Contact Us
Carmichael House,
North Brunswick St.,
Dublin 7,
Ireland.
Tel. 01 8730455
01 8730986
Fax: 01 8730998
Email:
info@dublincil.org
Strasbourg Freedom Drive Itinerary - September 2005
Irish participants hold teleconference with regional spokepersons to discuss upcoming trip.
- Dublin: Don Bailey
- West: Sean Brennan
- East: Marie Fogarty
- South: Kathleen Blake, Donal Danagher assisting
Tuesday 30th August - Friday 2nd September
Final Preparations & Media campaign in Ireland.
- It is vital for participants to ensure that the aims they carry with them to Strasbourg are heard and fully understood within their local area. Each participant and interested individual is asked to write a letter to their local Irish MEP, to ensure that it is fully understood why this trip to Strasbourg is so important. Letter template which can be localised and individualised available from Fergal Scully, Carmichael House CIL)
- Participants must ensure that promotion of this trip begins before they leave and continues while they are away. They are asked to publicise their own story through the media - local radio, papers etc., emphasising their own concerns, the importance of Independent Living and the Strasbourg Freedom Drive, and their own local CIL/representative organisation. Participants should inform other organisations and individuals of whatever media interest they have. Another vital avenue of campaigning is to get people involved with the CIL E-Campaign. For further information please contact Eithne O'Donnell – eithneodonnell@dublincil.org , or the CIL office (01 8730986), or click on http://www.dublincil.org/advocacy/advocacy.htm
- Each participant from Ireland will be in Strasbourg representing the needs and concerns of everyone else at home - it is vital that they clarify the arguments and points they are bringing to Strasbourg - and what they hope to achieve by the trip.
- Regionally, participants must create a strategy around the spirit of the march – the theme, colour, flags etc. that will represent their area/country. Some countires have already decided some of their contributions to this - eg. Norway is printing up a number of T-Shirts.
Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th September
Travel to Strasbourg
The majority of participants are staying in the Strasbourg des 2 Rives ( Parc du Rhin) hostel. The plan is for the Irish Freedom Drivers to meet up at 7pm in the lobby for a get-together! Back home in Ireland the media and Internet E-Campaign continues!!
In Strasbourg - all countries participants meet with their own MEPs in the EU Parliament.
As the Media coverage continues in Ireland, some Irish participants who have developed media links prior to departure will have arranged to talk with their local media today. The E-Campaign is in full swing, with people all over Europe engaging and communicating through the CIL, Carmichael House website.
The longest day of the Freedom Drive - the morning begins with all Freedom Drivers marching to the EU Parliament, where they gather for a rally - echoing the events of Strasbourg 2003!
At 5pm, Freedom Drivers are invited to a meeting with the Disability Intergroup - MEPs from all nationalities and major political groups, working with the EU Parliament on disability policy. As with our 2003 meeting with this group - our aim here is to get our key points of concern heard and discussed at this meeting. The meeting will start with a welcome from their Chair, followed by some speeches by Freedom Drive spokespersons - then its up to the rest of the Freedom Drivers to get the discussion going and their points across!!!
On Thursday afternoon, some of the Freedom Drivers will hold a meeting with the European Court of Human Rights. This is the final day of the Freedom Drive.