Friends of the Earth NI Activism Gathering

[marian farrell]

Hi everyone By the time you receive this the UK's various elections will be over, and Northern Ireland's politicial parties will be preparing to fill positions in the new Stormont Executive. The next four years are crucial for the environment.  We need our politicians to make it their highest priority or we will destroy much more of a precious commodity that we cannot afford to lose. See below to find out how you can join in the fight.

Activism Gathering - 11 & 12 June 2011. Tollymore National Outdoor Centre We are now taking bookings for our first Activism Gathering , taking place on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 June 2011 , at the Tollymore Outdoor Centre , in the heart of the Mourne Mountains. This is an opportunity for you to join us and shape the future of campaigning and activism throughout the island , in workshops and group discussions. We will be asking for your ideas about how activism can be embedded into our national campaigns on planning, green economics, and climate change , and how we can support the campaigns you are running in your communities.  Everyone attending will be encouraged to get active in campaigning , and will be offered assistance and advice from Friends of the Earth staff in doing this. We will also be hosting exciting panel discussions.  Among other speakers we are delighted to have political blogger Mick Fealty, aka Slugger O'Toole , with us throughout the weekend. This year's guest of honour will be Friends of the Earth England, Wales, and Northern Ireland Executive Director, Andy Atkins. There will also be plenty of opportunity to socialise with other supporters and activists, including a table quiz on Saturday night . We have lined up some fantastic outdoor activities for those of you that would like to explore and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of Tollymore . Tell us on the enclosed booking form if you would like to know more. The weekend officially kicks off on Saturday morning but we will be hosting a barbeque and film screening on Friday evening for those of you who want to join us a night early . Again, please see the booking form for more details. We recommend that you print off the booking form and mail it back to us with payment, but if you prefer, you can email it back to us. You'll still have to mail payment to us, and no place will be confirmed without receipt of payment.
Five free places available at Activism Gathering for young delegates We've reserved 5 free places at this year's Activism Gathering for delegates aged 18 - 25. If you're in this age range, and are interested in getting more involved in environmental campaigning in Northern Ireland, please enter your name for consideration by filling in this application form . The winners will be those who persuade us that they'll benefit most from the skills and knowledge they gain over the weekend. We will provide free return transport from Belfast Central Station, all food and accommodation, and a weekend jam-packed with workshops, seminars, and fun.
Join our NI Planning Campaign A topic that will warrant serious discussion at our Activism Gathering will be the planning system in Northern Ireland. Our planning campaign is about to enter its first stage, when we'll be asking the public to fill in a questionnaire telling us their stories about their experiences with the system.  The information we collate from this document will feed into our ongoing campaigning. We want you to get involved with this campaign from the outset. We want you to help us shape the nature of this campaign with your ideas about how it should be run.  We want you to spread the message about the campaign to everyone you can.  We also want you to help us lobby politicians at various stages throughout the campaign. Some of you have already signed up to get involved in this campaign. If you haven't yet, then please do so by emailing Niall Bakewell or phoning 028 9089 7592.
Get in the Game is about to get going again Stop Climate Chaos Northern Ireland  will be relaunching activism on Get in the Game later this month (May 2011), soon after the new Assembly has been elected and Executive appointed. Get in the Game is our campaign for Northern Ireland to have its own climate change legislation to complement the Westminster Climate Change Act. We want you to take part in this campaign, by getting out and about this summer with us, as we sign up people to our petition. In the autumn we will then embark on a mass lobby of MLAs. To sign up to be an activist, please email Niall Bakewell or call 028 9089 7592.
QFT Presents Countdown to Zero and Demand Zero Day From Friday 24 until Thursday 30 June, Queen's Film Theatre in Belfast will be screening Countdown to Zero , a new film about nuclear weapons. Countdown to Zero traces the history of the atomic bomb up until the present day. It features interviews with Tony Blair, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Jimmy Carter. QFT will be running two special events around this film. On Tuesday 21 June the cinema will screen a special preview , as part of a mutli-venue premiere taking place across the UK and Ireland.  There will be a live link-up to a panel discussion after the film. On Monday 27 June , Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland Director James Orr will deliver a special introductory talk before that evening's screening. To book for any screening of this film, please go to the website.  To help promote the film, please join the Facebook event page and invite your friends.
Nominate a campaigner for an award The annual Sheila McKechnie Campaigner Awards provide a support programme for emerging and grassroots campaigners working across a wide range of issues. Nomination for the awards are now open.