New National Co-ordinating Group elected at 2012 AGM

In April, Young Friends of the Earth Ireland had their AGM. It took place in Seomra Spraoí in Dublin which served us beautiful vegan food for lunch and dinner. The AGM was an opportunity for young environmentalists to give their input into the direction in which they would like YFoE Ireland to focus. It was also an opportunity for those young environmentalists to learn more about YFoE, the work it does, the campaigns it runs and how the organisation hopes to grow.

Throughout the day we learned the history of YFoE Europe and how it came to be. A talk was also given by Conrad Richardson, a member who had attended the  YFoE Europe Network Gathering. He briefed us on his experience and of the election of a new steering group and how the working groups on Climate Justice, Food and Agriculture, and Communications work.

We talked of the problems which Ireland itself contributes to the environment and the possible upcoming campaigns such as against the fracking proposed in County Leitrim and the government's selling off of Irelands national forests to private companies. An action outside the EPA building on the UCD campus may also be in our plans, to inform the EPA Director General Laura Burke of our opposition to her stance on realigning the EPA away from its role of environmental watchdog in order to support economic growth.

The previous YFoE intern Dave Curran gave a talk on student activism, giving great tips on student campaigning and keeping up the momentum. We also performed a campaigning exercise which was informative and fun, helping us to realise how to expand on our ideas.

At the end of the day, we elected a new National Co-ordinating Group which will help plan the upcoming campaigns which YFoE Ireland would  like to be involved in.

We have two exciting events coming up. One which is celebrating YFoE Europe's fifth birthday by planting five trees on the University College Dublin campus.

The other is the YFoE Network Gathering which we hope to hold in September. For this event we are inviting young environmentalists from all over Ireland to share their environmental interests, hopes and experiences. We will hold talks, workshops and activities on campaigning , how to run a successful environmental society, the dangers of fracking and much more. This will take place in County Leitrim and we will be taking a trip to Lough Allen which is the lake that the River Shannon runs through. This lake will be destroyed if Tamboran Resources succeeds in its proposal to begin fracking in the area and so we hope to take part in an action on the day with the fractivists based there.

It should be a great fun filled weekend, inspiring and empowering young activists.