http___www.universitytimes.ie_2017_07_tri-throid-ar-son-comhionannas-posta-sa-tuaisceart-ta-deis-ag-mic-leinn-athru-a-chinntiu__1.xml
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In March 2017, in Ennis Co Clare, the then-President-elect of Queen’s University Belfast Students’ Union (QUBSU), Stephen McCrystall, made a stirring speech about the need for students to focus their desire for progressive change on Northern Ireland. Speaking to hundreds of delegates representing hundreds of thousands of students from both north and south of the border, McCrystall argued at the Union of Students in Ireland’s (USI) annual national congress that he was tired of hearing complaints about the backwards policies of world leaders like US President Donald Trump when similar policies were long standing in a state we share so much with. Now students, a group that continues to celebrate our victory for marriage equality, are waking up to just how controversial the DUP’s policies are as the party enters a position of increased power after the UK general election. Indeed, the relationship between students in Northern Ireland and the South is a close one, manifested in how USI and Britain’s National Union of Students (NUS) come together in the North to form NUS-USI. Nowhere has this close relationship been more evident in recent years than the drive for marriage equality. In 2015, when the Republic was preparing to vote on the issue, students from Northern Ireland travelled down to help canvass and march. At this year’s Dublin pride, they came to celebrate the strides that have been made here while their Dublin-based counterparts helped make sure that Northern Ireland’s lack of marriage rights was a key issue of the day. Last week, representatives from USI and Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) travelled to the North, adding their voices to the call for same-sex marriage. Students’ unions are often derided for taking stances that many feel they can’t be influential on, whether it be the situation is Israel and Palestine or the aforementioned problems presented by Trump. Referendums, of course, aren’t necessary in Northern Ireland to introduce marriage equality. The greatest barrier is not winning the population over, so much as navigating power-sharing. This can be problematic for any campaign that appeals to popular support, when the greatest issue is a key component of the state apparatus. But much like the NUS-USI relationship, students in the North and the South can collaborate. As students here gear up for a referendum on the eighth amendment, they can further the fight for marriage rights in the North by supporting their northern counterparts, attending marches, lobbying the Irish government and Sinn Féin – as the only party operating in both regions – and ensuring the issue doesn’t disappear from the political agenda.
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I mí na Márta 2017, in Inis i gContae an Chláir, thug an duine a bhí ina uachtarán-tofa ar Aontas na Mac Léinn Ollscoil na Banríona, Béal Feirste (QUBSU), Stephen McCrystal óráid spreagúil faoin ngá do mhic léinn a n-aird a dhíriú ar athrú forchéimní i dTuaisceart Éireann. Agus é ag labhairt do chéadta toscairí ón Tuaisceart agus ón Deisceart an oileáin seo, toscairí a rinne ionadaíocht do chéadta mílte mic léinn sa bhreis, d’áitigh McCrystal ag comhthionól náisiúnta Aontais na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ) go raibh sé bréan de dhaoine a bhí ag gearán faoi bheartais aischéimnitheacha a chuir ceannairí cosúil le hUachtarán na Stát Aontaithe, Donald Trump chun cinn agus na beartas chéanna i reim le fada i stát a bhfuil i réim ar chuid den oileán seo. Anois tá mic léinn, atá fós ag ceiliúradh go bhfuil Éire mar an chéad tír ar domhan a chuir comhionannas pósta i bhfeidhm trí reifreann, ag tabhairt faoi deara na conspóide móire a bhaineann le beartais an DUP agus iad tagtha ar ról cumhachtach tar éis an ollthoghcháin sa Ríocht Aontaithe. Leoga, is dea-chaidreamh atá idir mic léinn ar an dá thaobh den teorainn, rud a bhí á léiriú nuair a thagann AMLÉ agus Aontas Náisiúnta na Mac Léinn sa Bhreatain (NUS) le chéile. Níl an caidreamh seo chomh soiléir is a bhí sé sa tiomantas chun chomhionannas pósta a chur i bhfeidhm. Sa bhliain 2015, agus an Phoblacht ag ullmhú vótaa chaitheamh faoin gceist, tháinig mic léinn ó Thuaisceart Éireann theas chun feachtasaíocht agus máirseálacha a dhéanamh. Ag Lá an Mhórtais i mBaile Átha Cliath, tháinig siad theas chun an dul chun cinn a cheiliúradh agus chinntigh a chairde i mBaile Átha Cliath go raibh easpa cearta pósta mar bhuncheist mhór reatha. An tseachtain seo caite, thaisteal ionadaithe ó USI agus Aontas na Mac Léinn Choláiste na Tríonóide chuig Tuaisceart Éireann, ag cur a ngutha le héileamh do phósadh chomhghnéis. Is minic a bhítear ag scigmhagadh faoi aontais na mac léinn agus iad ag gearán faoi rudaí faoina bhfuil siad gan mórán tionchair, de réir a lán daoine, cibé acu staid Iosrael agus Palaistín nó beartais Trump a bhfuil i gceist. Níl reifrinn, ar ndóigh, riachtanach i dTuaisceart Éireann chun comhionannas pósta a chur i bhfeidhm. Ní bhaineann an fhadhb le háiteamh ar an bpobal, ach dul i ngleic le cumhachtroinnt. Tá sé seo deacair do fheachtas a bhfuil tacaíocht na ndaoine aige, nuair atá gné den stát féin mar chonstaic. Ach, mar NUS agus USI, is féidir le mic léinn ar an dá thaobh den teorainn comhiobriú. Agus mic léinn anseo ag ullmhú do reifreann faoin ochtú leasú, is féidir leo troid ar son cearta pósta a gcairde sa Tuaisceart trí fhreastal ar mháirseálacha, brústocaireacht a dhéanamh ar rialtas na hÉireann agus ar Shinn Féin – an páirtí amháin a bhfuil ról aige ar fud an oileáin – chun cinntiú nach imeoidh an cheist seo ó bhéal an phobail.