Inclusion

Four sittings of a National Citizens’ Parliament on Media and Democracy were held over spring in Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, as part of a European project to hear ideas from citizens on ways to protect the media as it is integral to supporting and saving democracy. In all, 20 people gave up four weekends to sit, discuss and make recommendations to be considered alongside those from citizens in ten or more cities across the continent.

Three panellists at The Wheel’s Summit in Croke Park, Dublin, on May 28, were asked what they would do with the community and voluntary sector if they had a magic wand.

Artists who immersed themselves in the South Kerry Gaeltacht to get to know aspiring home-owners, housing activists, community workers and staff in statutory agencies, have proposed novel actions to tackle housing scarcity.

The sixth national Public Participation Networks (PPNs) conference was held in Limerick recently on the 10th anniversary of their establishment. Vincent Lyons, Galway County PPN, said, “There’s no doubt about it, we've come an awful long way in the ten years. I think as a result of the PPNs, groups are better informed and they can use funding opportunities better because there's more widespread delivery of information.”

Tim Dixon gave the keynote speech at the Welcoming New Communities conference held on Monday, July 15, in Dublin Castle. Originally from Australia, Tim is a cofounder of More in Common, which was set up after his friend, the late British MP Jo Cox, was murdered by a white supremacist. His talk looked at the role of the community in managing conflict. He presented clear results from scientific research and surveys in other countries, showing, for example, how to better tap into positivity within communities.

Northside Partnership, a local development company based in Coolock says it “cannot condone” the violence which took place at the ex-Crown Paints factory site this week, nor the “misinformation and disinformation that has been spread surrounding the plans for this site”. However, the organisation added that it is making efforts to fully understand the motivation behind the event, and called on the government and key stakeholders to “create a space for dialogue with all concerned parties in this community”.

Minister Joe O’Brien announced the new €3m programme to support communities, and a further €1m for supports for new arrivals at the Welcoming New Communities conference in Dublin Castle this week.

32 organisations are set to benefit from fresh investment in the programme, which aims to tackle disadvantage through a social enterprise model.