Superb equality resource idea from Monaghan County Council

Compare how different your life would have been had you lived  in 1955

- Monaghan County Council’s booklet takes an unique approach to demonstrating how people’s struggle for social justice and equality has reaped many rewards. Anyone in Ireland today would find it useful to give them perspective in the struggle for equality.

Click here to download the 2 page spread!

Last year’s marriage referendum shook people involved with Monaghan’s social inclusion efforts. 
The ‘Yes’ side won by the narrowest of margins, less than one percent, in Cavan-Monaghan and according to Bernie Bradley, social inclusion officer with Monaghan County Council, “If we weren’t a joint constituency, it wouldn’t have passed.”
Their response was to produce a beautiful booklet titled ‘A Tale of Two Counties’ which is fast becoming the go-to resource for community workers seeking to educate people about the nine grounds for unlawful discrimination.
Through photographs and personal testimony (three pages of which are reproduced here) the book simultaneously contrasts yet merges the differing fates of youngsters in 1955 and 2015. 
The booklet demonstrates how the fight for equality has changed the lives of so many people. Only Travellers have an even harder time of it now when it comes to discrimination. 
“The results of the referendum show that this initiative is particularly important in Monaghan,” said Bernie.
So striking is the imagery and layout that the hardest cynic could not deny the benefits of the long struggle for a more equal society.
Monaghan’s experience of exclusion in 1955 can be seen as reflective of wider Irish society then. To put it mildly, it wasn’t easy fit in if you were different and there are many people today who can testify to that.
The book was launched last June as part of Social Inclusion Week by, then Minister-of-State, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin.
Elsewhere in the country, it has been greeted as a ground-breaking resource for community workers.
As Bernie puts it, “The truth is, every day in Monaghan, Ireland and the rest of the world people are often treated differently because they are different. But Monaghan Social Inclusion Measures group, led by Monaghan County Council wants everyone to feel it’s okay to be different.”
This isn’t the last you’ll hear from Monaghan regarding the struggle for equality. 

Copies of the booklet are available by contacting the community department of Monaghan County Council on 047-73720. E: gcostello@monaghancoco.ie or bbradley@monaghancoco.ie

- By Allen Meagher & Ben Panter for 'Changing Ireland'.

Minister Carey - on Travellers, Women, national organisations, the Department's new strength, cuts

As promised in Tuesday’s blog entry, here’s more from our ‘Changing Ireland’ interview with the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Pat Carey.

The scheme for funding National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary Sector is now coming to the end of its three-year cycle but the signs are positive that it will be continued under Minister Pat Carey.

The Minister and his officials are meanwhile aware and working to deal with particular concerns of Women’s CDPs and Traveller CDPs as part of the emerging Local and Community Development Programme.

The Minister noted that the media had written-off his Department earlier this year and couldn’t have got it more wrong as it has doubled in size.

“The new Department will be a serious, policy-driven department. There’s a huge amount of expertise here. I think this Department will be quite a significant crucible for ideas,” he said.

Here are some further extracts from the interview:

Editor, Allen Meagher: Would your intention be that the scheme for funding National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary Sector would continue?

Minister Pat Carey: “I don’t want to anticipate anything, but I’ve to be honest, it’s an approach that worked very well. I started the process of (funding for) a three-year (period). You need that.”

Editor: So you would hope to have another similar scheme?

Minister: “I would yes. I’m satisfied from dealing with it. But there’s a review going on because there could be new emerging needs and there might be very valid new groups out there who aren’t getting a half-penny (yet).”

Editor, Allen Meagher: With regard to the LCDP, is there any special provision being made for Traveller CDPs. I understand there’s an issue for them with Partnership boards that don’t generally have Traveller representatives?

Minister: “I’ve met with the main Traveller organisations and my view is that a model will be developed which will address the concerns and the needs of the Traveller community.”

Editor: And how about Women’s CDPs?

Minister: “The same thing.”

Editor: Will Gaeltacht CDPs be going in under Udaras?

Minister: “A small number, maybe.”

Would you agree that the Community Sector has been disproportionately cut, as claimed in research published today?

“I don’t want to anticipate the next budget.”

The Sunday Business Post suggested that communities are in for bigger cuts than other areas?

“This Department (of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs ) was three months ago due to be abolished, it’s now doubled in size so I wouldn’t pay a huge amount of attention to that.”

THAT’S IT FOR NOW! THE FULL INTERVIEW WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE UPCOMING PRINT EDITION OF ‘CHANGING IRELAND’.

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