Podcasts & Media

Coming Soon

Coming soon

This live recording of the Insight Matters podcast comes to you from Dublin’s Royal College of Physicians, for the launch of the Participating People report, which is a collaboration between The Wheel and Carnegie UK Trust.For this episode, we are focusing on active citizenship, and how citizens can proactively help to shape the society around them. To help with this, we have a phenomenal panel of guests who are going to share their story with you and no doubt by the end of this podcast you will be ready to start your own revolution! Fr. Peter McVerryFr. McVerry is the founder of the Peter McVerry Trust, which has progressed from a three-bedroom flat in Ballymun to becoming one of the country’s largest organisations responding to the issue of homelessness. In 2018, the charity worked with over 5,800 people and was active in 14 local authorities across Ireland. Peter and Dil discuss how Peter started the Peter McVerry Trust, how it all started from taking in and helping a nine year-old, who was sleeping on the streets. Then, as one thing led to another—as more problems arose, and the trust began to help with them as they could—it grew into what it is now.Salome MbuguaSalome Mbugua is Head of Operations and Strategy with AkiDwA . In June 2018 Salome was appointed by the Tánaiste to chair the working group on Ireland’s Third National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security. Salome was also recently appointed to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission by President Michael D. Higgins. Salome and Dil discuss how Salome’s curiosity and feeling of isolation in Ireland, led her to seek out migrant women to learn what their experience living in Ireland was like, which then led to AkiDwA – a network for migrant women. Salome also discusses some of the challenges surrounding migrants in Ireland including racism, and inequality. Molly Mercier RedmondMolly is just 16 and is already involved with two organisations, which she discusses with Dil: Schools Climate Action Network – a network of teachers and students who are fighting for climate justice. SCAN has helped to organise protests and strikes for climate justice. Molly is also involved with Fridays For Future, for which she was recently at a conference in Switzerland, where representatives from all over Europe met to come up with European climate change demands. Molly is also a delegate for the Youth Assembly, started by RTE. The Youth Assembly will discuss proposals for Climate Change and present these to the Dáil. Delegates from the Assembly will also be on the Late Late Show. Stephen TeapStephen Teap is a leading Cervical Check campaigner and the husband of the late Irene Teap. Stephen was instrumental in the launch of the 221 Plus Patient Support Group, which help victims directly affected by the Cervical Check screening failure, as well as their families. He is one of three patient representatives on the Cervical Check Steering Committee. Stephen and Dil discuss Stephen’s experience with his wife’s death from cervical cancer. He explains how tests were read incorrectly, and important information was withheld from his wife. He also discusses the lack of support for women with cervical cancer and the need he felt to do something about it.Dil and the panel discuss role models that have inspired them to be kind and proactive in their community, be it teachers, parents or other members of their community. Dil also asks each member of the panel how they can keep going in the face of the negativity we see today on the news and in everyday life; Molly explains why she doesn’t think Ireland will be able to successfully combat the climate crisis; Dil asks each member of the panel why they think more people don’t get actively involved with causes important to them; Dil also asks each member what advice they would have for people who want to be more proactive citizens but don’t know where to start. Dil also discusses the stage of our life where we begin to think about legacy, and what we will think of ourselves in relation to what we did for issues that were important to us – did we do anything about it?Finally, there is a Q & A between the panel, joined by Ivan Cooper – Director of Public Policy at The Wheel, and members of the audience, which includes questions about changing the system that is causing problems, as well as the issue of succession in organisations to keep the goal of these organisations on track. If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.

On today’s podcast we are celebrating Dublin Pride 2019 and we’ll be joined by special guests, not to mention we’ve even got a fabulous live audience to say… HAPPY PRIDE! Every year globally the wonderful LGBTQI+ community comes together to celebrate Pride in a burst of rainbow flags, doc martins, glitter and yes feather boas! Joining us first is Clodagh Leonard, Chairperson of Dublin Pride and an enthusiastic human rights activist. We are also thrilled to be also joined by Grand Marshall of Dublin Pride 2019, Will St Ledger! Will is a Dublin based artist/activist – now known as an ARTIVIST – famous for his iconic and thought-provoking street art. In this part of the episode, Dil, Anne Marie, Clodagh and Will discuss Will’s first Pride in London and how Dublin Pride has evolved over the years. They discuss the theme for this year’s Pride: Rainbow Revolution, and the history that inspired it, as well the effort to make Pride as accessible as possible for everyone. They also discuss what can still be improved about Pride and about the work that ACT UP does to help bring an end to the HIV crisis. We also hear Clodagh and Will’s coming out stories!For the next section of the episode, we are joined by Noah Halpin, who founded and runs This Is Me: a grassroots campaign for improved healthcare for transgender and non-binary people in Ireland. We are also joined by Insight Matters very own psychotherapist and counsellor, Jim Hutton who has been working with the Trans community for many years. In this second part, Dil, Anne Marie, Noah and Jim discuss Noah’s experience with trans help in Ireland – how he was on the waiting list for HRT for 2 years, and how his referral letter for this was lost three times – which led to him creating This Is Me. They discuss the amazing work This Is Me has done, including protests and direct action, and how this led them to meeting with Simon Harris. They also discuss the barriers faced by trans people to get the help they need, problems with therapy for trans people, the value and benefit of group therapy, and the most important things a therapist needs to provide for a trans person: understanding, self-education and language. For the final part of the episode, we are joined by Grace McManus who is a newly elected Sinn Fein local counsellor in Bray. A proud gay woman, she helped establish Bray Refugee Solidarity. And we are also joined by Paula Fagan, CEO of LGBT Ireland – who has been working on LGBT rights for many years. In this final part, Dil, Anne Marie, Grace and Paula discuss what got Grace into politics and her experience with it so far, the legislative changes that still need to happen for the LGBTQI+ community, the current progress that is being made toward these changes, and where should young activists focus on. They also discuss homelessness in the LGBTQI+ community – often because young people are thrown out of their homes after they come out to their parents. We also hear stories from Paula, Dil and Anne Marie about their first Pride! If you need to talk to someone, call us now on 01-891 0703 or email info@insightmatters.ie for a confidential discussion and initial assessment with one of our senior therapists. Alternatively please fill in the online booking form (www.insightmatters.ie/book-online/) and we will contact you within 24 hours.