Across Divides Podcast – Season 3 Now Available!
Across Divides is a podcast that discusses challenges faced by communities around the island of Ireland. In season three, we speak with young people about what peace means to them over a quarter of a century since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. The issues faced by young people today are complex and interconnected. They include challenges with climate change and mental health, employment and inclusion. Youth work provides platforms and forums for these issues to be discussed, and we talk through some of the barriers and opportunities for all-island collaborations. In many cases we find a need for listening and compassion, and direct actions to secure the future of the island’s youth. Young people are well informed on the issues that affect them and the series explores some of the innovative ways they are raising their voices to levels where they can have a meaningful impact.
Watch the Trailer for Season 3:
Watch our launch event here:
Episode 1: Youth Organisations across the Island of Ireland
The series opens with a discussion about the importance of youth work in making connections between young people and empowering them to take action on the issues they face. It looks at the challenges that youth workers face with access to funding and the difficulties with conducting cross-border work. There are lessons to be learned between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and we hear from youth workers about the opportunities they see for collaboration between their organisations. Finally, we talk about projects such as the Shared Island Youth Forum that are facilitating cross-border youth work, and the steps that are needed to carry learnings forward into action.
With:
- Megan Atkinson
- Jessica Taggart
- Rachel Hasson
- Jane Kyle
Links:
- National Youth Council of Ireland
- I haven’t been affected by the conflict but
- Youth Peace Summit at Ulster University
- Youth Action Northern Ireland
- Development Trusts Northern Ireland
- Shared Island Youth Forum
Episode 2: Youth Voices in Decision Making
What does peace mean for young people today, over a quarter of a century since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement? This episode asks how youth voices can be raised to the level of decision makers so that actions can be taken to address issues in education, climate change, health and employment. It explores how youth work provides a platform for discussion on important issues without alignment with party politics, and how a youth vote might support a stronger and more inclusive democratic process that represents the voices of young people who are well informed on the issues that affect them.
With:
- Nadia Mackiewicz
- Eolain Downey
- Jessica Taggart
Links:
Episode 3: Climate Change and Peacebuilding
Climate change is an issue that is largely being placed on the shoulders of young people who are not necessarily empowered or equipped to tackle it. This can lead to frustration around the ability of youth to engage with governance processes that directly affect them. Climate change is an all-island issue that demands an aligned response which is representative of its intersectionality. In this episode we look at the pressures placed on young people to respond to the climate crisis, exploring ideas of climate justice and sustainability, and looking at ways that young people are engaging with one of the greatest challenges of their generation.
With:
- Noah Shively-Blinn
- Franek Dobronski
- Jane Kyle
- Eolain Downey
Links:
Episode 4: Identity and Culture
Identity is complex and evolving for young people on the island of Ireland. While there are still deeply rooted histories that influence identity, it is increasingly shaped by openness and diversity as youth seek to define and express themselves on their own terms. In this episode we look at some of the creative ways that young people are meeting the challenges of complex and multilayered identities so that increasingly diverse collectives of people are able to flourish on this island.
With:
- Leou Jiun Chiau
- Duillean O’Sullivan
- Deirbhile Larkin
Links:
Episode 5: Understanding and Humanity
Understanding one another is the basis of peacebuilding. In this episode we discuss hidden violence on the island or Ireland and the ways that services can fail to address the complex and interconnected challenges facing young people, including support for people with disabilities and survivors of abuse. The discussion takes us towards an innovative idea for addressing the misalignment of support for young people today on the island of Ireland.
With:
- Auxilia Obiafune
- Noah Shively-Blinn
This episode includes accounts of physical and sexual violence, specifically Ritual Abuse, Mind Control and Organised Abuse (RAMCOA). If you feel you need support with any of the issues raised in this episode, you can reach out to the following organisations:
Northern Ireland
Samaritans: free to call 116 123l or email jo@samaritans.org
Lifeline (Northern Ireland’s crisis response helpline): 0808 808 8000
Aware (mental health support for young people) https://aware-ni.org/help-for-young-people
ChildLine (help to young people in trouble or danger): 0800 1111
MindWise (mental health support for people of all ages): 028 9040 2323 info@mindwisenv.org
Republic of Ireland
NYCI youth mental health signposting tool aims to provide young people, parents, caregivers, and those working with young people, with reliable up to date information on where to access supports and services at both a local and national level for a variety of mental health issues:
https://www.youth.ie/programmes/youth-health/youth-mental-health-signposting-tool/?paged_nw=3&paged_r=1#nationwide-services
Ruhama is an Irish NGO and registered charity that offers nationwide support to women impacted by prostitution, sex trafficking and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation: https://www.ruhama.ie/about-ruhama/
