Maman Poulet | Clucking away crookedly through media, politics and life

Declan Ganley’s off to a summer school in Austria

August 3rd, 2010 · Declan Ganley, Irish Politics

He’s still about – speaking at summer school type things in Central and Eastern Europe.

In May he spoke at a conference organised by a think thank called the Educational Initiative for Central and Eastern Europe – the majority of the agenda was on a crisis in Western Liberalism and the threat of Islam on European societies. (Former Libertas Staff member Alan Kennedy helpfully has the main points from Ganley’s speech on an Institutional Deficit as part of a panel on the European Deficit.)

I hear now that Ganley is back again to the EICEE next week. The Summer school for students from all over Europe will cover

five courses (in economics, metaphysics, ethics, political philosophy and bio-ethics) are a consideration of the principles that are the foundation of free, prosperous and just societies and a reflection on some contemporary philosophical and practical problems facing Western civilization and Eastern European nations in particular.

Ganley is a guest speaker at this event. I’ve no idea what delights he has in store for the participants. Or indeed what else Chairman Ganley has been up to since Lisbon 2? The Libertas Party and Libertas Institute were wound up in June but the Libertas Institute is to remain functional. Other sightings and speech reports are of course very welcome!

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Psst Merrionstreet.ie

July 31st, 2010 · Irish Politics, Social Media

Look what President Obama just did. Maybe the Taoiseach can give us the tour round his new online gaff.

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Minister Mary Hanafin sends support to Irish Gay Games Competitors

July 30th, 2010 · Irish Politics, LGBT, Sport

10,000 people from all over the world are expected to converge on Cologne for the Gay Games which begin tomorrow. The Irish Ambassador to Germany is hosting a reception for the Irish participants tomorrow afternoon.

Minister for Arts and Culture and Sport Mary Hanafin TD.  has written to Team Ireland giving her good wishes and support to the team. Maybe  the influence of her colleague Dermot Ahern at work.

The Gay Games Blog has a copy of the letter.

I know we all appreciate the important role that sport plays in our society in promoting healthy lifestyles, creating a sense of identity and belonging and bringing people together. Active participation in sport and physical recreation contributes enormously to the physical and mental well being of the individual and by extension, of the whole community.

Could I suggest maybe an official reception for our medallists on their return?

Good luck to everyone in Team Ireland taking part in next week ( I believe some of Cork’s finest footballers are due to be playing a team of German policewomen in the Soccer tournament amongst others!)

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Visible Lives Study – LGBT 55+

July 29th, 2010 · Equality, LGBT

The first national research programme documenting the experiences of LGBT people aged 55 and older has been launched recently and reserachers are seeking participants for research into the lives and concerns of Older LGBT’s.

This is the area I spent 3 years researching for the never completed PhD and I think the initiative will contribute hugely to the development of policy and knowledge in the area.

The study is commissioned by GLEN and funded by Age and Opportunity and the HSE. It is being carried out by a team of researchers in Trinity College Dublin, School of Nursing &
Midwifery. There are a number of other organisations involved in supporting the project.

If you are over 55 or know someone who is over 55 and would be interested you can find out more information at the Visible Lives website.  There is an anonymous survey and further options for participation by interview if people are interested.  Beast of luck to the researchers and I look forward to reading more about the project as it develops.

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Partying for Partnership

July 28th, 2010 · Uncategorized

Mary White TD, Minister of State for Equality, Integration and Human Rights sent me and lots of other people an invitation to a party which is happening tomorrow night to mark the passing of legislation for Civil Partnerships.

The Party for Partnership is being held upstairs at the Odeon on Harcourt Street. The Odeon is one of the most inaccessible venues in Dublin, the upstairs part included.  (I telephoned and checked). So that’ll be able bodied people partying tomorrow night for forthcoming nuptials next year.

The Green Party and the Minister may wish when they have concluded their celebrations to consult a document from the National Disability Authority which is now five years old. *

It discusses issues pertaining to disability and sexual orientation. It’s well time that some of the suggestions in this report were acted on and further work completed regarding access and inclusion for lesbians and gay men with disabilities. It’s not just the Green Party that has this problem, the lgbt community is legendary itself.

*I was one of the people who advised the NDA in a voluntary capacity on the report.

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