29 March 2010

Amnesty Annual Conference 2010



I’m in D’Olier Street, this morning for Amnesty’s Annual Conference. Paul Cunningham (RTE’s environment reporter, sans funny hat!) is chairing proceedings for the last time as he, like several Amnesty organisers, is “moving on”.

The subject of mental health is first up for discussion this morn. Colm O’Gorman introduces us to the speakers: Hugh Kane (Mental Health Commission), Diarmuid Ring (UCC) and Karol Balfe (Amnesty Ireland).

Hugh Kane points out that little has been achieved since 1984. Service users and carers should be at the core of all campaigning. He also tells members that promises of funding in mental health, by government, had not been kept. Listening to this speaker, I can't help feeling that Amnesty never looks at the specific, tangible difficulties faced by service users. The terminology is well aired, despite Kane’s undeniable sincerity.

Diarmuid Ring talks frankly about his feelings on mental health. As a former service user he tries to contextualise and explain to members his experience of the system. However this soon gets dragged back to Amnesty speak. The stigma of mental illness remains intact: Schizophrenia is hardly ever referred to by commentators while Depression is talked about freely.

Karol Balfe outlines Amnesty’s role. She reiterates the problems that service users endure. Amnesty are calling for a review of the Mental Health Act. Again the talk is in generalities which are all rather vague to have to listen to. An emotional response comes from a member who relates her feelings on the state of mental health care in Ireland. This is a painful moment for her. My eyes are moistening as I remember my own experiences.

Diarmuid says that education, housing and employment are priorities for service users, who are, he says, “struggling, screaming for help.” He articulates the anomalies of the system in a clear, cogent manner and admits that he feels emotional. Ring ends by singing a few lines of a Joan Baez song. It is followed by thunderous applause.

At lunch break, I leave the building and have a pint in a nearby pub. A mistake, as alcohol affects my attention. Back at the conference the various workshops are in full swing. I attend one on human rights law. I can feel my eyes closing over and my concentration is waning.

The Zimbabwe group are holding a small workshop and we are now listening to the wonderful Tendai Madondo. She makes a great contribution telling us of the way Mugabe has run that African country. Everyone appreciates what she has to say.

Sunday is here and the clocks go forward. I’m at the mental health workshop and it seems that lobbying is the main form of campaigning that Amnesty has towards mental health. This, it occurs to me, is a little one dimensional. Stigma gets a mention but no great discussion is generated. Like yesterday generalities are given priority.

We’re assembling at the O’Connell monument to publicise Amnesty’s efforts to end the death penalty. Members present are issued with blue t-shirts with the words ‘I am Troy Davis’ emblazoned on them. This refers to a black American on ‘death row’, who Amnesty are campaigning to get justice for. We garner considerable attention from the public and the sun shines as photographers, the paparazzi, capture the visual attraction.

Conference is discussing procedural issues, a great opportunity for members to have their voices heard. Various matters are brought up and voted upon. Much of the talk goes over my head and there is virtually no dissent among voting members.

Credit must go to Jay Flavin, who has bound himself tightly to the organisation. The affable Cork man is omnipresent over the weekend and is obviously a born campaigner.

To finish I’d like to wish David White, the outgoing co-ordinator of the Occupied Territories group, all the best on his travels. He’ll be missed by us all at Amnesty for his intelligent and friendly manner. Our loss is China’s gain.

22 March 2010

Book review: ‘What rhymes with bastard?’ By Linda Robertson (Harper Collins)

This book is hard to take seriously. The many shenanigans that run through every page are scarcely believable yet the reader wants to believe what’s been going on. Robertson, I guess, is in her 30s and has a husband, Jack, who not only hoovers up drugs at an industrious rate but is incredibly unfaithful. How any woman could tolerate his constant philandering is staggering and disgraceful.

I picked up this enjoyable, funny and, at times, sad book in my local library. I chose it mainly because of the eccentric title. To give it an air of authenticity there is an index included and we are told little (or nothing) about the author on the jacket of the book. One presumes ‘What rhymes with bastard?’ (WRWB?) relates Robertson’s life. If this is true then she has had a mightily interesting time of it. That is what thrills the reader.

After a number of unfulfilling jobs the couple find themselves on the US west coast, San Francisco. Jack treats Linda like they’re in an open relationship and we are informed of nearly every sexual encounter he gets involved in. The outrageous part is that she doesn’t seem that bothered. Knowing the little I do about Irish women, Jack would not only be dumped but castrated if he tried this spectacular sexual incontinence with a Grainne or an Eimear.

Apart from the sexual subservience, Robertson allows herself to experience; this book was a real pleasure. It becomes obvious that she has a skill at song writing and her songs are peppered throughout the manuscript. WRWB? was first published in 2008 and I’d say it is an accurate depiction of how lives are led in the post-millennium era.

Towards the end of the book Robertson is awarded ‘Miss Accordion San Francisco’. She has arrived as a musician and her life is moving in the right direction. However, as well as the positives, WRWB? also has its sad moments. Robertson introduces us to her parents and it transpires they don’t get along that well.

Constant back-biting between mother and father is a key feature. It becomes slowly more upsetting. Reading between the lines one wonders if mental health is a factor. Sadly this is confirmed and Linda’s pain is palpable when, in chapter 13, her mother dies after a time suffering from dementia.

In the final analysis this was a charming read. Definitely a page turner and I certainly hope that we haven’t seen the last book from Linda Robertson. In a world of constant depression she shines a light. Life is a lot less of a chore with stuff like this to consume – to be recommended.

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Quote of the week goes to Michael White of The Guardian. He describes Ken Clarke and Peter Mandelson so:

‘If Clarke is a dog, a lovable St Bernard with a brandy barrel round his neck, Mandelson is a cat, a Siamese with manicured claws.’

No wonder politics, and political journalism, is so exciting in the UK. White, a veteran political journalist, is one excellent reason for buying The Guardian. The FD urges viewers to keep an eye for this newspaper as the British general election nears. White’s articles are indispensible.

15 March 2010

No to Vigilantes

Head shops continue to fascinate the media. A good number of them are now sprinkled across the country, as well as having a strong presence in the capital. But opposition to these stores is not just passive. In Athlone, recently, pipe bombs were located outside a Head shop. This follows hot on the heels of suspected arson attacks on a couple of outlets in Dublin.

If arson is confirmed this would mean that vigilantism is creeping into view. The FD is no supporter of Head shops but any sort of vigilantism carries a horrible message: ‘we - the mob - rule’. The only people authorised to deal with the illegal drug trade should be the police, An Garda Siochana.

Certain sections of society will try and take matters into their own hands. This spells trouble and reminds one of the so-called ‘restorative justice’ in Northern Ireland where the police were bypassed. What is needed is real, accountable justice – not the law of the jungle.

Jon Venables, the co-murderer of toddler James Bulger (1993), has been sent back to jail. The story has been widely covered in the British media and has caused considerable anger among the public. If Venables was to be sent to an open prison, in the words of Helena Kennedy QC, he’d be “savaged”. Due process is the best way for justice to be administered and a justice system that operates fairly is of paramount importance.

In the UK a child surgeon, a couple of years ago, was attacked by a crowd that couldn’t define between a Paediatrician and a Paedophile. In recent days it was reported that a man, a complete innocent, was attacked because he supposedly looked like Jon Venables. The dangers of vigilantism cannot be stressed enough. It should have no place in a free, democratic nation.

Proper justice must be adhered to, no matter how heinous the crime. This is not giving the green light to criminals. Moreover it ought to impose punishment that is clearly thought out and appropriate. Vigilantism takes nothing into account and can only produce unnecessary thuggery. A just society is one that respects the law, the best way to tackle crime in all its horrible forms.



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Eugene Lambert RIP





Around 1980 we got a new, colour, television. It was a major family occasion and I used to day-dream my way through class, thinking of the new Toshiba. As I was aged roughly eight, children’s programmes were the beginning, middle and end for me. One of the programmes I loved to watch was Wanderly Wagon and I cherished every character. It was essentially based around puppets but the easy, pleasant atmosphere never bored me like it might today.

Eugene Lambert was a chief member of the cast and Frank Kelly (aka Fr Jack Hackett in the comedy series, ‘Fr Ted’) played the evil Dr Astro and his accomplice, Sneaky Snake. One of the great attractions for me was the constant Good v Bad see-saw that probably captivates children of all ages when watching television or reading books that contain adventure. Though not around for most of the Wanderly Wagon years (it started on RTE in 1968), I did however get to see a fair few episodes and it brought me, and those of my generation, much pleasure as a child.

Eugene also founded The Lambert Puppet Theatre in Monkstown and I can remember, as a child, being brought to see shows run by himself and his family. Many other children were taken there for treats or on school outings and I’ll never forget the simple, innocent fun associated with this type of entertainment.

I was especially saddened to hear of Eugene’s recent death. He was a jolly, cheerful man and I’m not ashamed to say I wept when I heard the news of his passing. Eugene, your skilled puppeteering will not be forgotten, only cherished by the many you brought happiness to over the years. May you rest in peace.

08 March 2010

A Woman’s World

“It’s a man’s world…but it would be nothing without a woman or a girl…” These words were sung by Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Some may say the song is sexist but I think it underlines the importance of women in the world. International Women’s Week is now upon us and The Fat Dubliner doesn’t want to miss the opportunity of praising the fairer sex, not that I’d dare. Women matter.

In Ireland women are working in nearly every sector of life. Politicians, actors and countless occupations contain a high proportion of women. Journalism, my only talent, is full of women. Miriam Lord, Fionnuala O’Connor, Justine McCarthy and Katherine Holmquist are only a tiny number of what amounts to a rich selection in Irish life. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if, in a short time, most Journalists here were female.

Maud Gonne, Countess Markievitz and Lady Gregory were important figures in Ireland’s past and it would be impossible to tell our history without mentioning such women. They were as important as O’Connell or Parnell. It has often been said that women are, generally speaking, more intelligent than men. This is true. All you have to do is look at the world’s dictators, past or present: Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and Mugabe – all men. Women are not at the top of the crime leagues either and virtually no rapists or sex offenders are female.

Only last week, in the British House of Commons Harriet Harman stood in for Gordon Brown at Prime Minister’s Questions. You could hear the barracking from the, largely male, Conservative benches. The behaviour towards women politicians is disgracefully juvenile and it’s lamentable that it continues in 2010.

Though women are treated with growing respect in the west, this is not so in countries such as Afghanistan where they are subjected to what amounts to slavery. All one has to do is read Åsne Seierstad's ‘The Bookseller of Kabul’ to understand the awful conditions women live under. If the multinational forces could end the persecution of women, along with the Taliban, it would be a positive step.

Women are vital to humanity and if anyone has a girlfriend, sister, mother or daughter alive you should let them know how important they are to you. A woman’s heart is a wonderful prize to win.

03 March 2010

Michael Foot 1913 - 2010



My political awareness began in 1981. With a general election in Ireland, I started to take notice of the political realities both here and the UK. Britain was coming to terms with Mrs Thatcher’s government and the eventual neutering of the Trade Union movement there. The opposition at Westminster was led by Michael Foot at a time when the Labour party could be truly called ‘Socialist’.

His time at the top was unfruitful, for in 1983 Labour was to lose what would be the second general election in a row. Foot and his Labour colleagues advocated a tax policy that had no support from the voters. There was plainly a need for a change in order that Labour become electable again. Following the 1983 election Foot was to stand down as leader and the process of forming ‘New Labour’ was set in train.

In my pre-teenage years, I had a limited knowledge of the British political scenery but I knew that Foot was simply too old to remain in frontline politics. Over the years I would see him in the media from time to time and, as he grew ever more elderly, he was still of good health. Foot, it was known, had a large collection of books and his intellect also remained sound.

It may be sad to say that his beliefs in Socialism and nuclear disarmament did not chime with the majority of the UK voters. But he should be respected as a statesman who was genuinely sincere unlike other, more recent, Labour leaders. Foot is now history in the same era as Edward Heath, Roy Jenkins and James Callaghan. To live to 96 is exceptional and he must have achieved plenty in his life, despite his political weakness. Foot will have a special place in my memory as a thoroughly decent sort of leader.

01 March 2010

Strained Relationships

Its been all over the tabloids for weeks and at last some form of result has been reached. Cheryl and Ashley are no longer a couple. Cole will remain Cole and Cole will, most likely, revert to Tweedy.

Another relationship that has been damaged, this weekend, is that of John Terry and Wayne Bridge. Terry’s wife may have gotten over her husband’s transgressions, but his England team-mate is, presumably, not as easily placated. Bridge refused to shake Terry’s hand at the Man City v Chelsea match on Saturday.

Broken relationships, though, are not all about famous Football players and models. Closer to home we, the public, are treated to the infidelity of Iris Robinson. Mrs Robinson’s affair with a 19 year old must have shaken Northern Ireland’s First Minister to his core. How can Peter Robinson put on a suit each morning in the full knowledge that his marriage is damaged? ‘A teenaged boy is satisfying my wife in a way I cannot’, he may be thinking. One can only sympathise with any man or woman who has had to experience their partner involving themselves in an affair.

Tiger Woods hasn’t been as honest on the marital front either. The talented golfer no longer can claim to have a blemish-free reputation. Woods is currently receiving treatment for sex addiction. Apparently his wife is sticking by him and she must be commended for her loyalty. It would be of considerable interest to hear her side of the story, by the way.

Irish broadcaster, Ryan Tubridy (‘young fogey’ as he’s been described by some in the media) is also no stranger to marriage break up. The Late Late Show host was only three years with his wife when their relationship ended. What links the Robinson story to Tubridy’s is the cool-headed approach. Neither man allowed trauma to get in the way of their working lives, despite the newspapers’ bellowing. Robinson and Tubridy have shown they can cope with the emotional pain thrust in their way. This is testament to their professional attitude, be that in the fields of politics or the media.

Of course life is full of heartache. We will all have to endure, at some stage in life, an amount of pain in a relationship. But there are different ways of overcoming break ups. Hillary Clinton and Pauline Prescott are two women who have remained at their husband’s side even though their spouses weren’t as faithful as they ought to have been. Many would have been less forgiving and Peter Robinson, in this regard, deserves respect for the support he has given his wife.

In the celebrity driven world we inhabit sex is everywhere and many (women as well as men) are tempted by the constant sexual imagery exploding out of magazines and the internet. Sex is glamorously portrayed in the media but is it as much fun as we are led to believe? What large parts of the media forget is that sex isn’t the beginning, middle or end in a relationship. Nor should financial strength be a factor in getting a partner, as suggested by some. A person should be just as suitable for romance even if they have little in the bank.

Being single may not be as bad as I thought. Would I be better off remaining on my own without a girlfriend? I can’t offer the financial security of a Terry, a Bridge or a Tubridy. Nor do I resemble their svelte physiques, but maybe I can learn how to show respect to a suitor if I’m lucky enough to enter a relationship. I’ve had plenty of rejection by women and my self-esteem has suffered. ‘Why?’, ‘what did I do wrong?’ are but two of the questions that I have asked myself in the past following refusal.

But the single person should not wallow in tears. Getting off your arse and helping others, aside from romance, is the way to live. Otherwise the challenges that life throws up will overcome us and only cause bitterness, poison everything we do. Never forget the wonderful potential each of us possesses. We all matter in this world and that doesn’t depend on being in a relationship. Although if the opportunity comes into view, it shouldn’t be shunned. Regardless how much rejection comes my way I still believe there’s a good chance that I’ll find the right woman. Hope has not deserted the battlefield, just yet.
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