Belfast and Beyond

I see that over on oconallstreet public affairs specialist Conall McDevitt is suggesting it’s time for Northern Ireland to mature its relationship with the United States. I’m all for that. For too long, Northern Ireland has played the...

I read with amusement today that Sir Hugh Orde , who is to take over as the new ACPO chief ,wants to out human rights at the heart of policing in the UK. So far so good and if you read the piece he certainly makes all the right noises...

The recent racist attacks against migrant workers have turned my stomach. But two things have shocked me more than the attacks themselves. The first shock was the police tactics in dealing with this crisis. The Romanians have...

I wrote this opinion piece a couple of days ago and it was published today in the Belfast Telegraph under the headline, ' Refugees face more hardship than most of us could endure' . It's not in the online edition, so am reproducing...

NEW IMMIGRATION DETENTION EMERGENCY HELPLINE The Refugee Action Group (RAG) is pleased to announce the launch of its out-of-hours Immigration Detention Emergency Helpline which goes live on 15 June 2009. RAG aims to be an independent...

A politician and a journalist in Northern Ireland are today both facing the prospect of jail for refusing to disclose sources to the authorities. The politician, Ian Paisley Jr, was yesterday served with papers to appear in Belfast’s...

UPDATE (1:20pm): The decision of the Court has just been announced and four of the five people at the centre of the case have been found 'liable' for the bombing. This will go down as a landmark case. This blog has repeatedly visited...

I have previously suggested that the most effective way for a post-conflict society to move towards long-term peace, stability and reconciliation is to confront and interrogate the past and maximise the scope for justice. Yet what if...

Over on Slugger O'Toole (the anorak's favourite blog) there has already been some analysis of the Northern Ireland Euro election candidates’ party election broadcasts and household-drop leaflets . Being something of an election nerd...

The United Nations has backed Northern Ireland proposals for a Bill of Rights. "The Committee notes the draft Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland, which includes economic, social and cultural rights which are justiciable and calls for...

I previously blogged about Shaun 'Seven Houses' Woodward – the ‘butler-toting’ , Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, potentially seeking to deny the inclusion of basic housing rights and other economic rights protections in a NI...

Today a little more is told of the shocking truth about the role of the Catholic Church in Ireland in the endemic physical and sexual abuse of children and its systematic cover-up. The Child Abuse Commission report tells of how church...

It's not a great time to be a politician (although, of course, there are compensations ). The daily (Telegraph) revelations of politicians 'fiddling' while the economy burns have left people feeling understandably angry. Questions are...

Dear Mr Bolton, Please excuse me for using the blunt instrument of the Amnesty International blog to reply to your opinion editorial in yesterday’s Guardian. In your piece you accuse President Obama of a “lack of leadership” for his...

It’s the Stupid Economy, that’s that was the title of Mark Thomas’s gig at the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. Two hours plus, of fast paced improvisation and observational anecdotes, about the state of the world. It invited audience...

Pete Seeger has turned ninety. His life and career are so illustrious that any potted history can't do him justice, so see his entry at wikipedia for more detail. There you can learn of his role in the folk revival from the date in...

'Into the Killing Zone: Dispatches from the Frontline in Afghanistan' , Sean Rayment (Hardback, 288 pages, Constable, rrp £18.99, available £13.29) With the media reporting that citations for bravery earned by soldiers of the Royal...

Yesterday evening's European election hustings staged in Belfast by the Coalition of Aid and Development Agencies (CADA), of which Amnesty is a member, may be the only occasion during the Northern Ireland campaign in which...

It's Community Relations Week in Northern Ireland, with the theme this year being how community divisions hamper our economy. The call for more action by politicians on community relations will receive the backing of business leaders...

I find myself at Glasgow's wonderful Gallery of Modern Art, right in the heart of the city and just a short toddle from Border's bookstore, one of my favourite Clydeside haunts. I'm there for the sh[OUT] exhibition – contemporary art...