About

Statement of purpose

The Fair Ireland Forum at NUIG is an initiative of members of the NUI Galway academic community. It aims to be a space for multidisciplinary, policy-oriented discussion among the academic community and across civil society. It seeks to stimulate new thinking and critical analysis on timely issues and to encourage the integration of research, teaching, learning and civic engagement. In particular, the Fair Ireland Forum aims to make constructive contributions to public debates on the current economic, social, and governance challenges facing Ireland - grounded in principles of fairness, social inclusion, accountable and democratic governance, and respect for human rights.

Rationale

The Fair Ireland Forum initiative is prompted by recognition that:

• Current public debate on how to address unfolding economic, social, and governance crises in Ireland and on how to achieve sustainable prosperity is extremely limited and is not sufficiently multi-disciplinary;
   
• There is a need for knowledge integration and a deeper and broader debate on the present and future direction of Ireland - as a society, polity and economy – and to encourage decision makers to adopt fair and sustainable policy solutions;
   
• Members of the academic community have an opportunity to engage civically and potentially to make a positive contribution to public debate on these matters based on their research, teaching and professional expertise.

Actions

To date, the following next steps have been agreed, to:

1. Harness existing expertise and initiatives across NUI Galway in implementing the aims of the FIF.
    
2. Collaborate and act in solidarity with individuals and organisations with similar visions beyond NUI Galway including the University of Limerick.
    
3. Actively engage with and use local, national, and web media to promote debate.
    
4. Undertake a number of feasible concrete actions as focal activities around which the FIF will be developed over the coming months including:

• A dedicated Fair Ireland Forum website featuring invited essays and blog discussions on timely issues and events, initially within the NUI Galway community.
   
• A publicly held and moderated dialogue linked to the invited essays, which will be podcast.
   
• A one-day symposium on the theme of Envisioning a Fair Ireland.
   
• A second-level student essay competition inviting young people to formulate their visions of a Fair Ireland.
   
• Involving the NUI Galway student body and the BA Connect students in particular in the Forum activities.

Steering Committee

Ciara Bradley, Doctoral Fellow, Child and Family Research Centre

Shane Darcy, Lecturer, Irish Centre for Human Rights, School of Law

Nata Duvvury, Lecturer, Global Women's Studies Programme, School of Political Science and Sociology

Brid Featherstone, Professor of Social Work

Danielle Kennan, Researcher, Child and Family Research Centre, School of Political Science and Sociology

Kate Kenny, Lecturer, School of Political Science and Sociology

Fergal Landy, Researcher, Child and Family Research Centre, School of Political Science and Sociology

Andrew Power, Centre for Disability Law and Policy

Niamh Reilly, Senior Lecturer, Global Women's Studies Programme, School of Political Science and Sociology

Stacey Scriver, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Global Women's Studies Programme, School of Political Science and Sociology

If you are interested

If you are interested in participating in the Fair Ireland Forum or joining the steering committee please contact info@fairirelandforum.org.