Social Justice Matters

65. SJI Interview Series Ep35: Sandra McCullagh on International Women's Day

Today, March 8th, is International Women's Day. To mark this occasion, Colette Bennett chats with Sandra McCullagh, Women's Economic Equality Coordinator with the National Women's Council of Ireland about women's rights - how far we've come and how far we've yet to travel.

In other news, we are delighted that Social Justice Matters has been recognised by FeedSpot as one of the 20 social justice podcasts you should be following in 2020. Check out the list here: https://blog.feedspot.com/social_justice_podcasts/

64. SJI Interview Series Ep34: Tanya Ward and Children's Rights

The 1919 Democratic Programme pledged as its first duty to secure that “...no child shall suffer hunger or cold from lack of food, clothing or shelter…”. Over one hundred years later, we still have yet to fulfil this pledge.

In this episode, Colette Bennett chats with Tanya Ward, CEO of the Children's Rights Alliance about children's needs pre-, during- and post-Covid-19 and what should be done to deliver on a century's old promise.

In other news, we are delighted that Social Justice Matters has been recognised by FeedSpot as one of the 20 social justice podcasts you should be following in 2020. Check out the list here: https://blog.feedspot.com/social_justice_podcasts/

63. SJI Interview Series Ep33: Eddie D'Arcy on Rehabilitative Justice and Young Offenders

Eddie D'Arcy is CEO of the Solas Project after spending  27 years leading and developing Ronanstown Youth Service in Neilstown. He has received a number of prestigious awards for his work with young people, including the John O'Connell Award.  

He chats to Susanne Rogers about the Solas Project and the supports it provides the young people in the area. Also how the Compass and Rua projects work with young offenders, adopting a long term support strategy. 

In other news, we are delighted that Social Justice Matters has been recognised by FeedSpot as one of the 20 social justice podcasts you should be following in 2020. Check out the list here: https://blog.feedspot.com/social_justice_podcasts/

62. SJI Interview Series Ep32: Problems with and Solutions for the Private Rented Sector with Threshold

In today's episode, Colette Bennett is joined by Ann-Marie O'Reilly, Policy Officer and Gavin Elliot, Legal Officer with Threshold about the issues for renters in the private rented sector before the pandemic. Despite the efforts made in the past 12 months, more is needed to fully develop tenant rights and prevent unnecessarily homelessness.

In other news, we are delighted that Social Justice Matters has been recognised by FeedSpot as one of the 20 social justice podcasts you should be following in 2020. Check out the list here: https://blog.feedspot.com/social_justice_podcasts/

61. SJI Ten Minute Lessons Ep12: Health Inequalities in Ireland

The link between poverty and ill-health is well established by international and national research. A World Health Organization Commission that reported in 2008 on the social determinants of health found that health is influenced by factors like poverty, food security, social exclusion and discrimination, poor housing, unhealthy early childhood conditions, poor educational status, and low occupational status.

In this episode of our SJI Ten Minute Lessons series, Colette Bennett takes a look at Health Inequalities in Ireland - the causes, the Covid consequences and what needs to happen next.

60. SJI Interview Series Ep31: Michael McCarthy Flynn and The Inequality Virus

In advance of the World Economic Forum taking place in Davos (virtually this year), Oxfam published its annual Inequality Report. This Report is a fascinating read, and debunks the myth that "we're all in this together".

In this episode, Head of Policy and Advocacy, Michael McCarthy Flynn, joins Colette Bennett to talk about this Report and recommendations for a more equal world.

59. SJI Interview Series Ep30: Declan Markey on access to Higher Education

Declan Markey is Regional Community Connector with College Connect, a Higher Education Authority funded three year PATH 3 ( Programme for Access to Higher Education ) project which aims to admit 400 students from specific target groups who are under-represented in college. 

In today's episode, Susanne Rogers, Research and Policy Analyst speaks with Declan about the programme.

58. SJI Interview Series Ep29: Dr. Joe Whelan on Welfare Stigma, COVID response and the need for a paradigm shift

In this episode, Colette Bennett is joined by Dr. Joe Whelan of UCC to discuss his latest publication on the subject of welfare stigmatisation, self-identity and the need for a paradigm shift to eliminate reliance on charity to for basic services.

 

57. SJI Seminars Ep17: A New Social Dialogue - Panel Speakers

Social dialogue and social partnership, in various forms, are common across Europe’s most successful economies and can play an important role in creating a fair and sustainable economic recovery here in Ireland.

At a national level a new structure for Social Dialogue is required where issues may be discussed in a deliberative manner. Any proposal for Social Dialogue should involve Government, trade unions and employers, the community and voluntary sector, as well as farmers and environmental groups. Any structure for Social Dialogue that excludes any of these groups would be a recipe for ensuring that
most of Ireland’s resources would be captured by those participating in the discussion. Such an approach would simply lead to deepening divisions and growing inequality in Ireland.

In this episode, we look back to our Annual Social Policy Conference 2020 and hear from our panel on the need for a new Social Dialogue. Speakers include Danny McCoy of IBEC, Patricia King of ICTU, Damian McDonald of the IFA, Karen Ciesielski of the IEN and Seán Healy of Social Justice Ireland.

56. SJI Seminars Ep16: Colette Bennett on a New Social Contract for Ireland

Covid-19 has highlighted things that are profoundly amiss with our Social Contract.  Once the pandemic has been addressed successfully it is crucial that we face up to the radical reforms that are required if we are to deliver a new social contract based on the principles of justice and fairness, with sustainability at its core. 

In this episode, we take a look back to our Annual Social Policy Conference 2020 where Colette Bennett of Social Justice Ireland proposes a series of policy recommendations to build such a new Social Contract.