Social Justice Matters

Khalil Moran is pursuing a PhD in Democratic Economic Solutions to Inequality, with a specific focus on Community Wealth Building, an approach coined in Cleveland in the US and Preston in the UK. They have a particular interest in the interplay between our intra and interpersonal skills, theories of learning and how they impact our communication, and the systems and institutions we shape and are shaped by. Khalil has been a staff member at Wicklow Democratic School since it opened in 2016 and was the Project Coordinator for two years. They currently work on the WDS staff team as a facilitator to the school’s facilitators, supporting with research, activity plans, systemization and culture building, course development, and overall strategy for the school's continued development of democratic education. Khalil chats about the history of Community Wealth Building with examples from the U.K. and U.S.A. , the benefits and challenges of the approach and how it might work in an Irish context. The People’s Transition Democracy Collective Action guide for advancing Community Wealth Building in the United States Community wealth building 2023 Preston City Council: What is Community Wealth Building Solidnetwork.ie Social Justice Matters Podcast episode with Daniel Lambert CEO Bohemians Football Club

Prof Brian Caulfield is Head of Discipline in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. His research addresses global issues such as the environmental impacts of transport and methods to reduce the carbon impacts of transport. He has published over 200 papers in international journals and conferences and to date has been awarded approx. €7 million in research funding. He currently has 9 PhD students and 6 postdoctoral researchers in his research group. He is a Senior Editor of Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews and an Editor of Transport Policy. He is a member of the International Editorial Board of Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, Case Studies on Transport Policy, the Journal of Cycling and Micro-mobility Research, and the Journal of Transport Geography. Brian spoke at our 2023 Annual Social Policy Conference on the theme of A Just Transition. All videos, papers and presentations for the 2023 Annual Social Policy conference are available for download HERE.

Alicia O'Sullivan & Mohammad Naeem are the UN Youth Delegates for Ireland in 2023/2024. They chat about their journey towards being appointed in the role, what they actually do, their experiences of the UN, would they recommend it and what's next for them. UN Summit of the Future. United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) UN Youth Delegates for Ireland Instagram. Comhairle na nÓg are councils for the youth located in 31 locations in the Republic of Ireland, which gives the youth in Ireland the opportunity to be involved in the progress of local services and policies. Applications now open: UN Youth Delegate Programme for Ireland 2024-2025. All information must be submitted via the online form below, by 5pm (Irish time) on the 18th of March 2024. Applications submitted after this time will not be considered. More Here.

Dr Clodagh Harris is a senior lecturer in the Department of Government & Politics in UCC and affiliate of the Environmental Research Institute and MaREI. Her research focuses on deliberative and participatory democracy; democratic innovations; and deliberative democracy and climate change. She sits on the expert advisory group of Ireland’s Citizen Assembly on biodiversity loss and is part of a wider consortium funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to design and implement a young persons and children’s assembly on biodiversity loss. Clodagh presented her paper 'Participatory and deliberative dialogue and the Imagining 2050 Toolkit' at our 2022 Annual Social Policy Conference 'Towards Wellbeing For All'. All videos, papers and presentations are for the 2022 Annual Social Policy conference are available for download HERE.

Meaghan is the Coordinator of Coalition 2030 where she supports over 70 Irish Civil Society Organisations in their collaborative efforts to bring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to fruition. She has eight years of experience in the non-profit world pushing for social, environmental and financial justice, while simultaneously developing a skill-set ranging from policy analysis and campaigning, to communications and mobilisation. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Ollscoil na Gaillimhe and a Masters in International Political Economy from University College Dublin. She spoke at our 2023 Annual Social Policy Conference on the theme of A Just Transition. All videos, papers and presentations for the 2023 Annual Social Policy conference are available for download HERE.

Fleachta Phelan is Senior Policy Advocate with the Disability Federation of Ireland. She chats with Susanne Rogers about The Cost of Disability in Ireland – Research Report (The Indecon Report), the history behind it and what we are likely to see next. Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters Green Paper on Disability Reform – A Public Consultation to Reform Disability Payments in Ireland The Hidden Cost of Poverty Report

Séamus Boland is the CEO of Irish Rural Link and the current President of the European Economic Social Council - Diversity Group III. The Diversity Group is made up of delegates drawn from each member state, representing sectors which include, community, agriculture, environment, consumers, social economy and various professions. He spoke at our 2021 Annual Social Policy Conference, Social Rights for All? Time to Deliver on the European Pillar of Social Rights. All videos, papers and presentations for the 2021 Annual Social Policy conference are available for download HERE.

As Ireland becomes more and more diverse, assisting communities to thrive and develop as they adapt is vital. Valerie McAllorum Byrne is Integration Officer with Fingal County Council. She chats with Susanne Rogers about the work she does in this vibrant, diverse growing county to support everyone living there to be part of the community. Learn more about the work HERE. If you read this on time and live local, Fingal Inclusion week takes place between the 13th and 19th November 2023. Details can be found HERE. We discuss the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) Reports which can be accessed HERE.

In today's episode, Colette Bennett chats to Dr. Yvonne Skipper of Glasgow University on a brilliant project - Project Real - which provides a full, fun and interactive lesson plan for educators of 11-13 year olds on how to spot fake news, fake photos, fake people, and fake videos. Check it out at www.projectreal.co.uk This is a really timely interview in light of a recent report which indicated that internet use by Irish children is well above the European average (87% v 62%) with more than half of Irish children using the internet daily or nearly daily - Risks and Safety for Children on the Internet: the Ireland Report (webwise.ie)

In May 2023, Coalition 2030 published their Report, authored by Sorley McCaughey (independent freelance public affairs, advocacy and communications strategist), 'Furthest Behind First, or Falling Behind Further? The human stories that challenge Ireland’s claims to be leaving no one behind' which can be accessed HERE. Following on then, in July 2023, a delegation of Coalition 2030 members travelled to the United Nations for the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. The Coalition 2030 delegation comprised: DóchasStop Climate ChaosInner City Organisation Network (ICON)Independent Living Movement IrelandCoalition 2030Social Justice Ireland. The HLPF 2023, convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, was held from Monday, 10 July, to Friday, 14 July 2023 in New York. The high-level segment of the Council, including the three-day ministerial segment of the HLPF, was held from Monday, 17 July, to Thursday, 20 July 2023. Ireland presented its second Voluntary National Review during the second week and Dr. James Casey from the delegation responded from the floor of the UN. In this episode, we gathered together to discuss the Coalition's Report, Ireland's Voluntary National Review (VNR) and what we brought to and away from the experience. Ireland's Second Voluntary National Review 2023 can be accessed HERE. Watch Ireland's VNR presentation and the civil society statement read by Dr. James Casey (VNR from 2:40:00, Civil society intervention from 3:18:50, Minister Ryan’s response from 3:32:20) HERE. Any Irish organisations who would like to know more about Coalition 2030 and get involved can email : infocoalition2030@gmail.com

MECPATHS is the only non-profit organisation in Ireland which focuses specifically on the issue of Child Trafficking. It works to raise awareness on this hidden issue and educates frontline and emerging professionals to prevent Child Trafficking and enhance existing protective measures. Education Manager, Ann Mara and Network & Communications Manager, J.P. O’Sullivan chat with Susanne Rogers about the issue of child trafficking in Ireland, how we currently understand it, how the language needs to shift and what supports must be put in place. The podcast referenced by J.P., "The Witness: In His Own Words" carries the following warning, "there are references throughout this podcast to violence, sexual abuse and suicidal thoughts. If you are negatively affected and need help or advice, please contact the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s Freephone National 24-Hour Helpline on 1800 77 8888 in Ireland, or call the Samaritans on Freephone 116 123 in Ireland and the UK."

Dr. Patricia Scanlon is the founder and Executive Chair of SoapBox Labs, now the world's leading provider of Voice AI for children. In 2022, the Irish Government appointed Dr. Scanlon Ireland’s first AI Ambassador. Dr. Scanlon holds a PhD and has 25 years experience working in Artificial Intelligence and speech recognition technology, including at Bell Labs and IBM. She has been granted 7 patents and is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). An acclaimed TEDx speaker, in 2018 Dr. Scanlon was named one of the world’s top 50 women in tech by Forbes and a top “Visionary in Voice” by Voicebot in 2020. She is also a contributor to Forbes, TechCrunch and TheNextWeb. She chats with Susanne Rogers about the role of AI Ambassador, advances in artificial intelligence, ethics and AI,the opportunities as well as challenges posed by AI and what regulation can bring to the space.

We all know that Ireland's population is living longer, which is really good news! However, we need to plan for the needs of our future older people today, particularly in the area of housing. A new report commissioned by ALONE and Threshold, 'Double Deficit: Older and Ageing Persons in the Private Rental Sector', highlights the experience of older people who are renting privately, the impact that this has on their housing security, mental health, and overall quality of life, and makes a series of key recommendations on how Government and stakeholders might learn from these experiences. Colette Bennett, Economic and Social Analyst with Social Justice Ireland, chats with Gráinne Loughran of ALONE and Ann-Marie O'Reilly of Threshold about this report, their work in the sector generally, and why key reforms are needed now to advance the quality of life of future older generations.

Dr Peter Doran is a founding member of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance hub on the island of Ireland and has worked with the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust on a wellbeing outcomes framework for the Northern Ireland Programme for Government. He is a senior lecturer at the School of Law at the Queen's University Belfast and a senior writer with the International Institute for Sustainable Development's reporting services at UN negotiations on environment and development. He has authored numerous articles on ecology and politics, and authored A Political Economy of Attention, Mindfulness and Consumerism - Reclaiming The Mindful Commons (Routledge 2017). A practising zen buddhist, Dr Doran draws heavily from zen and decolonial literature (the pluriverse) in his work on the wellbeing economy. Peter spoke at the Social Justice Ireland Annual Social Policy Conference in 2022 on the theme 'Towards Wellbeing For All'. You can also watch his presentation, view his slides and read more here.

In this week's episode, Colette Bennett, Economic and Social Analyst, chats with Paul Goldrick Kelly, Economist at the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) about his latest blog on carbon locks. What they are, where they are, and what needs to be done to progress towards a real just transition. If you're not familiar with their work, check out NERI's website - www.neriinstitute.net - and subscribe to their regular blog.

Niamh Moore-Cherry is Professor in the School of Geography, Deputy College Principal in the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law, and Honorary Professor at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. Her research is focused on understanding governance and the impact of territorial politics on urban and regional outcomes. She founded and leads the Cities, Governance and Sustainability (www.citiesgovernancesustainability.eu) research group in UCD which brings together academic, policy and community engaged work. In summer 2022, she was appointed as an independent member of the advisory National Economic and Social Council (NESC) by An Taoiseach. She chats with Susanne Rogers about what the 15 minute city is and is not, the challenges and possibilities for the concept in the Irish context.

Due to a technical glitch when we launched our Budget Choices 2024 policy briefing on Monday, 3rd July 2023, our launch did not record. But don't worry! We've recorded a podcast covering all of the relevant details from the launch, including your great questions. We hope you enjoy it. Budget Choices 2024 is available to download here: Budget Choices 2024 | Social Justice Ireland

Issy Petrie is Research and Policy Officer with the Society of St.Vincent de Paul (SVP) and Nicola Fox is National Development Officer with Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS). They chat with Susanne Rogers about energy poverty in Ireland, who is affected, what supports are available and policy asks into the future. Find out more about SVP HERE. Find out more about MABS HERE.

In this week's episode, Colette Bennett chats with Dr. Amanda Roberts and Avril Easton of the Irish Hospice Foundation on their research looking at the financial impact of bereavement. An estimated 300,000 people every year are impacted by bereavement and many of those will struggle, not just with the emotional fall-out, but the financial impact too. If you want to start planning for your future, the Irish Hospice Foundation have a brilliant tool to help: Think_Ahead_Editable.pdf (hospicefoundation.ie) If you or someone you know has been bereaved, the Irish Hospice Foundation have a range of supports: Irish Hospice Foundation - To Die and Grieve Well Wherever the Place

In this episode, Colette Bennett welcomes back Keith Adams, Penal Policy Advocate in Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice and Doctoral candidate at Leuven Institute of Criminology. It will come as no surprise that we're talking all things prisons - the latest scandals, the unpublished reports, and what really needs to be done if the criminal justice system is to work effectively. If you want to learn more about Keith's work, check out www.jcfj.ie to read his many articles and publications, and check out the work of his colleagues across a range of areas too.