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Daily Ireland

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TAKE FIVE - The personal is political

Laurence McKeown
To comment:columnists@dailyireland.com

Lady Sylvia Hermon, BBC photo

I sent an email last Saturday to newly elected Unionist MP, Sylvia Hermon. I don’t usually send emails to MPs, not even to Conor Murphy whom I wrote about in such glowing terms recently. I wrote not to congratulate her on her victory but for the manner in which she dealt with the DUP hecklers. At the end of a long day during which the electoral decimation of her party had become increasingly apparent, leaving her the sole remaining Ulster Unionist MP, she behaved like a true star. She smiled at the hecklers and carried herself with style and even a smile upon her face.
I didn’t hear her the following day when interviewed by RTÉ but apparently she spoke in very gracious terms about how Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness during the negotiations had inquired about her husband’s health (he has Alzheimer’s disease) whereas the DUP members (so loud in their support for the RUC) had never once done that. For republicans, Jack Hermon will be remembered for his role as Chief Constable at a time of shoot-to-kill policies and collusion with unionist paramilitaries but it didn’t make Gerry or Martin any less republican to behave towards his wife, Sylvia, in the manner they did. I would expect nothing less from them.
Republicans have a humanity, derived to a large extent from the suffering our community has experienced - often at the hands of the RUC - but also because republicanism is about an objective, an ideal, a better way of life. It’s not about bitterness, revenge, or gloating, nor do republicans personalise conflict. They can argue vociferously against their opponents’ views without degenerating into personal abuse and bad manners.
Maybe if David Trimble, like Sylvia Hermon, had been a bit more gracious in his dealings with republicans and hadn’t tried to mimic his unionist rivals he would have achieved much more and we might all be in a very different place today. He and his party certainly would be.
The UUP will choose a new leader and won’t want any advice from us in that regard but just imagine if it was someone with flair and style and confidence who wasn’t afraid to praise his political opponents when appropriate? I say ‘his’ because the thought of the Ulster Unionist Council electing a woman as leader just seems so far off the radar screen at the moment. But then again, just imagine.

Laurence McKeown was a republican prisoner for 16 years in Long Kesh and spent 70 days on the 1981 hunger strike. He is the author of a doctoral thesis, the co-author of a feature film, H3 and two plays, The Laughter of Our Children and A Cold House.

IOL

Lung transplant patient doing ‘extremely well’

14/05/2005 - 16:05:38

The woman who underwent the first lung transplant in this country is doing “extremely well” according to the Mater Hospital in Dublin this afternoon.

A spokeswoman said the patient, who is 55-years-old, has been able to get out of her hospital bed and sit in a chair just two days after undergoing the historic procedure.

She said that her doctors were very happy with her progress.

The operation was carried out at the hospital’s new heart and lung transplantation unit, which opened last year.

IrishExaminer.com

Human rights stalwart jailed

14 May 2005
By Kieran McDaid

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese paid tribute to a human rights champion at a reception in Dublin yesterday - as he languished in a Sudan prison after being arrested on his way to Ireland.

Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam was arrested just hours before he boarded a plane bound for Ireland to pick up the inaugural Front Line Award for his work in the field of human rights.

His wife, Sabah Mohamed Adam Ali, and 10-year-old daughter, Huda, were granted emergency visas and received the award on his behalf at a ceremony in City Hall, attended by 26 ambassadors, including the representatives of Britain and the US.

Mrs McAleese said Dr Mudawi, the director of the Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO), a voluntary organisation engaged in humanitarian activities in Darfur and human rights development throughout the country, worked tirelessly for others.

“Dr Mudawi has been profoundly involved in humanitarian and human rights work throughout Sudan but of course the dreadful misery that is Darfur has consumed much of his recent work and focus,” she said.

“He has paid a high personal price for that work - harassment, imprisonment, false allegations, solitary confinement,” said Mrs McAleese.

“He has protested through hunger strike and faces an uncertain future. He has earned this award the hard way. He has also earned our respect but of course what he yearns for is probably none of those things but rather the kind of national and international pressure which would render his work unnecessary.”

Dr Mudawi, a 49-year-old professor of engineering, has been arrested on two previous occasions by the Sudanese authorities. Front Line, an Irish-based international organisation which provides grants, advocacy and protection for human rights defenders at risk from intimidation or violence, rewarded Dr Mudawi for his work in the war-torn country.

Dr Mudawi, who is facing espionage charges which carry a potential death penalty, sent a message of thanks to the reception.

“I will continue the effort in Sudan to bring democracy and rule of law so that people’s rights are respected,” he said. “I thank Front Line for exerting pressure to defend human rights defenders and for supporting them.

“I appreciate it. I exhort people to support Front Line in this work. I also want to thank the Irish Government for their efforts and ask them to continue.

“I am grateful for the award and honoured by the presence of the President of Ireland.”

Sabah also thanked Front Line for the award.

“As a wife and as a Sudanese citizen I believe that he deserves the award because he believes in what he is doing and he is ready to sacrifice himself for the human rights of others,” she said.

IrishExaminer.com

‘Parents’ flock to adopt sheep as Kerry farm opens its gates

14 May 2005
By Donal Hickey

click to view - ‘Kerry sheep’ from David Simpson’s Photographs

IT’S the Kerry version of an idea that has been working in other EU countries for some years and it could lead to the survival of at least one mountain sheep farm.

For €45, you can now adopt a sheep on the 1,200-acre Kissane holding, at Moll’s Gap, on the scenic Ring of Kerry between Killarney and Kenmare.

Deputy Jackie Healy-Rae, himself a farmer and sheep expert, will perform the official opening of the Kissane Sheep Farm on May 27.

Behind the venture are fifth generation farmer John Kissane and his Dutch partner, Anne Nieuwenhuizen, a former Olympic, World and European hockey champion.

“I’ve already seen similar projects working in Europe, where people can adopt a cow, or a chicken, and regularly visit these animals on farms. I believe this is the first project of its kind in Ireland,” said Anne.

“But our plan is about continuing to survive on the land. EU grants will be gone in a few more years. The goal of Adopt a Sheep is to preserve the Irish heritage of sheep in the mountains and save the family farm for future generations.”

With the help of seven hard-working sheep dogs, John Kissane and his family were able to run a profitable farm in one of the beautiful parts of the country for many years.

But now, EU regulations discourage him from keeping sheep on the hills, while sheep and wool prices are also on the slide.

The couple met, in April 2003, when Anne participated in a sheepdog clinic run by John as part of a Dutch management training programme.

“I was fascinated by the man and the animals and decided to apply for a summer job. In July of that year I came back to help John with the gathering and shearing of the sheep. In April 2004, I moved to Ireland and I love it,” she said.

Sixty-four sheep have already been adopted on the farm.

Anne said the €45 annual “adoption” fee covers the yearly costs of feeding and veterinary care for one sheep. She said the money also benefited the whole flock, through spending on farm maintenance, fencing and gates.

“Adoptive parents” receive a certificate with their name and the tag number of their sheep. They also get free admission to the farm and most of its activities.

The 1,000-sheep farm is open for visitors until October. John Kissane gives sheepdog demonstrations and in July and August, visitors can look at sheep being sheared. They can even join in and help if they want to.

They can also enjoy three marked walks through the mountain terrain of the farm.

BreakingNews.ie

Greens accuse Govt of squandering money

14/05/2005 - 15:34:35

The Green Party has accused the Government of wasting huge sums of taxpayers’ money and failing to properly manage the State’s affairs.

The party’s finance spokesperson, Dan Boyle, said the current Fianna Fáil/PD coalition has squandered a full year’s expenditure through mismanagement since it came into power.

Deputy Boyle also strongly rejected criticism of Green economic policies. He said that initiatives such as a carbon tax and refundable childcare tax credits could save the country millions of euro.

BreakingNews.ie

Keep Greens out of government, says Roche

14/05/2005 - 13:02:31

The Green Party should be kept as far away from government as possible to protect Ireland’s economic gains, Environment Minister Dick Roche declared today.

Speaking as the party holds its annual convention in Cork, Fianna Fáil Minister Roche claimed the Greens promoted anti-business taxes and continuously oppose vital infrastructure projects.

“If the Green Party had its way, the Irish people would still be travelling across bog roads to take the emigrant ship,” he said.

“The gains that Ireland has made must be protected and the best way to do that is to ensure the Greens are kept as far away from Government as possible.”

Greens leader Trevor Sargent is tonight expected to launch a stinging attack on the Government as he seeks a strong mandate to join an alternative government after the next general election.

He is likely to criticise the Fianna Fáil-led administration for its poor record in the health, education and the environment sectors.

But Minister Roche said today that Fianna Fáil-led governments had created jobs and fostered economic growth by cutting taxes on enterprise and investment.

“Greens have consistently called for raising taxation on investment and enterprise – moves that would be deeply destructive for our economic prospects,” he added.

Guardian

Missing: the mystery of 300 boys who have disappeared from school

Torso in the Thames case reveals ’scandal’ of vanished children as welfare groups urge action

Steven Morris and Rosie Cowan
Saturday May 14, 2005
The Guardian

A “scandalous” number of children as young as four, many of them African, are missing from school rolls in London, it emerged yesterday.

The Metropolitan police revealed that in one two-month period, 300 black boys aged between four and seven vanished from rolls in the capital. Despite extensive investigations, involving police forces across the world, only two of the 300 were traced.

Child welfare groups and education chiefs expressed shock at the figure and warned that some of the missing children might become victims of exploitation.

Some experts estimate that thousands of children vanish from the system each year. Though it is assumed that most come to no harm, there were calls for the government to bring in regulations to force the authorities to do more to trace all missing children.

Hilton Dawson, patron of Africans Unite Against Child Abuse, said: “It’s scandalous. I think the government is hiding from this issue. We need an effective working relationship between schools, social services, the police and immigration. That simply isn’t happening.”

The depth of the problem was highlighted when police investigated the murder of a young African boy - nicknamed Adam - whose torso was found in the Thames. They asked schools in London to check if any boys aged four to seven had gone missing over the relevant two-month period in 2001. Officers were shocked to be told that 300 had vanished. Of these, 299 had come from Africa.

The Met revealed yesterday that it has managed to trace only two of the 300. Most of those questioned said the boys had returned to Africa - but it has been impossible to verify this in most cases.

Tim Benson, the headteacher of the Nelson primary school in East Ham, east London, said he was “taken aback” by the figure. “We should be concerned,” he said.

Kevin Crompton, chairman of the Association of Directors of Education and Children’s Services, added: “We need to improve the tracking of children, particularly if they come from abroad.”

Education welfare officers try to trace children who have stopped attending school. However, they only inform the police of a pupil’s disappearance if they suspect that some harm has befallen the child. If a parent or guardian tells the school that a child has gone abroad, the school tends to believe him or her, again unless there are grounds for suspicion.

The problem of children of west African origin going missing is particularly acute, as there can be a culture of youngsters being passed around an extended family and taking the name of the relative he or she is with at that time.

Some children’s organisations - and the Conservative party - have called on the government to do more to regulate this practice, which is known as “private fostering”.

The government has estimated that as many as 10,000 children may be cared for in this way.

Barbara Hutchinson, deputy chief executive of the British Association of Adoption and Fostering, said private fostering made it easier for children to be trafficked into the country and sexually exploited or used as servants.

She said: “I am horrified at the figure, but not surprised. Many privately fostered kids get passed on from household to household. They may be moved around to avoid immigration control; they may be exploited. We know some children are being trafficked to be used as domestic servants or for sexual exploitation.”

Theresa May, the Conservatives’ family spokesperson, said: “This shocking news reinforces what experts in the child protection field have been telling government for many years.

“Children who are not in the care of the parents are disappearing without trace, possibly victims of trafficking, abuse or even murder.The government has failed to listen to pleas for tighter controls.”

Chris Beddoe, the director of End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes, said the revelation underlined the lack of joined-up operational procedure for police, immigration, social services and schools.

She said: “In the worst case scenario, some of these children could be dead, or being physically or sexually abused, but the truth is we simply don’t know because we don’t have enough information, and that’s outrageous,” she said.

“We heard recently of a 13-year-old girl who told her teachers her parents had gone home and left her on her own in the UK, and some time later she too disappeared. The teachers don’t know what happened to her. We are hearing this type of thing all the time.”

She suggested that if the 298 missing African boys were still in the UK, some might be used for benefit fraud.

“It’s predominant in west African culture for parents to send children to extended family, often quite distant relatives, for a better life,” she said. “But traffickers can exploit this practice to get children into the UK, and children can also be passed around various households, which are all claiming benefits for them.”

A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said the government was “deeply concerned” about any child missing from education. “We have been working hard to ensure that much more robust systems are in place to protect the welfare of children and that information about children is shared by professionals.”

Belfast Telegraph

The invisible victims of Troubles trauma

By Nevin Farrell
newsdesk@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
14 May 2005

MANY people are suffering from Troubles related trauma and may not even be aware of it, experts say.

The finding was revealed as a Trauma Advisory Panel in the Ballymena-based Northern Health Board held a series of awareness raising roadshows.

Co-ordinator Sheelagh Sheerin said yesterday: “The roadshows were designed to promote the awareness of how people have been affected by the trauma of the conflict, some of whom remain the invisible victims of The Troubles - they may not have visible signs of injury, but are suffering because of their experiences.”

The roadshows were funded by the Victims Unit in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister’s Division of Good Relations and Reconciliation.

Dr Paul Miller said: “We are delighted to be working to raise the awareness among health professionals on the subject of conflict related trauma and its impact on the lives of people living in Northern Ireland.”

The key message from the roadshows was that many people have been affected by The Troubles and whilst the statistics identify the numbers who died or have been injured during the conflict, it remains unknown how many people have been emotionally or psychologically affected.

BBC

Views sought on police patrolling

Views are being sought on how officers cover the beat

Alternative ways in which the police could patrol the streets of Northern Ireland are to be assessed in a review by the PSNI and the Policing Board.

It will assess public expectations, visibility of officers on the beat and the strategy of how they are deployed.

Patrolling by the PSNI will be compared with methods used by other services.

The review team wants individuals and community groups to give their views on current levels of patrols in their areas and suggest improvements.

The Best Value Review is currently in the early stage of the consultation process.

The reviewers will meet with a number of focus groups and will consult with district policing partnerships, members of the public and “hard to reach” groups.