Girls Just Want To Have Fundamental Rights

Referendums are difficult. It’s not a case of agree to disagree. It’s a fight til the end. It’s Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. It’s Thanos versus the Marvel Universe. It’s a long emotional process, with nail-biting nerves and a wavering uncertainty of the end result. The 8th Amendment referendum has divided the nation. The cultural and political barrier between the two sides is more evident than you could ever imagine. It ain’t pretty, and you probably will never look at some people the same way ever again.

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The Bible says "Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward," and in a predominately catholic country, it’s sad that abortion stigma is still prevalent in Irish society today. To put this all into words, is some form of closure for me too. My mother had a terminated pregnancy in 1996. She was mentally unwell and had an addiction to alcohol. Not coping with her everyday life, the financial and personal burden of a third child was not the ideal situation for my family in that moment in time. I was always told she miscarried, last Christmas, 21 years later and twenty-seven years old, I found out the truth. It's upsetting that it was hidden from me for so long, but this is the nature of the environment we live in: Abortions are "a licence to kill", morally wrong and a dirty secret.

Whilst I have thought about the sibling I might of had, I know that my late mother made the best choice for her. As every Irish woman should be rightfully allowed. In Her Shoes - Women Of The Eight has been a blessing for the population by helping break the shame of ending a pregnancy. Judgmental free, these brave women have allowed us to see the reality of difficult decisions made, and the ones they could legally not.

I’m not fortunate enough to get on the electoral register, but I’ve done my best to discuss the referendum with just about any one I can. Living on the other side of the Irish Sea for six years, I can still appreciate the reforming attitudes from within the isle I grew up on. In 1995, divorce became legal. In 2015, Ireland legalised same-sex marriage, and legislation to decriminalise drugs could come in early 2019. Ireland has progressed massively since I first called it home in December 1995, and we shouldn’t stop here. We should keep fighting for change. Since the church lacks creditability, it has never been more important to question outdated catholic “rules”. Abortion is not child abuse. Child abuse is 796 children in an unmarked grave in Tuam. Where was the No campaign when babies were getting thrown into septic tanks? Do they not care about the mothers who were denied of basic human rights and compassion in the 1950s? Do they not see how the law must change?

Ill informed information has been thrown into the public during this referendum. Fact checking doesn’t seem to concern the No campaign. How can any one honestly believe that 1 in 5 children here in the UK is aborted? Or that 90% of British babies with Down syndrome result in a terminated pregnancy? It makes me think of the lies Nigel Farage fed his Leave campaign promising £350 million to the NHS, or the poster of queuing refugees proclaiming that the country was at breaking point. Speaking of posters, the distressing graphic images of late developed foetuses outside schools and hospitals are nothing but vile desperate tactics used to intimidate and scare voters into their irrational beliefs.


I know the majority of my friends here are putting an “X” in that Yes box tomorrow, but if there is anyone undecided, please vote Yes.

A Yes vote does not mean there will be no restrictions. A waiting period of 72 hours for reflection and counselling will follow. The period up to 12 weeks is termed early pregnancy and terminations beyond this will remain illegal, except in very specific circumstances such as rape or incest. Late term abortions will be illegal.

However, there will still be abortions even if No wins. We don’t need to turn our Irish women away. We do not need to send them to the UK, or resort them to ordering dangerous pills online.

This isn’t about robbing a child of its future. An abortion does not make you a murderer. It does not make you a killer. It’s most definitely not about religion, and it's not about getting abortions on demand.

You are voting for Savita Halappanavar. You are voting for my mother. You are voting for women’s rights, and the women that will come after them, and those after them. You are voting for access to safe, potentially lifesaving healthcare. You are voting for the state to not have control over your body.

A termination is not a decision a woman makes lightly.

You may not agree with abortion, but if you respect women, respect our fundamental right to choose.

Repeal,

Repeal,

Repeal.


Grá mór Éire.

Rave To Save: Walking With Elephants

Thailand is a huge holiday destination. The all-night beach parties and spiritual retreat are an allure for some, but travellers are now opening their eyes to the seedier sides of the country's tourism.

It's standard practice for holidaysmakers to Southeast Asia to pet a tiger or hop up on an elephant. Instagram posts may seem like everything is fine, but behind the filter all is not what it seems. The animal tourism trade is based on the cruel treatment of these magnificent creatures and exploiting the customer by removing them from the truth.



Using animals as begging instruments or masquerading them in wildlife sanctuaries, these oddly calm tigers, monkeys and elephants are subjected to humans force bottle feeding them or an iPhone shoved in their faces for a selfie. Many of the animals which are trafficked, or illegally bred, are taught to fear and are subjected to being drugged and mistreated daily.

One organisation stepping away from this type of trade, is the Mahouts Elephant Foundation (MEF).

"They're basically giving the captive elephants a free life," said the Synthapise event organiser Tonia Nee.

"All the money from the tourists is given to the Mahouts, a person who works and rides with elephants, so they can be sustained. 

"The tourists do not touch the elephants, there is no riding, no bull hooks, no abuse. Just go observe with the Mahout, and see the elephants living in their original land."



After raising £1,000 for Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary from the first Synthapise event last September, Tonia has directed her attention to raising money for her "four legged friends".

"I started researching vegan, elephant, sanctuaries back in October last year, I wasn't satisfied with the ones I came across, some things didn't add up, then I went on a vegan forum and it was suggested to me to check out MEF - I did and liked what I saw."

After 10 years, the MEF idea is only really starting to take off now. The UK registered foundation was started by the Blaine family from Worcestershire. Working in partnership with the Karen Hill tribe, a remote and rural village in Northern Thailand, they developed a safari-style model for ethical elephant tourism.

Money raised by the MEF enables the Karen people, who live in Mae Hong Son (Thailand’s poorest province), to remain in their home village and look after their elephants with the highest welfare standards in the forest surrounding the village.

"Tourists do what’s called 'Walking with Elephants', and live with the Karen Hill Tribe and absorb their culture", said Tonia.

By offering different priced packages, it's a unique concept that allows the tourist to trek into the forest with the mahouts, meaning they get the best experience possible. 

As the Karen community demonstrates, man can live alongside elephant. Prior to 1989, this was exactly the case. In the same year, Thailand made logging illegal, and overnight, 2,000 mahouts found themselves out of work.

"It stemmed from The Western world. Man took away their land by destroying it to make furniture back in the 80s, and the Thai people were left with nothing," said Tonia, talking about the logging ban.

"They have no food and no homes, as the forest was that place for them", she continues, "they were forced into the city, a place that was so foreign to them; it was so messy. And abuse became an action out of fear and desperate times. That's when the abusive elephant tourism started."

Elephants play an important role in the continent's culture but only around 50,000 Asian Elephants remain in the wild. The biggest animals on land need help. Now featured on the endangered list, habitat loss; farmer and human conflict; and poachers and ivory hunters, also contribute to their decreasing population.

Tonia, a huge believer in animal rights, says a performance is an expression of one's beliefs. Literally taking the Electrowerkz stage this Saturday are eight of the best up and coming talents from underground clubs in London and Berlin. Playing dark, industrial techno are Karen Wilkins (Opulence), Claus Fauss (Khemia), JASMIN (Housewife) b2b Tonia Nee (Synthapise), Sllav (Koden), Ireen Amnes (UnderMyFeet.) b2b Anirec, Vishscale (LIVE).



"I've heard these guys play out and they deliver every time," said Tonia

"Beautiful beats and that magical atmosphere while we lose ourselves on the dance floor, all whilst our tickets go to helping improve these intelligent mammals lives."

They say an elephant never forgets, but you might. Purchase your ticket ahead of the event.

Can't make it? Donate to MEF directly.



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