Category: Northern Ireland life

Justice, Northern Ireland life, Police, PSNI1 Comment

visitor or victim? UK Anti-Slavery Day 18 October 2010

Michael McFarland Campbell

Today is Anti Slavery Day in the United Kingdom and EU Anti-Trafficking Day. Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister, David Ford MLA, launched a new campaign last week called Visitor or Victim. The campaign is run in conjunction with the Police Service of Northern Ireland through the Organised Crime Task Force. Below is the front cover of the leaflet. The leaflet is in nine languages (English, Mandarin, French, Romanian, Lithuanian, Russian, Thai, Czech and Albanian) will be placed at all points of entry to Northern Ireland, as well as in other venues like doctor’s surgeries and hospitals. David Ford MLA said at … Continue reading visitor or victim? UK Anti-Slavery Day 18 October 2010

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APNI, catholic, christian, DUP, Education, news, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, politics4 Comments

either a farce or we’ve moved very far indeed

Michael McFarland Campbell

Reading the news about the First Minister’s comments about integrated education in Northern Ireland has got me thinking. It really isn’t that long ago since I spoke in a debate, nay, I seconded the motion, at Alliance Party Conference in the Dunadry Hotel, in 2009. The motion was proposed by Alliance Youth, – I was only just a member back then (before being kicked out for being too old). The proposal was that the State should withdraw funding from schools that don’t withdraw religious control on them. In other words, to create a State education sector that was truly integrated, … Continue reading either a farce or we’ve moved very far indeed

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Northern Ireland lifeLeave a comment

sport shows the way to unite against hate

Michael McFarland Campbell

This afternoon, I attended the Unite against Hate Sporting Weekend launch at Parliament Buildings, Belfast as Vice Chair of the LGBT Independent Advisory Group to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. With Tim McGarry of the Hole in the Wall Gang as compère, we were treated to wonderful gags about Northern Ireland in general, as well as learning from the First Minister, The Rt Hon Peter Robinson MLA, that OFMdFM junior minister, Gerry Kelly MLA had tried to explain the intricacies of Gaelic football. The First Minister had cracked that he thought he had just about sorted out the ‘offside … Continue reading sport shows the way to unite against hate

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Belfast, DUP, news, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, Sinn Féin1 Comment

stop the cuts, make some cuts… make up your mind Sinn Féin

Michael McFarland Campbell

Good to see that the all-Ireland political entity known as Sinn Féin is using joined up campaigning. On one side of the border that they now recognise (cf Belfast Agreement) people are being encouraged to join with Gerry Adams and protest the cuts – see poster… Whilst in Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin is saying that they want to make savings cuts worth £1billion and make £800 million in revenue. According to Eamonn Mallie, the deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness said (on tackling the economy) Let us have a bit of blue sky thinking – thinking outside the box. Mr Mallie … Continue reading stop the cuts, make some cuts… make up your mind Sinn Féin

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Environment, news, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, politics3 Comments

councils delay has gone to Poots

Michael McFarland Campbell

By now we should be well down the road for reorganisation of the local district councils in Northern Ireland from the 26 current district councils to the 11 council model. Sadly for some, though better for actual local democracy and relation of councillor to constituent, this has not happened. According to the BBC, Northern Ireland’s Minister for the Environment, Edwin Poots, of the DUP, said that he remained committed to reforming local government Committed to reforming local government he may be, but not committed to bringing forward the legislation necessary to enable this to be done. For Mr Poots has … Continue reading councils delay has gone to Poots

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Ballyclare, Justice, news, Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, Police, PSNILeave a comment

we must not let the thugs take us back in time

Michael McFarland Campbell

Northern Ireland for the relatively uninformed people of the rest of the United Kingdom is peaceful. Or so they think. Last night, a police officer was taken to hospital after suffering a head injury in Ballyclare, County Antrim. He was on a routine patrol. He has subsequently been released. Some time later, other police vehicles and officers were attacked by petrol bombs. Who are these attackers? They are masked men thugs. Thugs who hide behind masks rather than showing their faces. Thugs who know that the vast majority of Northern Irish society is not behind them. But they seem intent … Continue reading we must not let the thugs take us back in time

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Belfast, dissidents, news, Newspapers, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, RepublicanLeave a comment

combining stories makes a better read…

Michael McFarland Campbell

On page 16 of the Final Edition of the paper copy of today’s Belfast Telegraph there is a story by Deborah McAleese about how Colin Duffy was led into the dock at the Coleraine Magistrates Court looking dishevelled with a sports jacket scarely covering his bare torso Mr Duffy’s solicitor told the court that his client had been forcibly strip-searched and his shirt cut from his body by prison officers as he left HMP Maghaberry that morning… Following on from yesterday’s post about how newspapers could do better, I would argue that the following information from a story by Victoria … Continue reading combining stories makes a better read…

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Blogging, Media, news, Newspapers, Northern Ireland life1 Comment

newspapers: could do better on NI – Greenslade

Michael McFarland Campbell

Roy Greenslade seems to have hit on something in his blog on the Guardian‘s website. Northern Ireland is seeing a resurgence in Republican violence. There is need for decent reporting of events here in Northern Ireland in the mainstream British press. Arrest of nine men by Gardaí Nine men were arrested by Irish police – six in Wexford, one Waterford and two in Louth – under Ireland’s offences against the state act… The story did not appear in the print editions of any London-based Sunday national. But it was reported by the Sunday Times’s Irish edition. It should have been … Continue reading newspapers: could do better on NI – Greenslade

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news, Northern Ireland life, Police, PSNILeave a comment

bomb blast in Derry – enough is enough

Michael McFarland Campbell

    The news that there has been a bomb in Londonderry comes just as I was turning in for the night. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is warning that there will be traffic disruption on Tuesday morning. This is the second bomb near the area of Strand Road / Culmore Road in two months. The first was on 3 August outside Strand Road PSNI station. Tonight’s exploded outside the Da Vinci centre on Culmore Road, and has caused damage to many shops and local businesses. Although, at the time of writing, there appears to have been no claiming … Continue reading bomb blast in Derry – enough is enough

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Belfast, Health, mental health, news, Northern Ireland life, PSNI3 Comments

PSNI MMRT get gold stars: Belfast HSC Trust does not

Michael McFarland Campbell

This weekend has been a very difficult one for my family. This evening I would like to say a very big thank you to the members of the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team who trekked up Slieve Donard late on Friday evening/early on Saturday morning to find my brother, D-, who was up on the mountain with very little protection. Stephen’s post yesterday evening about suicide was very timely. D- is in a very bad way at the moment. However, other than the Mountain Rescue Team to thank, the Police Service of Northern Ireland in B district have been very very … Continue reading PSNI MMRT get gold stars: Belfast HSC Trust does not

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