Standing idly by

A reflection with Daisy about the Local Election Campaign as we move into the Final Week before Polling Day.Negative CampaigningA tuned in ElectorateAn identity crisis for Local DemocracyHow local politics is really about Horticulture, Alchemy & Wayfinding!

There is an increase in the volume of children who are presenting with school refusal/avoidance and we must start by accepting that this is a real issue and it doesn't have an instant magic wand fix.Daisy outlines a very straight forward and meaningful methodology for supporting children and families to navigate a scenario where there is a reluctance to attend school. Based on a collaborative approach with the child we explore the risk factors, identify the strengths and highlight the areas of change that would benefit from positive attention and action.

A very open, honest, reflective and insightful conversation with Sinn Fein Councillor for Bray, Grace McManus who shares her reasons for stepping down 8 months before the next Local Elections.

In this episode Daisy talks about how he manages tough situations and how he developed an internal version of himself that is activated in those times when challenging behaviour is present.The challenge for many of us can be how to stay present in moments of distress. How to retain compassion when there is no reciprocation.

Shining a light on how important it is to consider the decisions that we make NOW and how they will impact on our grandchildren's grandchildren!We need to focus on;Awareness of the risksOur gifts to the futureHow 'Long-termism' will serve us

Cllr Grace McManus joins Cllr Daisy to discuss a Housing Paper that they have recently published.In this episode they talk about the relevance of trauma within the issue of housing and how a 'Trauma Informed' approach to dealing with people who are in housing distress would make a difference at County Council level during the current Housing Crisis in Ireland.

"I believe that the more we include the thoughts, ideas and voices of young people in decisions that will impact on their future, the more hope we can carry into that future."According to Daisy, moving beyond tokenism and into the realm of meaningful and purposeful and supported engagement is actually worth it!When youth participation recognises the needs of young people in terms of their adolescent development experience it becomes a contributor to their development and all of society benefits! When young people feel excluded, unwanted, unworthy or merely token contributors they will form a view of the world according to that experience. There is no point in us complaining about how young people view and treat the world when we are unwilling to consider our role in how they form negative views.

"I believe that good people can create bad policies. I don't believe in attacking individuals but I will always challenge proposals or policies that are not rooted in social justice or have not been developed with a human rights lens"Daisy explores the tension between popularity and good policy in the political arena. He wonders what has the most currency and what type of expectations are coming from the electorate in terms of those who occupy seats of power. 

"I believe that my failures as a politician are opportunities for reflection and insight as well as reminders that change doesn't always happen in the moment that it is needed."Failure is very familiar territory for most healthy organisations when it is seen as something that represents an opportunity. However, in politics it appears to be something that you must avoid at all costs and if it actually happens, you must hide it at all costs! As someone who has been shaped by experiences in youth work, community and education spaces, Daisy has a natural inclination towards sitting with the discomfort of failure and he also sees sharing experiences of failure as a way of showing integrity...... Check out the episode to hear more!

Episode 1 of a 12 part mini-series exploring the emerging insights from the political experience of Cllr Dermot 'Daisy' O'Brien.This episode unpacks the statement,"I believe that the quality of political decision making at local level is directly linked to the quality of consultation with local people".

In celebration of International Women's Day, Daiz and Grace share stories of the Women who have been guiding lights for them throughout their lives. Women from mythology, activism, the arts, politics and also those who are close to them.

The story of an iconic and inspirational woman born Mary Harris in Ireland and eventually immortalised as Mother Jones who stood up for workers, for child labourers for women at a time when the profiteers of the ruling class in the US had everything in their favour until the Unions started to mobilise.What messages can we take from Mary's story that inform our activism today?

A short episode that sets the scene for a new series of podcasts which aim to explore the challenges and choices we face in a changing world.Motivated by the urgency across the Globe to 'course correct' from our current direction.Inspired by a belief that the simple shift away from 'Standing idly by' can generate such positive power that it represents the potential to become a collective force for the common good. As Paulo Freire tells us, "Washing ones hands in the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral."As Bob Marley tell us, "the people who want to make the world a worse place are not taking a day off so why should I?".

Daisy and Grace share their own top five 'guiding lights' which serve them well as they navigate these challenging times.You will thoroughly enjoy the conversation as they share insights, reasons and rationale for their respective choices such as, music, humour, people, sing alongs, quotes, companions and highlighting passages in books!

Daisy and Grace discuss '5 a-day for mental health' which is a tool that supports people to check in on their own well being and perhaps discover where they need to give some attention in order to resolve issues or even to make improvements. As a package the 5 a-day has a balance of internal, external, individual and group related concepts and approaches.1. Accept 2. Connect  3. Contribute 4. Be healthy 5. Be aware of your thoughts

Daisy, Grace and Tola from 'Be Well No Hate' interview Kelvin Akpaloo about his experiences of activism within the No Hate Speech Movement.Kelvin shares insights, wisdom, struggles and advice for young activists about how to approach change making with an openness about how you might change as you try to change the world around you!From Youth Summits in the Aviva stadium in Dublin to refugee camps in Lebanon, Kelvin gives us an inspirational and thought provoking interview.

A conversation with Cllr Grace Mc Manus about a recent Housing position paper developed by her on behalf of Sinn Fein in Bray.Issues such as homelessness, child homelessness, renting, buying and how we pursue change in this area are covered in this chat.

With a worrying rise of hate movements in Ireland Daisy attempts to unpack the process by which people identify with particular social groups. Social CategorisationSocial IdentificationSocial ComparisonBy understanding how people integrate their own identity into that of a group we might better understand what we are up against as we try to address hate groups who are often masquerading as something else and attracting people under false pretences. 

Daisy and Grace discuss how shame is weaponised in politics. What does it look like, who is involved, why is it so prevalent and what are the risks?A fascinating conversation that explores what its like to be in the arena of politics but also to take the perspective of those in the media and the electorate as shame becomes a popular tool of choice when politicians do "wrong".

Originally a video but transformed into a podcast to share with those who aren't on social media.This episode explores how we approach the uncomfortable conversations about homelessness. When we consider support options for those who find themselves in a homeless situation what factors influence where we sit on the spectrum from prejudice to compassion?

Elected in May 2019 Daisy and Grace reflect on a year in the role of County Councillors.Perhaps seen as unlikely political candidates at the time, Daisy and Grace talk about the previous year by posing questions to each other that cover a wide range of reflections.What has changed about you? What have you learned? What were funny moments? What failures did you learn from and how do you manage peoples perceptions of politicians?An open and honest conversation that gives us a genuine sense of what the experience has been like and what goals they have for the future.

As the Officer Commanding in the H-Block prison during the Hunger Strikes of 1981 Bik McFarlane has a unique insight into how the story played out and what came after.This conversation was part of a commemoration event hosted online by Sinn Féin Wicklow & Wexford during the restrictions of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Daisy invites Bik to share his memories, experiences, analysis and thoughts about the last 39 years as well as the current situation in Ireland and the prospect of Irish Unity.Included in the recording is a reading from Deirdre Barker and a performance from Bik of "Song for Marcella" his tribute to Bobby Sands.

Connection is at the heart of the human experience but it has to be real! This episode explores and illustrates the full impact this pandemic is having on all of our human connections. In the absence of the gatherings that truly define us, what is left? You can't attend the funeral of a loved one nor the match of your local football team. Births and birthdays are off the radar! Going out for a few drinks is now at best drinking at home with your mates on a screen. The 'new normal' is fundamentally opposite to how we are hardwired as a species!Knowing, recognising and accepting what is happening can serve us well as we project our imagination to the time when it is not like this! Resisting, avoiding or denying the impact of this virus is unhealthy for the human soul.

Everything has changed, everything that was 'normal' is not available to us anymore. We don't know when this will end and we have no idea what will be left when it does.The biggest challenge at the moment is how we manage the impact of the Global Pandemic on us as humans who exist to connect, interact and spend time together in groups. This episode looks at our individual roles in life and how the lockdown is having a profound effect on who we see when we look in the mirror at the moment.Paying attention to the roles and understanding what is happening gives us an opportunity to manage the impact right now and also to prepare us for the future.

When your work is in service to others and you spend your time in caring roles, the practice of Self Compassion can be the difference between flourishing and burning out. We often spend our time fully focussed and committed to those who we serve and forget to make time for self care. Some of us even dismiss self care because we prefer to prioritise the vulnerable people we work with and the thought of making time for ourselves feels almost like selfish indulgence!In this Podcast Daisy talks about the importance of Self Compassion and his own tools for practicing it.

We need to start talking to Young People!!This episode looks at the importance of the uncomfortable world of listening to young people on their terms, being open to not liking what they have to say, accepting their judgement, their criticisms and even their accusations!In a time of Global Transformation the level of authentic dialogue between significant adults and young people will be the deciding factor when it comes to our chances of success.

What do you "think" about social issues?How do you "feel" about SF in Government?In this episode Daisy explores the relationship between Feeling and Thinking. He talks about the importance of understanding and managing the influences on what we feel and how we think. He uses examples of attitudes in the home and the current national political picture to illustrate how important it is to be aware of our own feelings and thoughts as well as the outside forces who would try to influence them.He looks at Thinking Tools and how they becomes an asset for decision making while also outlining the Thinking Traps we sometimes fall into and the risks associated with them.

Within the backdrop of major political change in Ireland, Daisy discusses the 'Attitudes Spectrum' and the importance of appreciating that "change" has the most potential when we recognise that within our society there are people who are Antagonists, Indifferent, Bystanders, Sympathisers, Empathisers & Empathy Actors.Having the courage to engage with people at every stage and take a role and responsibility to support and encourage positive movement along the spectrum can have a much more meaningful impact than preaching, patronising or judging people who find themselves at a different point than you.

A global issue, a local issue and a complex issue that sparks many conversations.Daisy tries to unravel the complexity and move us away from demonisation while paying particular attention to the drug use among young people and how we need to talk about it urgently and more importantly we need to talk about it WITH young people.

Daisy interviews TD John Brady, candidate in the upcoming General Election in the Wicklow constituency.Politicians exist in the public domain but we rarely get a chance to actually know them. In this episode John gets a series of personal questions, a round of "would you rather" questions and gives us a unique insight into the person behind the politician!

For something that is so present and normalised nowadays, do we really know enough about what is "Hate" and why do we hate?Can a casual remark from a parent during a news segment be the start of a journey towards hate? Daisy explores the Pyramid of Hate and how it shows us the stages that people move through on their way to causing harm through hate. In the show Daisy is aiming to support listeners to recognise the reality of hate as an issue in our society to support you as you seek out the transformative processes that will help to eliminate the threat of hate based behaviour. 

Elections are about VOTERS!With the announcement of a General Election in Ireland on Feb 8th we have a first reaction from Cllr Daisy and some tips about how to engage during the intense campaigning that will materialise from now until Polling day.Don't be passive!Check your own values.Think about the Social Contract.Don't worry about Posters (this time).Take responsibility for your role in this important and possibly defining election!

Cllr Grace McManus joins Daisy on the Podcast to share her own insights as a new Councillor and to give a very real example of two Motions that are coming to the next Council meeting about Child Homelessness and the Living Wage.As a young politician Grace represents our hopes for how the political arena can evolve into a more dynamic space. She is well aware that change doesn't happen overnight and is a living example of the struggle for young people to exist in a political structure that is not very compatible with modern life in terms of salary, time commitment and expectations.

An episode exploring the backlash to a decision by the Irish Govt to organise a commemoration event for RIC/DMP Black and Tans which were an entity under the control and direction of the British crown with an explicit purpose of preventing Irish independence by any means necessary.To "commemorate" without consideration for the harm caused by those forces to Irish people is to not appreciate that traumatic events of one hundred years ago are still alive in the Irish psyche today.

Exploring well being in politics and the reaction to candidates who are choosing not to stand in the next election because of sense of futility about the political structures and the ability to have a real impact.While wondering how we as elected reps manage the emotional reality of our roles in the political arena I share some mindfulness tools and approaches that serve me very well.

First podcast for Cllr Dermot 'Daisy' O'Brien exploring the importance of 'Change' in local, national and global politics. Touching on the current fracture between people and politicians and the importance of rebuilding that connection in the spirit of managing the changes that are required as we navigate our way into a sustainable future.