Friends of the Earth’s Island Gathering 2010 Programme

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We would like to invite you to join us at the Island Gathering, organised by our colleagues in Belfast, which will take place on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 April at the Tí Chulainn Cultural Centre, Mullaghbane, County Armagh. This will be a two day residential event, in a beautiful location, close to Newry.

Tickets cost €60 for weekend delegates (including accommodation, Saturday evening meal and Sunday breakfast) and €40 for day delegates (without accommodation, but including Saturday evening meal). Both ticket types include lunch and refreshments both days. Please send cheques payable to Friends of the Earth at 9 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2 by Friday the 9th of April, or you can call us and make a credit card booking on 01 639 4652.

 

Programme

Saturday 17 April

11.00 Registrationat ti chulainnIsland gathering at the Ti Chulainn Centre

 

12.00 Opening address by Northern Ireland Environment Minister Edwin Poots, including questions from audience


12.30 Welcome address from new Northern Ireland Director James Orr, introduced by England, Wales and Northern Ireland Managing Director James Whiting, followed by questions


13.30 Lunch


14.15 Review of the Year:

  1. Audio Visual Review
  2. Big Ask Ireland (hosted by Molly Walsh).
  3. Copenhagen
  4. Stop Climate Chaos Northern Ireland
  5. Northern Ireland Planning Reform
  6. Green New Deal

15.45 Tea and coffee


16.15 Big Ask Ireland Update/ Introduction to NI Climate (hosted by Molly and Oisin)
Following on from updates on the work of Stop Climate Chaos NI and the Big Ask Ireland during Review of Year, there follows an introduction to the Get in the Game campaign and next steps in Big Ask: goals; target politicians; strategy; and activism opportunities.


16:30 Delegates go to break out rooms for seminars


16:45-17:45 NI Climate Seminars/Next stage of Big Ask Activism Workshops

Plenary breaks up into smaller seminar groups. Delegates will learn details of the activism strategy of the Get in the Game campaign/Big Ask and find out how they can help.


17.45 Fringe/leisure time

  1. Consultation focus group for England, Wales and Northern Ireland local group members
  2. Film trailers café - a look at some recent environmental films and how to use them for campaigning purposes
  3. Swing class
  4. Hike up Slieve Gullion

20:00 Dinner


21:00 After dinner speaker - John Gibbons: the Irish Times commentator, and founder of the www.climatechange.ie website, takes an alternative look at climate change denial in the media and general public.


22:00 Free time

 


Sunday 18 April

 

07.30 Breakfast at the Sunday Papers Café
Have a lazy breakfast, listen to the radio, read the papers or just enjoy a cuppa on the stone circle and watch the birds flying by


09.30 Activism presentations

  1. Banbridge Tesco victory
  2. Belfast Cycle City
  3. Age of Stupid Screenings
  4. Incinerators
  5. Copenhagen trip (activists perspective)
  6. Climate law campaigning in Meath (activists perspective)

11.00 Buffer zone


11.15 Skills Workshops

  1. Photography
  2. Political lobbying
  3. How to deal with the offsetting myth
  4. Campaign communications (public engagement, public meetings, broadcast and print media)
  5. Understanding and coping with Climate Change Denial

12.45 Lunch and room clearout


13.45 Buffer zone


14.00 Debate
A panel discussion/debate about the challenges on the road to Climate Acts for Ireland and Northern Ireland from political, legal/public and voluntary sector perspectives


15.30 Closing Address


16.00 Depart Tí Chulainn