Welcome back to the Better Peace Podcast for our eighth and final episode, presented by Clodagh, Ellie and Chloe. Today’s episode is a very special one, and not just because it’s the last! Today we are joined by special guests all the way from South Africa! Our guests from Bush Radio are here to reflect on their experiences living and growing up in a post-conflict society.

Ellie begins the conversation by asking about the successes of the South African peace process and the challenges that remain. Although the group reflected on some successes, they noted the continued patterns of racism in South African education systems; the opportunities you are given continue to depend on the colour of your skin. Our podcasters go on to express their feelings about the Northern Irish peace process and what they believe to be the successes and failures of the peace process. They explained that although Northern Ireland has reached a point of relative ‘peace’, lots of our structures and institutions perpetuate sectarian ideals.

We asked how the young people’s involvement in organisations such as Bush Radio have changed their perspective on politics in South Africa and beyond, and they explained how they were grateful to hear others' opinions and challenge their own bias.

We spoke to the young people about the recent South African elections and whether the results make them more or less hopeful for the future. There was disagreement among the group, as some saw the new coalition government as a refreshing change from the status quo, while others saw it as an opportunity for division and political instability. Our podcasters could easily relate to this fear, given the continued instability of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s mandatory coalition.

We spoke about youth involvement in politics and whether or not the respective governments take young people’s opinions seriously. There was some disagreement among the group, which became even more pronounced when the possibility of votes at 16 was introduced.

“The government wouldn’t necessarily do that because they care about our point of view, they would only do it for [better political] engagement.”

“Even though governments might have ulterior motives, if they do bring it into law that 16-year-olds can vote, it’ll force governments to take 16-year-olds seriously.”

We asked the young people from South Africa what their hopes are for the future. Some hoped for improved infrastructure in their communities, whilst others hoped for universal education to be properly implemented. They highlighted the continued corruption in public bodies such as the police, and how this perpetuates violence in their communities.

Our Podcasters could somewhat relate to their concerns involving the housing crisis, prospects for employment and government instability.

“My hope for the future is that our government actually gets stuff done and actually stays working long enough to get stuff done.”

Next, we spoke to Brenda Leonard about Bush Radio’s inception and how they gained their status as the “mother of community radio in Africa.” Bush Radio was developed in the 1980s (during the Apartheid regime) by community activists to explore ways in which grassroots media could be used for social upliftment and as a tool of resistance; they hoped to offer an alternative to the mainstream media available under apartheid. We also spoke to Paul Smyth, Executive Director at Politics in Action, about his involvement with Bush Radio and how they’ve remained connected for over 20 years!

A huge thank you to Jude Hill (Mitchell) and Alan Meban for the production and editing of the Podcast. Another massive thanks to Aoibha Mallon for the amazing podcast soundtrack and finally to our funders. Project supported by the International Fund for Ireland (Our Peace, Our Future fund) and the National Lottery Community Fund NI (Empowering Young People programme).

Welcome back to the seventh episode of the Better Peace Podcast, presented by Chloe and Ellie. Today’s topic has been consistently highlighted as an important one among young people: we’re talking about mental health. In the era of social media, discussions surrounding mental health are increasingly common. To learn more about mental health and the pressures young people face, Chloe and Nicole spoke to Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland, Siobhan O’Neill.

Siobhan explains her role as Mental Health Champion and how she advises government policymakers on their mental health strategy for Northern Ireland. She explains how she came to work in the field of mental health and wellbeing and how her passions stemmed from primary care work with vulnerable individuals. 

Siobhan then goes on to explain what she believes to be the biggest barriers to accessing mental healthcare in Northern Ireland. She explains how stigma surrounding mental illness remains one of the primary barriers to people accessing mental health services; those suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts are often unwilling to express their problems, especially in formal healthcare settings such as with their GP, due to the stigma surrounding mental illness. 

Siobhan explains that not only are there barriers to access services, but the services are also not set up in a ‘youth-friendly’ manner, discouraging young people from seeking help. She promotes the need to co-produce services with young people so that they are accessible and appropriate. 

Nicole goes on to ask what role social media may have played in the rising levels of mental illness in Northern Ireland; Siobhan explains how much of what we consume online can be very damaging and can drive negative self-image, but this is only one factor which is driving mental ill-health. 

She speaks about the huge pressures put on young people in school and how these pressures translate into mental illness, especially among young girls. 

So how can the government, or perhaps more importantly the education system, begin to address issues of mental illness? Siobhan reflects on the importance of relationships and attachment theory, and advocates that all young people are taught how to build and maintain healthy relationships. She speaks about the importance of a trauma-informed approach in schools and how this will address inequalities within the school system.

“The schooling system mirrors society, where there are winners, losers, inequalities, and therefore you have to get the best job and make the most money…and then you realise… it was never about that, it’s about having something that’s meaningful.”

Siobhan reflects on high suicide rates in Northern Ireland and how these may relate to issues such as intergenerational trauma stemming from The Troubles. 

“Suicide needs to be understood as a behavioural response to a crisis, where the person either feels like there is no other option…or they act impulsively in the heat of the moment.”

“Only around half of people who die by suicide have a [disclosed] mental illness.” 

Siobhan promotes four pillars to improve mental wellbeing: physical activity, diet, sleep and connection with people.

We closed this episode with a group chat on how mental health has affected us on a personal level, and how issues such as family dynamic and social media can have a huge impact on mental wellbeing. 

A huge thank you to Jude Hill (Mitchell) and Alan Meban for the production and editing of the Podcast. Another massive thanks to Aoibha Mallon for the amazing podcast soundtrack and finally to our funders. Project supported by the International Fund for Ireland (Our Peace, Our Future fund) and the National Lottery Community Fund NI (Empowering Young People programme).

Welcome back to the sixth episode of the Better Peace Podcast, presented by Clodagh and Aoife. We thought this was a powerful episode when we recorded it – but the events of recent weeks have given it a new potence.  The theme of this episode is diversity.  The Crew felt we could be doing more to celebrate difference and include new voices in our discussions about democracy and peace building.  They were already concerned about the rise in racism and the far right before these spilled out into xenophobic and anti-Islamic hate crime across the UK and Ireland – with people attached and businesses destroyed on our own streets. It was very fitting that we had recorded these interviews.  The episode has taken on a new potence we could not have anticipated.

First, Chloe and Ellie spoke to Inioluwa Olaosebikan (Ini), who moved to Belfast last year from Nigeria. She spoke to us about her advocacy as a volunteer and staff member at Diverse Youth NI and the Belfast City Youth Council, and how these organisations helped her to adjust to living somewhere new. We asked Ini what she thinks about local politicians’ attitudes toward refugees and asylum seekers.

“I don’t think a lot of politicians do advocate for marginalised communities.”

“There's still a long way to go in terms of political representation in the parliament or in the Assembly, but we're off to a good start.”

She spoke about the importance of community support for newcomers and the need for empathy as a tool to understand and support refugees and asylum seekers. Ini explains how various government strategies fail to recognise the needs of newcomer communities, for example, the government’s current mental health strategy.

“It is a good strategy, but it is very, very exclusive. It doesn't include the stories of asylum seekers and refugees or BME communities… We need to be included in these spaces. The current mental health services are not catering to a specific demographic of people.”

“We need to start treating them better for our government to start treating them better, because our government is a reflection of us. The change needs to start with us.”

Next, we spoke to Kate Nicholl, Alliance MLA for South Belfast. Kate moved to Belfast from Zimbabwe when she was 12.

 “I can't remember parts of it. But I remember it was grey and it was cold. And I also remember being quite excited about a new life that I was starting. So I have kind of mixed memories and emotions about it, but also an overriding sense that I was very privileged because I was with my mom. My dad lived here. I spoke the language and I had a family network that a lot of newcomers to the city don't have.”

 “If I found it so hard as someone who was white, who spoke the language and who had family here, what is it like for people who don’t have any of that?”

Kate explains how her passion for working with refugees and asylum seekers developed throughout her career, and the importance this work poses for her on a personal level.

“The Home Office policy is really toxic and not welcoming. It's designed to not be welcoming.”

Kate is incredibly critical of the Home Office strategy for dealing with immigration and asylum, implemented under the past Conservative government. She highlights the concern that there are no safe and legal routes to asylum in the UK and criticises the lengthy wait to process asylum claims. Kate goes on to discuss her experiences as a woman working in politics. Whilst she received immense support from within her party to progress her career, this was not reflected across the wider political landscape.

“The system still isn't really set up for women, but the more of us are getting elected, the more we're chipping away at it, and hopefully it's getting easier for all the ones that are going to come up behind us.”

Welcome back to the fifth episode of the Better Peace Podcast, presented by Clodagh and Olivia. Today we’re talking about a topic that affects everyone, young and old, rich and poor: the Climate Crisis. This issue is a very important to our generation, and we couldn’t pass up the chance to learn more about the crisis, how we can make a change and what our governments are doing to mitigate the crisis. 

First, Aaron and Nicole spoke to Darragh Graham, who works for Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland.  Darragh explains how climate change presents major injustice.

“Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos can just fly off into their colonies in space, but what about the rest of us?”

He explains how he became interested in working with Friends of the Earth and his motivation to pursue climate activism. Despite Darragh’s work to combat the climate crisis, he feels there is very little an individual can do to produce major changes; our culture of consumption props up the climate crisis, and no matter what changes an individual may make, it will never be enough. We need major change to be implemented from the top down, from governments and corporations who produce the harmful emissions that are causing the climate crisis. 

“The system is broken.”

“There is a false dichotomy in Northern Ireland of farming versus environmental issues… farming is the biggest industry producing greenhouse gases, but it doesn’t need to be that way and there are some for-profit farms in Northern Ireland that do farm sustainably.”

Darragh expressed his discontent over the shared ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in the NI Assembly. He goes on to explain how the concept of climate anxiety got him involved with Friends of the Earth, as he felt young people were being left with no acceptable means to deal with such anxieties. 

Next, Nicole and Aaron spoke to Andrew Muir, Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Andrew explained his role as Minister and how his department takes action to deal with the climate crisis, among other environmental issues. 

One of the issues raised by the Minister was his work on the Lough Neagh Report and Action Plan, which recently received partial approval from the NI Executive. He also raised the prospect of an independent Environmental Protection Agency

The Minister disagreed that the Ministry of Environment should be separate from that of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. 

“I think it’s really fundamental that we end this idea that we pit the environment and agriculture against each other. They are not mutually exclusive, they go together… By having the two departments together, I can’t dodge the issues. I have to face up to the challenges around both matters and determine how we produce a sustainable future.”

The Minister is hopeful that cross-departmental approaches to combat the climate crisis will produce meaningful and sustainable change.


A huge thank you to Jude Hill (Mitchell) and Alan Meban for the production and editing of the Podcast. Another massive thanks to Aoibha Mallon for the amazing podcast soundtrack and finally to our funders. Project supported by the International Fund for Ireland (Our Peace, Our Future fund) and the National Lottery Community Fund NI (Empowering Young People programme). 

Welcome back to the fourth episode of the Better Peace Podcast, presented by Olivia and Nicole. This episode hits close to home for some of us- today we are in Letterkenny, Donegal to talk about the Mica crisis. If you haven’t heard of Mica, don’t worry, you’re not alone! Some of the members of our group had no idea about the crisis, and that’s why we’re here to learn more about it.

Our first guest, Joe MacBride, explains to us what Mica is, and how it’s affecting countless families across Donegal and the Republic of Ireland. Mica is a defective material used in housing blocks, primarily produced in Donegal. The material absorbs moisture, and over time causes housing blocks to crumble, leaving homeowners with worthless and even hazardous properties. Joe has personal experience of living in a house with Mica- he elaborates on the challenges to daily life for him and his family. 

“It’s one of the proudest moments of your life when you get your keys to that house… it’s just a nightmare to discover… your house is going to collapse. It takes a toll.”

Homeowners like Joe are often faced with total demolition of their home, with little support to rebuild. 

“The government have had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the table.”

“They’re still paying a mortgage on a house that is crumbling before their eyes.”

  Joe went on to talk about the toll this crisis has taken on young people, affecting their mental health, their schooling and their prospects as future home buyers.  

Next, we spoke to some young people from across Donegal who have been affected by Mica; we spoke to Erin, Ruby and Chloe (our resident Podcaster!). They spoke to us about the huge impact Mica has had on them whilst sitting their Leaving Cert.

“All of that is stressful enough and it makes it a hard enough environment, and if you whack a crumbling house on top of it, it makes it impossible to study.”

They spoke about the health impacts of Mica, as mould becomes a recurring problem, resulting in respiratory problems. They also reflected on the mental health impact that the crisis has had on them and their families, many of whom have lived in these houses all their lives. 

“A home isn’t just four walls made of bricks… it’s more than just a house, it’s a home. The memories that were made and the families that were raised is what makes a home.” 

Next, we spoke to another homeowner who has been affected by Mica. She explained how the crisis has impacted not only her finances, but the huge administrative burden it has put on her and her family. Work to rebuild has only begun now, after four years of cutting through red tape. She has young children who have been put under serious stress, despite her best attempts to shield them from the situation. 

“I don’t want to knock down the house, you can use my communion money to fix it.”

Finally, we spoke to Trisha, Deputy Chair of the Mica Action Group. They are working alongside the newly elected Redress Party in Donegal and countless families across Donegal who have been impacted by Mica. She explains the huge issues inherent to the government redress scheme; many families are expected to front the costs of rebuilding their homes, whilst others are offered only partial repairs, even though the entire house will eventually crumble. 

“The 100% redress being offered is a myth…and local people are buying into that myth."

A huge thank you to Jude Hill (Mitchell) and Alan Meban for the production and editing of the Podcast. Another massive thanks to Aoibha Mallon for the amazing podcast soundtrack and finally to our funders. Project supported by the International Fund for Ireland (Our Peace, Our Future fund) and the National Lottery Community Fund NI (Empowering Young People programme). 

Welcome to the third episode of the Better Peace Podcast, presented by Chloe and Clodagh. Today’s episode comes to you from the Welsh Senedd, where we are once again talking about Votes at 16 and its impact in Wales since it was introduced four years ago.  

We first spoke to Jess Blair from the Electoral Reform Society (ERS), an organisation who campaign for better democracy across the UK. ERS was involved in the early implementation of Votes at 16 and continue to work to engage voters, especially young voters. We spoke to Jess about the drive to implement votes at 16 in Wales and the challenges that arose from it. Jess offered great advice for our campaign and informed us of other initiatives in Wales for better democracy, such as the push for automatic voter registration.  

Next, we spoke to a few members of the Welsh Youth Parliament to gauge their opinion on how votes at 16 had changed the political landscape for young people. We first spoke to Lleucu Haf Wiliam, who served as a Member of the first Welsh Youth Parliament from 2018 to 2021. Lleucu spoke to us about her experience voting for the first time at age sixteen; as a matter of fact, Lleucu remains one of the youngest people in Wales to ever cast their vote, as her birthday fell on the same day as the election! 

We next spoke to Ruben Kelman, Member of the Welsh Youth Parliament for Cardiff North.  Ruben spoke to us about the importance of political education; he explained the inconsistencies in political education across Wales and how this serves as a major barrier to youth participation.   

Next we spoke to Ella Kenny, Member of the Welsh Youth Parliament for Swansea East. Ella spoke to us about her involvement in politics from an early age, and how her upbringing played a huge role in influencing her political interests.  

Finally, we spoke to Fatmanur Aksoy, Member of the Welsh Youth Parliament for Newport East. Fatma explained how her interests in immigration and law prompted her involvement with the Welsh Youth Parliament. Fatma hopes to pursue a career in politics, specifically as the UK Home Secretary in order to influence immigration law! 

Next, we spoke to Yvonne Murphy founder of the Democracy Box, a tool to help UK citizens understand the basics of democracy. She hoped to create a one stop shop where people could learn about democracy on a UK-wide basis. She now works with young people across Wales to develop the model across different mediums, such as through art, literature, movies and podcasts.  

Finally, we spoke to Katie and Angharad, who work for the Welsh Senedd. They spoke to us about political engagement in Wales and their work to develop policy to better engage Welsh citizens with democracy.  One of the main policies being pursued in Wales is the push for automatic voter registration, which Katie and Angharad have been working on for years! 

A huge thank you to Jude Hill (Mitchell) and Alan Meban for the production and editing of the Podcast. Another massive thanks to Aoibha Mallon for the amazing podcast soundtrack and finally to our funders. Project supported by the International Fund for Ireland (Our Peace, Our Future fund) and the National Lottery Community Fund NI (Empowering Young People programme). 

Welcome back to the second episode of the Better Peace Podcast, presented by Chloe and Clodagh. For today’s episode, we’ve been on a bit of a journey… We are in Edinburgh, Scotland talking about Votes at 16, which was introduced in Scotland over a decade ago!  

For our first interview, Aaron and Olivia interviewed two young people from YouthLink Scotland, Michael and Anna. When it came to Michael and Anna’s first time voting, they explained how it was ‘just normal’ that they get out and vote at 16. Since younger people had the vote, they felt their voices were heard and valued by the Scottish Parliament. 

“Politicians make a big deal of youth issues since it was your vote they’re after, not your parents.”  

When discussing the influence of young people in Scottish politics, Michael and Anna described the Scottish Youth Parliament as ‘unparalleled’ in the UK in terms of its influence. The SYP regularly meets with the Scottish Cabinet Ministers to discuss youth issues. When discussing votes at 16 in Scotland, the topic of political education inevitably arose. Michael and Anna explained that they received an accessible civic education on the basics of democracy throughout high school. Some schools explored these themes even earlier, getting young people prepared and excited about voting through tools such as a pupil council.  

Our second guest, Dr Jan Eichhorn, was interviewed by Aoife and Clodagh. Dr Eichhorn teaches at the University of Edinburgh and is a world expert on votes at 16. Jan discussed the amazing opportunity to study the effects of votes at 16 as it unfolded in Scotland. He explained that votes in 16 in Scotland evolved using a top-down way, with the Scottish Government lowering the voting age for the Independence Referendum. He talked about the many positive aspects of voting at 16 – for example the opportunity to discuss voting at school and with your family. 

“This means your first voting isn’t something totally isolated or individual.” 

When offering advice for our campaign in Northern Ireland, we discussed the importance of political education. Jan also highlighted the importance of youth-led movements for change.  

“It is absolutely essential that votes at 16 campaigns are led by young people, if they are meant to have a deeper impact.” 

Read some of Dr Eichhorn’s research on votes at 16 here. 

The group wrapped up with a chat about their views on votes at 16 - what did they think before the interviews?  Have their minds changed?  What have we learned for our campaign at home?  Follow along for the next episode, where we head to Cardiff to hear about their journey to votes at 16 just four years ago! 

A huge thank you to Jude Hill (Mitchell) and Alan Meban for the production and editing of the Podcast. Another massive thanks to Aoibha Mallon for the amazing podcast soundtrack and finally to our funders. Project supported by the International Fund for Ireland (Our Peace, Our Future fund) and the National Lottery Community Fund NI (Empowering Young People programme).  

Welcome to the first episode of the Better Peace Podcast, presented by Chloe and Ellie. The theme for this episode was chosen as, after some discussion, it became clear the issue was frustratingly relevant for girls in the group; today we’re chatting about attitudes toward women and girls. There has recently been some shocking and sobering statistics on violence toward women and girls in Northern Ireland; an Executive Office study found that almost 98% of women surveyed for a report into violence against women experienced at least one form of violence or abuse in their lifetime. In an era deemed more progressive, are attitudes toward women beginning to change? We asked the public what they thought. 

To get a bit more insight on this theme, Chloe and Olivia spoke to Crime Correspondent and leading local journalist Allison Morris. Allison has extensive experience as a journalist and currently reports for the Belfast Telegraph. After more than 20 years in the industry, Allison reflected on the varied forms of abuse she has received over the years as a female journalist, and discussed how this abuse has evolved in the era of social media. They discussed the layers of abuse she receives in the context of misogyny, classism and sectarianism as a female journalist in NI and how more subtle misogyny forms of continue to shine through in the workplace. Despite the negative experiences she has encountered, Allison remains hopeful  

“We have some very powerful women in places of great influence, and right now we have a female First and deputy First Minister. We have two Junior Minsters who are both women so the whole Executive Office is female. This is a real case of you have to see it and you can be it.” 

Chloe and Clodagh interviewed our second guest, Professor Monica McWilliams, peace activist, academic and co-founder of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition. Monica discussed the early goals of the Women’s Coalition during the peace negotiations of the 1990s and the sexism they encountered through the process. 

“[they said]… we should have been home looking after babies, and they told us that pretty often.” 

“The only women who should be at this peace table are the women who are going to polish it.” 

Monica discussed the various challenges she faced during her political career, but reminisced on the support received from other women who urged her to continue her struggle.  

Stand Up, Speak Out: My Life Working for Women's Rights, Peace and Equality in Northern Ireland and Beyond (2021). Find out more here. 

Bringing it Out in the Open: Domestic Violence in Northern Ireland (1993).  Find out more here. 

  
“If you’re treating people unequal in one way, you can be guaranteed you’ll be treating them unequal in all ways.” 

Chloe and Clodagh were very impressed with Monica and described her as a ‘feminist icon’ but it is clear from the interview that Monica was also impressed by their passion and interest.  We wrapped up discussions with the group, reflecting on different experiences they had as young women and how they feel attitudes toward women have evolved.  

 
A huge thank you to Jude Hill (Mitchell) and Alan Meban for the production and editing of the Podcast. Another massive thanks to Aoibha Mallon for the amazing podcast soundtrack and finally to our funders. Project supported by the International Fund for Ireland (Our Peace, Our Future fund) and the National Lottery C

Introducing the Better Peace Podcast. 9 young people, 9 conversations about how to create a Better Peace for this place. Join our journey as we come together to find out where peace has and hasn’t worked. Why do we care so much, what are our challenges in a post conflict society and what changes do we long to see? Follow our journey as explore the wins and challenges in building a Better Peace!

A huge thank you to Jude Hill (Mitchell) and Alan Meban for the production and editing of the Podcast. Another massive thanks to Aoibha Mallon for the amazing podcast soundtrack and finally to our funders. Project supported by the International Fund for Ireland (Our Peace, Our Future fund) and the National Lottery Community Fund NI (Empowering Young People programme).