Date: Saturday, 7 October 2017
Time: 9:30 - 3:50pm
Venue: Carmelite Community Centre, Aungier Street, Dublin 7.
“Is the human rights era coming to an end – whither refugees and migrants?” Leading human rights Professor Conor Gearty of the London School of Economics poses that significant question in these troubled times for human rights in his opening address to the 2017 Sheehy Skeffington Human Rights School.
The school was founded to provide an accessible forum for discussion on issues of human rights and social justice and the focus of this year’s school is on human rights and migrants.
Professor Siobhan Mullally, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway, will address the position of migrants “beyond the limits of law” while Edel McGinley, Migrant Rights Centre director, and Bernadette McAliskey, civil rights activist and cofounder of the South Tyrone Empowerment Programme will provide timely reminders that “universal human rights begin in small places close to home”.
Sorley McCaughey of Christian Aid will explore the connections between migration, violent conflict and climate change and migrant voices will include Lucky Khambule of the Movement for Asylum Seekers in Ireland who will examine how to move forward, including developing alternatives to the denigrated direct provision system.
The school will feature exclusive extracts from Micheline Sheehy Skeffington documentry when she travels to the US to celerbrate her grandmother’s tour in 1917 asking for a public inquiry into her husband’s murder and to promote the rights of women and workers. The main focus of Micheline’s tour involves promoting gender equality issues.
Playwrights Mirjana Rendulic and Donal O’Kelly will address themes of migration and displacement in extracts from their respective plays. Mirjana will perform from her play Broken Promise Land and Donal will perform from his new play 67 Words, marking the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, to be premiered next month.
The event highlights the greatest displacement of peoples worldwide since the second world war, resulting in insecurity, uncertainty and division in Europe. There is a need for cooperation and inclusive dialogue on how best to address the challenges and opportunities presented by migration and we hope you will join the discussion.
For further information: www.sheehyskeffingtonschool.org
Places are limited. This event is free. Lunch is available for €5. For booking email with the subject line 'Booking for 2017 School' to: sheehyskeffingtonschool@gmail.com