Suicide Prevention National Day of Action

national | miscellaneous | event notice Wednesday March 15, 2006 17:47 by Ógra B - Ógra Shinn Féin

An All Ireland Approach

Ógra Shinn Féin will be organising a Suicide Prevention National Day of Action on Wednesday 22nd March.

Ógra Shinn Féin cumanns and youth activists will be getting active across Ireland, from Derry to Kerry, with protests, candle lit vigils, information stalls, leaflet drops, public talks and media interviews, to name but a few actions.

Andrea O'Kane, Ógra Shinn Féin spokesperson said,

"We will be organising massively across Ireland for this National Day of Action. Through our mobilisation's we hope to raise awareness around the issue and to bring pressure on the two governments to implement an all Ireland approach to suicide prevention."

"It is estimated internationally that 1 million people take their own lives every year (W.H.O figures). Ireland has the second highest suicide rate in Europe, this rate has increased by more than 25% over the last decade. Suicide is the biggest killer of young people in Ireland therefore it is imperative that Ógra as a youth organisation begin campaigning and disseminating information on this issue."

"The Ógra Shinn Féin Suicide prevention campaign launched at the National Congress 2006, will run for a period of three months. This campaign will focus on the dissemination of information and the mounting of pressure for an all Ireland approach to suicide awareness with focus on the draft budget and allocation of funding to mental health in particular suicide prevention. An all Ireland mental health strategy must be formulated, funded and implemented as this issue does not simply stop at the ‘border’."