Doug Beattie, the UUP Leader, said in January that "Northern Ireland has been blighted by division.. and yet we don't take the brave steps to try and deal with that division...we need to end educational apartheid which is taking place here in Northern Ireland." But his party is opposed to the Bill and may join the DUP in using this undemocratic Assembly mechanism to block the Bill. Doug and his party need to rule out using a Petition of Concern to block the Bill.

I am calling on you to boycott St. Patrick's Day Celebrations at The White House this year. This would be a powerful sign of solidarity with Palestine that would reflect the feelings of Irish people & have a massive impact around the world. You are either against genocide in Gaza or you are not. I will not vote for any politician who travels to Washington & shakes the blood-soaked hands of Joe Biden.

The climate crisis means that government in NI should commit to keeping fossil fuels in the ground. In August last year, earthquakes from fracking in the UK were big enough to damage people's homes. Fossil fuel company Tamboran have an application to start fracking in Co Fermanagh sitting on Diane Dodds desk and if this gets the green light will cause devastation to local communities, nature, people's health and livelihoods. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-48191165

£76 million. That’s how much Stormont exempted companies such as Coca-Cola, Moy Park and Caterpillar from paying rates last year. While the rest of us fork out an average of £1,180 per year for our household rates bill, Stormont gives big businesses massive giveaways. This is incredibly unfair. Rates should be fully collected from multi-million pound companies and invested in shortening our waiting lists, cleaning up our polluted rivers and loughs, our struggling schools and many more. But it won’t happen if Stormont won't make them pay. Northern Ireland is the only place in the UK that gives away money like this. The policy was abolished in England in 1963 and Scotland in 1995. And in 2003, Stormont promised to phase out the derating policy following a public consultation. But over 20 years later, Stormont is still giving away millions through this outdated policy. We, the undersigned, call on Minister John O'Dowd to scrap the rates exemption for big businesses.

Consultancy firm Hatch Regeneris have been funded by the Department for the Economy to carry out a £65,000 piece of research on the economic, environmental and social impact of drilling for oil and gas here. They were awarded the contract one day after the Northern Ireland Assembly unanimously passed a motion for a halt on oil and gas drilling and development in Northern Ireland in October last year. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-54144919 http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/officialreport/report.aspx?&eveDate=2020%2F10%2F13&docID=310908 Despite the overwhelming evidence on the negative public health impact of drilling and fracking, the research does not include consideration of public health in its terms of reference. Now the Councils in the areas currently under the PLA1/16 licence, many of whom passed motions against fracking and drilling, are currently not part of their stakeholder engagement. This means that the communities that will bear the social impact of drilling for oil will not be heard.

Belfast Pride have made the right decision to drop Citibank as a sponsor of this year's festival. Now, we are asking them to make it their policy to never take money from fossil fuel companies and banks now and in the future. We demand that Belfast Pride signs our Fossil Free Pride Pledge, and commits to: • Adopt a publicly available ethical sponsorship policy • Not to accept sponsorship from or partnership with fossil fuel companies • Not accept sponsorship from or partnership with financial institutions funding fossil fuel companies With the climate crisis disproportionately affecting LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities across the globe, committing to become a Fossil Free Pride is a vital and urgent act of queer solidarity. Climate wreckers have no place in queer spaces: If we have no Pride in fossil fuels, there can be no fossil fuels in Pride.

Black people around the world have been subject to colonial rule, the atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade, and the effects of white supremacy culture. Capitalism and the immense wealth of the global north was built on stolen labor, ongoing colonisation and violent dispossession at the hand of white supremacy against people of African descent and Indigenous peoples. The condition of Black and Indigenous people and throughout the world today must be placed in its proper historical context. The recent grassroots uprisings across the globe are powerful and demonstrate how fed up Black communities are with systemic oppression and racism. These protests demand not just an end to Black suffering and death but a commitment to help Black people live and thrive, to shift from a world centered on white supremacy and violence to one grounded in equity and justice. This moment demands that each of us—especially those of us who are not Black or Indigenous—act with great urgency in defense of Black lives, to support the work of ending police brutality and white supremacy, and to bring forth a world in which Black people are truly free and liberated. While the Black experience and fight for justice around the world are as varied and diverse as Black people themselves, we stand in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives and call on elected leaders around the globe to end the war against Black people.

Social media giants are making huge profits from fuelling hate on their platforms, which all contributed to the division and destruction we saw on the streets. 240 groups and organisations across the UK and Ireland are demanding our political leaders act to make companies like Facebook and Twitter shut off the recommender system. This would stop extreme content spreading like wildfire across social media, and seriously hinder extremists ability to quickly whip up the disinformation that fed into last weeks’ violence.

John O'Dowd has committed millions of pounds for building new roads, but has so far not committed anything to active travel infrastructure. As the Minister for Infrastructure, he is legally required as a result of the Climate Act NI 2022 to invest a minimum of 10% of overall transport budgets on active travel. 

Last year, NHS workers and patients won a huge victory by campaigning for the NI Assembly to pass legislation to remove all hospital parking charges for all staff, patients and visitors. Devolved governments in Scotland and Wales were able to remove charges - why can't we?

Only 7.5% of schools here are integrated schools - bringing together children from all backgrounds - Catholic, Protestant and other. All integrated schools here have been fought for and demanded by parents. But this bill could really change things. It would ensure that every new school opened in Northern Ireland from now on is integrated. And it would strengthen the Department for Education's legal duty, requiring the Minister to be held to account for their performance in promoting integrated education. But some parties want to water the bill down. If we flood the consultation with responses, we can make sure that doesn't happen. Photo: Belfast Live

Right now, the Integrated Education Bill is going through the NI Assembly - but those opposed to integrated education are misleading schools and parents, telling them the Bill will harm existing schools - it won't. The Bill can pass if enough parties support it - and what the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) do will be crucial. Last month, Doug Beattie, the UUP Leader, signalled his support for integrated education and said "Northern Ireland has been blighted by division.. and yet we don't take the brave steps to try and deal with that division...we need to end educational apartheid which is taking place here in Northern Ireland." We need Doug and his MLAs to support the Integrated Education Bill, and resist attempts by the Bill's opponents to sign a "Petition of Concern" - an Assembly motion that would doom the Bill. Write now and tell Doug how you feel!