civic forum

Civic engagement can help to heal Northern Ireland’s dislocated society

Paul Gosling on September 30, 2019, 7:01 am

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A discussion on how to strengthen civic society was held as part of a concluding reflection on the Holywell Trust’s series of Forward Together podcasts. The panel was author Julieann Campbell, the commentator Denis Bradley (who was co-chair of the Consultative Group on the Past and former deputy chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board) and Maureen Hetherington of the Junction, plus myself as the person who conducted the interviews for the 35 podcasts. We began by listening to highlights …

‘We need an agency to promote social integration’, says Father Martin Magill

Paul Gosling on July 5, 2019, 7:01 am

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Northern Ireland needs a body lobbying for social integration, learning from the success of the Integrated Education Fund in its work promoting integrated schools, says Father Martin Magill. Without an agency pushing the integrated housing agenda, it will be difficult to make sufficient progress, he says. Martin was interviewed in the latest Forward Together podcast. “I grew up living in a neighbourhood where my next door neighbour was Presbyterian; further on down the road Church of Ireland; further down the …

New way of consulting with civic society is part of the talks negotiations, discloses Naomi Long

Paul Gosling on July 1, 2019, 8:00 am

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Creating a new mechanism for consulting with civic society is part of the talks negotiations aimed at getting Stormont back, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has disclosed. Naomi is a newly elected MEP, former MP and has just resigned her role as an MLA. She was interviewed in the latest Forward Together podcast. “We need to find a role for engaging with civil society,” suggests Naomi. “I think there is a lot of good work that goes on in our …

‘A stronger role for civic society must be central to getting government back’

Paul Gosling on June 24, 2019, 7:00 am

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International peace negotiator John McKinney has urged the political parties to include a stronger role for civic society in a reformed structure of governance for Northern Ireland. John – a former chief executive of the Special EU Programmes Body and of Omagh District Council – was speaking in the latest Forward Together podcast. Asked how civil society in Northern Ireland should be strengthened, John says: “I don’t think we have a framework adequate to do it. I think we had …

‘Citizens’ Assembly could help progress with health reform’, suggests Simon Hamilton

Paul Gosling on June 3, 2019, 7:00 am

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The adoption of a citizens’ assembly could assist with making progress with reform of the health service in Northern Ireland, says Simon Hamilton – a DUP MLA and former health and finance minister. He was interviewed in the latest ‘Forward Together’ podcast. Speaking about the use of citizens’ assemblies in the Republic of Ireland, Simon explains: “They shouldn’t be dismissed instantly just because you didn’t like what some other jurisdiction was doing with them.” He adds: “I know from my …

Are the terms civic “unionists” and civic “nationalists” an oxymoron?

Brian Walker on February 27, 2018, 9:55 pm

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Over the past year we’ve heard many laments about the vacuum in decision taking but little specifically critical of politics from leaders of society. That’s par for the course for people who have been keeping our show on the road for decades. Few of them had little respect for political parties who in their view held society back. But now twenty years after the GFA and after a year – or many years by another measure – of deadlock, …

Time for civic society to engage more in our political process…

Soapbox on May 3, 2017, 3:42 pm

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At the height of the stream of public revelations about RHI in December 2016, a press release on The Executive Office’s website declared the names of six appointments to the Northern Ireland ‘compact civic panel’. Arlene Foster described this news as ‘‘another example of us getting on with the work. It presents a unique opportunity to take a fresh approach to dealing with the strategic issues which Government deal with and which impact directly on people’s lives’’. Martin McGuinness added: …

A Civic Forum for an undifferentiated humanity. Do we need to bring it back?

Mick Fealty on October 9, 2015, 11:11 am

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HNIW21 from The Detail on Vimeo. I’ll let Newton Emerson do all the talking here… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

What is the Civic Forum and do we really need it?

Mick Fealty on April 12, 2013, 4:01 pm

| Readers 169

What’s that you say? Civic Forum? What on earth is that? It’s easier to say what its not. It’s not a Seanad for Northern Ireland. It would be a bit embarrassing building an upper story to Stormont’s Parliamentary architecture just as Dublin is considering getting rid of theirs… But the Assembly has voted to bring back what will be a standing consultative body after the SDLP lay down a motion to that effect. Newton Emerson is less than impressed. His …