Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) – Page 2 – Slugger O'Toole

WATCH: book launch of Padraig O’Malley’s Perils and Prospects of a United Ireland #ImagineBelfast

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on March 23, 2023, 3:34 pm | Readers 2003

Slugger live-streamed the book launch of Professor Padraig O’Malley latest work – Perils and Prospects of a United Ireland – part of the Imagine! Festival of Ideas and Politics. As part of the event, Belfast Telegraph journalist Sam McBride talked to O’Malley about his fourth book on the politics of Northern Ireland, with nearly 100 interviews with leaders and commentators reflecting on the social, economic, and political changes afoot in both parts of the island. You can stuill watch it …

Images of Incoming: exclusion and belonging in Northern Ireland

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on March 10, 2023, 10:11 am | Readers 2335

To coincide with International Women’s Day, the Linen Hall Library hosted an event showcasing a Photovoice project that involved over 70 women from Northern Ireland and Canada, expressing their sense of inclusion and exclusion in their new countries. Dr Federica Ferrieri, the project coordinator, presented a selection of their images and expanded on their captions with themes and subthemes revealed through the work. Ferrieri described the background and framework of the project, which was a partnership between Queen’s University Belfast’s …

Book review — Refugees and Forced Displacement in Northern Ireland’s Troubles (Niall GILMARTIN and Brendan Ciarán BROWNE)

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on February 20, 2023, 7:55 am | Readers 1719

Among the imagery associated with the Troubles, occasionally you see one of a van or car overladen with house furniture and hastily assembled parcels of clothing and personal possessions. These people were given enough time to bring some things with them as they were either forced out or no longer felt safe remaining in their homes. These incidents usually get a brief mention in the analysis of the 30-year violent conflict in Northern Ireland, yet in a tone of an …

Offer of help with truth recovery process at Irish Council of Churches centenary service

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on January 24, 2023, 12:03 pm | Readers 1398

The Irish Council of Churches (ICC) — an all-island body with membership from Protestant, Orthodox, Reformed, and independent church traditions — marked its centenary with a joint service of worship at St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast. With the theme of “Celebrating our Reconciling Vision of Hope”, the special service also marked the 50th anniversary of the Ballymascanlon Talks, which led to the establishment of the Irish Inter-Church Meeting (IICM), the means by which the ICC continues to engage and collaborate with …

‘Ordinary People’: an exhibition of standing up to hatred

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on January 21, 2023, 6:36 pm | Readers 963

“It’s the farmer in the field, and the pilot that he finds, Hides him in his barn, till all his wounds have healed. Or the baker making extra bread, to give a starving man, Or people helping people, who they’ll never see again.” The poem, “The Ordinary People”, by Sharon Kerr, is one of the dozens of items on display at an exhibition at Bangor Carnegie Library, to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2023, remembering the millions killed in the Holocaust …

Good Friday Agreement ‘best thing that’s happened on this island in the last 100 years’: Coveney

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on October 26, 2022, 2:08 pm | Readers 3742

Minister Simon Coveney TD, Ireland Minister for Foreign Affairs, resumed his speech that was interrupted by a bomb scare earlier this year in north Belfast. He was the keynote speaker guest as part of a series of seminars, “Building Common Ground”, organised by the John & Pat Hume Foundation for Peaceful Change and Reconciliation. After Minister Coveney’s address, there was a facilitated discussion with Claire Sugden MLA, a former Justice Minister. Father Gary Donegan reminded the audience that the event venue, the Houben Centre, is …

Media’s role in mediating our ‘different psychic landscapes’

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on October 22, 2022, 11:58 am | Readers 948

A set of current and former journalists shared their experiences and thoughts on the role of media and social debate across the island of Ireland. Hosted by the Irish Association, the event “Journalism without borders” attracted several dozen, including other journalists and commentators. The discussion explored what we think the public knows about society on both sides of the border, and why or why not that is the case. Indeed, Stephen Douds (president of the Irish Association) explained in his introduction a motivation …

Peace Heroines: Spotlight on Stormont

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on September 29, 2022, 4:42 pm | Readers 1212

The Herstory project, established in 2016 to elevate the stories of women in national histories, launched an art exhibition at the Long Gallery in Parliament Buildings, Belfast. “Peace Heroines” features nine vibrant, largescale individual portrait paintings by artist FRIZ — women who have made an indelible mark on the Northern Ireland peace process, including Monica McWilliams, Pearl Sagar, Linda Ervine, Pat Hume, May Blood, Ann Carr, and Saidie Patterson. Several took part in an event discussion with Herstory creative director, Melanie Lynch. After …

‘Just drawing support’ — Bill Rolston’s latest catch of mural hunting

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 15, 2022, 8:56 am | Readers 2809

Bill Rolston published the first volume of Drawing Support in 1992, which contained images of 100 murals from the previous decade. Thirty years later, the fifth volume has just been published, and at a Feile an Phobail event Rolston spoke about his never-ending “mural hunting”, accompanied by recollections of muralist Danny Devenny. Claire Hackett welcomed and informed the audience that in addition to the latest and previous volumes of Drawing Support available for sale here, Rolson, with Robbie McVeigh, are …

‘A Long Night’s Journey into Day’ — distinguishing process and progress of reconciliation in South Africa

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 9, 2022, 11:20 am | Readers 1303

As part of the Feile programme of events, and supported by the Department of Foreign Affair’s Reconciliation Fund, the award-winning documentary film about South Africa’s truth and reconciliation process, A Long Night’s Journey into Day, was screened at the James Connolly Visitors Centre, followed by a comprehensive discussion with Professor Brandon Hamber, who shared his experience of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Screening The film covers four stories from the over 22,000 stories submitted to the …

‘The South is not ready for unification’: Andy Pollak

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 1, 2022, 8:50 am | Readers 7705

The theme for the 35th John Hewitt International Summer School was “Finding the national: redefining home and country for a shared future”, which asked how much “home”, “country”, “identity”, and “nation” matter, or should matter in a shared future, and the experience of those who feel excluded from existing political structures. Speaking at the Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre in Armagh, journalist and civil activist Andy Pollak presented an appropriate talk, “The South is not ready for unification”. He …

#AE22 Photo Gallery

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on May 7, 2022, 8:05 pm | Readers 1141

I’m making the most of my media pass taking photos at the election count at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, for my own endeavours. But sharing them here out of interest. I’ll add more later tonight, but the rumour is that they’ll call time here at 10.00pm. Some fresh images from today’s continuation of the count at the Titanic Exhibition Centre: Final shots: Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster)Peacebuilding a shared Northern Irish society ✌️ Editor 🔍 Writer ✏️ Photographer 📸 https://mrulster.com mrulster.com

The media’s role in peacebuilding: none of its business?

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on June 10, 2021, 10:27 am | Readers 1651

So is peacebuilding none of the media’s business? That was a conclusion that broadcaster and journalist, Declan Harvey, posed to a panel of fellow journalists and writers at an online webinar delivered through Belfast City Council’s PEACE IV Programme, which is funded through the EU and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. Panellists Alex Kane, Amanda Ferguson, and Leona O’Neill shared their perspectives and experiences of reporting in Northern Ireland, answering questions from Declan Harvey and those submitted by …

A passion for social justice: Tribute to Anne MOORE

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 8, 2020, 1:28 pm | Readers 1337

Anne Moore will be remembered for her passion for social justice. I met Anne during my employment as a policy officer for the Alliance Party as I sought out the views of a valued stakeholder, NICVA, where she served as public affairs officer. Anne and I had plenty of enjoyable conversations and discussions on official as well as unofficial business matters—we would frequently diverge to global and philosophical perspectives. I regret that we didn’t continue such conversations as our careers …

Asking the right questions for a better-informed public

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on February 4, 2020, 2:03 pm | Readers 970

Asking the right questions for a better-informed public by Allan LEONARD 28 January 2020 Representing FactCheckNI and as part of a four-person panel, I was invited to give evidence to the UK House of Lords Select Committee on Democracy and Digital Technologies. Fellow witnesses were Ed Humpherson (Director General for Regulation, Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR)), Will Moy (Chief Executive, Full Fact), and Jenni Sargent (Managing Director, First Draft). This was an extension of the committee’s previous call for written …

Lies and democracy: Who are the truth tellers?

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on December 9, 2019, 10:17 am | Readers 1108

Lies and democracy: Who are the truth tellers? by Allan LEONARD 6 December 2019 As part of the annual general meeting of NICVA, the umbrella body of the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland, there was a panel discussion on the topics of truth, trust, and how everyone engages with a bombardment of information. Entitled, “Lies and Democracy: The Fight for the Truth”, BBC Radio Ulster presenter, Seamus McKee, moderated the discussion with panellists Amanda Ferguson, John Barry, and …

Musicking for peacebuilding

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on December 2, 2019, 11:47 am | Readers 601

Musicking for peacebuilding Sounding Conflict: From Resistance to Reconciliation by Allan LEONARD 28 November 2019 The state-of-the-art acoustic facility, the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) at Queen’s University Belfast, was a most appropriate meeting place for a two-day symposium that explored the roles of music, from activist resistance to a hopeful tool for reconciliation from conflict. The event was organised by the Mitchell Institute for Global Peace at Queen’s University. Professor Fiona Magowan welcomed several dozen delegates, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor David …

The role and responsibilities of media in divided societies. Discuss.

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on November 18, 2019, 11:48 am | Readers 848

The role and responsibilities of media in divided societies. Discuss. by Allan LEONARD 8 November 2019 A two-day international conference examined the role that media plays in divided societies and in creating more peaceful and stable communities. Organised by the Social Change Initiative in partnership with Conciliation Resources and the University of Edinburgh’s Political Settlements Research Programme, the event was attended by journalists from South Africa, Colombia, Myanmar, Rwanda, Turkey, the Middle East, the Balkans, Kashmir, Somalia, Syria, Nepal, and …

Considering Grace: An invitation to listen

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on November 6, 2019, 9:18 am | Readers 1296

Considering Grace: An invitation to listen by Allan LEONARD for Shared Future News 5 November 2019 Considering Grace, by Gladys Ganiel and Jamie Yohanis, is a new book that explores how Presbyterians responded to the Troubles, through a series of narratives from 120 people who tell their stories of how they coped with trauma and tests of their faith. The book was launched with a set of readings and short presentations at Assembly Buildings, Belfast, to an audience of several …

The polite rebel: Sheelagh Murnaghan

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on October 6, 2019, 2:38 pm | Readers 2075

The polite rebel: Sheelagh Murnaghan by Allan LEONARD 3 October 2019 Sheelagh Murnaghan was the only Liberal Party MP (1961-69) in the Northern Ireland Parliament, representing the constituency of Queen’s University Belfast, which was the venue for a launch event of a new biography about her remarkable life. There were many Murnaghan family members in the audience of a few dozen attending. The book, Sheelagh Murnaghan, was commissioned by the Albert McElroy Memorial Fund, which was established to commemorate the …