In the final conversation of the season, I speak with Alan Fay from Dublin who is a disability campaigner and was a valued member of the Youth Council of EPIC Ireland for 5 years championing care awareness. EPIC stands for ‘Empowering People in Care’ and it is an advocacy organisation for children and young people in the care system in Ireland. Alan and I met through a piece of research I conducted on behalf of EPIC, and we speak a little bit about it in the interview.

Alan’s passion for ensuring that young people with disabilities are seen in terms of their abilities rather than their disabilities shines throughout our conversation, and he provides valuable insight into the experiences of care-experienced young people with disabilities underlining just how important it is that they are listened to.

This is a timely conversation because it comes just a few days after #CareDay24 on 16th February, an annual day to celebrate the contribution and successes of children and young people in care. The 2024 theme for Care Day is 'I am what I choose to become'.

Show links:
EPIC Ireland
EPIC has an excellent podcast called The Care Experience Podcast - it's also on Spotify

Disability & the Care System – EPIC’s Care Day 2021 webinar on where the care system insects with the disabilities sector.

‘Headphones, Odd Shoes & A Second Chance at Life: An Exploration of the Experience of Children in Care & Care-leavers with Disabilities’

Alan on X (formerly Twitter)

Alan’s Facebook page, ‘Life with a Disability’ 

Support the show

You can listen to the Citizens Now Podcast on all the usual platforms so please subscribe to get access to episodes as soon as they’re released.

For more information about the show or to share your reflections on what you hear, please check out our website and we're on Instagram. If you'd like to be kept up-to-date on upcoming episodes and seasons please subscribe to the Citizens Now Podcast Substack.

If you’d like to contribute to my tip jar, please check out my Ko-Fi page. I’ve put this podcast together in my spare time and out of my own pocket so any help with meeting operating costs (hosting, website, sound mixing etc) will be greatly appreciated.

Credits:

Created, produced, and hosted by: Debs Erwin

Music: GlowCity

Artwork: Rachel Brady

Sound Editing & Mixing: Stu Reid, Stunt Double Music

This week we hear from Lauren Roberts-Turner, a researcher and campaigner from England who specialises in issues relating to young people and the welfare state, poverty, and the economics of social justice. When we spoke she was involved with Leaders Unlocked which does incredible work enabling young people to speak out and have influence on the issues that impact their lives. Thanks to Rose Dowling, CEO at Leaders Unlocked, for putting me in touch with Lauren.

Lauren & I talked about her journey into activism, her thoughts about how change happens, the importance of peer research, the wonders of the NHS (UK National Health Service) and her learning about collaboration. What she doesn’t know about welfare and social justice isn’t worth knowing, enjoy the conversation!

Show links:
The ChildFair State Inquiry
Benefit Row – ‘Benefits Street’ TV show
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
YE2030 Research & Campaign & more here
Sheila McKechnie Foundation
Marcus Rashford & Free School Meals
Intergenerational Foundation

Youth blogs on London Challenges Poverty Week website:

• The Reality of Rising Bills
• Poverty & Mental Health
• Poverty

Lauren’s writing:

• ‘Hit From All Sides: why the world isn’t working for Gen Z’
• Redesigning the Benefits System with Young People in Mind
• Youth Poverty: Understanding & Challenging the Narrative

Support the show

You can listen to the Citizens Now Podcast on all the usual platforms so please subscribe to get access to episodes as soon as they’re released.

For more information about the show or to share your reflections on what you hear, please check out our website and we're on Instagram. If you'd like to be kept up-to-date on upcoming episodes and seasons please subscribe to the Citizens Now Podcast Substack.

If you’d like to contribute to my tip jar, please check out my Ko-Fi page. I’ve put this podcast together in my spare time and out of my own pocket so any help with meeting operating costs (hosting, website, sound mixing etc) will be greatly appreciated.

Credits:

Created, produced, and hosted by: Debs Erwin

Music: GlowCity

Artwork: Rachel Brady

Sound Editing & Mixing: Stu Reid, Stunt Double Music

Following on from last week’s conversation with Kate Yeung, I got to speak with her former colleague Sen Toyotoshi (she/they) who at the time of our call was a Project Support Officer with MYAN, the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network and now works in a Partnerships role at an accounting software company with an aim to help small businesses. Sen was born in Paraguay, moved to Canada, studied in Japan and has been living in Australia since 2022.

We chat about how Sen brings together their interest in business and passion for social issues, in particular, those related to young people, as well as what might be their superpower. She explains the role of MYAN’s youth ambassadors, talks about their inspiring leadership and notes the possibilities when young people have a platform to share their stories. We also explore the challenges presented by tokenism and the nuances of citizenship. 

My thanks again to Nadine Liddy who connected me with Rana Ebrahim, MYAN’s National Manager who put me in touch with Sen. 

Show links:

MYAN – Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network 

Check out the MYAN My Voice Podcast developed by MYAN’s Youth Ambassador Network  

FUSE – MYAN’s National multicultural youth leadership summit 

Support the show

You can listen to the Citizens Now Podcast on all the usual platforms so please subscribe to get access to episodes as soon as they’re released.

For more information about the show or to share your reflections on what you hear, please check out our website and we're on Instagram. If you'd like to be kept up-to-date on upcoming episodes and seasons please subscribe to the Citizens Now Podcast Substack.

If you’d like to contribute to my tip jar, please check out my Ko-Fi page. I’ve put this podcast together in my spare time and out of my own pocket so any help with meeting operating costs (hosting, website, sound mixing etc) will be greatly appreciated.

Credits:

Created, produced, and hosted by: Debs Erwin

Music: GlowCity

Artwork: Rachel Brady

Sound Editing & Mixing: Stu Reid, Stunt Double Music

This week’s conversation is with Kate Yeung Ching Yung (she/her) who works as a Project Officer for MYAN, the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network. MYAN is an Australian non-profit that works in partnership with young people, government, and civil society to promote the rights and interests of young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds and ensure these are recognised in policy and practice.

Originally from Mauritius and now based in Melbourne, Kate first came to Australia in 2019 for university graduating with majors in Drama and International Relations and a minor in Policy and Politics.

My thanks to Nadine Liddy who connected me with Rana Ebrahim, MYAN’s National Manager who introduced me to Kate.

Our conversation covered a variety of topics including Kate’s journey into social advocacy, her move to Australia and examples of MYAN’s advocacy work with young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Kate reflected on the importance of young people having a platform, her own sense of power to challenge injustices and her vision for a better world.

Show links:
Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) 
Check out the MYAN My Voice Podcast
Model UN (MUN) 
Center for Multicultural Youth (CMY) 

Support the show

You can listen to the Citizens Now Podcast on all the usual platforms so please subscribe to get access to episodes as soon as they’re released.

For more information about the show or to share your reflections on what you hear, please check out our website and we're on Instagram. If you'd like to be kept up-to-date on upcoming episodes and seasons please subscribe to the Citizens Now Podcast Substack.

If you’d like to contribute to my tip jar, please check out my Ko-Fi page. I’ve put this podcast together in my spare time and out of my own pocket so any help with meeting operating costs (hosting, website, sound mixing etc) will be greatly appreciated.

Credits:

Created, produced, and hosted by: Debs Erwin

Music: GlowCity

Artwork: Rachel Brady

Sound Editing & Mixing: Stu Reid, Stunt Double Music

Today’s conversation is with Mia Pobloth, who is currently doing a gap year teaching English at a school in Madrid, but when we spoke, she was a final year pupil at Shimna Integrated College in Newcastle, Co. Down in the North of Ireland/Northern Ireland. Mia was a long-time member of the school’s Amnesty International group and as you may already be aware Amnesty International is a global NGO which campaigns for human rights with over 10 million members and supporters worldwide. Its work particularly highlights prisoners of conscience as well as miscarriages of justice.
In the interview Mia tells us about the kinds of projects her Amnesty group gets involved in, what she’s learned about being an activist, what she’s striving for, and what fuels her to keep going.

My thanks to Shirley Anne McMillan, a former teacher and Alternative Chaplain at Shimna Integrated College who connected me with Mia.

Show links:
Shimna Integrated College 

Amnesty International

Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) – Shimna Integrated College was the first school in Northern Ireland to form a Gay-Straight Alliance which was set up by gay and straight pupils at the college to tackle homophobic bullying.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe story

Mia briefly describes the kind of school she attends as an ‘integrated’ school which is a term specific to Northern Ireland. Integrated education is a response to deep divisions in Northern Ireland/the North of Ireland and intentionally brings children and staff from Catholic and Protestant traditions, as well as those of other beliefs, cultures, and communities together in one school. You can find out more from the NI Council for Integrated Education

Mia also mentions how the voting age was lowered to 16 in Scotland and there’s some interesting research on the outcomes from that. 

Support the show

You can listen to the Citizens Now Podcast on all the usual platforms so please subscribe to get access to episodes as soon as they’re released.

For more information about the show or to share your reflections on what you hear, please check out our website and we're on Instagram. If you'd like to be kept up-to-date on upcoming episodes and seasons please subscribe to the Citizens Now Podcast Substack.

If you’d like to contribute to my tip jar, please check out my Ko-Fi page. I’ve put this podcast together in my spare time and out of my own pocket so any help with meeting operating costs (hosting, website, sound mixing etc) will be greatly appreciated.

Credits:

Created, produced, and hosted by: Debs Erwin

Music: GlowCity

Artwork: Rachel Brady

Sound Editing & Mixing: Stu Reid, Stunt Double Music

For our first episode I speak with Delvina Sejdii, a young peacebuilder from North Macedonia. Delvina is a member of UNOY – the United Network of Young Peacebuilders which is a youth-led network for young people involved in various peacebuilding activities in 69 countries around the world.

When we recorded our call, Delvina was working at a youth project called MultiKulti in her home city of Kumanovo which is run by the Center for Intercultural Dialogue, a civil society NGO and she continues to be involved there in a voluntary capacity. Delvina is studying international communications and diplomacy at university and was recently selected to be President of an Institute for Political and International Studies in North Macedonia.

My thanks to Eliška Jelínková and Manon Buret from UNOY who connected me with Delvina, I really enjoyed our conversation. We talk about how she got involved in youth work and what motivates her, the importance of young people getting involved in peacebuilding, her vision for her city and beyond and the value of dialogue in a divided society.

I’d love to hear what you think about the podcast, so please get in touch and you’ll also find a transcript on the website episode page.

Show links:

United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY) 

UNOY is one of the partners involved in The Peace Corner Podcast which is well worth listening to. 

Center for Intercultural Dialogue

MultiKulti 

Support the show

You can listen to the Citizens Now Podcast on all the usual platforms so please subscribe to get access to episodes as soon as they’re released.

For more information about the show or to share your reflections on what you hear, please check out our website and we're on Instagram. If you'd like to be kept up-to-date on upcoming episodes and seasons please subscribe to the Citizens Now Podcast Substack.

If you’d like to contribute to my tip jar, please check out my Ko-Fi page. I’ve put this podcast together in my spare time and out of my own pocket so any help with meeting operating costs (hosting, website, sound mixing etc) will be greatly appreciated.

Credits:

Created, produced, and hosted by: Debs Erwin

Music: GlowCity

Artwork: Rachel Brady

Sound Editing & Mixing: Stu Reid, Stunt Double Music

Welcome to the Citizens Now Podcast, a space to hear stories of young people from all over the world who are actively working to bring about positive social change.

Support the show

You can listen to the Citizens Now Podcast on all the usual platforms so please subscribe to get access to episodes as soon as they’re released.

For more information about the show or to share your reflections on what you hear, please check out our website and we're on Instagram. If you'd like to be kept up-to-date on upcoming episodes and seasons please subscribe to the Citizens Now Podcast Substack.

If you’d like to contribute to my tip jar, please check out my Ko-Fi page. I’ve put this podcast together in my spare time and out of my own pocket so any help with meeting operating costs (hosting, website, sound mixing etc) will be greatly appreciated.

Credits:

Created, produced, and hosted by: Debs Erwin

Music: GlowCity

Artwork: Rachel Brady

Sound Editing & Mixing: Stu Reid, Stunt Double Music