Simon Community mark 100 year anniversary of the 1916 Rising with video campaign

SIMON COMMUNITY MARK 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1916 RISING WITH VIDEO CAMPAIGN

100 years on from the aspirations of the 1916 Proclamation, people are still fighting for their lives on our streets

To mark the 100 year anniversary of the 1916 Rising the Simon Community are asking people to share their video campaign and put an end to the ever growing homeless crisis that is devastating Ireland. The campaign, which ran successfully online and on selected TV stations from Mar 24 – Apr 5 carries the hashtag: #itmustend

The video features Tommy KD, a musician and actor who has experienced homelessness, passionately reading key parts of the Proclamation in some of Dublin’s main Easter Rising locations. The words of this significant document are symbolically written on a sleeping bag to highlight that 100 years on from the Rising, people are still fighting for their lives on our streets.

Speaking about the campaign, the Simon Community said:

“The Proclamation had ambitions for equality and freedom, cherishing all of the children of the nation equally. Yet 100 years on we are surrounded by a catastrophic and ever worsening homeless crisis, where 6,000 men, women and children are trapped in emergency accommodation or sleeping rough on our streets, with countless others living in fear of losing their home.

“It must end. Tackling the current homeless and housing crisis has to be a top priority for the next Government. This can only happen through leadership and committed political will and we are asking members of the 32nd Dáil to take urgent action.

“The deadline for the previous Government’s commitment to end long term homelessness and need to sleep rough by the end of 2016 is eight short months away, and clearly the target will not be achieved. The critical requirements for men, women and children, currently facing this enormous crisis is to access and maintain affordable, secure and safe housing to stabilise their lives.

“We need a comprehensive plan for the private rented sector to ensure greater affordability, stability and security. Critically, local authorities need to get back into the business of building and delivering social housing on the scale required. There is very little social housing available. Access to affordable housing with support is the most cost-effective and proven solution to addressing the housing and homeless crisis.”

Join the campaign

People watch the video here: http://goo.gl/j6lmMb and share the video on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #itmustend

Twitter

#Ireland2016 is in a devastating #homeless crisis, pple are still fighting for their lives on our streets #itmustend http://goo.gl/j6lmMb

Facebook

Ireland is facing a devastating #homeless crisis. 100 years on from the 1916 Proclamation, people are still fighting for their lives on our streets #itmustend #Ireland2016 http://goo.gl/j6lmMb

The campaign was fully sponsored by Irish International and Sweet Media
Productions.