Look Left Forum - Co-Operative Alternatives in Ireland

cork | worker & community struggles and protests | event notice Friday April 01, 2016 23:51 by Enzo - WP

Saturday 9th April from 2pm to 5pm at Glen Rovers Hurling Club, Ballincollie Road (Spring Lane) Cork City

The next Look Left Forum in Cork will be held on Saturday 9th April from 2pm to 5pm at Glen Rovers Hurling Club, Ballincollie Road (Spring Lane) Cork City. Parking is available on site and public transport is available from the city centre on 203 and 207 bus routes.

Speaking at the event will be;

STEVEN NOLAN - TRADEMARK (BELFAST)

Stephen has been a Co-director of Trademark, the anti-sectarian unit of the Irish Congress of Trades Unions for the last twelve years. He was previously employed in Counteract, the anti-intimidation unit of ICTU which followed working in the former Yugoslavia during the conflict as the co-ordinator of Sava - The Service Civil International working group on Ex-Yugoslavia. Stephen’s experience is in formal and informal education, work place trade union education and community and workplace intervention in the context of sectarian disputes and community tension. His PhD was in Critical Discourse Analysis and he has a Masters in International Human Rights Law focusing on labour rights in societies emerging from conflict. He co-designed and lectures on a CPD in Trade Union Studies and Social Justice at the School of Equality in UCD.

Over the last number of years Stephen alongside his colleagues at Trademark have been developing an interface worker cooperative programme that seeks to offer practical alternative means to create employment, tackle inequality and also resist and challenge sectarianism by bringing workers together daily to work democratically for joint benefit in which values of trust and democracy replace the dynamics of suspicion and mistrust.

https://www.facebook.com/Trademark-Belfast-139355681103/

http://www.trademarkbelfast.com/

ALICE MCLARNON - BELFAST CLEANING SOCIETY (CO-OP)

Alice has been involved in community work for over fifteen years, firstly in a voluntary capacity, then in 1999 after gaining qualifications in IT, administration and finance she joined Interaction Belfast where she worked for six years in cross community and cross border projects. Her role entailed helping with funding applications, facilitation of group meetings and developing appropriate financial systems for groups with little support or experience.

In 2005, Alice completed her B.A. degree in Professional Development. In addition she helped win an award for Interaction from the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland for sound book keeping and systems. Alice joined Trademark in September 2006 as Office manager with responsibility for financial systems, procedures and fundraising. As part of the Trademark team she also helps in coordination of all training courses and assistance in areas of research and evaluation and has recently completed a Masters in Education.

The Belfast Cleaning Cooperative is the only cross community cleaning coop in Northern Ireland. They specialise in Contract Cleaning Services and Supplying Commercial and Office Cleaners.
The Belfast Cleaning Society is a worker cooperative. It won its first contract to tend to the needs of the Stars of MTV and also cleaned up after 65,000 customers during Tennents Vital music festival.
The founding members of the Belfast Cleaning Society between them have over 90 years cleaning experience in domestic and industrial settings.

https://www.facebook.com/BelfastCleaningCoop/
http://belfastcleaningsociety.com/

JIMMY DIGNAM - WORKERS' PARTY

Jimmy Dignam is the Workers’ Party representative for Dublin North West in the 2016 General Election. Jimmy is an anti-austerity activist and has been active in socialist politics for many years. He is a member of the Campaign Against the Household and Water Taxes, and is active in Right2Water.

Jimmy is a member of the Unite union’s Youth Committee and has been involved in many campaigns including ‘Work Must Pay’ against the Jobbridge intern scheme, Defend Blanchardstown Hospital and the recently established Ballymun-Finglas Housing Action group.

Jimmy is 29 years old and recently married. He works with a fruit and vegetable delivery company based on cooperative principles, and is a member of Bohemian Football Club.

https://www.facebook.com/JimmyDignamWP/
http://workersparty.ie/

LOOK LEFT FORUM is a progressive left platform for the discussion of local and international, political, social and economic issues and their impact on Irish society.

http://www.lookleftonline.org/