The Shared Island Youth Forum advocates for the modification of the tax and welfare systems in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to spur cross-border employment, according to discussion at a recent gathering of young individuals. In addition to this, there were calls for the advertising of public sector jobs throughout Ireland’s island.
The forum has issued a statement proposing an all-island journey card to boost youth travel across the entire island for all forms of public transportation. Through an initiative similar to Erasmus, students are encouraged to pursue their education all over the island. Furthermore, the forum strongly believes that unpaid internships ought to be eliminated.
Set up by the Government a year ago, the forum has 80 members who were all born post the Belfast Agreement. Together they’ve developed a strategic plan for the future of the Shared Ireland project.
The Youth Forum emphasises the equal and fair treatment of all refugees and asylum seekers. Their integration into the island’s communities is viewed as a priority, as well as the extension of complete rights to the LGBTQIA+ community and minority groups.
By 2050, the group is aiming to end all forms of domestic and gender-based violence, targeting the behavioural patterns that allow it through education and legislation. Other ambitions include eradicating the gender pay gap and eliminating barriers to women’s career progression.
The young leaders also outlined their environmental aims, advocating for the island to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. They highlighted the importance of a just and fair transition that safeguards the most vulnerable in society, and envisage the island as a global leader in wind energy by 2050, powered by a nationalised energy system.
Finally, the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, commended the vision statement as a vital contribution to creating a joined future of reconciliation on the island they all proudly call home.
Although Mr. Harris was too young to vote in the Belfast Agreement referendum, he commended the input of the youth, stating, “It’s vitally significant we aren’t merely hearing from a particular age group defining our shared future.” The Belfast Agreement of 1998 wasn’t intended to be “a fixed document,” but one promoting reconciliation, enhancing peace and prosperity, and ensuring everyone, regardless of their location, customs, or beliefs, “can maximise their potential.”
Emma Murphy, appointed by the National Youth Council of Ireland, mentioned that the report represented a year’s worth of effort and “outlines the kind of future we envision for this island, and every individual who regards it as home”. Micheál Martin, Tánaiste and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, affirmed that the report “serves as a tribute to the hope, commitment and enthusiasm” of the Youth Forum and “reflects their generation’s drive to progress towards a shared and reconciled future for all.”
Mary Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Council of Ireland, appreciating the forum’s members, reiterated that their contributions “provide a potent affirmation that when young people are involved and given the opportunity to lead, they become agents of substantial change”.