citizenship”. Signature: Date: Name (your full name): Your Postal code: Are you Irish or British citizen: Yes / No Are you ethnic minorities: Yes / No If yes, which ethnic group are you belonged to: Return this signature slip to the following address: Contact Email:

Thanks to anti-apartheid activism by Mary Robinson and others, in the 1980s Trinity College ended research ties with South African universities until equality was introduced and human rights were respected in that country. Now, in 2016, ordinary Palestinians face discrimination and upheaval from Israel on a constant basis. Speaking in July about the devastation inflicted on Gaza, outgoing UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon described Israel's policies against the Palestinian people as collective punishment. The situation for ordinary Arab families living in Israel and Palestine is heartbreaking! But we can take a stand for Palestinian rights. TCD's research partners in Israel in the past have included the weapons manufacturer Elbit Security Systems and The Israeli Security and Counter-Terrorism Academy. Today, Trinity's strongest links are with the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which has built part of its campus on illegal settlement lands. It's time to take a stand for Palestine! Mary Robinson is a champion of global justice, but she's also the Chancellor of TCD, University of Dublin. Call on her to bring an end to research ties between TCD and Israel until the human rights of Palestinians are respected.

We are not racist, dont let Trump make us look like we are.

Enda will not stand up to Trump. He will embarrass the nation. Michael D Higgins on the other hand will eloquently represent us and honor our human values.

Dear Mr. O' Sullivan, We the undersigned are asking that the Irish Times publish an apology for printing an article containing racist, transphobic and misogynistic slurs in an uncritical manner. It is abbhorent that an article would be published by a media outlet about a fascist movement without using the word fascist to describe that movement. Instead, the editorial team uncritically accepted and presented the language of the so called 'alt-right'. Thus far, instead of an apology for this failure in media responsibility, the editor of the opinion section, John MacManus, has attempted to justify his position by making a false comparison between fascism and the movement for reproductive rights in Ireland. This is unacceptable and shows a deep misunderstanding of the issue at hand and what the responsibilities of the media are in this instance. We are at a watershed moment when fascism is rising across Europe and the USA and the media has a responsibility to report this in an accurate and critical manner. Fascism thrives on stereotyping and scapegoating vulnerable groups in society. By publishing this piece the Irish Times is feeding into the normalisation of intolerance. We sign this petition to send a clear message to you and the editorial staff of the Irish Times. We do not want this paper to be a platform for fascism. We do not want people from vulnerable groups to be hurt by slurs against their personhood.We want you to apologise so as to make it clear that you agree that we do not want to see such failures in editorial responsibility becoming commonplace in the Irish media. Regards,

Civilians must be evacuated and afforded safe passage out of Aleppo. Our leaders must ensure the UN plan for evacuation is implemented.

This deportation order almost certainly see him returned to Iran, where he is convinced that he will be killed, as well as endangering his family. As a result, he has said that he would rather die here in Ireland than be killed in Iran. Our understanding is that he receives a brief daily visit from a doctor, and is being kept under CCTV surveillance. The Direct Provision system has already come under severe criticism for its treatment of adults and children, but to watch a man die a needless and tragic death in the 'care' of the State is unconscionable. Please act now by signing and sharing the petition as widely as you can. Thank you.

It is us, the public, who fund RTE. We do not want our money spent giving a platform to the racist and bigoted Katie Hopkins on the Late Late Show. Hopkins has compared refugees fleeing for their lives to 'cockroaches'. She has said she would use gunships to stop migrants. She is a 'professional troll' and we believe her appearance on RTE is a disgusting attempt by our national broadcaster to drive up viewer numbers with cheap attacks on individuals who have no public voice. Hopkins is not representative of any group and has no right to be given a platform in this manner. We are calling on all Irish people with a sense of social justice to boycott the Late Late Show and sponsors unless RTE withdraw their invite to Hopkins. Some horrible comments made by Hopkins include: "Show me pictures of coffins, show me bodies floating in water, play violins and show me skinny people looking sad. I still don't care.” "Would I employ you if you were obese? No I would not." "Suicidal prisoners should just kill themselves". According to RTE’s guiding principles outlined in RTE’s Public Service Statement, RTE must maintain the highest standards of quality and also ensure to uphold the democratic values enshrined in our Constitution in fulfilling its public service objectives. Katie Hopkins has made numerous inflammatory and deeply offensive remarks in relation to a range of minority groups including refugees, Gypsies and Travellers, the disabled and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Her appearance has the potential to incite racial hatred in Ireland. We want her removed from the schedule of the Late Late Show and we commit to boycotting the show and the sponsors if she is not cancelled immediately.

We are calling on Galway based multinational C&F Group to reinstate 98 workers sacked in the Philippines for joining a trade union. On May 26, 2016, the workers, many with 3 to 12 years service, registered their Trade Union with the Department of Labor and Employment and the very next day, on May 27, the company abruptly offered a redundancy programme. The Union obtained its Certificate of Registration on May 30, 2016 and on June 6 filed for representation rights for the workers for collective bargaining purposes. On the very same day, management at the company said they were subjecting 98 workers to "retrenchment," or laying-off, of which more than 63 are union officers or union members. Three days after the lay-offs, the company replaced the sacked workers with 55 new agency staff on top of the 50 agency workers already employed in the plant. Since the workers were dismissed, they have been on strike outside the factory. It is the first ever industrial action in the economic zone in the Philippines and has been in place for more than 8 weeks now. Speaking on behalf of the workers, Esmereldo Ison said, “What has happened to us is very disappointing. Many of us have worked for this company for several years and we have been sacked for trying to avail of our international human rights.” He explained that the workers have filed for illegal dismissal cases but that process could take up to 10 years. “We need our jobs so we can feed our families. We cannot wait three or four years for this to reach the courts. We want to be reinstated immediately.” Mandate Trade Union General Secretary John Douglas, speaking on behalf of four trade unions in Ireland including Unite, the Communications Workers’ Union and OPATSI, said the actions of management at C&F are deplorable. “This is a clear case of union-busting and it’s embarrassing that it’s an Irish firm with Irish management involved in this type of exploitation.” He added, “The Managing Director of C&F, John Flaherty, needs to do the right thing and ensure these workers are reinstated immediately and compensated for any losses they have incurred due to the illegal and discriminatory behaviour of his management team in the Philippines.” C & F Manufacturing Phils. Corporation is an Irish-owned subsidiary of C & F Tooling Ltd. of Galway, Ireland. They have operations in Ireland, Germany, Czech Republic, USA and the Philippines. According to the company website, C&F Group had a turnover in excess of $100m in 2007 and the company supplies components to multinational corporations including IBM, EMC, APC, Ingersoll Rand, Glen Dimplex, Sanyo and Hitachi Koki. The unionised workers are demanding that the company: 1. Reinstate unconditionally all the 98 workers summarily and discriminately terminated. 2. Recognize and respect the rights of the workers to organise and to collectively bargain; 3. Respect the right of the workers for a one-day rest in a week and stop the inhumane practice of continuous and excessive long hours of work. 4. Investigate and impose disciplinary action on managers Paul Hynes and Damian Gavin for their attitude towards the Filipino workers. 5. Lastly, for management to make corrective actions to address the violations of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) Code of Conduct. NOTE: C&F Group’s code of ethics include: “FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION In conformance with local law, participants shall respect the right of all workers to form and join trade unions of their own choosing, to bargain collectively and to engage in peaceful assembly as well as respect the right of workers to refrain from such activities. Workers and/or their representatives shall be able to openly communicate and share ideas and concerns with management regarding working conditions and management practices without fear of discrimination, reprisal, intimidation or harassment.

Only 13% of Travellers complete formal education in comparison with 92% of the general population. 7 out of 10 Traveller children live in families where their mother has no formal education or primary level education only. By refusing Paddy entry to secondary school the message is being sent to all Traveller children that they are not wanted. His parents can not read or write - they didn't understand that there was a cut off point. Being refused entry will have a terrible effect on his live and future prospects. http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0829/812760-traveller-school/

Since January 2016, 200,000 people have arrived and more than 2,800 have died in an attempt to reach Europe by sea. Numbers are expected to increase as climate change and conflict drive refugees out of their home countries seeking safety on the European continent. Following the tragic death of a Syrian boy on a Turkish beach in September 2015, Taoiseach Enda Kenny called the migrant crisis a "human catastrophe" and pledged to increase the number of refugees that Ireland accepted to 4,000 people. Almost a year after that promise, only a dozen have arrived and our government has made no plans to uphold that promise. Sign this petition to demand that Enda Kenny stop ignoring this crisis and uphold Ireland's promise to save 4,000 people from this catastrophe.

University College Cork is a welcoming and inclusive place of learning. In recent years, Dr. Watson has made a number of statements that are racist, misogynistic and homophobic. As such, it is unacceptable that members of the Governing Body would choose to name a building in UCC after a person with such a viewpoint as Dr. Watson. Therefore, we encourage you to sign this petition to show that students, staff members and the wider public will not accept this decision.

Twelve percent of the population of Ireland are migrants, of whom so many have the right to vote. Migrants bring enterprise and initiative, and in order to actively participate in Irish society, migrants must be visible in all spheres of Irish life and be represented proportionally to our number in the Irish population in all decision making processes. Irish political actors have done little or nothing to reach out to immigrants during elections. Integration has dropped off the radar and from the programmes of all political parties. A diverse republic needs inclusive politics and institutions that reflect the composition of a diverse society. Government bodies and local authorities need to do much more to engage with immigrant communities. We, the Migrant-Led Coalition, are calling on all politicians and candidates to sign up to our election manifesto and pledge to represent the needs of their migrant constituents.

Last Friday on one of coldest nights of the year, 17 families were evicted from a Traveller local authority halting site that had been decommissioned by Louth County Council. Families were given just hours to pack their belongings and either remove their caravans or mobile homes themselves or face them being impounded and having to pay €1,000 to get them back. All families, including a mother and newborn baby, must be gone by tomorrow. The council have not arranged alternative accommodation for these families and now, they like hundreds of others will be made homeless. Until Traveller specific accommodation is built, we are calling on Louth County Council to treat people with dignity and respect and to provide alternative accommodation for the Travelling community of Woodland Park.

I have just read a report detailing the appalling and disgusting conditions under which homeless families in Ireland have to live. Yesterday I read about the conditions in the temporary refugee camp at Calais in France, which is run under the auspices of the French and UK governments and the EU. The conditions for the homeless in Calais and the homeless in Ireland are horrifyingly similar. Yet the Irish Government is pleading that it has no funds available to intervene and is sticking rigidly to its market economy addiction. This is not good enough when our Government is willing to throw money at bankers and developers and any johnny-come-lately who has robbed the people and contributed to the enforcement of the austerity regime. The Government's inept handling of our housing crisis is a contributory factor to the increase in anti-refugee sentiment in the country. This is cowardly behaviour on the part of those who claim to lead Ireland and who boast about what they claim to have done for Ireland. Front up for the sake of the unfortunate people who are suffering and set an example in 2016.