Maynooth University Social Justice Week 2024 took place on the 4th – 8th March across the University, and the School of Law and Criminology hosted several events highlighting the vast knowledge and expertise in diverse areas of public interest and social justice in the School.
On Monday 4th March, we hosted a roundtable event with Dr John Morrison, Dr Clíodhna Murphy, Dr Charles O'Sullivan, moderated by Professor Claire Hamilton on the ‘Perspectives on the Far-right in Ireland’. Each of the speakers briefly discussed their perspectives on the emergence of the radical right in Ireland followed by some Questions and Answers.
On Wednesday 6th March our Head of School Dr Fergus Ryan hosted a workshop on "LGBTQ+ rights in a Global Context: Spotlight on India". This workshop will took place as part of the Gender, Sexuality and Law module offered by the School.
On the same day, Dr Ollie Bartlett hosted an interactive workshop that discussed whether the Online Safety Code being developed by Coimisiún na Meán will sufficiently protect children’s rights. Organised in collaboration with the Irish Heart Foundation and the Children’s Rights Alliance as part of Maynooth University’s Social Justice Week. Ollie welcomed Kathryn Reilly, Policy and Legislative Affairs Manager, Irish Heart Foundation, Noeline Blackwell, Online Safety Co-ordinator, Children's Rights Alliance and Dr Sheila Gilheany, CEO, Alcohol Action Irelan as speakers at the workshop which was aimed at policy advocates, academics, students, and anyone else with an interest in this topic. We considered strategies for future advocacy, and share information and good practice for work on this important issue.
The interactive workshop invited participants to consider how the safety and health of children should be protected when they participate in the online community. The Online Media and Safety Regulation Act 2022 created a new media regulator for Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán, which has responsibility for adopting legally binding codes to regulate online platforms and activity for the protection of citizens. The proposed Online Safety Code for Video Sharing Platform Services has been criticised for not being sufficiently inclusive of the range of harms that children are exposed to and endangered by when they go online. In particular, commercial communications for alcohol, unhealthy food, and breast milk substitutes receive weak treatment despite the proven role of this content in encourage harmful behaviours in children. There is concern among children’s rights advocates that children may be or feel excluded from safe participation in the online world if they cannot be afforded crucial protections that will allow them to participate in ways that promote their healthy development. This interactive workshop encouraged participants to engage with leading experts on this subject to identify the ways in which children might be at risk when they go online, and how these risks will impact upon children’s ability to belong safely to the online community.
Finally on Thursday 7th March we hosted Dr Gerard Maguire (Lecturer, Irish Centre for Human Rights and the School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University) for a hybrid event where he presented a keynote entitled, ‘Indigenous Gender Justice Two-Spirit Identity, MMIWG Crisis, and Canada's Commitment to UNSDG 5’ that sought to delve into the positioning of gender within Indigenous life. This wonderful keynote was followed by an engaging and lively questions and answers that
For more information on any of our upcoming events check us out on social media Twitter/X Instagram LinkedIn for updates.