In N.Ireland Africans, Black Minority Ethnic people do not have a voice within policy making bodies and institutions. The reason for this is Systemic Institutional Racism and Career Gatekeepers. Some of these Individuals & Organisations claim to represent Africans, Migrants, Refugees and Asylum seekers whilst on the other hand calling for 'BLM6JuneActivists" to be prosecuted.

Our beautiful daughter Eve spent 23 hours at UHL hospital was sent home and died hours later

There is a global movement toward the decriminalisation and legalisation of cannabis, supported by extensive research and real world trials. Evidence demonstrates that legalisation can be accomplished in a manner that improves overall societal health and wellbeing, whilst generating substantial tax revenue for schools, hospitals, and other social services.

Alexandr Lukashenko, “Europe’s Last Dictator”, has been ruling Belarus with an iron grip for 26 years, suppressing democracy and smashing any dissent. But it’s possible his hold on power may finally come to an end. On August 9, Lukashenko proclaimed another landslide electoral victory despite clear signs that the election was rigged. But this time it was too much for the people of Belarus! Thousands of people marched on the streets of Minsk and other cities to challenge the result. These brave defenders of democracy were met by riot police, and dozens of protesters were beaten and injured over the past two weeks. More than 6,000 people have been arrested. [1] What happened this summer in Belarus cannot be called elections: main opponents are either imprisoned, or barred from registration. [2] Lukashenko's opponent in the elections, Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya, was forced to leave the country and is now in exile in the EU, in Lithuania. [3] Tsikhanouskaya’s campaign was run on the promise to establish fair and free elections within 6 months. [4] What matters now is the EU’s response. The EU has already signalled that it will issue sanctions against President Lukashenko and the ruling elite, but this is not enough. [5] The EU can stand up to Lukashenko by refusing to recognise him as the President and support free and fair elections as soon as possible. The EU needs to provide all the necessary support to guarantee new elections, including by recognising the opposition leader, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, as a necessary counterpart in any diplomatic or international talks over the future of Belarus and its people. Together, let’s tell EU leaders to stand with the people of Belarus and call for free and fair elections in Belarus. References: [1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/12/belarus-protesters-and-police-clash-for-third-night-as-eu-threatens-sanctions [2] https://www.euractiv.com/section/europe-s-east/opinion/what-is-happening-in-belarus-cannot-be-called-elections/ [3] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/10/belarus-opposition-candidate-rejects-election-result-protests-svetlana-tikhanovskaya-lukashenko [4] https://www.euronews.com/2020/08/04/belarus-presidential-election-rising-opposition-star-svetlana-tikhanovskaya-speaks-to-euro [5] https://www.dw.com/en/belarus-eu-sanctions/a-54564440

Don't let the government stop us from having a say in how forestry is developed in Ireland! Sign the petition objecting to the undemocratic Draft Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2020 The Irish forestry industry has been ignoring requirements under EU law for Environmental Impact Assessments before forestry can be planted or felled for many years . This was successfully challenged in court in 2018 by environmentalist Peter Sweetman, but now, instead of dealing with the issues that were exposed and hiring enough ecologists to carry out these assessments, the government wants to prevent people from intervening on behalf of the environment. A new Draft Agriculture Appeals Bill , quietly published at the beginning of August, is an attempt to block public participation in the conservation of public forests and stifle the forestry appeals process. Its proposals severely restrict who can appeal and will make it prohibitively expensive to do so. This Bill contravenes the EU Aarhus Convention which allows for and encourages public participation in decision-making on the environment. Serious concerns about this bill have been raised by Ireland’s leading environmental coalition, the Environmental Pillar, made up of 28 groups/NGOs that seek to protect and promote nature and wildlife. Ireland has only 11% of forest cover as against a European average of over 40%. Government targets for forestry planting have been repeatedly missed and are unambitious as it is, shockingly so in view of the looming climate and biodiversity crisis. The impact of the ruling has been to slow down the industry severely but this is because the government has not done its part to address matters. The public consultation for the Draft Bill closes this Friday 28th August. Sign the petition to tell Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity PIppa Hackett to reconsider this Bill, remove the undemocratic and prohibitive legislative changes it proposes to the appeals process and formulate a new Forestry Programme for Ireland. You can also email your objections to [email protected] by 5pm this Friday, 28th August.

On 19 August, EU Commissioner Phil Hogan attended an Oireachtas Golf Society dinner along with 81 other people in what was a flagrant breach of Covid-19 public health guidelines. Even before the government announced new measures curtailing the numbers at social events this week, the maximum number of people allowed at indoor social events was 50. Brett's decision to ignore public health guidelines is unacceptable. In attending this event, he has displayed utter contempt for ordinary people who have done their utmost to abide by guidelines and stop the spread of Covid-19. Despite the resignations of Minister Dara Calleary and Senator Jerry Buttimer this week, Brett has merely resigned his membership of Fine Gael and has brazenly refused to step down from his position as Kilkenny Councillor and Leas Cathaoirleach. Speaking to Kilkenny Now, Brett has said: " I have no thoughts on my position in the Council that doesn't come into question. There are a lot of people much higher up the pecking order than me who were there as well as me and none of them is resigning from anything so why should I??" His arrogance is a slap in the face to health workers at the front lines and to all those who have lost loved ones to this pandemic. His actions have also undermined the public health effort at a crucial time. https://kilkennynow.ie/im-staying-putt-kilkenny-councils-vice-chair-not-standing-down-despite-attendance-at-galway-golf-dinner/

This extensive wetland area is a haven for biodiversity, a feeding ground for endangered hen harriers and a unique habitat to significant species of flora and fauna. The marsh plays a vital role in natural flood prevention and as an increasingly important carbon sink. This site, like hundreds of others across the country, has lingered on the list of proposed Natural Heritage Areas since it was first published on a non-statutory basis in 1995. Due to the lack of statutory protection the Marsh has suffered significant damage in recent times due to inappropriate land use. This damage will continue to occur - to the detriment of this important habitat - unless the necessary protection is put in place. We call on the Dept of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to take the necessary steps to ensure that the full designation of Garrylucas Marsh as a Natural Heritage Area by the National Parks and Wildlife Service proceeds immediately.

In Ireland our individual ecological footprint is approximately 5.2 Global Hectares per Capita (ghc) but the Planet’s actual capacity is only 1.8 ghc: we are living as if there are almost three Planet Earths. This way of life is not only contributing to mass extinction, pandemics and extreme economic inequalities, it means that, in all likelihood, our country will be uninhabitable for our grandchildren. A One Planet Development scheme would give people the option of moving out of the city and into the countryside to pioneer a way of life that goes some way towards bringing the human-nature relationship back into balance. It would allow people to build small low-impact dwellings, to establish community and to work with the land in a regenerative way to bring systemic change to our food systems.

On 19 August, EU Commissioner Phil Hogan attended an Oireachtas Golf Society dinner along with 81 other people in what was a flagrant breach of Covid-19 public health guidelines. Even before the government announced new measures curtailing the numbers at social events this week, the maximum number of people allowed at indoor social events was 50. Not only this, but it has been reported that Hogan has been spending some of his time at a residence in County Kildare. For the past two weeks, Kildare residents have been asked not to leave the county because of increased restrictions there. Hogan's decision to ignore public health guidelines is unacceptable. In attending this event, he has displayed utter contempt for ordinary people who have done their utmost to abide by guidelines and stop the spread of Covid-19. Hogan's disdain for working people and the poor has been on show before. In 2014 he threatened those who would not or could not pay water charges, saying their water pressure would be "turned down to a trickle". More recently, he has been at the forefront of the push to implement the Mercosur deal, which will undermine small and medium farmers' livelihoods and pave the way for further destruction of the Amazon rainforest. Yet despite the resignations of Dara Calleary and Jerry Buttimer this week, Hogan has thus far brazenly refused to step down. His arrogance is a slap in the face to health workers at the front lines and to all those who have lost loved ones to this pandemic. His actions have also undermined the public health effort at a crucial time. Hogan represents the worst of a rotten political elite that believe there is one rule for them and another for ordinary people. He must resign immediately and apologise for his actions.

An apology is not sufficient. This new government must show real leadership and remove Dara Calleary, Phil Hogan, Seamus Woulfe, Senators Jerry Buttimer, Paddy Burke, John Cummins, Paul Daly, Aidan Davitt and Niall Blaney immediately. We do not need to stand for 'do as we say, not as we do' politics.

Better traffic solutions for our city.

Hi There, I don't know how many people this will reach as I choose to remain anonymous as I don't want my personal business all over social media or the internet, but here is our story. My Husband came to Ireland from Nigeria in December 2015 we met in March of 2016 and began a relationship in June of the same year (3 months later) My husband applied to the department of justice under the family reunification process due to his brother holding an EU passport as he is living and working in Ireland for a number of years. This application was subsequently refused, he of course was given the opportunity to appeal this decision, which was also refused. During this time our relationship progressed as any relationship would and we decided after 3 years together to married. As a couple where one of us not an EU / EEA citizen we had to undergo a joint and separate interviews by HSE before we could marry so they could determine if we were marrying for immigration purposes. It was a 5 hour interview process in total and we were asked everything from what color is your front door to where we went on our first date. In the end after an 8 month wait and numerous phone calls with additional questions the HSE found that we were not marrying for immigration purposes and that we were a genuine couple and were given the go ahead to marry. We proceeded to book our wedding date 28th of june 2020, we were busy planning the big day with family and friends we were so excited, However our happiness was short lived. On the 19th of June we received a letter from the DOJ issuing my husband with a deportation order stating that my husband either, had to leave the country by the 19th of July himself or face being detained and forcibly removed. We were absolutely devastated our whole world came down around us. We made the hardest decision we have ever had to make and decided that he would abide by the order and we would leave by the 19th of July for fear of being arrested and detained and we would continue to fight this with the help our solicitor. We also decided that we would still go ahead and get married on the 28th of June as planned. Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life and while it as a beautiful day that we celebrated with family and friends it was constantly at the back of my mind that he will have to leave in 20 days for god knows how long. On the 18th of July 2020 we went to Dublin airport and I said goodbye to my husband, it was the most gut wrenching day of our lives. I have seen him once in the time he has been gone. I traveled to Nigeria to see him, the minister in the deportation stated that there is no reason why I cant live in Nigeria, despite the fact the department of foreign affairs advises against all but essential travel to Nigeria due to the safety in particular of non nationals due to kidnappings and the threat of islamist extremist terrorist organization, Boko Haram. It has been over a year since my husband has left Ireland and it is only getting harder, I am utterly devastated as is he. We are not different to any other husband and wife, we love the same as an Irish couple. My Husband is a highly educated man and has already received offers of employment which we have sent to the DOJ. Please help us,We have contacted the DOJ numerous times as has our solicitor. We feel we are getting nowhere and don't know what to do. I have contacted the new Minister for justice personally via email and facebook but I have received no response. We need all the help we can get just to be reunited and live our lives together. Thank you for your time.