The People’s Movement

admin September 27, 2016

Kevin McCorry of the People’s Movement: Guest Kevin McCorry had been the leader of the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland during the troubles and had been interned for a period. He is now a leading member of the People’s Movement who produce a regular newsletter dealing with the big issues of the day. We talked to him about the environmental effects of conflicts and war and reference was made to the use of Agent Orange as a defoliant in the Vietnam War and the deformities and other health effects that people still suffer as a result. Kevin talked about issues raised in their most recent newsletter, including the implications of the pending international trade agreements, CETA (Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement), an agreement between the EU and Canada which has been signed off by minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor on behalf of the Irish Government without it appears Dail approval. Kevin pointed out that the negotiations about CETA and the TTIP (trade agreement between EU and the US) were carried out largely in secret, that large corporations would get more power as a result, that appeal adjudication would be by a representation of the corporate bodies themselves resulting in the possibility of big corporations overriding national governments. There would be serious threats to health and environmental standards at present prevailing in the EU. It was agreed that there had been minimal public consultation or debate on the subject. Discussions on the subject matters took place between Kevin Joe and John.