Ógra Shinn Féin
It is a common story these days for young people across Ireland being heard to say, ‘Nothing to do’, ‘No where to go’, and ‘No one cares about us.’
With such a common displaced, detached and negative attitude, it is no surprise that anti social behaviour, alcohol and drug abuse, and unemployment remains a problem amongst our young people.
We all witness problems in our own areas, we all know the spots where young people go to drink, yet we struggle to identify the proper youth facilities.
On issues like anti social behaviour, alcohol and drug abuse, while undoubtedly these things present a problem and need addressed, people, especially republicans, can sometimes exaggerate the problem.
Although these issues present a problem in modern Irish society, we need to put things in perspective and realise that a solution is very manageable if approached in the proper manner.
We also need to move away from the mindset of labelling any young person as a ‘hood’, we where all young once and youth need engagement, confidence building and education, not further isolation by whisper campaigns, community alienation and intimidation.
Empowered communities, and schemes like community restorative justice and community watch should now be used in effectively engaging with youth involved in anti social behaviour.
There is a lack of vision on youth facilities across Ireland, while there are facilities such as leisure centres, football fields, and snooker halls, there is a lack of youth orientated schemes for late nights and on weekends. There are no youth coffee bars, where only non-alcoholic drinks are on offer, there is very few late night youth clubs and many are only initiated and funded in response to a problem.
And government action on the needs of youth is abysmal to say the least, with a chronic lack of funding with many densely populated areas across Ireland having only 1 full time youth worker. While there is a small network of voluntary and part time people assisting in the youth sector, the lack of funding and resourcing creates huge problems and an inability to develop or implement proper youth projects, and facilities.
Government action on the issue of youth, usually results in huge funding of fire fighting the problems created, by their complete lack of funding of long term preventative measures.
If we are to get to the core of why young people are so detached from their community, why they misuse alcohol and drugs, then we need to engage with them and ask them.
We need to talk to Irish youth as peers, through local engagement and find out what local youth need.
On a needs basis, perhaps we can begin to address some of the youth isolation and begin to empower a generation of youth. Encouraging them to participate, to have a say in their communities.
What do young people need in education, health, housing, social life, sports and employment? Let’s begin to engage Irish youth, to answer these questions, and push forward demands that will benefit future generations of young people.
Let’s begin to, ‘Cherish the children of the Nation Equally!”
And government action on the needs of youth is abysmal to say the least, with a chronic lack of funding with many densely populated areas across Ireland having only 1 full time youth worker. While there is a small network of voluntary and part time people assisting in the youth sector, the lack of funding and resourcing creates huge problems and an inability to develop or implement proper youth projects, and facilities.
Government action on the issue of youth, usually results in huge funding of fire fighting the problems created, by their complete lack of funding of long term preventative measures.
If we are to get to the core of why young people are so detached from their community, why they misuse alcohol and drugs, then we need to engage with them and ask them.
We need to talk to Irish youth as peers, through local engagement and find out what local youth need.
On a needs basis, perhaps we can begin to address some of the youth isolation and begin to empower a generation of youth. Encouraging them to participate, to have a say in their communities.
What do young people need in education, health, housing, social life, sports and employment? Let’s begin to engage Irish youth, to answer these questions, and push forward demands that will benefit future generations of young people.
Let’s begin to, ‘Cherish the children of the Nation Equally!”
1 comment:
Very good progressive piece. I watched a good show last night, 'Why do kids kill' by Panorma, granted it was a British based documentary altho it opened my eyes to alot of youth problems.
It also asked young people why they got involved in drink, violence etc, and alot of them said lack of proper emplyment and proper youth facilities, this is a debate we need to lead.
J
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