An event hosted to celebrate young Traveller change makers took place in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel recently.
The event, an integral part of Traveller Pride Week, spanned two weeks and celebrated the culture, heritage and identity of Travellers.
The event was hosted by the national Traveller Youth steering committee, comprising the Irish Traveller Movement, Pavee Point, Exchange House Ireland, Involve Youth and Community Services, Minceirs Whiden and the Galway Traveller Movement.
A panel discussion was a core feature of the event with young Traveller change makers Latisha McCrudden, James Stokes and Emma Ward addressing an audience of young Travellers encouraging those present to not only celebrate their achievements, but to instil pride and hope for their respective future lives, noting that they too can achieve great things despite the many additional barriers they encounter as young Travellers.
"I'm a very passionate Irish Traveller and wheelchair user activist for both communities and I genuinely believe that the voices of young Irish Travellers should be listened to because they have so many great opinions and ideas on how to get fairer rights and opportunities that will help make this country easier to live in if they only were listened to!
"My motivation to help bring about positive change for our community and to speak up for young people in the hopes of assisting them in making positive changes in their lives is what inspires me to be a change maker," Emma Ward said.
"I‘m a young Irish Traveller, I believe change is possible and I want to be apart of it, through local and national activism. I want to be apart of the change for young Travellers heading into the future," James Stokes added.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter. I hope to make a change to my future and other important issues I believe in," Latisha McCrudden remarked.
Traveller Pride Week is funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and coordinated by the national Traveller organisations consisting of the National Traveller MABS, the Irish Traveller Movement, Involve Youth and Community Services, Pavee Point, the Parish of the Travelling People, Exchange House Ireland, Minceirs Whiden and the National Traveller Women’s Forum.
