Damien Mulley

By the way old people in media: They’re called Young People, not the Lost Generation.

President Michael D. Higgins’ Being Young and Irish 2012 consultation workshops began today. The first of the roadshows took place in DIT Bolton Street this morning. More roadshows will be happening in Cork (September 15th), Monaghan (September 22nd) and Galway (September 29th) in the next while. The idea is getting Young People in a room and getting them to say what they think the country needs to do in the next while and where priorities should be. Groups proposed different ideas and then voted on them. Today they voted and said these are of importance or as the blurb said:

Then in plenary session the young people voted on their vision for Ireland and established, with the support of D.I.T. researchers, the top 10 most important aspects of that vision.

100 people (so far) are of the belief that equality and accountability are very important to the country. Here’s the full list.

• 1a. Equality – gay marriage – gender – wage/salary = equality in Ireland*
• 1b.Accountability – leaders – finance – systems – services – government
• 3. A suitable completed education that includes special needs, life-skills, practical aspects, and is holistic
• 4. Mental health and suicide ,awareness, mainstreaming. Bottom up approach and input from role models. Detachment of taboo
• 5a. Cultural identity – recognition of importance of language, history and arts**
• 5b. Accountable political system (reform) – participation structures, responsibility
• 7. Move from apathy to proactive participation, youth-led change and innovation. Removal of jargon and buzz words in communication with youth
• 8. Improvement in the planning and implementation of green technologies
• 9. More opportunities and less exploitation in youth employment
• 10. Secular society and Government

* got equal votes
** got equal votes