REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT YOUNGBALLYMUN’S “A CHILD IS BORN” CONFERENCE, AXIS CENTRE
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT MCALEESE AT YOUNGBALLYMUN’S “A CHILD IS BORN” CONFERENCE, AXIS CENTRE, BALLYMUN
Dia dhíbh a chairde. Tá an-áthas orm bheith i bhur measc anseo agus míle buíochas díbh as an fáilte a thug sibh dom. I would particularly like to thank Eleanor McClorey of YoungBallymun for inviting me to speak here at today’s ‘A Child is Born’ conference.
It’s good to be back in Ballymun where a community that has not ever had life easy has taken on the task of changing its own future. It has been a long undertaking but the signs of success are everywhere to be seen in the massively changed physical landscape that this time was decided on by the people who live here and not decided by some faceless strangers. But the new houses and buildings lovely though they are, and award winning as they are, are no more than places that help people live their lives well so that they can get the best from life and bring their best to life. That is why today is so important for in its focus on children it acknowledges that Ballymun’s future is in its infants, toddlers, children and teenagers and that their future is already being shaped by what is happening to them today. There is an old saying my grandmother was fond of that what is learnt in childhood is engraved on stone. When my grandfather’s granite headstone was put up it had a small mistake in the date. We asked if the mistake could be chiseled out but were told- no that the mark was too deep and the only way to rectify it was to start again with a new headstone. We do not get that chance with our children - we get one go around- engrave well and the child blossoms, engrave badly and the mark of poor engraving can last a lifetime. We who care for children as parents, teachers, extended family, neighbours, friends, health care professionals, community, leaders - we all play a crucial role in engraving on the lives of little children. Unknown to them they are so heavily reliant on our skill. By the time they discover that we made mistakes at their expense it is often too late to turn back the clock. So here in Ballymun you have made a vital decision to focus with a special intensity on that process of rearing children so that every child grows up with the confidence and coping skills to be a problem solver and not a problem.
Its great to see such a mix of people in the audience today; parents of young children who have been benefitting from YoungBallymun’s services, health care professionals and community groups not just from Ballymun but from across Ireland who have come to learn from the best practice that is going on here, highly esteemed academics who are at the forefront of research into early childhood. And what is truly exciting is that all this wisdom, all this experience, all this cutting-edge research exists not just between the covers of academic books, but it is being put into action each day right here in Ballymun.
We built our country on the pledge in the Proclamation to “cherish all the children of the nation equally.” How do we do that- what does it mean to cherish. It means having the chance to grow up in a place where they are happy and safe – a place where they are loved and respected, where they are encouraged to be confident in their own identity, talent and gifts, where they learn to be resilient, to be copers with lifes ups and downs, where they are well fed, well educated, well cared for, introduced to sensible limits on their behaviour and to respect for others, told “no” when that is the right thing, supported to be ambitious for themselves and encouraged to invest the effort that is needed to fulfill their ambitions, encouraged to be good kids who will grow up to be good neighbours, good citizens.
Our children are growing up in a democracy where they are equal to all. Their rights are protected by our laws, our Constitution and international conventions but they need to feel that in the lived experience of their lives - to be shown respect, to have their rights honoured. They live in a world of much greater opportunity in terms of education that were open to any other generation - but they need to know that opportunities only have value for them if they are taken and made use of. They live in a world with many complex choices, risks and threats - there are a lot of predators just waiting to rob them of their innocence, their health, their freedom. So they need to have an internal strength of character, a value system so spontaneous that they can resist pressures from peers and others who would skew their lives and shape them badly. Yeats said education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire - we want our children to be curious and passionate about life and what they can bring to life – to have that fire lit from their earliest days.
The old Irish proverb says it all very succinctly- tus maith is leath na hoibre- a good start is half the work. That is what brings each of you here today- the determination to give the children of Ballymun the very best start in life. YoungBallymun helps parents to make the best investment they can in their children’s lives by learning from best practice, by getting the support, help and advice they need to equip themselves to be the best parents they can. We don’t raise vegetables without consulting a gardening book - why should we think we can raise children without learning from all the sources that can help us parent really well? The “Ready, Steady, Grow” with its focus on children aged from birth to 3 years offers parents of young children the best of company on their journey as parents. It has been designed specifically around the needs of children and parents of Ballymun so you can have confidence that this is not just a one size fits any place solution but something made to specially fit this place. It is in place thanks to the community of Ballymun and thanks to the support of the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. Between them they have created an opportunity that will profoundly change for the better the lives of those whose parents take this opportunity.
The benefits of YoungBallymun’s initiative will be felt long into the future. Congratulations and go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.