Paul Hopkins

The Fact OfThe Matter

PAUL HOPKINS PAUL HOPKINS The indelible human spirit that defines Ukrainians

In half a century plying my trade in journalism, I have found myself on three occasions smack bang in the middle of what are euphemistically termed ‘con ict zones’. In short, war of one kind or another.

For three years in the late ‘70s I covered the Rhodesia/ Zimbabwe ‘bush war’ for the Irish Press group and RTE radio. In 2004 I went under cover to report for Independent News & Media on the drug cartels, the myriad kidnappings by leftist guerrillas and the wanton actions of the right-wing death squads in Colombia during the time of the IRA ree. In 2008 I was imbedded with the UN covering the violent political, economic, and humanitarian crisis that erupted in Kenya that was, e ectively, a civil war that in a matter of two weeks saw some 1,500 souls hacked to death, and 600,000 people displaced.

In each of those three ‘con ict zones’, I had a close brush with death. In Zimbabwe I was red upon during an attack by the guerrillas of Robert Mugabe on a convoy from what is now the capital Harare to Bulawayo on the border with Botswana. I was hit by shrapnel in my chest, shrapnel that remained lodged there for 32 years before a surgeon removed it when I was undergoing open heart surgery for a congenital defect — that story for another day’s telling. It was also the rst and only time I ever peed my pants.

While on the ground in Colombia the covert ops of myself and two other Irish journalists were exposed to the right-wing authorities and we had to be furtively airlifted out of Bogota. e alternative did not bear thinking about. In Kenya I found myself, with my two ‘body-guards’ — mere boys — caught with a UN envoy in the middle of a suddenly erupted battle in the Great Rift Valley. Although I did not pee my pants then, I sure as hell wanted to.

In Zimbabwe I was a very young man, thought myself, as youth does, invincible — going to live for ever come hell or high water. Colombia and Kenya I was that older man, resolutely conscious of my own mortality.

My relatively low-key brushes with the Grim Reaper do not — emphatically do not — by any stretch of the imagination begin to compare with what is happening right now in Ukraine, or indeed in Yemen, South Sudan or Syria or many of the world’s other ‘con ict zones’; in e ect the utter horror of war, where human su ering and death is happening on a momentary basis. at is not why I bring to you a re-accounting of my ‘smalltime’ adventures. It is rather to bring up the subject of the indelible spirit of Man, that can be, and is, at the core of our human nature. at incredible spirit of de ance that we see right now rising up in the ordinary and decent people of Ukraine, led by the gallant de ance of its president, Volodymyr Zelensky. And, indeed, the gallant e orts of the many journalists covering this story on the frontline, not least our own Orla Guerin, the veteran Feargal Keane and the indomitable Tony Connelly.

I have seen up close and personal this ‘indelible human spirit — in Zimbabwe, in Colombia and in Kenya — where humankind, our brothers and sisters, had stood valiantly against the coming of the oppressor, the onward wrenching, jackboot march of the killer.

Such indelible human spirit is what separates the good guy from the bad. Good is that lack of self-centredness, that ability to empathise with others, to have and show compassion.

When under cover in Colombia, I met a young Irish woman. She had a degree in international politics from Galway university. It was her rst day, after weeks of intense training, on the ground in Medellin — home to the infamous Pablo Escobar — with Peace Brigades International (PBI) in probably the then most dangerous country in the world. e PBI are unique in that their work is to walk, like a guardian angel, alongside people who have been targeted for assassination by rightwing death squads, leftist guerrillas, narcos or government agents (take your pick), in an unarmed and peaceful show of solidarity in the hope of keeping their charge alive.

I asked her how she was.

Fine.

How did she feel?

Scared.

Why do you do it? Put your life on the line ... for complete strangers?

Her answer came quick and unfailing.

Someone has to do it ... don’t they?

‘At the core of our human nature... ”

Marianne Heron, Opinion Page 12

‘IDEAS Kilkenny’ competition open for innovative TECH start-ups

At the launch of the ‘IDEAS Kilkenny’ competition, John Duggan, Co-Founder and Director, Loanitt.

THE inaugural ‘IDEAS Kilkenny’ competition is now open for entries. e competition is open to people in Kilkenny with a Tech related business idea or in the early stages of trading (less than 18 months). If you have an original and innovative idea within the technology sector (e.g. AgriTech, AI, Ecommerce, FinTech, Gaming, Healthcare, ICT, IOT, Robotics, etc.) and intend setting up a business in Kilkenny ,or already in the early stages of development, check out this competition. e initiative will involve a series of business workshops and one-to-one mentoring culminating in a nale comprising of an investor ready pitch for an investment fund worth €10,000 (€6,000 in the Start-up Category and €4,000 in the Ideas Category) .

At the launch of the ‘IDEAS Kilkenny’ competition, Cathaoirleach Cllr. Fidelis Doherty said “ e Local Enterprise O ce is the rst stop for any entrepreneur who is looking to start or grow their business. is competition aims to encourage and support people starting out on their entrepreneurial journey”.

Also speaking at the launch, John Duggan, Founder and Director of Kilkenny based Fintech company Loanitt, now the largest nancial intermediary in Ireland and started their journey with the Local Enterprise O ce Kilkenny just 3 years ago, said “from the outset, Loanitt was supported with a range of supports from LEO Kilkenny including the Business Start-Up Priming Grant, the Trading Online Voucher Scheme, mentoring supports and participation on the Management Development Programme”. He added “we also learnt a lot through participation in Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur Competition in terms of re ning the business proposition and developing an investor ready pitch which helped to prepare for future funding applications. I would encourage anyone with a Tech related business idea or start-up to get involved in the ‘IDEAS Kilkenny’ competition”.

At the rst stage of the competition, applicants are invited to submit their entries via an online application form on www.localenterprise. ie/kilkenny Closing date for entries is Wednesday 23rd March. Participants will then by supported to re ne and nalise their business proposal and the winners will be announced at the end of May 2022 following a competitive pitch process.

Covid: So, what do we need to know to travel safely?

Reports on Covid-19 across Europe for the rst week in March show that the is falling overall. e European Centre for Disease Control says that, although the Omicron wave has peaked in most countries in terms of reported cases, increasing case rates among those aged 65 years and older were reported in some regions.

One country, Liechtenstein, was categorised as of very high concern.

Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, and Slovenia were deemed high concern.

Of moderate concern are Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Sweden. e situation can change depending on variations in case levels.

But as of last week the following were the rates for seven-day Covid-19 incidence per 100,000 in popular countries: 264.2 in Spain, 655.0 in France, 704.4 in Portugal, 1,135.6 in Greece, 199.4 in Malta, 483.8 in Italy and 613.5 in the UK. is compares to 541.3 per 100,000 in Ireland at the time.

As of early March, France led the way in Europe for booster shots with 87.3% of its adults boosted. is compared to 77.9% in Malta, 71.9% in Portugal, 61.5% in Spain, 59.1% in Greece and 71.9% in Italy.

Booster take-up is at 66% in England, and 72% in Wales and Scotland.

Countries are at di erent stages of lifting restrictions but they have been eased in most cases.

Depending on the virus the odds are that much of the remaining rules will be gone in most European countries. A good website for what you can and cannot do in each EU country is https://reopen.europa.eu/

You need an up-to-date EU Covid cert. Check also to see whether you need to complete a health control form before leaving.

Travel, Page 19

Govt 'must act' to support our children failed by education

THE Children’s Rights Alliance is calling on the Government to take action to support children and young people failed by mainstream education. is call was made at its National Conference on Social Inclusion & Alternative Education, held online recently.

Alternative education has developed in many countries as a response to state-provided mainstream education and o ers an informal, student-centred curriculum and a focus on experiential learning to support the personal, professional, and emotional development of each student.

In March 2018, the Department of Education launched a welcome review on the current and future provision of Out of School Education intended to ‘identify the needs of the cohort of children who have disengaged with the mainstream education system or are at risk of doing so’. However, the results of this review have not yet been published.

Speaking at the event today, Tanya Ward, CEO of the Children’s Rights Alliance, said:

“A ‘one size ts all’ approach to education does not work. e reality is that mainstream education does not meet the needs of every child and isn’t always the best option for some children to reach their full potential. "We need to see the publication of the ndings from the Department's research on alternative education to harness the potential of each and every young person and ensure that they have a positive experience in education. e Government must take action to support the children for whom mainstream education fails.”

Research has shown that there are many positive outcomes of alternative education for children including: • Improvements in literacy and numeracy with positive engagement with assessments and exams. • Improved engagement with studies, improved rates of attendance and improvements in behaviour. • e development of students’ aspirations and future pathways to work and education. • Increased self-esteem, wellbeing and resilience levels for students and increased positive community engagement.

Ms Ward said: “Each year, 4,500 young people drop out of school before completing their Junior Cert. One of the main misconceptions about early school leavers is that they are academically incapable of completing mainstream education. However, 53 per cent will continue their education in places like an alternative education setting or Youthreach, where they receive necessary supports and a more participant-centre form of education. "With demand far-outweighing the places at many of these alternative education settings, it is no longer enough to expect them to step in and plug this gap. In order to build a truly child-centred education system in this country, the Government needs to consider how we can expand upon, and fund, out of school education provision to ensure no child gets left behind.”

Gardai seize car not taxed for 2,500 days!

A CAR was seized by Gardai in Kilkenny after they discovered the owner had not taxed the vehicle for 2,500 days. e driver was stopped at a checkpoint in Kilkenny earlier this week, but the vehicle – which was imported into the country back in 2015 – had come under the radar of the Garda Mobility App just days earlier.

A Garda spokesperson said: “Garda members met this vehicle at a checkpoint on one evening after checking it on the mobility device while en route to a call."

On the look out for the fittest cat in Kilkenny

COULD Kilkenny be the home of Ireland’s fittest man or woman? That’s a question being asked by organisers of Ireland’s first National Fitness Games – a weekend-long ‘festival of fitness’ being held at Dublin’s UCD Sports Campus from Friday, 22nd to Sunday, 24th April inclusive.

Supported by Irish banana distributors Fy es, the event follows a formula established in the UK involving tests of power, endurance, strength and speed.

Included will be weighted runs, rowing machines, sandbag carries, kettlebell snatches, assault bikes, deadli s and more from which ‘Ireland’s Fittest Male and Female’ will emerge.

An attendance of over 2,000 is expected from individuals, team and corporate groups. Further details can be viewed online at www.nationalfitnessgames.com

8,000ha forestry target 'will be challenging'

MORE needs to be done to substantially increase our a orestation rates, the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said. e target to plant 8,000ha of forestry annually to 2030 “will be challenging to meet in the next decade”, according to Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue. is target was ambitious when compared with recent a orestation rates, he said.

“Clearly more needs to be done to substantially increase our a orestation rates over the next decade. “ e rate of sequestration changes over time as a forest develops and matures.

“When forests are young, the sequestration rate is low, but as the trees mature their ability to sequester carbon dioxide increases.

“ e national forest estate is an important store for carbon, estimated at over 312m tonnes,” he said.

Projections of the greenhouse gas balance show that Ireland’s forests will transition from a sink to a source by 2024, he said.

“ is trend is primarily related to the increasing rate of felling in private forests and the extent of historical a orestation on peats.

“However, as these forests are replanted, they will again sequester carbon and the strength of the forest sink will increase as these forests mature down the years to come," the minister said. Some 103 a orestation licences were issued during January and February, department gures show. At the current rate of approval, the Department is on track to deliver less than 650 a orestation licences this year. e Department’s target is to issue 1,040 a orestation licences this year. e minister said that Ireland’s forests and harvested wood products play a signi cant role in climate change mitigation by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

“Carbon sequestration by forests is in uenced by a range of factors including species, soil type, site conditions and management practices," Minister McConalogue concluded.