In our 8 th episode of ONE Conversation’s The Making of an Activist, we meet Maeve Ricardson, an incredible student leader from Tipperary who has been engaged in her community and student politics from a young age. Like many other guests in this series, she had early inspiration and encouragement from her family who have diverse interests from the Irish Farmers’ Association to the creative arts.
This is a wonderful conversation during which Maeve traces her changing attitudes, developing social conscience and realisation that there are many who are under-represented in society, have no voice and need strong champions. We talk about her initial push in Transition year to become active, at first to make new friends but then fired up to “look out for those who are under-represented”. She also acknowledges the lack of power in local government which forced her to shift her focus and seek to engage with an organisation with a broader scope and national agenda.
Her honesty and commitment are truly refreshing as she recounts her reasons for becoming an activist such as her autism, experiencing anxiety in her early teenage years and coming out just before the Marriage Referendum. For some that would present challenges and barriers, for Maeve she realised that she was in a more privileged position than others such as transgender individuals; these are the words of a true equality champion, and she continues to campaign to remove challenges which many young people face.
It is therefore unsurprising that Maeve has focussed on equality, communications and engagement and superbly links them throughout her work, whether it was with Comhairle na nÓg, the Irish Second-level Students’ Union or UCC Students’ Union. However, her frustration is truly evident when speaking about the education system and its lack of education in civic engagement for young people, sexual health and education along with an absence of other players such as trade unions and the community with students.
The conversation covers a lot of ground including her work with UCC Students Union and the crisis which students face not only in rising registration fees, but a lack of affordable accommodation and the reliance on regular food banks. She provides marvellous insights into how she views activism and reminds us that all we
need is passion and not a niche to get involved, and believes that all change no matter how small is important “small on the ground issues which ignite, they start a spark which becomes a flame which starts an activist”.
If you want to know what true activism is, have a listen and get inspired.
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