Students encouraged to download Safety App

Don’t forget Mental Health Week: 16–20 November!

Students encouraged to download Safety App

Mary Raftery

When we head on a night out into town with friends, we look out for each other and hope we can depend on one another. However, our friends are not always equipped to be able to help when we get into difficulty.

The Galway Safe App facilitates this, aiming to prevent tragedies from happening late at night in areas close to the water in the city.

Launched in 2017, The Galway Safe App is funded by Galway City Council and The Western Region Drug and Alcohol Task Force and can be downloaded for free. It takes a matter of seconds to set up. You add three in case of emergency contacts, and then you forget about it! It is not an app that will be frequently sending you notifications or constantly tracking your movements. So, don’t worry, Mam or Dad won’t have access to where you are all of the time!

The app connects to beacons along the river, one at The Wolfe Tone Bridge and the other at The Spanish Arch. Even when mobile data is turned off, the app will be able to check in as it uses GPS.

By Caoimhe Killeen

NUI Galway’s Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy (CHLRP) has successfully bid for an EU Erasmus+ funding award of €500,000 to develop and create an international online course for housing and property professionals in both public and private sectors.

The course will be developed over three years, meaning likely completion by 2023. Its aims are to improve and enhance digital skills for those working in housing, property, real estate, and other related areas across Europe.

It is expected that learning will be carried out on a mobile micro-platform. Tools like PROPTECH will be used to achieve this, a term which is used for any technology that makes it easier to buy and sell property. It also facilitates easier online transactions for housing and real estate management. Some modules on the course are planned to be tailored towards specific types of housing, such as tools for professionals who manage apartment buildings or condos. It is expected that learning will be carried out on a mobile micro-platform.

Erasmus+ not only provides grants, but also facilitates research, networking, and debates on EU policy as well as providing opportunities for third-level students to study abroad. NUI Galway are partnered with various universities and organisations across Europe in this project such as Spain’s UNESCO Housing Chair and Poland’s University of Silesia.

If you are lingering around these hotspots between 10pm-6am, the app will send you a notification to check in and ask if you are ‘ok’ and if you would like to talk to any of your contacts. It will also allow you to get in touch with Samaritans or the emergency services.

A convenient feature of the app is that it can capture the exact location details of the person in need or of a friend if they have decided to make contact. It will communicate this to the emergency contacts or emergency services as the app can pinpoint the location to about half a yard. This means that emergency services can get to the scene quicker.

NUI Galway Students’ Union President, Pádraic Toomey, spoke about how the River Corrib poses some danger and that the app can help us stay safe stating,

“The app is a great initiative to keep people safe when around Galway with its waterways. Galway has the fastest river running through a European city and with that comes some danger. It is a good way to stay safe for all our students.”

SIN spoke to Neil Wilson of the Western Drug and Alcohol Task Force, who highlighted that this is

“This award recognises the European perspective of our work at NUI Galway and makes our expertise and knowledge of housing and property issues available to an EU-wide audience” said Dr Padraic Kenna, Director of the Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy at NUI Galway.

“Our European and Irish housing and property law expertise at NUI Galway was integral to the successful €500,000 bid. The project will develop state of the art online learning tools to enhance learner engagement, motivation, and participation. The ultimate training will be available for professionals involved in the housing, property and real estate fields, as well as policymakers.”

The CHLRP’s aim is to create a space ‘for a free and open discussion, combining research, resource development, advocacy and publications on housing law, rights and policy in Ireland, and internationally’ and has international links such as the European Network of Housing Researchers.

CHLRP have also been campaigning for housing rights to be incorporated into the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, especially during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in a series of Briefing Papers released by Dr Kenna this past March. As he puts it, housing is considered to be “a fundamental right and need, on which so many other rights depend, such as health, safety, privacy as home life as Covid-19 has so clearly shown. Access to adequate and affordable housing, for all, is becoming a key test of the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the Union.” a simplistic but potentially life-saving technology, “You bung it on your phone and you completely forget about it. It just sits there in the background and takes up virtually nothing. The one time, (hopefully never), through college that it might be useful, is when it gives you that prompt to connect in and see how you are. This could save your life.”

A third hotspot is currently being added in Galway City, and there are hopes to have more in the future extending up to the university.

With NUI Galway’s Mental Health Week currently ongoing organisers have stressed the importance of checking in on friends. Getting those close to you to download The Galway Safe App is one way of doing this,

If you or a close friend may find yourselves in a troubling situation near the waterside as a result of an overwhelming amount of stress due to relationships, college, substance abuse or other reasons, remember the following support services are available 24 hours a day: Samaritans 116 123 or Pieta

NUI Galway Awarded EU Funding to Develop European Online Course for Housing and Property Professionals

House 1800 247 247

Mental Health Week

Monday 16th November

10:00 13:00 18:00 18:30

Mindfulness Workshop Yoga Class with Sports Unit Self-Care during Covid-19 Panel Discussion Strength & Conditioning Class

Tuesday 17th November

8:15 Mindfulness Workshop 11:00 Yoga Class with Sports Unit 18.00 “Diet or Disorder?” – Eating Disorder Awareness Talk Thursday19th November

10:00 Virtual Coffee Morning 11:00 Fitness Class with Sports Unit 12:00 Panel Discussion - Mental Health in the Traveller Community 15:30 Changing Colours Workshop 17:00 Yoga Class with Yoga Soc 19:00 Movie Watch Along Party

Friday 20th November

08.15 19:00

Mindfulness Class Big Weekend Table Quiz

Wednesday 18th November

13:00 16:00 18.30 19.30

Yoga Class with Sports Unit NUI Galway on Drugs Panel Discussion Strength & Conditioning Class Hump Day Hoolie

NUIGalwayStudentsUnion www.su.nuigalway.ie

Neylon to take step back from Údarás role

Paddy Henry

Editor

Graduate panel member of NUI Galway’s governing authority Eoin Neylon has confirmed that he will not seek re-election to the position when his four-year tenure comes to an end.

Neylon, an engineering graduate has been a member of the body since 2016 confirmed that he took the decision to step back to allow for a more diverse panel.

Speaking to SIN, Neylon highlighted his commitment to having young female voices heard at an administrative level and said that the lack of diversity on the Údarás panel, pointing out that Students’ Union Education Officer Emma Sweeney is the sole young woman currently sitting on the panel.

“There isn’t a great divergence there.”, he said.

“Obviously it has gotten a lot better, there are a good lot of women on it, but there aren’t an awful lot of young women on it and I think that’s something in particular that needs to be addressed and the graduate panel of electives, I think would be the perfect way to address that imbalance at the moment.

“I know that Emma Sweeney, the Students’ Union Education Officer is the sole young woman on the panel and that is something that needs to be addressed, she’s there carrying the flag on her own at the moment. There are a number of fantastic women on it, but it is still predominantly male. When you look at the graduate panel and the four names on it, there’s a John, a Conor, a Ger and an Eoin and I think that that is a big problem in itself. You have myself and Conor who were in the University around the same time, and even though we are in our mid to late thirties we are still among the younger members of the Údarás at this stage. There is definitely a representation issue there and I just feel myself that rather than being part of that problem that I’d rather be part of the solution and move aside and to promote some alternative younger female candidates.”

By Conor Brummell

NUI Galway President Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh has written to students due to graduate at the end of November, to inform them that winter conferrings have been postponed until summer 2021.

Added to his commitment toward greater youth and female representation on the panel Neylon also cited being based in Dublin and work commitments as other reasons behind his decision.

During his time in the Údarás the Clare native has been a vocal supporter of student issues particularly with regard to accommodation. Last year, Neylon threatened to resign his seat on the panel in protest of the Universty’s decision to impose a 4% rental hike on some Corrib Village residencies, a decision that was eventually overturned.

Neylon credited his close relationship and eagerness to work with elected Students’ Union Officers over his tenure on the panel.

“I wouldn’t put my hand up and say that I went on any great solo runs, but any time I did bring up a point or a policy I did find that there was a cohort within the Údarás to back that push forward and I do think that my work with the various Students’ Union officers down through the four years has been a highlight.”, he said.

“They have all been fantastic representatives of the Student Body and I’m definitely happy that over the four years I have managed to stay In contact with them and listening to their issues and supporting the Students’ Union as much as I possibly could and I think that is the thing I am possibly most proud of myself.”, added Neylon.

The former local-election candidate for Ballyfermot Drimmnagh claimed that there was already lots of interest in the soon to be vacant seat, describing the calibre of those who expressed interest as “phenomenal”, an claimed that a competitive pool of candidates will only be of benefit to the University.

While crediting the progress the University has made over recent years in the areas of building development and management structures, Neylon argues that there is still room for improvement, particularly in the area of women’s representation on campus.

“There is room for almost every aspect of improvement, the governing authority itself, the In the email seen by SIN, Ó hÓgartaigh states that the college “asked students [in October] to share their input on how we could make this virtual conferring a meaningful one in the context of the restrictions on normal life caused by Covid-19.” The email continued to say that many students staff and the management are all aware of that and are always striving to achieve that.

“I think that the Building Programme is very ambitious across the University. The upgrade of the actual physical university itself has shown that there is great ambition there and I’m looking forward to seeing the results of that. But even within the make up of the actual management structure as well there are some good policies in tow for better streamlining of management.

But I would like to see more senior roles within the University being held by women. I’m happy to expressed disappointment about not being able to graduate in person, and that “many students shared ideas around using photographs, Zoom calls and robe hire to add to the occasion.”

“One message came through particularly strongly from our students, and which we heard: your disappointment at not being able to share this important occasion in life’s journey with friends and family. Because of the Level 5 measures, many of you would not be able to travel home to be with family to enjoy the virtual conferring together,” the email states.

Ó hÓgartaigh adds that the college was keen to mark these important occasions virtually to officially award students with their degrees and allow them to celebrate the milestone that is graduating from university. However, he states that the University must “respond to your feedback and the challenges of this time. Therefore, based on public health advice in particular with regard to congregating, we have made the decision to postpone the Winter Conferring ceremonies to the summer of 2021.”

“The virtual ceremonies originally scheduled from 30 November to 9 December will now not take place, nor will honorary degrees be awarded at this time. We hope, by the summer of 2021, that we may be able to host a celebratory event on campus for say that I think there is movement in that direction, particularly with the Athena Swan programme which the University are accredited with to actively promote women within academia. I’m delighted to see that things are going in the right direction, but as I say we are at the start of a road and it will be something of a medium to long road, but it is going in the right direction.”, he finished.

Nominations for election to the next Údarás na hÓllscoile will remain open until November 30th. A new 4-year term of office for the University’s Governing Authority begins in February 2021.

NUI Galway postpone winter graduations until summer 2021

Photo: @EoinNeylon on Twitter our 2020 graduates instead, reliant on – and in adherence with – the public health guidance at the time.”

What does this mean for graduands? Graduates require proof of graduation to pursue employment or further education opportunities and Ó hÓgartaigh states, “For this reason, all graduands will shortly receive their degree parchment through the mail. This will be posted to your home address. It is an important document, so make sure to keep it safe.”

As well as this, the future ceremonies will be streamed online for people who cannot make the physical ceremony for whatever reason. There will also be scheduled meet-ups planned for graduands who received their degrees in the spring and summer to allow them to celebrate in person.

For students who have already hired graduation robes, refunds are available upon request from Phelan Conlon, who can be contacted via email at info@phelanconlan.com. Alternatively, students due to graduate can keep their booking active until next summer at no extra cost.

Professor Ó hÓgartaigh concluded the email by stating, “We know that this will come as a disappointment to some of our graduands and as a relief to others. Know that we have made this decision based on our students’ preference and welfare.”

Approval granted for massive Cúirt expansion Expansion for Terryland complex rubber stamped by An Bord Pleanála

Paddy Henry

Plans for a major expansion of Cúirt na Coiribe have been given the go-ahead by An Bord Pleanála

Paddy Henry

An initiative by NUI Galway to provide laptops on lease to students from low income households has proven to be successful, with over 600 students having their applications accepted,

The scheme, which opened in September is run through NUI Galway’s Access Centre and is part of the package of Covid-19 supports for higher and further education institutions, with funding provided by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to support disadvantaged students in the higher education sector in accessing ICT devices.

The scheme was open to all undergraduate, postgraduate and part-time students in NUI Galway. Those who reached the eligibility criteria received a device on a long-term loan for the duration of their studies.

Distribution of the laptops, complicated by Covid19 restrictions, was carried out by the Chaplaincy team and James Hardiman Library at NUI Galway.

Eligibility for the innovative scheme was prioritised on a needs basis. Students from low income households and the identified target groups who demonstrated that they or their family do not have the means to purchase such a device themselves qualified to apply for the scheme.

One student who was successful in their application spoke of the importance of the scheme to students from low income backgrounds, telling SIN

“It was really great to have my application accepted, I was struggling to get my college work

The proposals which were put forward by the accommodation complexes’ parent company Exeter Ireland Property Limited in June and were formally

Cuirt na Coiribe granted permission for major restructure. Photo: cuirtnacoiribe.com

Laptop loan scheme proves popular with students

approved by the planning authority last month. done on a tablet before this and it was really stressful for me. This will make my life a whole lot easier and will really alleviate the burden on me for the remainder of my degree. Schemes like this really help those from less fortunate backgrounds like myself, and are a really invaluable asset.”

Imelda Byrne, Head of the Access Centre at NUI Galway reiterated the student’s sentiments and credited the initiative for “easing the burden” on students,

“This scheme is of huge benefit to our most disadvantaged students. This year in particular, when it has been necessary to move learning online, the purchasing of laptops could potentially be a major stumbling block for those in low income households, this scheme is easing that burden for many students. So many of the students were overjoyed when collecting their laptops.”, she said.

The scheme is now into its second phase which began at the beginning of the month. Information on the scheme itself, the criteria, and the application process is available on the NUI Galway website.

The plans will see the capacity of the complex double to 920 bed spaces and will see the building of a new café and restaurant on site.

It also includes plans for the construction of a gym, games room, lounge facility and study spaces for residents Under the plans Cúirt will undergo a major cosmetic change with the current two block complex giving way to a single building consisting of nine linked blocks ranging from two to six stories in height. This will see the existing services building and the attic level of the main block demolished and the main building extended Availability of bicycle spaces will increase from 200 to 656, while car parking spaces will decrease substantially from 150 to just 59. Some local residents opposed the initial plans noting the new build would increase noise pollution and footfall in the surrounding residential areas. Other submissions called into question the need for an increase in bed spaces on account of the move to online learning due to Covid-19.

Senior Planning Inspector Karen Kelly had recommended that the Board reject the proposal citing the scale of the development and concerns that it would impact negatively on the urban character of the area.

However, An Bord Pleanála were satisfied with the accommodation provider’s proposal and approved the development under the condition that it abide by twenty one conditions, including the incorporation of electric car charging facilities and a guarantee that the complex be used strictly as student accommodation.

Students’ Union President Pádraic Toomey welcome the planned development, but stated the importance of the prices being reduced as a result, telling SIN,

“If Cúirt na Coiribe are reducing the number of accommodation spaces in the city, you would be hopeful that as accommodation spaces increase the price will go down because there will be less demand.

“We just hope that we don’t continue to see massive luxury accommodation that’s costing too much. We just hope that for students and for their families that the prices go down with the likes of this development.”

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Will you take the plunge for Coldvember?

NUIG students are braving a sea swim every day this month as part of Coldvember, a fundraising challenge in aid of Galway based mental health charity Helplink.

By Ellen O’Regan

Coldvember began in 2018 as a small group of NUIG students teaming up for a daily dip as part of Movember. Last year, hundreds of students took to the water at Blackrock Diving Tower, raising over €10,000 for NUIG’s counselling services, and inspiring a similar event in UCD.

In light of Covid-19, this year’s challenge has taken a change of direction from the large group swims of previous years. Organisers are encouraging those taking part to swim in their own time and in line with social distancing guidelines, and tag the Coldvember page in social media posts.

One organiser of the event, Rhona Pierce, says that while it’s been a bit of a different year, there has been a really positive response, with social media tags and donations “flooding in”. “Coronavirus is very isolating in a lot of ways, and although we can’t come together in the way we’d like, people are coming together in any way they can, and that’s great to see” says Rhona. Only a few days in, and Coldvember’s donation page is already a third of the way towards its fundraising target of €10,000. Local businesses are also get-

Comhairle Chomhaltas na Mac Leinn AN FÉIDIR LEATSA BHEITH AG CEANN AN tSLUA?

Bí í d’Ionadaí Ranga! Le tuilleadh eolas a fháil, dean teagmháil le su.education@nuigalway.ie

ting involved, with The Creamery Café of Salthill offering to donate €1 from every coffee bought by a Coldvember swimmer or supporter to the cause.

Coldvember continues to have a keen focus on mental health, both in its chosen cause and the positive benefits for swimmers.

“This year especially with coronavirus, people’s mental health is really being put to the test” says Rhona. “Sea swimming is like a tonic… you forget everything once you hit the water, it’s just a restart button really”.

Helplink has promised that all the funds gathered during Coldvember will go straight to the

By Ilka Denker

A couple of years ago my aunt gave me a bracelet which had a quote engraved on it. It read: “The question is not what you look at, but what you see”. When it comes to mental health there is often a lot of stigma connected to the term and even though we are at a stage where the talk around mental health is being normalised. A lot of people feel ashamed about dealing with mental health issues. For a person who is suffering with mental health issues, it might still be difficult to see the normality of it.

Especially with the second lockdown, the long nights and rainy days we are facing, it is important to know that NUI Galway offers a lot of online services, free of charge, to help students with any mental health issues they might be experiencing.

Counselling is still available and has moved online. All appointments can be booked by emailing counselling@nuigalway.ie. No records will be taken of you availing of these services and seeing that everything is online further ensures your anonymity.

If attending a one-on-one session seems too dauting to you (let’s face it, we probably won’t all end up with a “Good Will Hunting” story) there are also three online self-help services offered on the student support section of NUI Galway’s website.

‘SilverCloud’ is a platform designed to address any underlying problems that cause mental health issues. You have the option to take a quick quiz to give you a general “wellbeing score”. The quiz provides you with a few options of programmes to chose from tailored to your answers. Examples of areas the programmes focus on are “a space for”: resilience, stress, depression, sleep, anxiety and positive body image. Each programme consists of different modules running over a couple weeks and you get to do them in your own time. The modules contain materials such as videos, interactive activities, text and audio clips. You will need to sign up to a programme using your NUI Galway email address.

‘Participate’ is another programme designed to help you fight social anxiety, something you might have struggled with in the past and that has gotten worse through the pandemic and the lack of social interaction. There are different modules that target understanding how social anxiety develops and how to overcome it. When we finally get to go back to our “true social life” (and we will!) maybe you will feel a bit more confident and be ready provision of free and low cost mental health services for children, young people and adults alike.

“The support these students and the people that are supporting them in their challenges are providing for Helplink and its clients is just amazing” says CEO of Helplink, Lochlann Scott. “We cannot thank the Coldvember crew enough for braving the cold waters off our coasts in aid of our clients”

All donations are welcome at www.idonate.ie/ coldvembernuig.

Swimmers and supporters can follow along on Instagram @coldvember_nuig, or on their Face-

Mental Health Support for Students in Lockdown

book page “Coldvember NUIG”. to fully “participate” in the wonderful activities NUI Galway has to offer on and off campus. This programme also requires you to sign up with your student details.

Thirdly, NUI Galway also offers a link to an online Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workshop. The website design could be from a 2003 nostalgia board, but the course does seem very beneficial! The programme aims to reduce stress, anxiety and depression by becoming more mindful and present in the moment. It is structured to run over eight weeks and is to be done in your own time. Each week you will get videos and readings to fit themes focusing on awareness, dealing with your thoughts, your approach to a stressful situation and becoming more mindful. You will also get daily activities to complete including yoga, breathing and meditation. You do not need to register or provide any personal information to take part in this programme.

These services might seem like they require loads of time and are structured a bit like all those lectures we are trying to get away from. However, this is for you.

For most of our lives, we are surrounded by people and events and it can be overwhelming to keep up with social engagements and college work. Maybe lockdown is a good opportunity to focus all this energy and time on yourself. If there are things you are struggling with, now is the time to tackle your problems and worries head on.

Take it slow. Maybe read up on what the self-help services have to offer or simply send an inquiry to the counselling office. No harm done, no commitments made. Maybe you will find something that sparks your interest and end up registering and gaining so much from these services. I know I have signed up to all of them, just because I can resonate on some level and simply feel curious about what I might learn about myself.

“The question is not what you look at, but what you see”. I think we should all look at mental health a bit more, but what we see should change. When I look at mental health now, feeling depressed, anxious or overwhelmed, I do not see shame anymore. I see a part of what makes all of us human and I see that it is okay to feel that way. I see that there are so many ways in which I can deal with any mental health issues and make sure that when I get to live my life again in all the ways I want to, I will have made sure that I am okay first and foremost.

NUI Galway American Students talk US Election

By Ilka Denker

The US Presidential Election has received a lot of media coverage and attention over the last couple of weeks. While it might seem like a topic that our neighbours across the Atlantic have to deal with, there are students in NUI Galway’s community who will be affected more directly by the outcome of the 2020 US presidential elections.

Erin Moore and Courtney Dwyer are both from the USA and are currently studying Medicine in NUI Galway. To both of them, the presidential elections were “a hot mess” but “hectic as (they) expected”.

Erin believes that the elections have shown how “politically divided” the USA is. She explains that “it is not like most of the people are divided as in one is all Democrat, one is all Republican. That is a small minority. Most people lie in the middle kind of range where there are some things they believe in on either side”.

Erin believes, “that the political influencers that represent them are the two extremes and that causes animosity towards each other”.

“The two-party system is so broken”, agrees Courtney, “everything in politics is now extreme, there’s no middle ground which is what we need, because that’s where most people are”. She goes as far as saying that the presidential candidates are “caricatures of the extreme”.

Erin believes that when Americans go out to vote, “they just pick the better poison”.

The contemporary topic of inequalities in the United States and the Black Lives Matter movement were prevalent in this year’s elections.

Courtney voices, “For America being the powerful country that it is, we are still very segregated in ways. There is still so much racism, so much sexism and a gender inequality gap.”

She says that “there are still these inequalities and the Presidential Election kind of highlights that, because look at our candidates”

Erin adds that “you’ll see that with all American leaders, depending on what the current situation is, they will play by that to get as many votes as they can. They only care about all these things once it’s time for election day”.

Erin says that the problem with US Presidents is that they only focus on one aspect of the country and ignore the rest during their presidential term and “in Trump’s case it was the economy”.

“With racism in the last summer, it has been horrible with the protests and buildings being demolished because it has built up to a point thatPresidents ignore it or sweep it under the rug, hoping that the next person will deal with it and they don’t truly address the issue at hand”.

The two Medicine students do not see the racial inequality issue being resolved by the next President of the USA.

Courtney explains this by saying, “We had our first black president, Obama, for two terms and although most people were pretty much secretly racist back then it brought the people who were wildly racist to the surface, because they were anti-black President. When Trump got elected that further let anyone that was secretly racist become vocally racist”.

She therefore believes that the next President would “have to reverse 12 years of these racial tensions that have been building”.

Erin says racial inequalities will not be resolved as fast as the USA wants them to, because these have been going on for centuries and racism is ingrained in many people’s mindset.

However, she is hopeful for the future: “It is hard to change people who have this mentality and mindset since they were a little kid. With the generations getting older and the newer generations that are coming together and realising this issue, hopefully it can get better. Voting and protesting in a non-violent way, making a voice out there; that is what we can do to promote this so that eventually there will be a time where we can look back at this in a text book and be like, ‘Oh, I am so glad we are not there anymore.”

Many people eagerly awaited the results of the election earlier this month. Erin compares this to a football match with the rest of the world excitedly cheering, “who is gonna win”?

Both students agree that “to an American it is kind of terrifying, because it can actually change our lives”.

Erin explains that “right now I feel like I am watching it from a distance, but it still has its circle of effects”.

“I rely on my family for economical support and I rely on the government for financial support, so I depend on how much that plays a role for the next president”.

She adds that ““I won’t be experiencing the social implications of it, like social rights. I know people who will and that is what I am most concerned about”.

Courtney concludes that “you always have the promises of the candidates that you hope they will hold true”. Ultimately, that is all any voter in any country has.

The Sakharov Prize

Aoife Burke

What is the Sakharov Prize?

The Sakharov prize is awarded each year to worthy recipients. It is for people and organisations that are outstanding in their fights for human rights and freedom and equality. It is not just public figures who can win this, it is people from all backgrounds and ages.

It is widely reported on in European media such as “Euronews” and the winner of the prize is publicly named in the media.

In 2019 the award was given to “Ilham Tohti”, who was an economist from Uyghur, a place in the North West of China. They are considered to be one of China’s 55 ethnic minorities. Uyghur is an official language of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, along with Standard Chinese.

It was first awarded in 1988 to Nelson Mandela, a former President of South Africa who died in 2013 and Anatoli Marchenko who was a Russian author who died in 1986. The highest tribute made by the European Union is the “Sakharov prize for freedom of thought” award. The purpose behind this is for the EU to assist laureates who are supported and empowered to defend their causes.

The 2020 nominees are: The democratic opposition in Belarus, represented by the co-ordination council; Najeeb Moussa Michaeel the Archbishop of Mosul, Iraq; Guapinol activists and Berta Caceres in Honduras; The democratic opposition in Belarus, represented by Sviatlana Tskikhanouska; Polish LGBTI activists Jakub Gawron, Paulina Pajak, Pawel Preneta and Kamil Maczuga, founders of the website Atlas of Hate.

So how are these recipients chosen? There is a formal sitting in Strasbourg at the end of the year. It is awarded by the European Parliament and each of the political groups can nominate candidates. Each candidate requires the support of at least 40 MEP’s.

The nominees are introduced at a joint meeting of the foreign affairs committee, the development committee and the human rights subcommittee. So there is a well rounded group of experts who can act on the judging panel. The members of the full committees vote on a shortlist of 3 candidates.

The conference of presidents chooses the winner or winners of the Sakharov prize. They are a European Parliament body led by the President. They are all European members of parliament making the decision of the winner. It is a difficult decision to make as there are so many worthy contenders.

The prize can be awarded to anybody who shows that they are fighting for human rights and freedom. It includes huge diversity and the prize is €50,000 . Some of these laureates, which also include Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai, went on to win Nobel Peace prizes as well.

In conclusion it is a highly honourable award to win. It is internationally recognized and prestigious. Year on year it continues to be a highly sought after award, however to have been nominated is also a high achievement in itself. Best of luck to all those nominated and for further information please see the website for the Sakharov prize.https://europarl.europa.eu/ireland/en/ news-press/sakharov-prize-competition-callfor-contributions-from-students