*Tickets are limited, so early registration is required. Tickets can be purchased via the Get Invited page here*

Northern Slant is excited to be part of this year’s Imagine! Festival of Ideas & Politics – and we want you to be part of it too. We’re delighted to host the panel discussion:

 

Politics beyond politicians

Venue: Pug Uglys, Bedford Street, Belfast, BT2 7EJ

Date: Monday 25 March

Time: 6.30pm – 8.00pm

Admission: £5.67 (concession fee £3.59)

 

Event description

When Stormont was ‘up and running’ we asked, “How do we get the institutions to work better?” Since Stormont’s collapse, this evolved to, “How do we get the institutions restored?” In the Assembly’s continued absence, is it time we shifted our horizon?

Businesses have become increasingly vocal on social issues; alongside the farming community they’ve been very publicly at odds with political representatives over Brexit. The analysis of academics at Northern Ireland’s universities has proved invaluable since the referendum. Having seen the first Citizens’ Assembly in Northern Ireland – will, and should, this become a regular feature?

Join Northern Slant and a panel of civic leaders and commentators to explore what opportunities exist for businesses, trade unions, charities, churches, universities and more to help shape our future.

This event is kindly sponsored by the Linen Quarter BID – leading the development of Belfast’s newest destination for hospitality and debate.

 

Our panellists are:

  • Aodhán Connolly, Director, NI Retail Consortium
  • Linda Ervine, Irish language Development Officer, East Belfast Mission 
  • Karen Smyth, Head of Policy and Governance, Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA)  
  • Grainne Walsh, Head of Consultancy at Stratagem Public Affairs and member of Citizens’ Assembly Advisory Board
  • John McCallister, former MLA; currently Land Mobility Manager at Ulster Farmers’ Union and Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioner

Check out their bios below!

 

Aodhán Connolly 

Director, NI Retail Consortium

Before being appointed Director of the NI Retail Consortium (NIRC), Aodhán worked extensively with politicians and other decision makers at all levels on behalf a of clients including the Freight Transport Association, George Best Belfast City Airport, the Utility Regulator, Asda and the NIRC. He has lobbied on issues such as young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs), the environment, trade regulation, commercial rates and public health.

Aodhán has argued that uncertainty around Brexit may have inadvertently served as a catalyst in ensuring civic and business society in Northern Ireland has a greater say in creating a better place to work, live, visit and invest.

 

Linda Ervine

Irish language Development Officer, East Belfast Mission

Linda is an Irish language rights activist hailing from a Protestant Unionist background, bringing all sides of the community together to learn the language – particularly connecting people from Protestant communities to their own history with the language. Linda’s Turas project – which is the Irish word for ‘journey’ – is based on the belief that the language belongs to everyone and that it can be a mechanism of reconciliation in Northern Ireland. It provides a reasonable voice, factual information and challenges myths around the Irish language.

 

Karen Smyth

Head of Policy and Governance, Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA)  

Karen takes a particular interest in policy on planning, regeneration, and the circular economy in addition to policy on local government structure, operation and finance. She has a background in Environmental Health and worked in councils as an Environmental Health Officer for ten years prior to joining NILGA. She is currently a non-executive director of Sustainable NI and has held similar directorships on a number of other organisations over the years, including Building Change Trust.


Grainne Walsh

Head of Consultancy at Stratagem Public Affairs and member of Citizens’ Assembly Advisory Group

Gráinne has been supporting organisations to shape the political and policy landscape in Northern Ireland for over fifteen years. She builds public affairs, consultation, media and communications capacity within organisations. She also advises on Community Development Plans and Local Development Plans. She has worked across all government departments and with every party over the lifetime of three assemblies, as well as extensive engagement at Westminster, Whitehall and local government.

Gráinne is a member of the Institute of Directors, Association of Professional Political Consultants, an Associate of the Consultation Institute, Chair of Housing Rights Service and a former member of the NI Chamber of Commerce Council.

 

John McCallister

Land Mobility Manager at the Ulster Farmers’ Union and Northern Ireland Human Rights Commissioner

John served as an MLA for South Down between 2007 and 2016. In 2013 he left the Ulster Unionist Party over an electoral pact with the DUP. He subsequently co-founded NI21, arguing that unionism needed to become more inclusive, more progressive and more pragmatic. During his time in the Northern Ireland Assembly, John sponsored the first Private Member’s Bill to reach the Northern Ireland statute book since 1931. He also sponsored the Assembly and Executive Reform Act, which paved the way for an official opposition at Stormont. Having been long involved in farming, including as President of the Ulster Farmers’ Union, John is currently a Land Mobility Manager for the UFU. In 2017 he was appointed to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

 

The Imagine! festival website and full events programme can be found here.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Northernslant and on Facebook.

The image used for the advertisement of this event is from Ryan Simpson – he’s on Twitter @RSimpsonPhoto.