Society

After a long battle through the courts, today “in Belfast three senior judges ordered the Department of Health to draw up guidelines on when abortions can be carried out under existing law.” The time and the cost of this legal argument, between the Family Planning Association and the Department of Health, to simply produce guidelines on the current legal position is an indictment of our politicians, of almost all parties, who have obstructed, directly and indirectly, any progress on this …

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Not sure of the authentic nature of this story but according to the Libertarian blogger at Squander Two there have been some strange alliances being made recently. 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

Sinn Fein refused to sign a motion in Belfast City Council chamber censuring an alleged campaign of intimidation of Protestants in North Belfast out of their homes, on the basis that it didn’t recognise similar incidents against Catholics. 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

A few years back there was some speculation about two new national parks, one in Scotland and the other in the Mournes. Well the Scots have their park, but where’s ours? Reader Stephen asks: Is this the product of a failed executive, or just an indication of how much less efficient sectarian politics will always be? Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and …

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THE latest edition of the magazine of the Evangelical Contribution on Northern Ireland, ‘Lion and Lamb’ has a special feature on the rise of racism here. Among the contributors are Presbyterian Moderator Ken Newell, while Anna Rankin interviews a Nigerian woman who has settled into life here. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

When I met Eammon McCann for the first time at Leviathan last week I discovered, much to mine and the audience’s surprise, that he retains a deep and abiding interest in Ancient Greek and the Cannon Law of the Catholic Church – even if there’s little affection for the latter. This week he argues that the Catholic church has had a more corrosive effect on family life than the current target of the Christian right in the US, the sex …

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Moves are being considered to enable the implementation of an All-Ireland Free Travel scheme for pensioners and other groups. The BBC quotes Irish Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Coughlan, “The use of this type of smart card [to be introduced next year] may hold the key to resolving many of the administrative difficulties in operating the proposed All-Ireland Free Travel scheme on both sides of the border”According to Minister Coughlan, “Issuing these new smart cards to pensioners and …

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Roy Garland argues that whatever positive effect of public dialogue events, there is nothing to compare with the direct and blunt communication between people from opposing traditions that take place, off camera. 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

Two things worthy of note in last week’s Hearts and Minds: the degree of agreement in the round table discussions at the beginning; and the lively discussion on civil partnerships – Steven King who argues that the expected UK legislation should be extended to NI with a minister who believes it’s the thin end of the wedge for a longer term agenda to legitimise gay marriage. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts …

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Maggie O’Conor, a Dublin born solicitor has applied for a judicial review of a decision by the Department of Finance and Personnel to withdraw an invitation to interview her for the post of legal assistant. The position had been designated a “public service post” requiring UK nationality. 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, …

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It’s European Car Free Day today – or at least it is in twenty towns and cities in the Republic. It has yet to catch on in Northern Ireland at all! 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

The Scottish newspaper, The Herald, carries news that the EU is to fund a skill-sharing initiative in Northern Ireland.After the apparent unwillingness to co-operate for the common good shown by our politicians in Leeds Castle, It’s good to see that at grass-roots level communities can work together. €3m over the next few years from the EU’s Peace and Reconciliation Fund will fund the “Focus Farm Programme.” The initiative is aiming to inject cash, divided between farmers across the religious divide, …

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A survey reported in today’s Irish Independent suggests that the “vast majority of those under 45 now favour allowing abortion in some circumstances”.In a second article, Eilis O’Regan writes “The latest report, compiled by researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons for the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, shows that only 8pc believe abortion should not be permitted in any circumstances. Around 12pc say that a woman should be able to choose abortion if she is not married and 9pc say it …

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While not exactly proof of Delphic powers, Eamonn McCann’s article in the Belfast Telegraph earlier this week is looking more prescient as the day, and the talks at Leeds Castle, go by.The link between the Agreement of 1998 and the increasing polarization that Eamonn McCann sees and foresees, when there is a case to be made for that polarization being the deliberate policy of certain parties, is, I believe, not quite as clear-cut as he appears to claim. He does …

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The SDLP‘s former Finance Minister, Sean Farren considers one of the problems that remains outside the remit of political negotiations and has been largely left for civil society to consider and worry away at – the polarisation of the two communities in Northern Ireland in both rural and urban areas. Here he draws on his experience of his own North Antrim constituency.By Sean Farren From a community viewpoint most of our towns, villages and townlands are ghettoes, or consist of …

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