Love Music; Hate Racism

I was up in Dublin this weekend meeting the organisers of LM;HR here in Ireland.
I've been speaking to Kurt the founder for a while now and he knows I've done a lot of music promotion and organising in the past and was invited up to help run a fundraiser event across 3 floors near Temple Bar.
Was a great night, I managed to waylay myself messing around in Galway for half the afternoon fixing bike punctures and what not but managed to get up there for about 8.30-9pm or thereabouts.
It was a free entry gig, which is very important for awarenness events such as the LMHR movement but a little difficult to make money. Seemed to be all bands and live music, which was quite a change for me because these days I only seem to be involved in DJ and various other means of electronic music. Back to my musical roots of guitars and drums for the night. There were some amazing bands I must say, though I cannot remember any of the names, I will look them up and possibly get in touch!
The guys were raising money in order to get a stage sorted out for Electric Picnic, Irelands biggest alternative (and not-so-alternative) music festival.
They were doing this by selling raffel tickets with some pretty good prises.
There were 2 pairs of EP tickets going, at around €250 per ticket that's a pretty good deal. There was also an electric guitar given by one of their sponsors.
It was a mad night altogether with a serious amount of cash being raised, it looks like LMHR will more than likelyt be going to the picnic. I only hope I get invited along! (Hoping also that having access to one of the best soundsystems in the West of Ireland will help also!)
I spoke with Kurt about a few ideas I have for LM;HR. I want to look at organising nationwide university tours, something that doesn't happen very much in Ireland. I am hoping to do this through the USI, (Union of Students in Ireland) and have 3,4 or 5 legs for an Irish Universities tour for bigger bands that may come from the UK or further. It is so much easier to bring over an band or and act of if there are a few gigs, not to mention cheaper for individual promoters!
I need to discuss this at length with the USI Equality officer to see how possible this is. It really would be fantastic to set up a partnership between Irish university student unions and an organisation such as LMHR. Especially with this recession and the fact that everyone is looking for someone to blame for them losing their jobs or their houses being reposessed. Its such a shame that there are still, in this day and ages, where we know full well how much big finance, governments and global corporation have been raping us all for so long, that people STILL look for the easy targets such as blaming immigrants, Islam and all sorts of other retarded accusations.
It saddens me that such labels still actually mean much to most people. I wonder how long will it be until we see eachother for who we are, not what we appear to be.
I am very happy to be working with LMHR, music is very important to me, I cannot think of anything on Earth that does more to bring people together. We all dance, we all bang drums, we all sing and we all enjoy it, no matter what religion, skin colour, eye colour or any other trivial factor. I believe that music is the key to understanding these issues, or at the very least, the best distraction we have to avoid focussing on such silly differences.
Next step is to start making gigs happen here in Galway to spread the message, Love Music; Hate Racism!

Much Love. :)



LMHR Ireland's Blog

A message to you Ruairi

Well now, it seems like a bit of Labour liars pants on fires this year. We have MInister of Education Ruairi Quinn signing a pledge last years with the USI stating that there would be no rise in registrations fees (already a stealth tax on students) and a rule out of the re-introduction of third level tuition fees.
Here we are only a few months down the line and he has already made a completel U-turn on this pledge, (after being elected of course) and announced a further rise in the registration fee, which was bumped up by €500 already last year.
This worries me greatly, it will put a lot of young people off the political system here, if for the first time the voted, it was on a single issue and were blatently lied to, who can blame the youth of today from becoming alienated from politics?
This is a dangerous precedent, if politicians think they can lie to our faces with such audacity and think they can get away with it they are very, very wrong.
I can see a huge surge in student activism and protests this year, we need it.
We cannot allow our governments to target our futures and out educations to pay off private bank debts that out generations never benefitted from in the first place!
It's disgusting. The Labout Party have earned a large portion of my attention for this year, pity for them.
Have fired of a letter to Ruairi Quinn today and another similar one to Derek Nolan, local Labour TD who won a lot of votes here in NUIG for his pro-free education statements republished in the form of election information posters made by FEE Galway.

Let the games begin.

Dear Sir
It is with great regret that I write to you to express my extreme dissatisfaction with your recent announcement on the imminent rise in the third level registration fee.
This is highly unfair to young people and targets those self financing their studies and those from lower income families and is a disgraceful action for a supposed Labour minister who very publically signed a pledge with the USI promising not to bring in any hikes in either registration fee or the reintroduction of fees in any way.
This move, I can promise you will be one that you yourself and your party will deeply regret. Young people, particularly students are becoming more and more alienated and radicalised and this unfair stealth tax targeting students may very well be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
I highly recommend you reconsider this plan to increase student fees of any kind.
Young people are the last people who are responsible for the economic crisis facing this country and should be the last people to be penalised.
It is also clear that new ideas, methods and technologies are out best bet to bring Ireland to becoming a profitable and sustainable country once again and it is only through Education and investment in education that we will progress.
Put shortly, yours and the Labour party’s barefaced lies to the youth of Ireland will not go unpunished and unchallenged. Already across the country student unions and the USI are mounting a defensive over this issue and I can promise you it will not be forgotten any time soon.
Yours sincerely
Will O'Brien BSc


Hopes that puts the shits up em :)

New Engineering building tour

Just back from a guided tour of the new engineering building on the North side of campus.
This is part of my intention to inspect all new buildings on campus and my first inspection yet.
I have to say I am very impressed with the level of attention paid to access and disability requirements in the design and construction of the building.
I was met by Greg Power and Kevin Sullivan of the buildings office who were to be my tour guides. Both are clearly very experienced and learned on the subject of disabled access and also very pleasant and friendly chaps.
Straight away I noticed that the reception desk featured a dropped section, suitable for people in wheelchairs etc, this was a good first impression.
On the ground floor I inspected the lifts and washrooms which appeared to be satisfactory. There no steps on the way in from any entrance which greatly helps accessibility.
I was shown the main large lecture theatre on the ground floor, the Dr Higgins theatre which I had already heard horror stories about. I can see why in a sense, the lecture rows are stacked very steeply though I have to say I found the theatre to be very comfortable and possess an amazing panorama of the teaching area, the rows are stacked high with very good reason, engineering students will not be looking at the back of each other’s heads they way most science and arts students have to in many theatres.
This theatre was accessible from the front and the back with seat less rows at both suitable for wheelchair users. There was ample electricity within reach of these areas for recharging etc. It was also pointed out to me that all the doors in the building were black with light grey or white panelling which is essential for either colour blind people or those who are otherwise visually impaired. I was also informed that the entire building was fitted with induction loops for hearing aids.
All of the corridors are comfortable wide enough to allow two wheelchairs to pass each other and there are breakout areas on every floor that are suitably designed. The canteen area shows no potential access problems. Greg and Kevin mentioned to me that they had looked into having a dropped service counter but were advised against it due to the increased change of hot food or drinks being spilled which I completely understand. I noticed also that all of the lights are motion activated, eliminating the need for switches and the electrical switches that I did see, that controlled blinds, the lifts and various other things, were low down and comfortable reachable from a standing or sitting position
Throughout the building there are lots of examples of fitted furnishing with plenty of flat floor area surrounding I can envisage very few access problems when it comes to any of the fitting furniture. There are unfitted tables and chairs that have already found their way to obstructing few offices and rooms but this is inevitable. I imagine of anyone who starts working there or studying there will very quickly be catered for. From an access point of view I have to say once again that I am very impressed with the level of attention that has clearly been paid to this building.
From a student’s point of view the building is a working display model of modern engineering. Throughout the building there are cut away sections so that the structure of the building can be observed, from piping and wiring in some areas to viable concrete and rebar sections. In some areas the main supports can be viewed and the many parts of the building are digitally monitored and readouts of the various stresses and strains put on the supporting structures can be read and monitored. This way engineering students can solve problems and observe the structure of the very building they are studying. It’s fantastic. I’m only gutted I’m studying science this year.
One thing I did notice was that the computer suites currently had no larger monitors, needed for people who are visually impaired. I was told this was the responsibility of ISS department and that any needs would be catered for within a matter of hours. I will take it upon myself to notify ISS that it may be a good idea to have a few extra large monitors and workstations set up for high contrast as well as a few roller ball mouses and larger keyboards should they be required. This is a minor issue that can be solved very quickly. One thing that did concern me a little was that the emergency alarms in the toilets are not linked to any external sources and only set off a local alarm on the one floor. Also the elevators, while very accessible and well designed, had emergency phones in them that linked directly to a call center in the UK. I do not know which call center and I do not know what hours they are reachable by. This is something to look into, I assume this building is open until around 10pm at night like most of the rest of campus, I only hope the answer to the call for help is open these hours also or someone is bound to spend a very unpleasant night in an elevator.

I will return and have a look around the place on my own in the next few week so that I can avoid what I call “tour guide blindness” and have a fresh look.

I found Greg and Kevin very amicable and approachable people, I look forward to meeting with them in the future and working with them to quickly solve any problems that might occur throughout the year regarding access.
That’s all for now, I have a further meeting this afternoon with the commercial services managers concerning some gigs I want to organise in the College bar for Equality week . Watch this space ;)

Peace and love bros

The Great Gas Giveaway, the sale of Irelands natural resources

Working on a draft statement on the sovereignty Ireland's natural resources to present to the SU. It was decided at the last Exec meeting that the SU would be happy to make a public statement regarding the ownership of our resources. This is a very contraversial issue that is tied in with the shell2sea campaign. Though falling short or issuing a solidarity statement with shell2sea, this is a huge step for student politics in Galway to take a stance on a political issue such as this.
It is understandable that many of the exec are hesitant to be seen in solidarity with shel2sea, their actions and tactics ARE contraversial.
What is important to me is that this Student Unions is not afraid to stand up and fight for a cause that represents and is in the interest of all young people in the country.
Previous Fianna Fail governments have given this country a terrible deal in the selling off of our oil and gas reserves, Ireland has among the lowest rate of tax for gas extraction in the world and is estimated to have significant deposits.

"Dick Spring - 20th October 1987 – then leader of the Labour Party on the introduction of the giveaway terms introduced by Ray Burke which were subsequently improved (for the oil companies) 5 years later by Bertie Ahern.
“We will now, as a result of the changes this Government have made, get absolutely no return whatever from the development of any foreseeable oil find .....
What is most serious about this development is that there has been, up to now, a certain level of national consensus about how we should view our natural resources — even parties that did not really believe it were prepared to pay lip service to the notion that the natural resources of Ireland belonged to the people of Ireland. In the breaking of that consensus, and in their cold-blooded decision to give those resources away, Fianna Fáil have committed what I have already described as an act of economic treason, one for which I believe they should not be forgiven by the young people and by the people at large.”"

From S2S website.

Ray Burke was since charged with and convicted for corruption.

The changes made to legislation were further amended in favour of BIG OIL by the lovable Bertie Aherne, a picture of honesty and intergrity in Irish politics...

Known as the Great Gas Giveaway the changes in Irish Law on 1987 (Burke) and 1992 (Aherne) allow multinational oil companies to;

-Own 100% of the oil and gas they find under Irish waters
-Pay no royalties on it
-Be allowed to write off 100% of costs against tax, including costs incurred outside of Ireland
-Have profits taxed at only 25% (International average is 68%)
-Export oil and gas ouside of Ireland
-Sell to Bord Gais at full market price, the same as imported gas

To me it is quite evident that these conditions while hugely favourable to the oil companies granted exploration and extractin licences, is not very beneficial to the people of Ireland.
OUR natural resources are being exploited here, being taken out from under our feet and we are getting barely anything in return while the multinationals involved are open to making billions of euros in profits.

In a time is economic recession, where all public sectors are facing severe cuts, we are seeing welfare lines through the doors and students are being denied a quality educations, haveing grants cut and reg fees increased, I fiond it hard to believe that the deals made by politican known to be corrupt, with the worlds largest oil companies are not being re-examined.
It is high time that the Great Gas Giveaway was re-looked at and a better deal was negotiated for the people of Ireland for our natural resources.
This is why I am pushing the Union to issue a statement on the ownership of natural resources, because they belong to ALL of us, not some few corrupt politicos to sell off quickly to multinationals to make a bit of short term profit.

Bugging the City Council

Today I have been inspecting access around the university focussing on public infrastructure around campus.
I have found that access via Distillery road is almost impossible to wheelchair users and have written to Ciarán Hayes who is the City Council Director of Services for Transport and Infrastructure recommending that the problem is rectified.
Here is a transcript of the letter:

Dear Sir

As Equality Officer of the Student Union this year I am writing to you to bring to your attention some rather major problems regarding public infrastructure and pedestrian access around the University.
In particular I am referring to the footpaths leading to the University on Distillery road.
There are quite obvious problems regarding access here, in particular for wheelchair users. Neither sides of the road here have acceptable footpaths and access for wheelchair users is simply not catered for, forcing wheelchair users to use the road for the entire stretch. This is very dangerous, especially in the winter when there is no light in the mornings and evenings.
The corner of to the right causes severe problems as the path completely disappears forcing all pedestrians to walk on the road which again I find unacceptable and dangerous as thousands of students access the University from here every day. This corner is also prone to flooding every time it rains and is inaccessible even via foot for most of the winter.
Further past the corner, on both sides of the road the footpath is also unacceptable. On the left it is obstructed by bollards and the path actually disappears and becomes a gravel track which again, is not possibly to access in a wheelchair. On the right there are either no drops, or insufficient drops in the footpath to be wheelchair accessible.
I have included photographs of the areas which I have observed as being problematic and I hope and trust that you will agree that some changes must be made to accommodate for students with impaired mobility here at NUIG. It is clear that NUIG brings a lot to Galway City, we have around 15,000 students here who are clearly a huge asset to the city, it would be great if they were all able to gain access to the campus easily and those studying, working or teaching who are wheelchair users not feel persecuted against.

I await your reply

Yours sincerely

William O’Brien BSc
Equality Officer

Why I'm here

I stood for this position because I wanted to represent aspects of equality on the SU that I do not think have been represented very well in the past. It seems to me that past Equality Officers have focused on the more obvious aspects such as LGBT issues, black/white racism and issues regarding people with various disablilities. To me Equality is far more encompassing.
I hope to look out for the interests of mature students, students who have children and families, those who's first language is not English (or Irish for that matter), students practicing different faiths and religions and very importantly political affiliation.
I think it is very important that no one is judged by their political association and this is the sort of inequality that is very commonly accepted, especially in colleges and other similar institutions.
Socio-economic inequality concerns me greatly. I am an active member of FEE Galway (Free Education for Everyone) I believe tha this is a very important movement that to me, represents an idea that all education and access to information should be available to everyone regardless of socio-economic or any other factor.
I believe very strongly in the freedom of access to information and education and I have fought long and hard on many fronts over many years to protect it.
My main weapon is music. I believe very srtongly that there is nothing on this planet that unites people more than music, it permeates out social cultues and does so across the world in many manifestations.
I aim to promote a diversity of music on campus to celebrate Equality and am aiming to have lots of live music on campus for Equality week which starts in October.
I also plan, in a way, to radicalise the union somewhat.
I believe that as an organisation representing students there are many local, national and international issues that greatly affect young people that both the SU her ein Galway and the USI really should at the very least have a stance on. At the moment both institutions seem to shy away from allignment with any cause but I plan to do a lot to change this.

Hello

Yo, it's been a month since I started the job as Equality Officer here in NUI Galway. I feel I have got quite a lot done in only a month. A transcript of my end of month report is here:

In this month as my role in the Student Union I have;

·         Met with the campus crèche to inspect how it is run and to see if there is anything that can be done by the SU to improve the facilities available to students with children.
I have made recommendations to the Buildings office to repair 2 of the outside play areas which has been done, I also requested to maintain a large grassy area behind the building sop that it is safe and suitable for young children to play in outside. This will increase the amount of time the children in the care of the crèche can play outside.
I have organised a meeting with 2 of the buildings office managers responsible for new developments and have been granted a tour of the new gym and engineering building to inspect for potential access problems. I intend to inspect every new building on campus throughout the year with access in mind so that any possible problems can be dealt with before the building is opened.

·         I attended and co-orchestrated a small protest at the opening of the new engineering building by Taoiseach Enda Kenny over the recent hike in registration fees. Was met briefly by Kenny amidst excessive Garda presence and some unnecessary harassment.

·         I have been very busy organising Equality week for the first week of October which will feature live music from top acts in the College bar along with many other activities.

·         Began plans for a Free Language Academy as part of the SU. This will consist of a variety of conversational and basic language courses administered by volunteers wishing to hone their teaching skills. This will be freely available to everyone and I hope to incorporate many European languages as well as Irish and International Sign language.
It is the aim of this project to become self sustainable and provide experience and references for anyone currently studying a language who wishes to take part in tutorials as tutor. This has potential to be an excellent c.v. building project for students.

·         I am currently negotiating an agreement with West Ireland cycles so that all students may receive a substantial discount on presentation of a student card.
There are other companies I will soon be approaching for similar discounts.

·         Various casework involving students

·         Begun  formulating my plan for world domination.

i tI think this is quite a lot to have achieved on only a month and I am looking forward to the start of semester one in September.  
In other news FEE held a small protest on campus the other week when Enda Kenny came to the university to open the new engineering building. This was met by myself and Irish Officer Senan MacAoide who formulated a very small protest at the recent rise in registration fees and cuts to the grant for mature students.
We also mentioned the recent removal of Special Needs Assistants in secondary school and language assistants. The point was that while the Taoiseach was opening a multimillion building, the students meant to use it are being attacked when it comes to their ability to pay for their education.
While I say the protest was small, there was heavy Garda presence who I must say were very poorly behaved.
As soon as the gards spotted myself and Senan they immediately rushed us as far from the building as the possibly could, asking us who we were and to present our identies.
Not happy with this as we were clearly just attending the event I refused to cooperate, as is my right. It is not well known to people in Ireland that no Garda officer has any right to demand indentification unless they can suggest that you either have recently or are about to commit a crime. I asked what their probably cause was for their suspicion and was told that they didn't need one. As a seasoned activist, I knew this to be completley untrue.
Being someone who knows well his rights when it comes to matters like this I challenged this and asked under what legislation are they making such demands.
This question was not answered and I was simply told to give my ID, address, DOB and what course I was studying or I will be arrested. I was very unhappy with this as there was absolutely nothing to suggest that I was involved in ANY criminal behaviour and to issue such a threat to a peaceful, innocent civilian is tantamount to harassment.
I eventually gave in to the very real threat of (illegal) arrest and showed my student card, my address and let them, know that I am an elected representative of the students of the campus and had more right to be there than any of the other attendees present.
We were then told that our details were demanded under section 24 of the public order act. I questioned this strongly but was ignored.
There resulted in a remarkable change in their behaviour and we were once again allowed to wait outside the door of the new building to await the Taoiseach. We spent the next 10 minutes talking with various members of the press, explaining why we were protest and what the issues facing students are at the moment. After numerous interviews with local and international press and politicians including many local T.D.s Enda finally arrived with his escort.
At this point the two of us were rushed at by a team of Garda who forced us into a corner away from the door and away from Enda. This was amid a crowd of journalists, politicians and various other suits.
I persistently asked why I was being detained? And was told I wasn't. After trying to walk past the Gards I was forcefully shoved back into the corner repeatedly. I protested this greatly as I was unhappy being censored and assaulted for simply standing outside a university building in an orderly manner holding a poster.
I tried to bypass the Gards repeatedly and was repeatedly shoved back into the corner. I constantly asked why I was being detained and what reason do they have to assault me and I was not answered.
Enda himself had spotted what was going on and I noticed him keeping an eye on the ruckus. As the struggle with the gards began to escalate in volume he turned from who he was talking to got and came right over to us. It was clear that he had spotted a situation and was coming to rectify it, for which I am very grateful as these Gards were beginning to become a little too forceful.
Pushing his way through the barricade of gards stood shoulder to shoulder cornering us he addressed us, asked who we were and talked to us for a short time, shook our hands and listened to the grievances we had regarding student FEEs and other educational issues. The man was very curtious and genial.
When he turned around to walk off, the Garda who appeared in charge of the situation actually congratulated us on a dignified protest. I replied saying that "It's a shame I can't say the same for your boys".
I further questioned him and asked what was the probable cause for my mistreatment and was reffered to two articles of the public order act, articles 24 in reference for them demanding my details and section 9 for my seemingly illegal temporary detention and repeated assault.

I    I immediately went to my office and looked up these sections, printed them off and returned them knowing full well that no Gard has any right to interfere with any aspect of my life without being able to state a probable cause, which was never stated, in fact I was told repeatedly that there was no requirement for such a cause for suspicion. Seeing as this is neither nazi germany or soviet Russia, I refused to listen to this.

Public order act
9.—Any person who, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, wilfully prevents or interrupts the free passage of any person or vehicle in any public place shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £200.

24.—(1) Where a member of the Garda Síochána finds any person committing an offence under a relevant provision, the member may arrest such person without warrant.
		(2) Where a member of the Garda Síochána is of the opinion that an offence has been committed under a relevant provision, the member may—
		(a) demand the name and address of any person whom the member suspects, with reasonable cause, has committed, or whom the member finds committing, such an offence, and
		(b) arrest without warrant any such person who fails or refuses to give his name and address when demanded, or gives a name or address which the member has reasonable grounds for believing is false or misleading.
		(3) Any person who fails or refuses to give his name and address when demanded by virtue of subsection (2), or gives a name or address when so demanded which is false or misleading, shall be guilty of an offence.
		(4) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (3) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £500 or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 6 months or to both.

It is quite clear from the wording of these articles that I was completely correct in my assertations. I printed this off and returned to the Gards and read out in front of them the legislation they used to threaten me with arrest, temporarily detain and assault me. I also pointed out that the arguments I put forward during this was completly backed up by the very legislation that they were using against me.
I have since written to the Superintendent if Galway Garda station and the Garda Ombudsman with a formal complaint.
This may seem excessive but I take the actions practiced by the gards in this peaceful, non-obstructive protest situation very seriously.
It is simply not acceptable for any representative of the state the demand indentification papers using the threat of arrest unless there is a demonstrable reason to suspect that a crime is underfoot or has recently been committed. We are supposed to live in a free state, these police acted similar to Russian KGB agents from spy movies, "give me your ID card or you WILL be arrested."
Hardly gives you confidence in our supposed keepers of the peace does it?

I will update on this story as it unfolds.


Anyway, that was a hell of a long first post! Will have to keep them brief and regular in future! :)

Much love.

Will

(Also must learn to format in this siully HTML textbox.)