[lang_ie]Déanann muid comhghairdeas le Sarah Jane McCready ó Cumasóige Leitir Ceanainn agus le Claire Sweeney ó Cumasóige Gort an Choirce mar ba iad na chéad daoine óga riamh ó Cumasóige le bheith tofa ar Chomhairle Óige Dhún na nGall. Tá an Chomhairle Óige ann anois le deich mbliana anuas agus is cinnte gurb é seo rud iontach stairiúil do Cumasóige.
Tá na struchtúir thoghcháin don Chomhairle Óige mar scáth ar an Chomhairle Contae féin agus i gcónaí ann sa dóigh nach raibh fáil i riamh ag na scoileanna agus ionaid bheaga, Cumasóige agus grúpaí mionlaigh fhad leis na huimhreacha vótáil chuí a bhíonn de dhíth le fáil ar an Chomhairle Óige.Tháinig grúpa beag d’ionadaithe le chéile, ina measc Comhordaitheoir Contae Cumasóige agus Oifigigh Óige faoin Choiste Gairmoideachais an Contae agus phlé siad an cheist seo thar roinnt bliana agus mar gheall ar sin agus le maoiniú ó Shíocháin 111 cuireadh tionscadal darbh ainm Chuala lena chéile le haidhm ann níos mó deiseanna a chruthú do dhaoine óga i gContae Dhún na nGall a gcuid tuairimí agus gutha a chuir ar fáil don Chomhairle Óige.
Ciallaíonn Chuala = éisteacht a fháil agus chruthaíodh an tionscadal seo fóram do na daoine óga nach bhfuil ábalta a gcuid tuairimí a chuir faoi bhráid na Comhairle Óige an Contae seo. D’obair an Fóram Óige Chuala seo i gcomhpháirtíocht leis an Chomhairle Óige Chontae Dhún na nGall le struchtúr nua a chur ar bun a thacaíonn le níos mó daoine óga a bheith páirteach sna cinntí a théann i bhfeidhm orthu ar fud an chontae agus na saincheisteanna is ábhartha a bhaineann leo a bhunú. Bhí Sarah Jane mar fhoghlaimeoir agus mar dhuine óg a ghlac páirt sa tionscadal Chuala le roinnt míonna anuas agus sa mhéid gur chuir sí í féin chun tosaigh don toghchán le gairid don Chomhairle Óige Dhún na nGall agus ar ndóigh d’éirigh léi seo a bhaint amach. Toghadh mac léinn eile fós, Claire Sweeney ó Ghort a’Choirce. Seo cuir síos anseo ó Sarah Jane ón méid a d’fhoghlaim sí agus í ag plé le Chuala….[/lang_ie]
[lang_en-uk]Congratulations to Sarah Jane McCready, Letterkenny Youthreach and Claire Sweeney, Gortahork Youthreach, who became the first ever young people from Youthreach to be elected onto Donegal Youth Council in its ten year history on Tuesday 27 November! The election structures for Donegal Youth Council (DYC), which shadowed Donegal County Council, meant that in the past, young people from very small schools or centres, like the Youthreach centres, or minority groups, have not had access to the critical mass of votes needed to be voted onto the Youth Council. A small group of representatives, including Co Donegal VEC’s Youthreach County Coordinator and Youth Officer have been looking at this issue for a few years and earlier through Peace III funding a project entitled Chuala was set up which aimed to create more opportunities for young people in Co Donegal to have their voice and opinions heard by DYC.
Chuala means to be heard and this project created a youth forum of young people who currently do not have a voice into DYC. The Chuala Youth Forum worked in partnership with DYC to set up structures that support more young people to get involved in the decisions that affect them across the county and to establish the most relevant issues affecting young people in the county. Sarah Jane got involved in Chuala over the last few months to the extent that she decided to go for election onto Donegal Youth Council which proved successful for her. Sarah Jane has shared the story of her involvement with us below.[/lang_en-uk]
Newly elected from Youthreach.