We ask the Irish government to put excessive pressure on the Turkish government and parliament to reverse the new law that calls for the "euthanasia" of stray animals in Turkey.    Also, we ask people to consider a different location than Turkey for travel, unless the Turkish government reverses this law.   Please sign & share this petition on behalf of the voiceless animals.  

Social media giants are making huge profits from fuelling hate on their platforms, which all contributed to the division and destruction we saw on the streets. 240 groups and organisations across the UK and Ireland are demanding our political leaders act to make companies like Facebook and Twitter shut off the recommender system. This would stop extreme content spreading like wildfire across social media, and seriously hinder extremists ability to quickly whip up the disinformation that fed into last weeks’ violence.

As the two family representatives who recently stepped down from the Service Improvement Board and working groups for the Progressing Disabilities Roadmap, we requested a meeting with Minister for Disability, Anne Rabbitte. In our meeting, we discussed various issues and agreed that we must urgently review the Progressing Disability Services (PDS) model. We believe this review is crucial to ensure that the services for children with disabilities are effective, inclusive, and respect their rights as outlined in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). We will not accept a system that fails to acknowledge the inherent dignity and humanity of children, families, and staff. We urge that the review of Progressing Disabilities be led by stakeholders, including families, people with disabilities, staff, and representative organizations. Let’s come together to assess what is working, what isn’t, and what needs to happen next to shift towards a human rights framework for children in Ireland.  The time has come for us to lead the change we want to see. We have waited long enough, and our children simply do not have the luxury of time. Many challenges in disability services can prevent children with disabilities from having their rights and voices heard. By advocating for a stakeholder-led review, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of current services, identifying best practices and areas for improvement. Our goal is to ensure that the views and rights of children and their families are prioritized, leading to fairer and more accessible support for everyone. To make meaningful change happen, we are seeking your support to help build a strong coalition that advocates for the rights of children with disabilities and promotes a culture of inclusion and understanding.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan, which has been raging for over 15 months, has been described as a ‘forgotten war’. While we welcome the funding contributed by Ireland and the EU so far, it is greatly disproportionate to the needs of the people living in Sudan. In Ireland and Europe, media and diplomatic attention seem focused on conflicts with greater strategic relevance to political leaders but the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Sudan must not be forgotten. Since the war began in Sudan, almost 10 million people have been displaced from their homes (1), more than 15,000 people have died and a growing list of atrocities have been committed.(2) Half of Sudan’s population, or 25 million people, are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. Almost half of those are children.  Close to 4 million children are facing acute malnutrition (3) and famine was recently declared in camps housing between 400,00-600,000 internally displaced people in part of Al Fasher. (4)   Sudan is currently experiencing one of the worst education crises in the world, with over 90% of its 19 million school-age children lacking access to formal education. (5) This ongoing disruption to children’s security, health and education will lead to a generational crisis for the country with negative impacts for years to come. Urgent action is needed to protect the lives and basic human rights of all children living through this conflict.   The catastrophic effects of food insecurity and famine are compounded by the risks from infectious disease outbreaks, disruption to public health services and lack of access to clean water and sanitation. Nearly three-quarters of health facilities are out of service and diseases including cholera, measles and malaria are spreading at a time when two-thirds of the population lack access to health care. (6)  Despite these harrowing statistics, adequate humanitarian assistance has failed to materialise, with only 32% of the estimated 2.7 billion USD requirement for the Humanitarian Response Plan having been provided.(7) To put this in perspective, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU has made available almost 52 billion Euro in support for Ukraine encompassing macro-financial assistance, crisis response fund and humanitarian assistance.(8) EU funding for Ukraine is welcomed, but considering that EU funding for humanitarian assistance in Sudan totals only 1.045 billion since 2013 (9), the international community and the Government of Ireland must do more for the people of Sudan.   Ireland benefits from over 1,600 Sudanese doctors (10) working within our health service, providing essential healthcare to our population. Their families, loved ones and fellow citizens in Sudan are bearing the brunt of this war.  We must do more. We must keep advocating for far more humanitarian assistance and for far greater diplomatic endeavours to end the armed conflict as quickly as possible. Though it may not be a geopolitical issue, it is a human rights issue. References 1.    Sudan Situation: UNHCR External Update #68, 28 June – 4 July 2024 https://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-situation-unhcr-external-update-68-28-june-4-july-2024  2.       https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148536 3.       https://www.unicef.org/sudan/stories/find-test-and-treat#:~:text=Sudan%20is%20grappling%20with%20one,suffering%20from%20severe%20acute%20malnutrition 4.       https://fews.net/east-africa/sudan/alert/august-2024?utm_source=press&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sudan_august 5.       https://www.unicef.ie/2024/04/15/sudan-war-second-year/ 6.       https://www.unrefugees.org/news/sudan-crisis-explained/ 7.       https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/sudan/ 8.       https://eu-solidarity-ukraine.ec.europa.eu/eu-assistance-ukraine_en#strong-and-comprehensive-eu-response 9.       https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/where/africa/sudan_en#facts--figures 10.   https://www.medicalindependent.ie/in-the-news/breaking-news/lack-of-wellbeing-support-for-sudanese-doctors-in-ireland-amid-devastating-war/

Having an Irish passport is something we are suppsed to be proud of.  It is not supposed to be a travel pass for racists to move between countries to flee from their local police forces when they are being sought to answer for the consequences of their actions. To quote the Imelda May poem. "You don't get to be racist and Irish".

1. Community Well-being: A community with sufficient recreational spaces is a healthier, more vibrant place to live. Playgrounds are not just for children; they foster community interaction and engagement among parents and families, creating a stronger sense of unity and belonging. 2. Child Development: Playgrounds are essential for children’s physical, cognitive, and social development. By supporting this campaign, you help provide our children with safe places to play, which are crucial for their growth and overall well-being. 3. Safety Concerns: Without adequate playgrounds, children are often forced to play in unsafe areas like streets and roads. By advocating for more play spaces, we can significantly reduce the risks associated with traffic and other hazards. 4. Reduce Screen Time: Many parents currently rely on electronic devices to keep their children occupied due to the lack of outdoor options. More playgrounds would encourage physical activity, reducing screen time and its associated health issues, such as poor vision and lack of exercise. 5. Long-term Community Benefits: Investing in playgrounds is an investment in our community’s future. It makes Dundalk a more attractive place for families, potentially increasing property values and local business patronage. 6. Support for Working Families: Many working parents struggle to find time and places for their children to play safely. More playgrounds can ease this burden, offering easily accessible locations for children to engage in healthy activities. By joining this campaign, you are not only advocating for the immediate needs of our children but also contributing to a brighter future for Dundalk. Together, we can create a community that prioritizes health, safety, and happiness for all its residents. Let’s make Dundalk a place where our children can thrive.

No matter who we are or where we come from, all any of us want is to protect and take care of our families. Being evicted from the only shelter we have is cruel and heartless.

We think if other communities can help us in this campaign we could return the favour to support them in their campaign. 

No matter who we are or what we look like, we all deserve to live our lives without fear. But the handful of extremists who were behind the violence and hate in Belfast City Centre on Saturday have destroyed people’s livelihoods and left our Muslim neighbours terrified. They do not represent us, or the huge majority of people in Belfast, across Northern Ireland and beyond. We offer our support and respect and stand firmly with the Muslim community across Belfast and beyond, and all others impacted by racist hate on our streets.

The North Wall CTC has been closed since February 2020. Over the last four and a half years, it has become an eyesore to the surrounding areas. It is a prime example of the neglect and abandonment experienced throughout inner-city communities. This failure should not be allowed, and our community should not accept this either.  However, despite the unanimous agreement at the Dublin Docklands Oversight and Consultative Forum in September 2022 that the building should be repurposed for education and childcare needs, there has been a lack of drive or will to push through the necessary restoration works. The issue seems to have been dropped due to an estimated repair cost of approximately €3 million.  Since 2021, Mary Lou McDonald and Sinn  Féin have called for this site for public use, such as the after-school support programme. Utilising this site for childcare provisions or something similar will benefit the entire North Wall area community.  Our community deserves respect, and €3 million is a tiny expense compared to money  other government departments spend. The value of this building to the community as an amenity is worth multiple times the estimated costs for renovating it.  The North Wall community deserves to have this building refurbished and put directly to community use. The potential benefits include childcare, healthcare, training and education, a Men’s Shed, Senior Citizens centre and many more. The community now needs to drive this issue and demand these works occur.  If you support this campaign and wish to see positive investment in your community, please sign this petition. There will also be community days of action where we will call on the community to attend a demonstration outside the centre 

With your support we can petition the County Council and Library service to extend opening hours by showing the support locally for the service. 

No matter who we are or where we come from, all any of us want is to protect and take care of our families. Being evicted from the only shelter we have is cruel and heartless.