The most recent forum was highlighting the issue of mental health, in particular suicide prevention, and had representation from Ógra Shinn Féin, Ógra Fianna Fáil, Young Unionists, Young Scots For Independence, Young Greens, and Alliance Youth.
As well as a number of talks from people who have worked and researched the issue of mental health including Barry McGale and Mike Tomlinson, there was also a tour of the Suicide Prevention PIPS project in North Belfast, and workshops where the various youth wings discussed the relevant subject and ideas on how we could collectively tackle suicide.
Speaking on Ógra Shinn Féin’s participation at the Inter Isle’s Forum, Sean Gillespie said,
“Ógra Shinn Féin have been constantly working on the issue of Suicide Prevention since we launched it as a national campaign in 2006. We have been raising awareness, lobbying for increasing funding, providing the ASIST course to communities, and it was extremely worthwhile to develop our ideas on suicide prevention with other youth wings.”
“Suicide Prevention is an issue for all of us, an that issue affects everyone and crosses all divides, and the workshops where particularly productive, with all youth wings indicating the desire to work collectively on addressing the issue, and using our combined resources and energy to promote awareness on this major issue, which is the biggest killer of our young people.”
“We look forward to the next Inter Isles Forum which is being held in Derry on 17 – 19 October, where we will look at Drug and Alcohol abuse and its link to suicide. This will have particular relevance for us, as our current NARC campaign is attempting to raise awareness of the current high levels of drug and alcohol abuse in Ireland.”
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