Young people across the UK and Ireland currently live in an electoral postcode lottery. 16 and 17 year olds in Scotland and Wales are allowed to vote in local and Parliamentary elections, while their peers in Northern Ireland cannot.  Scotland and Wales join a host of other nations across the world which have chosen to extend voting rights to their young citizens, including: • Austria • Brazil • Cuba • Ecuador • Parts of Germany • Greece • Malta • Nicaragua, and more! Young people living in Northern Ireland feel disenfranchised and unsupported by our political system. Lowering the voting age to 16 will give our young people a democratic voice, ensuring that their voices can be heard on the issues that matter to them.  Why now? Recent comments by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in support of votes at 16 have sparked some heated public debate on the issue. Many of the arguments put forward have been based on assumptions about young people's behaviour, maturity and competence. But we no longer need to rely on assumptions - we can look at the international evidence!  1. Young people are capable and engaged  - when faced with situations that require unhurried, deliberate consideration - 'cold cognition' - 16 year olds demonstrate judgement as mature as that of adults. In the weeks and months before an election, young people have time to use their cold cognition skills, gathering evidence and talking to their friends, family and peers before making an informed decision. 2.  Many young people are political activists and campaigners - globally and locally, 16 and 17 year olds have campaigned for climate action, better mental health services, RSE and much more. 3. Young people have minds of their own - it's true that in most European countries, young people tend to support left-leaning parties in higher numbers than adults. But just like adults, young people hold a range of views and opinions from across the political spectrum (see trends in Austria, Germany and Scotland) 4. Younger voters are lifelong voters - at age 18, many young people are in a transitional phase of life - leaving school, starting uni or work, moving out of the family home or their hometown. They might not be familiar with local issues and candidates, or with voting registration systems and requirements. These conditions can dampen rates of voter turnout. But at the ages of 16 and 17, young people are more likely to in environments with strong socialisation influences, like the family home and school. Evidence from Scotland shows that when they are given the right to vote, 16 and 17 year olds turn out in greater numbers than those aged 18 - 24! 5. Respect for fairness and equality - young people aren't just citizens of the future - they're full and equal citizens now! At the age of 16, young people in NI can work, pay taxes, provide care for loved ones, get married and serve in the Armed Forces. They're an active and valuable part of society - why shouldn't they have a say in how things are governed? The importance of education When 16 and 17 year olds are granted the right to vote in Northern Ireland, it is vital that this is accompanied by plans to develop high-quality civic education. Deliberative political literacy education can help to mitigate inequalities in political knowledge, confidence and participation from the earliest possible stages. Schools and youth organisations have a crucial role to play in empowering, supporting and encouraging young people to engage meaningfully with politics.  Credit for Image: Bulat Silvia

In November 2023, Lotus Property brought Havelock House from Olympian Homes with the aim of using its site for a social housing development for Clanmil Housing. Olympian had made two failed attempts to demolish Havelock House, which were rejected by the local community and Belfast City Council. ​After buying the building, Lotus and Clanmil promised that community concerns would be listened to and there would be proper consultation on the proposed development. Lotus managing director, Alastair Coulson, said that: "The next 12 weeks will be about listening to stakeholders and local communities about these draft plans. We look forward to hearing all views and considering them in our plans." ​But within two weeks, Lotus and Clanmil had sent in contractors to strip out Havelock House with the aim of demolishing in January, even before the public part of their consultation began. Havelock House is one of Northern Ireland’s best-known cultural landmarks. Originally a Victorian linen factory, the building then saw service during World War II as accommodation for soldiers and was most recently the home of UTV. The local community played a key role in overturning the previous plans to demolish Havelock House. Lotus Property's rushed demolition must stop, until the promised community consultation takes place.

You visited Ireland just six months ago to mark peace on our island, the contribution to it of the US government and your own much loved Irish heritage. We know well the imperfections of the peace in Northern Ireland, and how far we still have to go. But the days of constant killings, and unbearable suffering are over here. At times it seemed impossible, but it was done. Now we are watching in horror as the leader of the Israeli government, Benjamin Netanyahu launches a genocidal war on the people of Gaza, who are without food, water, fuel or electricity, having already lived in an apartheid state for decades. As President of the United States of America, you have an unique role to play. We ask you to do all in your power to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and work towards a sustained peace in the region grounded in justice, freedom and equality for all.

All human life is precious. No matter where we come from, we all deserve to live free from violence and to put our children to bed, knowing that they will wake up safely. The world has been horrified by the loss of life that has taken place in Israel and Palestine over the last week. Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government have launched a vicious, all-out attack on civilians trapped inside Gaza and is planning on bombing the people there, nearly half of whom are children, to extinction. The killing of so many innocent people by Hamas sent shockwaves throughout the world and we grieve for all the lives unjustly lost. But here more than anywhere, we know that this response will lead only to more death, loss and horror. At times like this, we must hold fast to our humanity. We in Northern Ireland know all too well the devastating impact of cycles of violence, and how they reverberate across generations. We call on you to do all you can to stop the war and the slaughter of innocent civilians in this conflict. A future of peace and safety, grounded in justice, freedom and equality for all, is the only option.

Every summer, flags go up on lampposts across Northern Ireland. They hang around for months becoming an eyesore, and many glorify illegal paramilitary groups. This year we've seen an increase in flags in shared areas like the Westlink motorway, at supermarkets and outside the PSNI training centre at Garnerville. No one takes responsibility to take them down. The flying of flags needs to be clearly legislated for so the issue can be tackled once and for all.

Every summer, flags go up on lampposts across Northern Ireland. They hang around for months becoming an eyesore, and many glorify illegal paramilitary groups. This year we've seen an increase in flags in shared areas like the Westlink motorway, at supermarkets and outside the PSNI training centre at Garnerville. No one takes responsibility to take them down. The flying of flags needs to be clearly legislated for so the issue can be tackled once and for all.

Citi, based right at the centre of the iconic Titanic Quarter in Belfast, is bankrolling the destruction of the Amazon, drilling in the Arctic. It’s even funding the company behind the proposed LNG plant in the Shannon estuary, importing filthy gas–much of it fracked–and locking us into fossil fuels for decades to come. [2] Here in Northern Ireland they’ve been given tens of millions of pounds of public money by Invest NI to operate, meaning that the climate destruction they wreak is being made possible by our own money. [3] For too long, fossil fuel CEOs have divided and distracted us with lies hoping to hide the origins and impact of the crisis they created, while they pollute our air, poison our water, and dump toxins into communities. [4] We are acting together to make sure our children are still able to enjoy beautiful landscapes and healthy nature -such as those represented by W5’s ‘In our Nature’ exhibition, in real life, for generations to come. According to your own sustainability pledge you are ’committed to reducing our environmental impact wherever possible. Placing sustainability at the heart of what we do, we pride ourselves on our forward-thinking approach.’ [5] Taking sponsorship money from the second largest funder of fossil fuel companies world-wide makes a mockery of the sustainability pledge and allows Citibank to present an image as an environmentally conscious company while they pour billions of pounds into coal, oil, and gas. It’s time to fight back on Citi’s greenwashing, and stop it funding climate chaos. We, the undersigned, are calling on W5 to end its sponsorship arrangement with Citi until it stops funding fossil fuel companies. [1] https://bank.green/banks/citi [2] https://www.bankingonclimatechaos.org/ [3] https://www.irishnews.com/business/2022/09/07/news/citi_to_create_another_400_jobs_for_fast-growing_belfast_operation-2819832/ [4] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/30/climate-crimes-oil-and-gas-environment [5] https://w5online.co.uk/sustainability-pledge

No matter who you are, or where you come from, most of us want to have access to places where we and our families can play sports, keep fit, and build relationship with others. East Belfast GAA is one of the most fast growing sports clubs in Belfast with a proud diverse membership. It uses Henry Jones playing fields and the plans to develop it into a full-size football and full-size GAA pitch are an important sign of progress and community-building in our divided city. We offer our support to and stand with East Belfast GAA.

We know that nearly 50% of households in NI are living in fuel poverty and the situation only looks likely to get worse. Choosing between heating and eating is very much a reality for around 100,000 homes in Northern Ireland. High energy prices, inflationary pressures and the cost of living crisis are squeezing households budgets like never before. We need the NI Executive up and running urgently to ease the pressure facing businesses, households and our NHS. Let the DUP know that it is time to end the boycott.

Despite an Irish citizen from Northern Ireland having held the role of President of Ireland (Mary McAleese), it is an anomaly that they are not allowed to vote in the election. 125 states and territories allow people living abroad to participate in legislative elections, 88 allow participation in presidential elections and 73 countries and territories allow citizens overseas to participate in referendums. Ireland is not one of them. Of the 14 EU Member States that hold direct Presidential elections, only Ireland, Slovakia and Cyprus deprive their overseas citizens of the vote. Source: Votingrights.ie

The most vulnerable people in society will suffer if community services lose funding at the end of March. Money from the European Social Fund (ESF) is due to stop on 31 March as a result of Brexit. Young people, people with disabilities, those living in poverty and people with mental health issues are among many who will suffer.

Citibank has done more to support the expansion of fossil-fuel companies than most other lenders in the world, despite claiming to back net-zero emissions. From pouring money into the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project in Canada to financing the Cerrejón thermal coal mine in La Guajira, one of the world’s biggest open-pit coal export mining operations, Citi is backing some of the dirtiest, most poisonous fossil fuel projects in the world. https://bank.green/banks/citi