Young people offer positive vision for Ireland at President’s workshop
Date: Sat 1st Sep, 2012 | 15:28
www.president.ie/makeasubmission (Deadline 29 September 2012)
This morning 100 young people gathered in D.I.T. Bolton Street, Dublin to explore and debate their vision for Ireland’s future as part of President Michael D. Higgins’ Being Young and Irish 2012 consultation.
After an opening address from the President young people working in groups of ten created word clouds on their vision for Ireland and identified what they felt were the Top 5 most important aspects of their vision for Ireland. Then in plenary session the young people voted on their vision for Ireland and established, with the support of D.I.T. researchers, the top 10 most important aspects of that vision. These were:
1a. Equality – gay marriage – gender – wage/salary = equality in Ireland*
1b.Accountability – leaders – finance – systems – services – government
3. A suitable completed education that includes special needs, life-skills, practical aspects, and is holistic
4. Mental health and suicide, awareness, mainstreaming. Bottom up approach and input from role models. Detachment of taboo
5a. Cultural identity – recognition of importance of language, history and arts**
5b. Accountable political system (reform) – participation structures, responsibility
7. Move from apathy to proactive participation, youth-led change and innovation. Removal of jargon and buzz words in communication with youth
8. Improvement in the planning and implementation of green technologies
9. More opportunities and less exploitation in youth employment
10. Secular society and Government
Today’s Dublin workshop is part of a wider consultation process by the President. He wants to hear from any young person aged 17 to 26 in Ireland and worldwide who has a view on Ireland’s future. The closing date for submissions is 29 September 2012. Young people can share their views at www.president.ie/youngandirish
All of the findings from today and the subsequent regional workshops in Cork, Monaghan and Galway will be reviewed by the D.I.T. research team appointed by the President who will analyse this data along with young people’s online submissions towww.president.ie/makeasubmission
Being Young and Irish 2012 is first in a series of Presidency seminars which will take place throughout the term of President Higgins. The President intends to use the findings of Being Young and Irish 2012 to inform his Presidency and later this year will hold a final major Being Young and Irish 2012 seminar in Áras an Uachtaráin where the ‘Take Charge of Change’ findings will be presented.
Young people can share their views in writing, audio, video or any format they choose via www.president.ie/youngandirish
A video postcard of today’s Being Young and Irish 2012 workshop will go live later today via YouTube, Facebook, Google+
#youngandirish
www.facebook.com/youngandirish
Note
*Please note 1a and 1b got an equal number of votes
**5a and 5b got an equal number of votes
About Being Young and Irish 2012
The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, is inviting young Irish people at home and worldwide to play an active part in shaping Ireland’s shared future.
Being Young and Irish, the consultation with Irish people aged 17 to 26, seeks to advance the national discourse on inclusion by harnessing the power of young people, enabling them to participate and be involved in that discourse. The ambition is to create a society which values every citizen in every generation.
The central goal is to engage young people as active and reflective citizens in contemporary Ireland, and to endorse them as one of the sources of wisdom in solving core social, political, economic and cultural issues confronting Ireland. It is President Higgins’ hope that the Being Young and Irish consultation and seminar will:
· Open up channels of participation for young people and involve them in the national discussion and debate about what kind of country we now have, what form of Republic we wish to create and how it can be achieved.
· Identify, promote and celebrate original, youth-led sensitive and realisable solutions to our present conditions and proposals for a better society in the future.
· Hear from young people and seek their views on the difficulties young people from diverse backgrounds are experiencing, as young and Irish people today.
What are the Presidency Seminars?
In his inaugural address on 11 November 2011 President Higgins announced his intention to hold a number of Presidency Seminars which would reflect and explore themes important to Ireland’s shared life yet separate and wider than the immediate events to which legislation is directed.
The first of President Higgins’ Presidency Seminars Being Young and Irish seeks to advance the national discourse on inclusion by harnessing the power of young people, enabling them to participate and be more involved in decision making. Being Young and Irish aims to hear from young Irish people aged 17 to 26 at home and abroad.
Further seminars will take place throughout President Higgins’ seven year term and will encompass consideration of global issues, stressing the importance of the ethical connection between politics, economy, development and society.